Podocarpus elatus

Podocarpus elatus
drawing by Margaret Flockton
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Podocarpaceae
Genus:	Podocarpus
Species:	P. elatus
Binomial name
Podocarpus elatus R.Br.

Podocarpus elatus, known as the plum pine, the brown pine or the Illawarra plum is a species of Podocarpus endemic to the east coast of Australia, in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland.

It is a medium to large evergreen tree growing to 30–36 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m diameter. The leaves are lanceolate, 5–15 cm long (to 25 cm long on vigorous young trees) and 6–18 mm broad. The seed cones are dark blue-purple, berry-like, with a fleshy base 2-2.5 cm diameter bearing a single oval or globose seed 1 cm in diameter.

Uses

The fleshy part of the seed cone is edible, used in condiments. The timber was prized for furniture, joinery, boat planking, lining and piles in salt water. Podocarpus elatus is an attractive ornamental tree. In older Australian suburbs it can be seen lining the street, such as at Baldry Street, Chatswood.

Gallery

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  juvenile foliage
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  Podocarpus elatus trunk
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  Podocarpus elatus foliage & naked seeds on fleshy receptacles
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  Podocarpus elatus growing in littoral rainforest on sand
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  Podocarpus elatus bark & foliage
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  Podocarpus elatus bark
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  Podocarpus elatus unusually joined seed stems (receptacles)
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  Podocarpus elatus germinating

References

• ANU Forestry Illawarra plum - Podocarpus elatus
• Bruneteau, Jean-Paul, Tukka, Real Australian Food, ISBN 0-207-18966-8.
• Dallimore, W., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae. Arnold.
• Gymnosperm Database: Podocarpus elatus
• Low, Tim, Wild Food Plants of Australia, ISBN 0-207-16930-6.
• Floyd, A.G., Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, Inkata Press 1989, ISBN 0-909605-57-2