Real Yellowwood
| Podocarpus latifolius | |
|---|---|
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| A mature Podocarpus latifolius growing in a Cape Town botanical garden. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Podocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Podocarpus |
| Species: | P. latifolius |
| Binomial name | |
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Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. |
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Podocarpus latifolius (broad-leaved yellowwood or real yellowwood, Afrikaans: Opregte-geelhout, Northern Sotho: Mogôbagôba, Xhosa: Umcheya, Zulu: Umkhoba) is a large evergreen tree up to 35 m high and 3 m trunk diameter, in the conifer family Podocarpaceae; it is the type species of the genus Podocarpus.
The real yellowwood has been declared the national tree of South Africa and is protected here.
The real yellowwood is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 30 meters in height. It grows relatively slowly but forms a wood of exceptional quality.
The leaves are strap-shaped, 25–40 mm long on mature trees, larger, to 100 mm long, on vigorous young trees, and 6–12 mm broad, with a bluntly pointed tip. The species name "latifolius" actually means "wide-leaved". The bright-coloured foliage of new growth stands out against the dark leaves of mature foliage.
The cones of this dioecious tree are berry-like, with a single (rarely two) 7–11 mm seed apical on an 8–14 mm pink-purple aril; the aril is edible and sweet. The male (pollen) cones are 10–30 mm long.
It is native to the moister southern and eastern areas of South Africa, from coastal areas of the Western Cape east to KwaZulu-Natal and north to eastern Limpopo. Pockets are naturally found further north in and around Zimbabwe.
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Wikipedia