Papuacedrus

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title: "Papuacedrus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cupressaceae", "monotypic-conifer-genera", "least-concern-plants", "trees-of-new-guinea", "trees-of-the-maluku-islands", "taxa-named-by-hui-lin-li"] description: "Genus of conifers" topic_path: "general/cupressaceae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papuacedrus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of conifers ::

| fossil_range = | image = Papuacedrus papuana - Lyman Plant House, Smith College - DSC04369.JPG | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | display_parents = 2 | genus = Papuacedrus | parent_authority = H.L.Li | species = papuana | authority = (F.Muell.) H.L.Li | synonyms_ref = | synonyms =

• Libocedrus papuana F.Muell.
• Thuja papuana (F.Muell.) Voss
• Libocedrus torricellensis Schlechter ex Lauterbach
• Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schlechter ex Lauterbach) Li
• Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs
• Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) Li

Papuacedrus papuana is a species in the conifer family Cupressaceae, the sole species in the genus Papuacedrus. Some botanists do not consider this species as forming a distinct genus, but include it in the related genus Libocedrus. It is native to New Guinea and to the Indonesian Province of Maluku.

It is usually a medium-sized to large evergreen tree 16–50 m tall, at high elevations only a shrub reaching up to 3 m). The foliage is borne in flat sprays, with the leaves scale-like, in opposite pairs, with facial and lateral pairs alternating; the lateral leaves are larger, 2–3 mm long on mature trees and up to 20 mm long on young trees, the facial leaves smaller, 1 mm on mature trees and up to 8 mm on young trees. The cones are 1–2 cm long, with four scales, a small, sterile basal pair, and a larger fertile pair; the fertile scales each bearing two winged seeds.

The species has two varieties, most readily distinguishable as young plants with juvenile leaves (the adult foliage being nearly indistinguishable):

• Papuacedrus papuana var. papuana (syn. Libocedrus papuana F.Muell., Libocedrus torricellensis Schltr., Papuacedrus torricellensis (Schltr.) H.L.Li). New Guinea, east of 138°E longitude; 620–3,800 m elevation. Juvenile leaves with a spreading, hook-like apex.
• Papuacedrus papuana var. arfakensis (Gibbs) R.J.Johns (syn. Libocedrus arfakensis Gibbs, Papuacedrus arfakensis (Gibbs) H.L.Li). New Guinea, west of 138°E longitude, Moluccas; 700–2,400 m elevation. Juvenile leaves not spreading, the apex not free from the shoot. A fossil species, Papuacedrus prechilensis, is known from the Eocene of Argentina.

References

References

1. Thomas, P.. (2013). "''Papuacedrus papuana''".
2. "''Papuacedrus''". [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]].
3. (2001). "World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers". The Royal Botanic Gardens.
4. (October 2012). "Hemisphere-scale differences in conifer evolutionary dynamics". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

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