Podocarpus sect. Gracilis

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Podocarpus sect. Gracilis

Description

Leaves linear to ovate, acute to rounded at the apex, particularly delicate with remarkably blunt apices when growing in the shade, generally distinctly rigid when growing in exposed situations; Seed with its covering globular, 7-8 mm long without a small crest and 8-9 mm long in species with a crest, mostly 5.5-6 mm diam. (less in P. affinis from Fiji).

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa absent); Malaya absent; Philippines (Philippines present); Sumatera (Sumatera absent), Pacific: Fiji (Fiji present), southern China present
From southern China through Malesia to Fiji, but not in Malaya, Sumatra, and Java, 5 spp. Two species widespread and the other three quite rare and outside the range of the other two. Four of the five species occur in the Philippines.

Notes

A group of closely related species, some of which could conceivably be considered varieties inasmuch as certain variations of a like nature are also known within P. pilgeri. For example, P. lophatus has crowded leaves and a crest on the fruit, characters shared with P. glaucus but otherwise it corresponds with P. pilgeri. On the other hand, P. wangii, here included in P. pilgeri, has very small foliage buds and a purple ripe receptacle, characters also shared with P. glaucus.