DATA SHEETS ON SPECIES UNDERGOING GENETIC IMPOVERISHMENT

1. DATA SHEET ON ARAUCARIA HUNSTEINII K. Schumann

Compiled by N.H.S. Howcroft
Forest Research Station
Office of Forests
P.O. Box 134
Bulolo
Papua New Guinea

Araucaria hunsteinii K. Schum. (1889) in Fl. Kais Wilh. 11–12

Synonymy: Araucaria schummaniana Warb. (1900) in Monsunia 1: 187
Araucaria klinkii Laut. (1913) in Bot. Jahrb. 50: 48–51.

Botanical Description:

A large symmetrical tree, unbuttressed, 50 – 80 metres high, bole straight, cylindrical, self pruning, clear to 35 metres or more, up to 2 metres diameter. Crown pyramidal to rounded. Outer bark red to grey brown, rough, peeling in small or large broad coarse pieces around circumference of bole; middle bark reddish, inner bark yellow white. Wood creamy pink to yellowish white. Exudate thick, viscous, white and resinous.

Seedling:

Cotyledons two, glabrous, long, narrow, acicular, flat or slightly inflexed, 35 – 40 mm × 2 – 2.5 mm.

Ramification:

Branches in whorls of 5 or 6 m mostly horizontal, partly denuded, with second order branches clustered at the end of the first order branch. Second order branches pendant or partly erect. Trunk internodes regular per tree but variable within stands, 0.5 – 2 metres long.

Juvenile Foliage:

Leaves in whorls, glabrous, light green to green, lanceolate to narrow lanceolate, mostly shorter, narrower and flatter than adults, sessile, 3.5 – 9.0 × 0.5 – 1 – 5 cm. Trees retain juvenile foliage in mid and lower crown until at least 19 years of age or until they become emergent.

Adult Foliage:

Leaves overlapping, in whorls, persistent, sessile, lanceolate or narrow lanceolate, broadly canaliculate with apex slightly rounded or inflexed, abaxially slightly keeled near apex, up to 11.5 × 1.5 cm wide, green, dusky grey or very dark green.

Inflorescence:

Monoecious. Male strobili borne at the apex of second order branches in the mid and lower crown, sessile, cylindrical, immature strobili green or blue green, with or without white exudate depending on the variety, yellow brown at anthesis, brown when spent, elongated up to 21.0 × 1.1 cm. Female strobili borne in mid and upper crown, terminal, green or grey blue, consisting of clustered, spirally arranged carpels fused with ligulate scales, developing into large cones that fragment at maturity.

Mature Cones:

Obovate, cylindrical, apex conical to slightly depressed, basal portion flattened, up to 25 × 14 – 16 cm, consisting of overlapping seed scales spirally around a central axis, approx. 10 – 14 × 1.5 cm in size. Cone covered with sharp spines.

Seed:

Seed scales broadly triangular to 6 cm long × 8 cm wide, consisting of a firm but not woody central portion 4.5 – 6 × 1 cm grading into two persistent membraneous lateral wings. Apex of each scale with a rhomboidal marginal swelling or apophysis, bearing a sharp brittle spine 9 – 15 cm long, giving the cone its spiny appearance. Seed ovate in shape, lenticular in section, borne centrally on the seed scale, 3 – 4 × 1 cm. There are 2 000 – 2 500 dry dewinged seed per kilogram.

Habitat and Ecology:

This conifer is restricted to Papua New Guinea (Figure 1 and Table 1), and occurs as scattered stands within the area 142°74'E to 150°01'E from 5°11'S to 10°11'S (Gray 1973). The species occurs at altitudes ranging from 520 to 2 100 m a.s.l. The size and location of nearly all known stands has been discussed at length by Gray (1973).

Due to the remoteness of most stands of A. hunsteinii there is no accurate meteorological data for them.

Known climatic details for sites near mature klinkii stands are as follows: rainfall 1 615 – 4 586 mm p.a., mean monthly maximum temperatures 22.8° to 31.1°C, mean monthly minimum temperatures 12.3° to 20.8°C, and mean monthly relative humidity 50 to 89 percent (McAlpine et al. 1975). Klinkii pine is likely to be frost sensitive.

A. hunsteinii occurs as isolated remnant pockets of forest or as fairly dense stands on mountain sides and ridges. It is most frequently associated with Castanopsis, Calophyllum, Garcinia, Elaeocarpus, Podocarpus, Toona, Flindersia, Gnetum, Litsea, Cryptocaria, Pometia and in a number of instances, with Araucaria cunninghamii.

The species occurs on acid clay loams derived from breccias, agglomerates, lacustian laterites or old volcanic deposits. It is interesting to note that there are two distinct varieties of this Araucaria species. One variety has green leaves, flowers and cones, and the other, which is the original Araucaria klinkii Warb., has dusky glaucous grey blue leaves that become dark green with age (Plates 1 and 2). Its male and female flowers and mature cones are also grey blue or whitish in colour (Plate 3). This is due to the presence of a white exudate or powder on their surface. At Garaina (Figure 1, locality No.8) the two varieties occur in mixed and pure stands. Little is known of the distribution of the glaucous variety but it has been found at Garaina (Figure 1, locality No.8) and Agaun (Figure 1, locality No.2) (Howcroft, Dept. Report 1975), and has been spotted from the air near the Mambare and Chirima Rivers (Figure 1, locality No.7). Further investigation may show that this variety occurs in other areas of the northern and Milne Bay Provinces. Grafts of the grey blue variety onto the common green variety stock retain their distinct colour.

Status:

Not endangered as a species, but endangered in parts of its geographic range.

Reasons for the Decline in Areas:

Shifting agriculture, fire, and local and commercial demands for timber are the main causes for the decline of stands in various areas. The Agaun stand has been reduced since 1949 from more than 200 trees to about 50 trees by intensive gardening and fire. Feral pigs have disturbed and destroyed much of the natural regeneration in this area. (Howcroft, Dept. Report 1975).

Similar examples may be found at Bulolo, Wau, Garaina and the Finisterre Range (locality No.5), the Gimi Valley, and Tagari (Gray 1973). Sawmilling operations have depleted stands in the Sattleberg Range, Kudjip, Bulolo and Wau areas.

Potential Value:

A. hunsteinii often develops into a larger tree than the other indigenous species A. cunninghamii (Gray 1975). It is regarded as having bole form superior to that of A. cunninghamii, particularly in plantations, and due to this it is highly valued in the sawmilling and plywood industry in Papua New Guinea. The timber of this species as for other species is excellent for interior work such as moulding, joinery, cabinet work, and for flooring, match and match boxes, and high quality plywood including marineply. It is recommended for aircraft frame construction.

Protective Measures Taken and Measures Recommended:

A number of field trips were made between 1972 and 1977 to numerous natural stands to assess tree characteristics, accessibility of stands, size of cone crops, best time for cone collection, and to collect seed where available.

Stands investigated so far are those in the Garaina-Waria (locality No. 2) region in the Morobe Province, Toma in the Northern Province, Agaun in the Milne Bay Province, and the Jimi Valley in the Western Highlands Province.

A previously unknown stand was located SE of Erave near Mt. Matmuri in 1976.

Successful seed collections were made at Garaina and in the Jimi Valley, and it is intended that seed be collected from the other stands during 1977 – 1978.

Seedlings from three provinces have been raised to establish conservation stands and provenance trials.

These provinces are as follows:

1. Bulolo - Lat. 7°13'S, Long. 146°45'E. Alt. 1 158 m a.s.l., rainfall 1 615 mm p.a.

2. Garaina - Lat. 7°54'S, Long. 147°10'E. Alt. 600 – 950 m a.s.l., rainfall 2 806 mm p.a.

3. Jimi Valley - Lat. 5°33'S, Long. 144°50'E. Alt. 1 500 m a.s.l., rainfall 3 000 mm p.a.

Other stands which need to be investigated are those at the Sattleberg Range and Pai-awa in the Morobe Province, Bomai-Karimui in the Chimbu Province, and Tagari and Adzugari stands as these are the most Western known occurrences of the species.

Collections from the Toma stand would also be desirable but access may be difficult without the use of a helicopter to reach the major portions of the stand.

Further studies are required to evaluate the potential of the glaucous variety and to determine its range.

Cultivation:

Seedlings can be raised by the pregermination technique or by sowing into beds with overhead shade (White and Cameron, 1965 ; Ntima, 1968; Howcroft, 1974). Araucaria hunsteinii can be grafted using bud wood patches taken from the apical leader of the main stem or by using side approach or bottle grafting techniques. The techniques are the same as those used to graft hoop pine as outlined by Higgins (1969). Grafted branch material produce plagiotropic grafts that are only useful for pollen production.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aubreville, A. 1965 Les Reliques de la flores des conifères tropicaux en Australia et Nouvelle Caledonie. Adansonia 5: 481 – 492.

Dallimore, W. and Jackson, A.B. 1966 A handbook on conifers 4th ed. pp.

Gray, B. 1973 Distribution of Araucaria in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Forest Research Bulletin No. 1 pp 31 – 56.

Gray, B. 1975 Size composition and regeneration of Araucaria stands in New Guinea. J. Ecol. 63: 273 – 289.

Havel, J.J. 1971 The Araucaria forests of New Guinea and their regenerative capacity. J. Ecol. 59: 203 – 214.

Higgins, M.D. 1969 Grafting hoop pine in Queensland Forest Dept. (Limited Pub.) pp 1 – 76.

Howcroft, N.H.S. 1974 Pregermination technique for Araucaria hunsteinii. P.N.G. Forest Department Res. Note SR 27 pp 1 – 10.

Lauterbach, C. 1913 Beitrage zur Flora Von Papuasien II.Bot. Jahrb 50: 48 – 51.

McAlpine, J.R., Keig, G. and Short, K. 1975 Climatic tables for Papua New Guinea CSIRO Aust. Land Use Research Technical Paper No. 37: 1 – 77.

Ntima, O.O. 1968 The Araucarias. Fast Growing Timber Trees of the Lowland Tropics No.3. Commonwealth Forestry Institute, Oxford.

Schumann, K. 1889 Die Flora Kaiser Whilhems Land 11 – 12.

White, K.J. and Cameron, A.L. 1965 Sivicultural techniques in Papua New Guinea Forest Plantations. Division of Silviculture, Dept of Forests. Bull. No.1 pp 8 – 30.

Warburge, O. 1900 Monsunia 1: 187, table x. Figs. A and B.

TABLE 1

KEY TO LOCALITIES ON MAP (FIG. 1)

FIGURE 1. (for key to localities, see page 35)

X- KNOWN LOCALITIES OF THE GLAUCOUS VARIETY

PLATE NO.1 Apical stem and leaves of green variety of Araucaria hunsteinii from Garaina (Photo N.H.S. Howcroft)	PLATE NO.2 Apical stem and leaves of glaucous variety of Araucaria hunsteinii from Garaina, showing white exudate on surface of leaves and stem (Photo N.H.S. Howcroft)

PLATE NO.3
Left hand cone is from the green variety of Araucaria hunsteinii and the right hand specimen from the glaucous variety. Note white exudate on surface of scales
(Photo N.H.S. Howcroft)

2. DATA SHEET ON TECTONA HAMILTONIANA Wall.

Compiled by T. Hedegart
3640 Skollenborg
Norway

Description:

A moderate-sized, decideous tree with clean boles up to approximately 8 m and diameters up to approximately 70 cm. Branchlets 6–8 angular, the younger parts shortly and densely tomentose. Leaves usually in whorls of three, sometimes opposite or in whorls of four, somewhat resembling Tectona grandis leaves but much smaller (blade 10 – 20 cm, petiole 1½ – 2 cm). Flowers small, pale blue or white, in dense tomentose corymbose panicles (15 – 30 cm) at the end of the branchlets. Corolla (8 mm) very hairy in the throat. Flowering period June to August (Troup 1921) - (“..before the leaves are fully developed” (Hooker 1885). “March – May, with the young foliage” (Brandis 1921), July (Kurz 1877)). Fruits ripen in the following cold or hot season. Small, four-celled drupe (4 by 8 mm) without a central cavity, tightly enclosed in the persistent tomentose calyx.

Habitat and Ecology:

Light demanding, drought resistant tree. Growing in dry localities (rainfall 400 to 800 mm) often on poor, stony soil (calcareous sandstone). In open stands associated with Terminalia oliveri, Acacia catechu, Acacia leucophloea, Diospyros burmanica and other species of the dry open scrub forest. Never overlapping with Tectona grandis.

Status:

Unknown but most likely endangered.

Present Distribution:

Limited natural distribution range (about 150 by 80 km) in the “Dry Zone” of Burma (Prome District and Upper Burma). Approximately 20°N latitude, 95°E longitude.

Reason for Decline:

The wood is used locally for fuel and construction (house-posts and parts of carts). It is believed that also annual forest fires are a severe threat.

Biology and Potential Value:

The timber has a different appearance than Tectona grandis. The wood is of good quality, uniformly pale brown or yellow, streaked, close-grained and finely fibrous. Heavier than Tectona grandis wood (ovendry 0. 90–0. 95 as compared to 0. 60–0. 65 g/cm³). Takes fine polish. Natural resistance to fungi and termites very high.

It is not an important timber species, but its potential value for plantations on dry sites and for the teak breeding should be investigated.

An Indonesian sample plot (66 trees) showed at the age of 36 years 21.8 m in average height and 44.2 cm in average diameter.

Protective Measures Already Taken, Measures Recommended:

No plantation plots have been established in Burma. One plot of 66 trees planted in 1940 is reported from Indonesia. It is recommended that a representative seed collection is arranged in the natural distribution range, and that ex situ gene conservation plots are planted on sites under full control in Burma, India and Thailand.

Cultivation:

In Thailand, plants were easily grown from seeds harvested from a few specimens growing at the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India. The resulting trees (approximately 100) are on a relatively poor site showing an initial development superior to that of Tectona grandis at the same site. Another seed sample obtained from Burma failed to produce any seedlings. It is believed that reproduction from seed should normally be easy. In Thailand grafting of T. hamiltoniana buds onto T. grandis root stocks has shown some success (approximately 50%).

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brandis, D. 1921 Indian Trees
London: Constable and Company Limited.

Hedegart, T. 1976 Tropical Trees, Linnean Society Symposium Series No. 2
London: Academic Press.

Hooker, J.D. 1885 Flora of British India
London: L. Reeve and Company.

Kurz, S. 1887 Forest Flora of British Burma
Calcutta.

Troup, R.S. 1921 The Silviculture of Indian Trees
Oxford: Clarendon Press.

3. DATA SHEET ON TECTONA PHILIPPINENSIS Benth. & Hook.

Compiled by T. Hedegart
3640 Skollenborg
Norway

Description:

A moderate sized tree reaching a height of approximately 15 m. Leaves elliptic-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 8 to 15 cm long, 3 to 6 cm wide. The upper surface glabrous, rather densely white-verrucose, beneath paler and densely stellate-puberulent. Nerves 5 to 7 on each side of the midrib. Petioles densely puberulent, 5 to 7 mm long. Flowers approximately 8 mm long and 10 mm in diameter, throat of corolla hairy inside. Cymes terminal, in anthesis rather dense, becoming rather diffuse in fruit. Drupe about 8 mm long, enclosed in persistent calyx.

Habitat and Ecology:

Occurs in dry, exposed ridges in thickets and secondary forests at low altitude.

Status:

Unknown but probably endangered.

Present Distribution:

Endemic to the Batangas and the Iling Island near Mindoro, the Philippines. Approximately 14°N latitude, 121°E longitude.

Reason for Decline:

The tree is not common even in its natural distribution range. The wood is used for house-posts and general construction.

Biology and Potential Value:

The timber is of the same type as that of T. hamiltoniana, i.e. pale brown or yellow, close-grained and heavier than T. grandis wood. It is not an important timber species, but as for T. hamiltoniana its potential value for plantations on dry sites and for the teak breeding should be investigated.

Protective Measures Already Taken, Measures Recommended:

Probably no protective measures have so far been taken. It is recommended that a representative seed collection is arranged in the natural distribution range, and that ex situ gene conservation plots are planted in the Philippines and Thailand.

Cultivation

Reproduction from seed most probably easy.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Merrill, E.D. 1910 Philippine Journal of Science (5).

Reyes, L. 1938 Philippine Woods
Technical Bulletin No. 7