koyamaki
Sciadopitys verticillata
Sciadopitys verticillata, the kōyamaki or Japanese umbrella-pine, is a unique conifer endemic to Japan. It is the sole living member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus Sciadopitys, a living fossil with no close relatives. The oldest fossils of Sciadopitys are from the Late Cretaceous of Japan, and the genus was widespread in Laurasia during most of the Cenozoic, especially in Europe until the Pliocene. A European relative of this species may have been the primary source of Baltic amber, according to some studies.
From the article Sciadopitys verticillata on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
S. verticillata is a slow-growing evergreen conifer native to Japan. It typically reaches 10–15 m (33–50 ft) in cultivation, though larger specimens may occur in the wild. The species is characterized by reddish-brown bark that peels in vertical strips and by its distinctive foliage, which consists of whorled, glossy, dark green cladode—modified stem structures that resemble needles—measuring 6–13 cm (2.5–5 in) in length. Seedlings also have a pair of cotyledons and a pair of primary leaves. The cladodes are arranged in umbrella-like clusters at the ends of branches, giving the tree its common name. The seed cones are ovoid to cylindrical, measuring 6–11 cm (2.5–4.25 in) long, and require approximately two years to mature.
In human culture
The genus name Sciadopitys comes from Greek sciádos (σκιάδος) meaning 'umbrella' and pitys (πίτυς) meaning 'pine'. The species name verticillata is a descriptive epithet meaning 'whorled'.
Wikipedia: “Etymology”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Sciadopitys verticillata in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 129057.