Callitris columellaris

Callitris columellaris
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Cupressales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Genus:	Callitris
Species:	C. columellaris
Binomial name
Callitris columellaris F.Muell.
Synonyms
Callitris arenosa A.Cunn. ex R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. Callitris columellaris var. campestris Silba Callitris columellaris subsp. campestris (Silba) Silba Callitris columellaris f. glauca F.M.Bailey Callitris columellaris var. intratropica (R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm.) Silba Callitris columellaris subsp. intratropica (R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm.) Silba Callitris columellaris var. microcarpa (Benth.) Govaerts Callitris glauca R.Br. ex R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. Callitris glaucophylla J.Thomps. & L.A.S.Johnson Callitris hugelii (Carrière) Franco Callitris intermedia R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. Callitris intratropica R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. Callitris robusta var. intratropica (R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm.) Ewart & O.B.Davies Callitris robusta var. microcarpa (Benth.) F.M.Bailey Frenela columellaris (F.Muell.) Parl. Frenela hugelii Carrière Frenela moorei Parl. Frenela robusta var. microcarpa Benth. Frenela verrucosa var. laevis C.Moore Octoclinis backhousei W.Hill

Callitris columellaris is a species of coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae (cypress family), native to most of Australia. Common names include white cypress, white cypress-pine, Murray River cypress-pine, Bribie Island pine and northern cypress-pine. Callitris columellaris has become naturalised in Hawaii and in southern Florida.

Description

It is a small evergreen tree, 4–12 m (rarely to 20 m) high, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter. The leaves are scale-like, 2–6 mm long and 0.5 mm broad, arranged in decussate whorls of three on very slender shoots 0.7–1 mm diameter. The cones are globose, 1–2 cm diameter, with six triangular scales, which open at maturity to release the seeds.

Taxonomy

Some authors (e.g. Thompson & Johnson 1986, followed by the Flora of Australia Online) divide it into three species (or occasionally as varieties), based largely on the foliage colour, with green plants predominating on the east coast of Australia, and glaucous plants in the interior, and on cone size, with on average marginally smaller cones in tropical areas (north of 22°S). However, others (e.g. Blake 1959, Farjon 2005) point out that both the foliage colour and cone size is very variable, even from tree to tree in local populations, and maintain that it is impossible to distinguish three taxa within the species. When split into three species, the following names apply:

• Callitris columellaris F.Muell. sensu stricto – coastal northeast New South Wales, southeast Queensland.
• Callitris glaucophylla Joy Thomps. & L.A.S.Johnson (syn. C. columellaris var. campestris Silba; C. glauca nom. inval.; C. hugelii nom. inval.) – throughout most of the southern half of Australia.
• Callitris intratropica R.T.Baker & H.G.Smith (syn. C. columellaris var. intratropica Silba) – northern Queensland, northern Northern Territory, northern Western Australia.

Pollination

Eric Rolls described the pollination of C.columellaris thus: "At pollination time when hundreds of cones go off together with a sharp crack and spurt brown pollen a metre into the air, the whole tree shivers."

Gallery

• 
  Mature tree, circa 1920
• 
  C. columellaris foliage
• 
  C. columellaris bark
• 
  Mature tree
• 
  Green fruit, Narrabri Shire
• 
  Mature fruit, Narrabri Shire

External links

• Blake, S. T. (1959). New or noteworthy plants, chiefly from Queensland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 70 (6): 33–46.
• Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys, pp. 507–513. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4.
• Thompson, J. & Johnson, L. A. S. (1986). Callitris glaucophylla, Australia's 'White Cypress Pine' – a new name for an old species. Telopea 2 (6): 731–736.
• Thomas, P. (2013). "Callitris columellaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T42206A2961309. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42206A2961309.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
• "Callitris columellaris". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
• "Callitris glaucophylla". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
• "Callitris intratropica". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
• "Callitris glaucophylla". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
• Gymnosperm Database - Callitris columellaris
• Gymnosperm Database - Callitris glaucophylla
• Gymnosperm Database - Callitris intratropica