| Afrocarpus falcatus | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Podocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Afrocarpus |
| Species: | A. falcatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Afrocarpus falcatus (Thunb.) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Podocarpus falcatus, Sickle-leaved Yellowwood, Outeniqua Yellowwood |
|
Afrocarpus falcatus, commonly known as the Sickle-leaved Yellowwood and False Yellowwood (formerly also Outeniqua Yellowwood; syn. Podocarpus falcatus), is a species of Afrocarpus, native to montane forests of South Africa, from Swellendam District of Western Cape Province to Limpopo Province, and into southern Mozambique.
When grown domestically, it is a medium-sized to large tree, reaching heights of 10-25 m, but can sometimes attain heights of up to 60 m - and live for hundreds of years - in its natural habitat. Mature trees have a rougher, scaly bark than that of younger trees. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate or falcate (sickle-shaped) with a very sharp point, 2-4 cm long and 2-4 mm broad. Pollen cones and seed cones are found on trees of different gender. The seed cones are highly modified, with a single large seed with a thin fleshy coating borne on a short peduncle. The fruit takes a year to mature, turning yellow, and is dispersed by birds and monkeys which eat the fleshy coating, a necessary step for growth since the flesh contains a germination inhibitor. The pollen cones are produced in clusters on short stems,