Phyllocladus aspleniifolius (Labill.) Hook.f.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Introduced to Britain in 1825.  [RHSD]. Podocarpus aspleniifolius is briefly mentioned in the Biographical Sketch of the late Allan Cunningham by Robert Heward, by reference to Cunningham’s own notes.  ‘Of Macquarie Harbour, he says - “In no situation did I find the botany so novel and otherwise interesting as on the low shores of a little bight, about nine miles up from the entrance, called Pine Cove, from the abundance of the Huon and Adventure Bay Pines, which its humid shaded woods afford.  With the Huon Pine, (which may be a Dacrydium, or altogether a new genus,) and that named Adventure Bay Pine (Podocarpus aspleniifolius, Lab.) I detected the Anopterus of Labillardiere in flower; the Cenarrhenes of that author in fruit; the beautiful Carpodontos; the Sassafras-scented Atherosperma; the aromatic Tasmannia in fruit; the native Birch; a species of Weinmannia; some of the Epacrideae, Elaeocarpus pedunculatus; Gaultheria hispida in fruit, with several others of like sterling importance.  After a minute examination of ail the trees of Huon Pine that had been recently fallen, I was fortunate in the detection of the young fruit of that most useful tree.”  [Journal of Botany vol.4, p.248/1842].

History at Camden Park

Listed only in the 1850 catalogue.  Plants were received from J. Abbott of Hobart in 1846.  In June of that year Macarthur wrote to Abbott: ‘The celery-topped pines have lived without making much progress.’  [MP A2933-2, p.159].  Macarthur sent plants to Loddiges’ Nursery in 1846 [MP A2933-1, p.147] but whether from Abbott’s batch or not it is impossible to tell.  Its absence from the 1857 catalogue suggests that it did not thrive at Camden.  

Notes