Podocarpaceae

Dacrycarpus steupii (Wasscher) de Laub.

A widespread species from Malesiana and New Guinea. In some parts of its range logging and forest clearance have reduced its area of occupancy to the xtent that it has been assessed as Near Threatened.

Distribution

Recorded from Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. In Kalimantan it was known from a now extinct population near Balikpapan. In Sulawesi it is mainly known from the Latimodjong Mts. Populations in New Guinea are discontinuous but widespread.

Habitat and Ecology

Dacrycarpus steupii is common in mossy forest and subalpine shrubberies from montane to alpine zones. Depending on the vegetation type it is a shrub or a tall emergent tree;its best growth is in protected gullies in the upper montane forest where trees can grow taller. In peaty, wet tussock grasslands at high altitudes it forms clumps, sometimes without other trees present, or mixed with Papuacedrus papuana in New Guinea. The altitudinal range is from 860 m to 3,470 m a.s.l.

Human Uses

Large trees will be valuable timber and have undoubtedly been logged for this purpose. Its wood is probably not distinguished from other members of the family and traded as 'podocarp' wood. Its properties and uses would be similar to those of D. imbricatus and particularly useful for construction of houses and making of furniture.