Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus capuronii de Laub.

One of five threatened species of Podocarpus endemic to Madagascar where threats include deforestation, cutting for firewood, fires and grazing.

Distribution

Madagascar: Itremo Massif, Manandona. Other disjunct localities are known from historic herbarium records but they are thought to be no longer extant.

Habitat and Ecology

Podocarpus capuronii is found on skeletal sandy soil over quarzite or gneiss, along streams in ravines and on rocky slopes and ridges. It is a slow growing shrub or stunted tree in these depauperate sites; in forest it may attain 20m. The altitude (from information with herbarium specimens) ranges from 1320–2000m, but is reported to extend to 2800m above sea-level.

Human Uses

No uses have been recorded of this species. It is likely to have been used as firewood when still abundant; perhaps the wood of larger trees was used in local construction and hand tool carpentry as is the case with many other species in this genus.

Conservation Status

Global status

Endangered A2c+3c

Global rationale

Probably now restricted to the Itremo massif, where all recent collections have been made. The disjunct occurrence (see map) is based on Perrier de la Bathie No. 13163 in the Paris Herbarium (P), which was collected in the 1920s (exact date unknown). Habitat loss is considered to be very high in the whole of central Madagascar.

Global threats

Habitat loss is considered to be very high in the whole of central Madagascar due to deforestation, cutting for firewood, fires, and grazing.

Conservation Actions

This species is not known to occur in a protected area.

References and further reading

  1. de Laubenfels, D.J. (1971). Deux nouveaux Podocarpus endémiques de Madagascar. Adansonia ser. 2 11(4): 713–715
  2. de Laubenfels, D.J. (1972). Flore de Madagascar et des Comores. Gymnospermes - Cycadacees Podocarpacees. Museum National D'histoire Naturelle, Paris.
  3. Farjon, A. 2013. Podocarpus capuronii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 September 20
  4. Farjon, A. & Page, C.N. (compilers) (1999). Conifers. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Conifer Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  5. Leroy, J.-F. (ed.) (1972). Flore de Madagascar et des Comores. Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
  6. Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. & MacKinven, A. (compilers). (1998). The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK.
  7. Silba, M.D.G. (1983). Flora de Mocambique - 1. Cycadaceae. 2. Podocarpaceae. 3. Cupressaceae. Instituto de Investigaçao Cientifica Tropical, Lisbon.