PODOCARPACEAE

'Podocarpaceae' is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. The family is a classic member of the Antarctic flora, with its main centres of diversity in Australasia, particularly New Caledonia, Tasmania and New Zealand, and to a slightly lesser extent, Malesia and South America (in the latter, primarily in the Andes mountains). Several genera extend north of the equator into Indo-China and/or the Philippines. ''Podocarpus'' additionally reaches as far north as southern Japan and southern China in Asia and Mexico in the Americas, and ''Nageia'' into southern China and southern India. Two genera also occur in sub-Saharan Africa, the widespread ''Podocarpus'' and the endemic ''Afrocarpus''.
One species, ''Parasitaxus usta'', is unique as the only known parasitic conifer. It occurs on New Caledonia, where it is parasitic on another member of the Podocarpaceae, ''Falcatifolium taxoides''.
The genus ''Phyllocladus'', here included in Podocarpaceae on genetic evidence, is treated by some botanists in its own family ''Phyllocladaceae''.

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External link

Reference

Quinn, C. J. & Price, R. A. Phylogeny of the Southern Hemisphere Conifers. ''Proc. Fourth International Conifer Conference'' 129-136 (2003).

External link

★ Gymnosperm Database - Podocarpaceae