Microcachrys
tetragona (Creeping Pine or Strawberry Pine) is a prostrate
native shrub found in alpine and open subalpine areas of central,
western and southern Tasmania. It is fire sensitive and only grows
in fire-free areas, often in rocky areas. It is slow growing and may
live for hundreds of years. Microcachrys tetragona is
endemic to Tasmania and is the only species in this genus. The adult
leaves are scale like, overlapping like tiles and are opposite and
decussate so form four rows up the stem. These leafy stems are only
about 1-1.5 mm across and square in cross section. Seedlings have
never been recorded (sometimes resprouts from trunks buried in the
peat are mistaken for seedlings). The female cones are small (6-8mm
long and 3-4mm across) and when ripe are bright red and fleshy with
20-30 seeds.
This species is often confused with
Diselma archeri, which lives in similar areas. Diselma
archeri has similar leaf size and arrangement to Microcachrys,
but is generally erect, and has stomata at the base of the outer
surface of the leaf. |