Callitris
rhomboidea (Oyster Bay Pine) is a native tree (rarely a shrub in
exposed sites) found on Flinders Island and near the east coast of
Tasmania (and also widely in south-eastern Australia). Although it
will regenerate well after fire, frequent fires will eliminate it.
As a result it is restricted to low-fire parts of this very
fire-prone region. It is the largest tree in this dry, open forest. Callitris
species have woody cones and leaves in whorls. The adult
leaves are in whorls of three - these leaves reduced to widely spaced scales and the intervening stems are green and
photosynthetic. Juvenile leaves are needle-like and spreading and
are in whorls of three or four.
The female cones of C. rhomboidea
are about 15mm long and wide. It is more common than the other
member of this genus in Tasmania,
C. oblonga, and is similar except that the female cones are
not elongated and the foliage is not as blue. |