Shoot of an ornamental specimen (Arcata, CA) showing foliage and a current-year cone [C.J. Earle]. |
Microbiota decussata
Komarov 1923
Common NamesTaxonomic notesThe sole species in Microbiota Komarov 1923.DescriptionMonoecious evergreen shrub with low crown, up to 50 cm tall in nature, to 100 cm in cultivation. Shoots flat, bark brown. Leaves on generative shoots are oval-shaped, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide; on vegetative shoots - oval, pointed, with eliptic gland on upper side (leaves in shadowed inner parts of crown lack glands). Some leaves can be needle-shaped. Cones dry, to 6 mm long, 3 mm wide, with scales 3 mm long. Each cone produces 1 seed. Seeds upright, rounded-oval, smooth, brown, wingless. Pollination April-May, seeds mature August-October (4).RangeUSSR: SE Siberia, S part of Sikhote-Alin Mountains, above timberline; Suchan R. valley. Often found with Pinus pumila . (1, 2).Big TreeOldestDendrochronologyEthnobotanyObservationsRemarksConservation status unknown, but very limited in distribution (3)."Some plants cover up to 4 sq. m, but they are only 20-50 cm high. It is listed as rare species in Red Book of Russia, but it is not under threat, as most populations exist on rarely visited mountain tops. It is well-adapted to fire. Lightning often provokes spectacular explosions of oil fumes on Microbiota -covered summits, but with no harm to the plants themselves. Ude people call it kurumkurinda , 'talus pillow' " (2). Citations(1) Silba 1986 .(2) Vladimir Dinets, e-mail communications, 2 and 10 Jan 1998. (3) World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Trees . (4) S. Harkevich and N. Kachura. 1981. Rare Plant Species of The Soviet Far East and Their Conservation. Nauka, Moscow (in Russian). |
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