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Lagarostrobos franklinii (huon pine) is a rainforest
tree that grows in western and southern Tasmania. It is very
fire sensitive and only grows in fire-free areas. It is slow
growing and may live for over 2000 years. It mostly grows at
low-moderate altitudes, but occasionally extends into the
alpine zone. It is most commonly seen along rivers. Because
its wood is good for furniture and boat building, its
distribution has decreased due to logging.
Lagarostrobos franklinii is endemic to Tasmania
and is the only species in this genus. The adult leaves
are scale like, overlapping like tiles and are spirally
arranged around the stem. These leafy stems are only about
1-1.5 mm across. Seedlings have needle-like, spreading
leaves several mm long. The female cones are small and
elongated (up to 10mm long) with a series of seeds. The
branches droop noticeably
This species can only be confused with Phaerosphaera
hookeriana. The latter species is
alpine-subalpine and does not extend down into the main
habitat of Lagarostrobos, has short female cones
and no stomata on the outer surface of the leaves.
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University of Tasmania
