Scientific Name : Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet
Common Name : Buddhist Pine, Kusamaki
Chinese Name : 羅漢松
Family : PODOCARPACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origins | Provinces south of Yangtze River Basin, China. It also has distribution in Japan. |
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| Meanings of name | Buddhist Pine is commonly seen in Buddhist temples, with its Chinese name "Arhat Pine (羅漢松)” that is imbued with the Buddhist spirit. The reason why it is named with the word "Arhat” is that its fleshy receptacle turns red at maturation, mimicking the body of a monk, while the spherical seed growing on top of the receptacle looks like the head of a monk. All together the structure looks like a monk wearing Kasaya. In addition, the bract attached to the receptacle resembles the prayer hands of a monk. |
| Relationship with Hong Kong | The native population of the Buddhist Pine is mainly distributed on the eastern hillsides of Hong Kong. However, the survival of the wild populations is continuously being threatened. A number of cases of illegal harvesting of Buddhist Pine have been reported, probably associated with the belief of a proverb that reads "if your home has a Buddhist Pine, you will never be poor in your lifetime". We not only should protect the local Buddhist Pine, but also must not harvest them! |
| Applications | The cultivation of the Buddhist Pine has a long history. Its branches are soft, so they are easy to be shaped. It is usually planted as a bonsai or potted plant, and is a common ornamental species in gardens. |
| Prefectural Tree | The Buddhist Pine is the official prefectural tree in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
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| Height | To 15 m. |
| Stems | Bark of trunk grey to greyish brown, peeling off in thin flakes or with longitudinal cracks. Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of main trunk to 30 cm. Branches spreading, relatively dense. |
| Leaves | Linear-lanceolate, leathery, sessile, margin slightly revolute. Blade dark green and glossy adaxially, greyish green abaxially. Midvein prominently raised on both surfaces. Leaves spirally arranged on the upper part of branchlets. |
| Strobilus | Pollen cones spike-like, whitish, axillary, usually in clusters of 3 to 5 on very short peduncle. Seed cones solitary, axillary, glaucous. |
| Seeds | Epimatia (fleshy arils) purplish black when mature, glaucous. Fleshy receptacles columnar, red to purplish red when mature, longer than seeds. Seed ovoid, apex rounded. |
| Pollinating | April to May in Hong Kong. |
| Seed maturing | August to September in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=9338
Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunberg) Sweet
― Plants of the World Online : Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet