Stats

Lifespan

Centuries

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

Southern Africa

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Rare

About

This conifer grows as a wide, multi-stemmed bush along rocky riverbanks. It drops its needle-like leaves into the water to create sheltered pools for fish.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Pinopsida

Order

Pinales

Family

Podocarpaceae

Genus

Podocarpus

Species

Podocarpus elongatus