Afrocarpus mannii is an evergreen coniferous tree native to the Afromontane forests of São Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea, growing on Pico de São Tomé at altitudes of 1,300 m (4,300 ft) up to the summit at 2,024 m (6,640 ft). This is the only Gymnosperm found on São Tomé e Príncipe. It was formerly classified as Podocarpus mannii.[2]
| Afrocarpus mannii | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Araucariales |
| Family: | Podocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Afrocarpus |
| Species: | A. mannii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Afrocarpus mannii | |
| |
| São Tomé island, where A. mannii's only habitat is located. | |
It is a small tree, growing 10–15 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 6–8 cm long on mature trees, larger, to 15 cm long and 2 cm broad, on vigorous young trees. The seed cones are highly modified, with a single 2 cm diameter seed with a thin fleshy coating borne on a short peduncle. The pollen cones are 1.5-2.5 cm long, solitary or in pairs on a short stem.
References
edit- ^ Farjon, A. (2013). "Afrocarpus mannii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T32770A2823290. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32770A2823290.en.
- ^ Figueiredo Estrela (December 1994), "Diversity and endemism of angiosperms in the Gulf of Guinea islands", Biodiversity and Conservation, 3 (9): 785–793, doi:10.1007/BF00129658, ISSN 1572-9710
- Gymnosperm Database: Afrocarpus mannii
- Dallimore, W., & Jackson, A. B. (1966). A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae, 4th ed., revised. Edward Arnold.