This species is closely related and very similar to Podocarpus latifolius, and they are often difficult to identify where their ranges overlap[].

Common Name:

General Information

Podocarpus elongatus is an evergreen shrub or tree. Multistemmed and no more than 6 metres tall (though up to 12 metres wide) in most situations, when growing in well-watered, sheltered ravines it can reach heights of 20 metres, often with a single trunk[, ].
Where it grows large enough, the tree is harvested from the wild for its wood. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Podocarpus elongatus, although uncommon, has an extensive range and is capable of sprouting from stumps (uncommon in conifers) after fire or other damage. As it is not exploited, and there is little or no direct habitat loss at present, the plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern tropical Africa - Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, S. Africa (Cape Province)

Habitat

Scattered in woodlands in moist sites, usually along (intermittent) streams and in ravines, or on rocky sites with sparse vegetation; at elevations from 130 - 2,250 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Podocarpus elongatus is able to withstand short-lived, light frosts, tolerating temperatures down to around -1°c and +4.4°c[]. It grows in a area where most rain falls in the cooler part of the year[].
The plant is found mainly on sandy and rocky soils in the wild[, ]
In the Western Cape its habitat contacts with fire-prone vegetation types such as fynbos and as a consequence individual trees are frequently burnt. Resprouting from the base, they then develop into broad spreading shrubs or bushes, while only individuals that are protected from fire, such as those growing in a deep ravine, can develop into monopodial trees of some size[]. In the northeastern part of its scattered range it is usually a component of moist evergreen forest and grows more often into a tree[].
It is rare in cultivation, but a few cultivars have been recorded[].
The leaves show adaptations to surviving in a dry environment - they have a thick cuticle, a layer of wax covering the leaves, resin canals, sunken stomata and conspicuous supporting tissue[].
Podocarpus elongatus has adapted to growing beside rivers and streams which are notoriously unstable - riverside plants are often partially up-rooted, knocked over or damaged by floods or rocks carried in the water, washed downstream when river banks subside etc. As a result it has evolved a survival strategy that the other southern African yellowwoods have not - it has the ability to resprout from epicormic buds i.e. Buds on the trunk of the tree. In an undamaged tree with a full canopy these buds lie dormant, but if a tree falls or is knocked over or the crown is damaged and the trunks are exposed to the heat and light of the sun they spring to life sending out shoots that grow into branches that eventually repair the damage[].
Species in this genus are generally slow-growing[].
A dioecious species; both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Due to its small size and usually bushy habit, this species is not of economic importance as a timber tree today. But in the past when there were larger trees, the timber was used for making wagons, chairs and general wood turning[].
Although the tree produces good timber, comparable to that of other members of the genus, it is not of great economic importance because large straight pieces can seldom be obtained. It has a darker reddish tinge than the others and has many more knots thanks to its gnarled shrubby habit. Wood-turners and chair-makers used large quantities of it in the past, as did the wagon-builders around Swellendam[].

We do not have a specific description for the wood, but the following is a general desciption of Podocarpus wood in Africa:-
The wood is a uniform light yellowish brown with no clear distinction between sapwood and heartwood. It sometimes shows red streaks due to the presence of compression wood. The texture is very fine and even; the grain is straight; growth rings are usually indistinct; resin ducts are absent. The heartwood has low durability and is liable to termite damage as well as other insect attack. The wood dries fairly rapidly with some checking and a pronounced tendency to warp - distortion can be minimized if the timber pile is weighted. Movement in service is rated as small. It is easy to work with hand and machine tools; takes an excellent finish; shapes and turns well; glues easily; it is easy to veneer, has moderate steam- bending properties. The wood is used for general construction, joinery, millwork, furniture components, boxes and crates, food containers, utility plywood[].

Propagation

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, in a frame[].

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