Common Name:

General Information

Dacrycarpus compactus is an evergreen tree, often with a straggly and twisted crown; it can grow from 2 - 20 metres tall. The bole can be 25 - 60cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. Specimens of moderate size produce useful timber of fine quality but its inaccessibility and relative scarcity of straight trees of good size prevents commercial exploitation[].
This species is of remote occurrence, growing in regions and habitats that are not (or are only very locally) affected by human activities such as mining. The tree is very widespread and often common. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australasia - New Guinea

Habitat

High montane forest; more abundant and often a dominant emergent tree in mossy low forest and shrubbery fringing peaty wet tussock grasslands; stony rises and scree slopes in wet peat grasslands, where the peat is thinner and drainage better[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Dacrycarpus compactus is a plant of higher elevations in the tropical highlands of New Guinea, found at elevations from 2,800 - 4,300 metres. There is a cool, misty climate at these heights that has almost no seasonal changes[]. The mean annual temperature is 12.5°c, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 6.3°c. The mean annual precipitation is 2,940mm[].

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A useful timber of fine quality but its inaccessibility and relative scarcity of straight trees of good size prevents commercial exploitation[]. Its local use would be small scale timber cutting for village use[].

The wood from the various species of Dacrycarpus is very similar and is generally lumped together as 'podocarpus wood'.. The only description we have is for Dacrycarpus imbricatus, which is as follows:-

The wood is fine-grained, resistant to termites and insects, easy to work[]. Of moderate quality, it is used for construction, furniture making, boxes, plywood and construction timber[, ].

Propagation

The aril surrounding the seed possibly contains germination inhibitors, and so should be removed from the seed as soon as possible[]. Sow the seed in light shade in a nursery seedbed. Germination can take from 2 - 13 weeks[].
Rooting of cuttings can be done from coppice material. In a test 7 - 10cm long cuttings were root dipped in ABT. After 3 months 80% of the cuttings had rooted successfully[].

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