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Sciadopitys verticillata Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Sciadopityaceae
Genus:	Sciadopitys
Species:	S. verticillata
Binomial name
Sciadopitys verticillata (Thunb.) Siebold & Zucc.
Synonyms
Pinus verticillata (Thunb.) Siebold Podocarpus verticillatus (Thunb.) Jacques Taxus verticillata Thunb. 1784

Sciadopitys verticillata, the kōyamaki or Japanese umbrella-pine, is a unique conifer endemic to Japan. It is the sole living member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus Sciadopitys, a living fossil with no close relatives. The oldest fossils of Sciadopitys are from the Late Cretaceous of Japan, and the genus was widespread in Laurasia during most of the Cenozoic, especially in Europe until the Pliocene. An extinct European relative of this species may have been the primary producer of Baltic amber.

Taxonomy

Molecular evidence indicates that Sciadopityaceae is the sister group to a clade comprising Taxaceae and Cupressaceae, and has an extremely ancient divergence, having diverged from the rest of the conifers during the early mid-Permian.

There is inconsistent evidence regarding the plant family which produced Baltic amber. Both macrofossil and microfossil evidence suggest a Pinus relative, whereas chemical and infrared microspectroscopy evidence suggest relatives of either Agathis or Sciadopitys.

Etymology

The genus name Sciadopitys comes from Greek sciádos (σκιάδος) meaning 'umbrella' and pitys (πίτυς) meaning 'pine'. The species name verticillata is a descriptive epithet meaning 'whorled'.

Description

It is an evergreen tree that can grow 15–27 m tall, with brown main shoots bearing whorls of 7–12 cm long flexible green cladodes that look like, and perform the function of, leaves, but are actually composed of stem tissues. The cones are 6–11 cm long, mature in about 18 months, with flattish scales that open to release the seeds.

History

The plant was first introduced to the UK by John Gould Veitch in September 1860. Considered attractive, this tree is popular in gardens, despite its slow growth rate. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

A stylized representation of the tree (known in Japanese as kōyamaki) was chosen as the Japanese Imperial crest for the Akishino branch of the Imperial Family.

Gallery

• Sciadopitys carpellate cones and dried needles
• Staminate cones and needles
• Needles
• Full tree in Mount Futatsumori, Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
• Leaves with a mature cone in Seattle, Washington

References

1. Katsuki, T.; Luscombe, D.; Farjon, A. (2013). "Sciadopitys verticillata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T34111A2846623. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34111A2846623.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
2. Hofmann, Christa-Ch.; Odgerel, Nyamsambuu; Seyfullah, Leyla J. (2021). "The occurrence of pollen of Sciadopityaceae Luerss. through time". Fossil Imprint. 77 (2): 271–281. doi:10.37520/fi.2021.019. ISSN 2533-4069. S2CID 245555379.
3. Stull, Gregory W.; Qu, Xiao-Jian; Parins-Fukuchi, Caroline; Yang, Ying-Ying; Yang, Jun-Bo; Yang, Zhi-Yun; Hu, Yi; Ma, Hong; Soltis, Pamela S.; Soltis, Douglas E.; Li, De-Zhu (August 2021). "Gene duplications and phylogenomic conflict underlie major pulses of phenotypic evolution in gymnosperms". Nature Plants. 7 (8): 1015–1025. Bibcode:2021NatPl...7.1015S. doi:10.1038/s41477-021-00964-4. ISSN 2055-0278. PMID 34282286. S2CID 236141481.
4. Wolfe, A. P.; Tappert, R.; Muehlenbachs, K.; Boudreau, M.; McKellar, R. C.; Basinger, J. F.; Garrett, A. (2009). "A New Proposal Concerning the Botanical Origin of Baltic Amber". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 276 (1672): 3403–3412. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0806. PMC 2817186. PMID 19570786.
5. Weitschat, W.; Wichard, W. (2010). "Chapter 6: Baltic amber". In Penney, D. (ed.). Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press. pp. 80–115. ISBN 978-0-9558636-4-6.
6. Wilhelm Miller (1900). Cyclopedia of American Horticulture: R-Z. New York: Macmillan. p. 1628.
7. James Herbert Veitch (2006). Hortus Veitchii (reprint ed.). Caradoc Doy. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-9553515-0-2.
8. "RHS Plantfinder - Sciadopitys verticillata". Retrieved 6 November 2018.
9. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 96. Retrieved 6 November 2018.

External links

• Arboretum de Villardebelle Photos: foliage, immature cones
• Arboretum de Villardebelle Photo: mature cone
• American Conifer Society
• Conifers of UBC
• Gymnosperm Database
• Photos of plant habit
• Images: Cone, Leaf, Seeds Flavon's Wild herb and Alpine plants

• IUCN Red List near threatened species
• Pinales
• Endemic flora of Japan
• Trees of Japan
• Plants described in 1784
• Garden plants of Asia
• Ornamental trees
• Threatened flora of Asia
• Vulnerable plants
• Carnian first appearances
• Extant Late Triassic first appearances
• Five sacred trees of Kiso