Второе дерево по продолжительности жизни

Fitzroya cupressoides

(Molina) Johnston 1924

Common Names

Alerce [Spanish] (Dallimore et al. 1967); in its distribution area, Lahuan is the aboriginal name.

Taxonomic notes

The sole species in Fitzroya Lindl. 1851 (syn: Cupresstellata J. Nelson 1866). Synonyms include:
- Pinus cupressoides Molina 1782;
- Abies cupressoides (Molina) Poir. 1805;
- Thuja tetragona Hooker 1844;
- Libocedrus tetragona (Hook.) Endl. 1847;
- Fitzroya patagonica Hook. f. ex Lindl. 1851; and
- Cupresstellata patagonica (Hook. f.) J. Nelson 1866. (Farjon 1998).

Description

Fitzroya: Evergreen, dioecious tree. Branches not whorled, shoots angular, leaves scale-like, in whorls of 3. Female flowers in cone-like inflorescences, composed of 9 scales in whorls of 3, in 3 alternating whorls; the lowest whorl small and sterile; the middle whorl larger and sterile or with a single 2-winged seed to each scale; the upper whorl fertile, each scale bearing 2-6 two- or three-winged seeds. Cones globose, 6-8 mm across, ripening in the first year; fertile scales with a three-sided mucro at the apex. Seeds 2-6 on each fertile scale, ovate, 2(3)-winged. Cotyledons 2. n =11 (Dallimore et al. 1967, Farjon 1998).

F. cupressoides: Trees to 45 m tall and 300 cm dbh. Bark reddish, furrowed, peeling off in strips. Branchlets pendulous; leaves in whorls of three, 3.5 mm long, minutely incurved with 2 white bands beneath (Britannica Online, "Alerce", Farjon 1998). "Leaves persisting several years, in alternating whorls of 3, their bases flattened and decurrent, the free part spreading, obovate or oblong lanceolate, about 1/8 in. long with a minute incurved point, upper surface concave with 2 sunken white stomatic bands, lower surface convex with a broad green midrib, on each side of which is a white band of stomata extending from the base to near the apex. Male and female strobili on the same or on different trees, sometimes hermaphrodite. Male strobili solitary in the leaf axils near the points of the shoots, cylindrical with 15-24 stamens in whorls of 3. Female strobili solitary, about 1/4 in. in diameter, on short, stalk-like, leafy shoots. Cones woody, 1/4 - 1/3 in. in diameter, ripening the first year, composed of 9 scales in 3 whorls, the lowest minute and sterile, the middle empty or each bearing a 2-winged seed, the upper scales the largest and bearing 2- or 3-winged seeds, the apex of the cone terminating in gland-like, resin-secreting bodies about 1/8 in. long, which exhale a fragrant odour. Cotyledons 2. Hermaphrodite strobili have a larger number of scales" (Dallimore et al. 1967).

Range

S Chile & S Argentina "from the coast range south of Valdivia, and on Chiloe Island, to the Andes, between 41°S and 43°S" (Dallimore et al. 1967).

In Argentina, alerce grows on mountain slopes and lake shores, at elevations of 300 to 900 meters. Summer average temperatures are 13-16°C. Winter average temperatures vary from 2-4°C. The area receives 2000-4000 mm. of annual precipitation. In Chile, temperatures can be a bit higher at lower elevations, and rainfall is as high as 6000 mm (Marcelo Fabián Cano, e-mail 22-Dec-2003).

Curiously, although the tree grows in virtual rainforest, it is dependent on catastrophic fire in order to regenerate stands; the current widespread decline observed among remnant populations may be due in good measure to fire suppression (Lara et al. 1999).

Big Tree

The biggest officially recorded specimen in Argentina is 57 meters high, 2.20 meters dbh, and 2600 years old (see pictures at left). It is located near Puerto Sagrario, on the northern branch of Lake Menendez, Los Alerces National Park. This tree is very well known in the area, and there are regular tours to visit the site. Guardaparques (park rangers) state that taller trees (60-70 meters) can be found on the southern branch of Lake Menendez, but that area is restricted to visitors and there aren't trails or roads to get there. Fitzroya is probably the tallest tree in South America (Marcelo Fabián Cano, e-mail 22-Dec-2003).

Darwin saw specimens of up to 130 feet (39.6 m) in girth. A specimen 426 cm dbh is known from the Monumento De Los Alerzales Forest Reserve, Chile (International Dendrology Society Year Book 1991).

Oldest

A crossdated age of 3622 years for a specimen from Chile collected by Lara and Villalba in 1993 (Lara and Villalba 1993, Brown 1996). This gives it the second-greatest fully verified age recorded for any living tree.