Podocarpus spinulosus

Podocarpus spinulosus, the dwarf plum pine or spiny-leaf podocarp, is a species of podocarp native to the warm-temperate coastal regions of New South Wales and southern Queensland. It is generally an understorey shrub, rarely growing more than 2 m tall.

Podocarpus spinulosus
Podocarpus spinulosus at Chatswood West, Australia
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Araucariales
Family:	Podocarpaceae
Genus:	Podocarpus
Species:	P. spinulosus
Binomial name
Podocarpus spinulosus (Sm.) R.Br. ex Mirb.

It was first described by James Edward Smith in 1817 as Taxus spinulosa.^[2] It was reclassified 'as Podocarpus spinulosus in 1825.^[3]

The leaves are needle-like, 2–8 cm (0.79–3.15 in) long, sharply pointed, green above and with glaucous stomatal bands beneath. The cones are berry-like, with a fleshy, edible purple-black aril 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long and one (rarely two) apical seed 1 cm (0.5 in) long.^[4]