Callitris columellaris F. Muell.
Shrub, or tree: evergreen; erect; 30 m
maximum height; monoecious. Trunk: 4 m maximum diameter. Bark:
grey, red, or brown; furrowed, or smooth – scaly. Crown: dense; columnar
to narrowly or widely conical (pyramidal). Branches: ascending,
horizontal, or drooping. Ultimate branchlets:
0.5–1.5 mm wide; 2–30 mm long; arranged 3-dimensionally; triangular or roundish
in cross-section.
Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants;
scaly. Scale leaves: 1–8 mm long; 0.2–2 mm wide; arranged in whorls of 3
or in whorls of 4; medium – dark green, or green with coating (somewhat
bluish); closely appressed; only one type of leaves
(no differentiation in lateral and facial leaves = monomorphic); tip blunt, or
acute; with inconspicuous or without glands; dorsal side rounded.
Male cones: 1–10 mm long; 2–5 mm
wide; several together, or solitary; oblong; yellow or bright brown. Male
cone scales: arranged in whorls of 3 or in whorls of 4; 2–4 pollen sacs per
male cone scale.
Female cones: 7–26 mm long; 10–31 mm
wide; 6 cone scales; depressed-globose, 2-lobed, globose, or ovoid; cone-like (open
after maturity); woody; not disintegrating after maturity; dark; not warty;
shedding seeds and falling shortly after maturity; female-cone-bearing branchlets slender. Female cone scales: arranged in
whorls of 3; inserted at the same level in mature cones; separated almost to
the base; spreading widely after opening; without several small additional cone
scales on the female cone; unequal; tip blunt, or acute; umbo absent, or with small
dorsal umbo near the tip; smaller ones tapering towards the tip; larger ones
angled into a broad tip; without dorsal furrow below the tip. Columella:
3–7 mm long; simple (round or angled at the apex).
Seeds: 3–5 mm wide; 12–54 seeds per cone;
red, or bright – middle brown; 2–9 seeds per female cone scale; flattened. Seed
wings: 0.5–4 mm wide; 2, or 3 (almost) equal
wings.
Supplement: 2–3 cotyledones;
22 chromosomes (2n). Cultivation: cultivated in