Fokienia hodginsii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Fokienia hodginsii (Dunn) A. Henry & H. Thomas

Family: Cupressaceae

Synonyms

• Cupressus hodginsii Dunn,
• Fokienia kawai Hayata,
• F. maclurei Merrill.

Vernacular names

• Laos: lang len, leng le:
• Vietnam: pơ mu, dinh hương.

Distribution

South-eastern China, northern Laos and northern Vietnam.

Uses

The valuable essential fokienia oil, which is used in perfumery, is distilled from old wood. In China, the dark brown, resinous, fine-grained, durable and easy to work wood is prized for making coffins.

Observations

• Monoecious tree, usually 15-20 m tall but sometimes reaching 35 m height.
• Leaves scale-like, imbricate, inserted on the twigs in groups of 4, each group consisting of 2 different, opposite pairs of scales; scales on juvenile twigs rather different from the ones on mature twigs and ending in a spiny point.
• Inflorescence a cone; male cone terminal, cylindrical, 2-4 mm long, consisting of 14-16 peltate, stamen bearing cone scales, each scale with 3-4 pollen sacs.
• Female cone subglobose, 15-22 mm in diameter, consisting of 12-16 decussate-opposite, woody, peltate scales, each fertile one bearing 2 basal ovules.
• Seeds 2 per fertile scale, ovoid, 3-4-ridged, bearing 2 very unequal lateral wings.

F. hodginsii occurs in ever-wet, often peaty mountain forest, in China up to 700 m, in Laos and Vietnam between 1000-2000 m altitude. Flowering is in October, fruiting in May-July but maturing takes about 2 years. It is endangered by extinction and merits protection. Research to investigate prospects for commercial cultivation in Malesia is strongly recommended.

Selected sources

• Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam] (various editors), 1960- . Vol. 1-28. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire de Phanérogamie, Paris, France.
• Lecomte, M.H. & Gagnepain, F. (Editors), 1907-1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. 7 volumes and supplements. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen