THE PHILIPPINE 
Journal of Science 
C. Botany 
VOL. XII NOVEMBER, 1917 No. 6 
THE RATE OF GROWTH OF PODOCARPUS IMBRICATUS AT THE 
TOP OF MOUNT BANAHAO, LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 
By William H. Brown 
{From the College of Liberal Arts, University of the Philippines and 
Bureau of Science, Manila) 
ONE PLATE AND TWO TEXT FIGURES 
Conifers are, as is well known, frequently prominent or even 
dominant at higher elevations on tropical mountains. Podocar- 
pus is one of the more prominent genera, and is widely dis- 
tributed in both hemispheres; but, according to Foxworthy,^ it 
seems to reach its greatest development in the Malayan region. 
Podocarpus imbricatus Blume ^ is one of the most widely distri- 
buted coniferous species in this area. Foxworthy gives the fol- 
lowing distribution: Java, Sumatra, Celebes, Moluccas, Borneo, 
Malay Peninsula, Burma, Philippines, and New Guinea. Con- 
cerning its distribution in the Philippines he says : 
This is the commonest and most widely distributed species of the family 
in the Philippines. It covers the tops of many of our mountains. Found 
at elevations from 900 to 2700 meters. 
Owing to its wide distribution and its prominence in many 
places, Podocarpus imbricatus Blume may be considered as a 
representative conifer of tropical mountains. It may, therefore, 
be of interest to examine its rate of growth and the condition 
^ Foxworthy, F. W., Philippine Gymnosperms, Philip. Journ. Sci. 6 (1911) 
Bot. 149-177. 
* The form here called Podocarpus imbricatus Blume is exactly that 
characterized by Parlatore as P. cumingii. Cuming’s specimens were from 
Mount Banahao. Pilger has reduced Parlatore’s species as Podocarpus 
imbricatus Blume var. cumingii (Pari.) Pilg., while Foxworthy treats P. 
cumingii Pari, as an exact synonym of P. imbricatus Blume. 
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