Callitris glaucophylla

Callitris glaucophylla reaches a maximum height of about 20 metres with usually a rounded broad canopy canopy (roughly triangular / pyramidal) to several metres wide at the base. The branches are generally  horizontal and spreading; the bark is tough and deeply furrowed.

It has a very large occurrence across NSW, and would be one of the most numerous trees found in NSW (existing in countless thousands across the landscape); growing in large copses or stands, found in all areas of the western slopes and plains (not usually on the tablelands) – west from about Bathurst in the central parts; it does get near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. There is a disjnct patch in the eastern Victoria – south-eastern NSW area (on the southern tablelands). It is also found scattered across the northern parts of Victoria. It spreads into central and eastern Queensland, north to around Jericho (but also found disjunctly in the south-western corner of the state). It spreads through most of the southern half of South Australia; scattered thorugh the central parts of Western Australia and the southern parts of Northern Territory. It is not in Tasmania.

It grows mainly as part of dry sclerophyll woodlands and shrublands (where it can dominate the upper or lower canopy). It forms part of many vegetation communities such as White Box-White Cypress Pine Woodland and many others.

Callitris is a genus of pines. Hence they do not bear flowers but rather cones (conifers); part of the group of plants called ‘gymnosperms’ (naked-seed).

Callitris spp. have mature scale leaves (sometiomes referred to as awl-shaped or awls in pines); produced in whorls of 3. The tip are often triangular and the mid-section keeled or raised. The base of leaves are usually overlapped by the tips of the next whorl of leaves below. Juvenile leaves are more needle-like and arranged in whorls of 4.

In this species, leaves are to 3 mm long and blue-green to blue-grey (glaucous); not-keeled and pointed at the tips. Leaves link together to produce broom-like foliage.

Callitris spp. produce seed-bearing cones – the female part; and the male cones (or strobili) which produce the pollen. In this species, the male cones are produced at the terminals of the foliage (in large numbers), each about 5 mm long and only 2 mm wide, brown in colour, releasing dust-like pollen (At the right time, and on a windy day, trees can be observed releasing large amounts of ‘dust’). Females cones are very distinctive in this genus, consisting of a whorl of 6 to 8 woody valves which open in a circle, producing a star-like cluster. Female cones receive wind-blown pollen to produce seeds.

In this species, woody cones are produced solitarily in the foliage, on short peduncles, but often clustered on larger branches, woody and to 25 mm wide, with 6 valves or scales, often falling quickly after maturity. Often…many cones can be found on the ground under trees which are conspicuously 6-pronged or with 6 segments.

Seeds are released with a wing attached, sticky / resinous, brown and about 5 mm long.