Callitris pyramidalis

Callitris pyramidalis, is a tall shrub or small tree reaching about 8 metres with a canopy spread of several metres.

It is endemic to Western Australia, growing more off less in the south-west region – close to the south and west coasts; from west of Esperance, through the region north of Albany, to as far north as Kalbarri National Park.

It is typically found in sandplain shrublands. 

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 12 mm long and green to dark green; keeled and pointed at the tips. Leaves link together to produce long sections of foliage. Juvenile leaves are to 8 mm long but rarely persist for long. 

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 15 mm wide, with 6 valves or scales, with conspicuous green ovate bracts at the base; persisting for a number of years. 

Seeds are released with a wing attached, sticky / resinous, yellow-brown and about 7 mm long.

In common with other Callitris the cones, of this species, are held on the plant for many years. They only open if a branch or the tree dies. Because of the number of cones large numbers of seeds are released in the event of damage or death of the plant. As an example: A solitary C. pyramidalis, on a Western Australian island, was killed by fire. Subsequently hundreds of seedlings germinated. Up to 150 seedlings were counted per square meter ten metres from the deceased plant.