Conifer Trees Database

Saxegothaea is a genus of conifer comprising a single species belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Its complete scientific name is Saxegothaea conspicua, The species is most often known by its genus name, or sometimes as Female Maniu (a translation of its name in Spanish) and "Prince Albert's Yew", although it is not a yew (Taxus). In South America it is known as Mañío hembra or Maniú hembra.

Description. Prince Albert's yew is a slow-growing, long-lived evergreen tree that grows to mature heights of 50 to 80 feet (15 - 25 m) tall, with a trunk up to 40 inches (1 m) in diameter, measured at breast height.

• The bark is thin and flaky to scaly, and dark purple-brown in color.
  
• The leaves are arranged in an irregular spiral. They have a lanceolate shape, individually measuring 0.6 to 1.2 inches (1.5 - 3 cm) long, and 0.08 inch (2 mm) broad, fairly hard with a prickly spine tip. Needles are dark green above, and with two glaucous blue-white stomatal bands below.
  
• The seed cones are 0.4 inch (1 cm) long, with 15 to 20 soft scales. Usually only 2 to 4 scales on each cone are fertile, bearing a single seed 0.12 inch (3 mm) in diameter.

Distribution. This genus is native to southern South America. It grows in Chile and Argentina from
35° to 46° south latitude, in its northernmost natural distribution it grows between 800 and 1,000 feet (2,600 - 3,300 m) above sea level and in the south it lives at sea level. Saxegothaea is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern Chile and adjacent parts of Argentina, where it is generally found in association with Pilgerodendron uviferum and Fitzroya cupressoides

The wood has a good quality and is used in furniture and barrels.