Cunninghamia konishii

Botanical Description

Cunninghamia konishii is an evergreen tree with a rounded crown; it can grow 40 - 50 metres tall. The long, straight trunk is often buttressed in old trees and can be up to 300cm in diameter, exceptionally to 450cm[ 2124 Title A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition) Publication Author Farjon A. Publisher Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands Year 2017 ISBN 978 90 04 32449 7 Description ]. The tree provides a useful and valuable wood that is often used locally. As a rare tree its commercial exploitation is now negligeable, but in the past it was logged and large trees were very valuable[ 2124 Title A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition) Publication Author Farjon A. Publisher Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands Year 2017 ISBN 978 90 04 32449 7 Description ]. Cunninghamia konishii has a very limited range and its remaining stands are small and severely fragmented due to past exploitation of the species, and there is a continuing decline in Lao PDR. In Viet Nam there has been an estimated decline of at least 50%, and there is likely to have been a similar, if not greater decline, in Lao PDR. The total past decline is suspected to have been more than 50% as together, Lao PDR and Viet Nam represent the greater proportion of the global population. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].