The Buddhist Pine

Category of Trees: Volume 37

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The Buddhist Pine

original: "羅漢松" (Luohansong). Literally "Arhat Pine." This name is derived from the appearance of its seeds; the seed sits atop a fleshy, colorful receptacle, which to traditional observers looked like a bald-headed Arhat (a high-ranking Buddhist disciple) wearing monastic robes.

Volume 37: Category of Trees original: "木類卷之三十七" (Mulei juan zhi sanshiqi).

This page is dominated by a finely detailed woodcut illustration of the Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus). The illustration shows a sturdy branch with its characteristic "narrow-leaf" structure—long, leathery, lance-shaped leaves arranged spirally. Small, rounded structures are visible at the leaf axils, representing the developing fruit or pollen cones that are diagnostic features of this evergreen species.