Biology

Widdringtonia species are hermaphroditic: having both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant (monoecious) (8). The seeds of most Widdringtonia species may be kept in the female cones for several years, and are usually only dropped after being scorched by a wildfire to grow on the newly cleared burnt ground (9). The Mulanje cedar is a pioneer species, which is unable to regenerate under a closed canopy. Protected from frequent fires saplings can be found growing sporadically on the forest edge (5). Very little else has been documented on the biology of this tree.