|
Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex D. Don
Common NamesHoop pine, Moreton Bay pine, colonial pine (2), arakaria, Dorrigo Pine (3).Taxonomic notesSyn: Eutassa cunninghamii (Cunn.) Spach., Altinga cunninghamii G. Don. (1). Two varieties, the type and papuana.Description"An asymetrical tree to 60 m. tall, 4 m. in girth. Bark rough, in horizontal bands, exfoliating in fine circular bands. Branches long, branchlets in tufts at the ends. Seasonal branchlets to 2 cm. in diameter. Juvenile leaves spirally arranged, green or glaucous, margins entire, flattened, stomata on both surfaces. Adult leaves scale-like, 0.8-2 cm. long, incurved, acute, imbricate, keeled on both sides, stomata on both surfaces. Male cone cylindrical, 2-3 cm. long by 5-7 mm. wide, with short involucral leaves, with 10 scales; microsporophylls rhombic, obtuse. Female cone ovoid, symetrical, 8-10 cm. long by 6-8 cm. wide, scales with longer reflexed spines than the New Guinea plants. Seeds 1.5 cm. long by 6-7 mm. wide, with narrow wings. Cotyledons 2, germination epigeal" (1).Bark heavily impregnated with resin, thus much more resistant to decay than the wood (3). RangeAustralia: Coastal tropical and subtropical rainforests from northern Queensland to Coffs Harbour in NSW, at 0-1000 m elevation (1, 3). Variety papuana occurs in the Arfak Mountains of western New Guinea (2).Big TreeOldestDendrochronology"[T]rees growing in a seasonal tropical climate in north Queensland produce latewood during cooler and drier periods. Vascular cambium growth rates fluctuate, and slow-growing trees temporarily have inactive cambium around parts of the trunk so no growth ring is formed" (4).EthnobotanyWidely planted in Australia, both ornamentally and in timber plantations. The timber is "a first-class softwood varying from almost white to cream or light brown. A plain timber of even texture without prominent grain or growth rings. Peels easily; the Australian plywood industry was founded largely on hoop pine. Virtually odourless. Durable in the dry but may be susceptible to fungi. Easy to work. Readily accepts a wide variety of stains and finishes. Uses: Plywood, cabinet work, furniture, flooring, mouldings and linings, boat building. At one time used for butter boxes, fruit boxes. Widely available" (3).ObservationsHave see often in Queensland; the largest specimens (and, in the least-disturbed forest) were in Lamington Mountains National Park on the Queensland-New South Wales border. The trees are common in the area and Park personnel can direct you to the location of notable specimens.RemarksFor pollination mechanisms, see Araucaria.Citations(1) Silba 1986.(2) "Moreton Bay pine," Britannica Online. (3) Keith Newbury on the WoodLink VWA Homepage. (4) Ash, J. 1983. Growth rings in Agathis robusta and Araucaria cunninghamii from tropical Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 31: 269-275. See also Hall et al. 1970. |
|
[ Araucaria ] [ Araucariaceae ] [ home ]
This page is from the Gymnosperm Database
|