Araucaria cunninghamii

Araucaria cunninghamii is a species of Araucaria known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine,[3] Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine.[1] The scientific name honours the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham, who collected the first specimens in the 1820s.

Araucaria cunninghamii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Araucariaceae
Genus: Araucaria
Section: A. sect. Eutacta
Species:
A. cunninghamii
Binomial name
Araucaria cunninghamii
Synonyms[2]
  • Altingia cunninghamii (Mudie) Corrie
  • Eutassa cunninghamii (Mudie) G.Don
  • Eutacta cunninghamii (Mudie) Link

Habitat

The species is found in the dry rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland and in New Guinea. The trees can live up to 450 years and grow to a height of 60 metres.[4] The bark is rough, splits naturally, and peels easily.[5]

Description

The leaves on young trees are awl-shaped, 1–2 cm long, about 2 mm thick at the base, and scale-like, incurved, 1–2 cm long and 4 mm broad on mature trees. The cones are ovoid, 8–10 cm long and 6–8 cm diameter, and take about 18 months to mature. They disintegrate at maturity to release the nut-like edible seeds.

Subspecies

There are two varieties:

Cultivation and other uses

The wood is a high quality timber that is particularly important to the plywood industry and also used for furniture, veneer, joinery, panelling, particle board, flooring and boats.[6] Most natural stands in Australia and Papua New Guinea have been depleted by logging. It is now mainly found on timber plantations; however, the species continues to thrive in protected areas, including Lamington National Park where at least one walking track is named after it.[7] The plantations in Queensland have been subject to damage by a native rat species, Rattus tunneyi, which digs to the roots of a semi-mature tree and kills it, the animal was declared a pest for this reason.[8]

Aboriginal Australians used the resin as cement.[9]

References
  1. Thomas, P. (2011). "Araucaria cunninghamii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T32835A9734286. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T32835A9734286.en.
  2. "Araucaria cunninghamii". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. "Hoop Pine". Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  4. "Hoop Pine". about NSW. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  5. "Species: Araucaria cunninghamii (Hoop Pine)". Plantation Information Network. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  6. "Hoop Pine". Australian Timber Database. Timber.net.au. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  7. "Nature, culture and history". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  8. Baverstock, P.R. (1983). "Pale Field Rat Rattus Tunneyi". In Strahan, R. (ed.). Complete book of Australian mammals. The national photographic index of Australian wildlife (1 ed.). London: Angus & Robertson. p. 451. ISBN 0207144540.
  9. Corlett, Eloise. "An Evolution Of Ethnobotany". ByronBayNow. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
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