Araucaria

Araucaria ia a genus of conifers in the Monkey puzzle family Araucariaceae. They are familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive conifer the Monkey-puzzle, Araucaria araucana.

The genus is named after the Arauco Indianss of central Chile whose territory incorporates natural stands of this species, where it is known as the Pehuén. These Native Americans, who name themselves the Pehuenche ('people of the Pehuén'), harvest the seeds extensively for food.

There are about 19 species in the genus, with a highly disjunct distribution in New Caledonia (where 13 species are endemic), Norfolk Island, eastern Australia, New Guinea, Argentina, Chile, and southern Brazil. Many if not all current populations are relictual and restricted. They are found in the forest and the maquis, with an affinity for exposed sites. These magnificent columnar trees are living fossils, dating back to the dinosaur age. Fossil records show that the genus also formerly occurred in the northern hemisphere until the end of the Cretaceous period.

They are mainly large trees with a massive erect stem, reaching a height of 30-80 m. The horizontal, spreading branches grow in whorls and are covered with leathery or needle-like leaves. In some species, the leaves are narrow awl-shaped and lanceolate, barely overlapping each other, in others they are broad and flat, and overlap broadly. The trees are mostly dioecious, with male and female cones found on separate trees, though occasional individuals are monoecious or change sex with time. The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size between species from 7-25 cm diameter. They contain 80-200 large, edible seeds similar to pine nuts though larger. The male cones are smaller, 4-10 cm long, and narrow to broad cylindrical, 1.5-5 cm broad.

Classification & species list