Araucaria heterophylla

(Salisb.) Franco 1952

Common names

Norfolk Island pine.

Taxonomic notes

Syn: A. excelsa R. Br. ex Aiton, in part (Silba 1986); Dombeya excelsa D.Don; Eutassa heterophylla Salis.

Description

"A conical tree 50-70 m. tall, 1.25-1.75 m. in girth. Bark gray-brown, exfoliating in fine scales. Branches in a flat horizontal plane, sometimes pendent, branchlets in whorls of 4-7. Foliage dimorphic. Juvenile leaves awl-shaped, incurved, green, needle-like, to 1.2 cm. long. Adult leaves scale-like, 4-5 mm. long, incurved, densely arranged, bright dark green; on fertile branchlets overlapping, broadly ovate, spine-tipped, 6 mm. long by 4-6 mm. wide. Male cone in clusters, elongated, 4 cm. long, yellowish-brown or reddish; microsporophylls acute, margins ciliate, denticulate. Female cone broader than long, 12-15 cm. long, with triangular scales and a long incurved bract. Seeds 2.5-3 cm. long by 1.2 cm. wide, with broad wings. Cotyledons 4, epigeal" (Silba 1986).

Range

Endemic to lowland areas of Norfolk Island, a small island (about 10 square kilometers) about 1500 km east of Australia (Silba 1986).

Big tree

Trees as tall as 57 m with an 350 cm diameter have been recorded in the past. One of the largest remaining trees on Norfolk Island, the Hollow Pine, can be seen in the National Park (Norfolk Island National Park, accessed 2007.05.28). Some very large trees are found in New Zealand: the Grange Tree in Warkworth, planted in the 1850's, is 34.6 m tall and 317.6 cm dbh with a crown spread of 23.6 m (Robert Van Pelt email, 2009.04.14). A tree 235 cm dbh and 42.7 m tall grows at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds (Robert Van Pelt email, 2003.01.27), and one 198 cm dbh and 45.1 m tall grows on Manukau Road in Epsom (Robert Van Pelt email 2004.02.04). The tallest known tree is at Tedeschi Winery, Ulupalakua, Maui, Hawaii. It is 136 cm dbh and 51.8 m tall (Robert Van Pelt email, 2003.01.27). These trees also do very well in South Africa; a tree at Arderne Gardens, Claremont, Cape Town, is 211 cm dbh and 44.8 m tall (Robert Van Pelt pers. comm., 2003.11.24).

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

"Captain Cook thought the pine would provide 'Masts for the largest Ships' but it was found later to be unsuitable for masts. It proved a useful timber for other purposes however" (Norfolk Island Botanical Gardens home page, accessed 1998, defunct).

This is the araucaria most widely used as an ornamental.

Observations

It is very widely planted in New Zealand, where it was native as recently as the Pleistocene (Graeme Platt, pers. comm. 2003.03.12).

Remarks

"Young trees have an almost symmetrical form for the first 40 years or so. Female cones are produced on trees older than 15 years and male cones on trees older than 40 years. Prolific seed fall occurs every 4-5 [years] and the seeds are a popular food source for the Green Parrot and introduced rats" (Norfolk Island Botanical Gardens home page, accessed 1998, now defunct).

For pollination mechanisms, see Araucaria.

Citations

See also