Araucaria cunninghamii / Hoop pine

Araucaria cunninghamii, first described by William Aiton ex David Don in Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1837), is commonly known as the Hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include Colonial pine and Queensland pine. The scientific name honors the botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham, who collected the first specimens in the 1820s.

There are two varieties:

  • Araucaria cunninghamii var. cunninghamii — Australia, from northeast New South Wales to east-central Queensland, occurring at sea level to 3,500 feet (0 - 1,000 m) elevation.
  • Araucaria cunninghamii var. papuana — New Guinea, on the mountains of Papua New Guinea, and in Indonesia — Irian Jaya, occurring at 300 to 8,600 feet (100 - 2,700 m) elevation.
<em>Araucaria cunninghamii </em>plate from Flora Japonica, Sectio Prima (Tafelband) by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini (1870)
Araucaria cunninghamii plate from Flora Japonica, Sectio Prima (Tafelband) by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini (1870)

Description. Hoop pine is an asymmetrical, evergreen coniferous species of tree which will grow to mature height of 200 feet (60 m) tall with a 12 foot (4 m) girth. Its bark is rough, growing in horizontal bands, and exfoliating in fine circular bands. Branches are long, branchlets appear in tufts at the branch ends. Seasonal branchlets are up to 0.8 inch (2 cm) in diameter. Juvenile leaves are spirally arranged, green or glaucous, with entire, flattened margins and stomata on both surfaces. Adult leaves scale-like, 0.3 to 0.8 inch (0.8 - 2 cm) long and are incurved, acute, imbricate, and keeled on both sides with stomata on both surfaces. Pollen cones are cylindrical, 0.8 to 1.2 inches (2 - 3 cm) long by 0.2 to 0.28 inch (5 - 7 mm) wide. Microsporophylls are rhombic and obtuse. Seed cones are ovoid, symmetrical, 3.2 to 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) long by 2.5 to 3.2 inches (6 - 8 cm) wide with scales having longer reflexed spines than the New Guinea plants. Seeds are 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) long by ca. 0.25 inch (6 - 7 mm) wide, with narrow wings.

native range of <em>Araucaria cunninghamii </em> in Australia
native range of Araucaria cunninghamii in Australia

Distribution. This species is native to Australia — coastal tropical and subtropical rain forests from northern Queensland to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, at sea level to 3,500 feet (0 - 1,000 m) elevation. Variety papuana occurs in western New Guinea — the Arfak Mountains.

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. 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.

At one time, the resin was used by Australian Aborigines as a cement.

native range of <em>Araucaria cunninghamii </em> in New Guinea.
native range of Araucaria cunninghamii in New Guinea.

Attribution from: Silba, J. ©1986. An international census of the Coniferae. Phytologia memoir no. 8. Corvallis, OR: H.N. Moldenke and A.L. Moldenke.

Plants in grove SIUC / College of Science / Land Plants Online / Coniferophyta URL: http://www.science.siu.edu/landplants/coniferophyta.html Last updated: 20-Jan- 00 / dln
Araucaria cunninghamii
Photo by Peter1968 via Wikipedia
Photographed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (Australia)
Photo by Raffi Kojian via http://www.gardenology.org
Photographed at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (Australia)
Photo by Raffi Kojian via http://www.gardenology.org
Araucaria cunninghamii (branches with fruit). Location: Lanai, Kanepuu
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr via Wikipedia
Araucaria cunninghamii fruit. Location: Lanai, Kanepuu.
Photo by Forest & Kim Star via Wikipedia
Araucaria cunninghamii leaves. Location: Lanai, Kanepuu
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr via Wikipedia
Araucaria cunninghamii — resplendent with cones; at Jardin Botanico Carlos Thais, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Photo by Tom Cox
Aracauria cunninghamii — a closeup of bark detail, at Jardin Botanico Carlos Thais, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Photo by Tom Cox

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