Araucaria montana

Branch with leaves

Araucaria montana is a plant of the genus Araucaria (Araucaria ). It is an endemic species of the islands belonging to New Caledonia Grande Terre and Ile d'Art.

Description

Araucaria montana grows as columnar, evergreen tree that can reach heights of growth from 10 to 40 meters. The dark brown or gray bark peels off in thin strips and flakes. The branches are 1.5 to 2.2 inches thick.

In young specimens the leaves are scale-like and have a incurved tip. They are oval to lanceolate shaped with a length of about 10 millimeters and a width of 4 to 5 millimeters. On older trees which are loosely imbricate overlapping, scale-like leaves are ovate with a length of 11 up to 14 millimeters and a width of 7-8 mm with a pronounced midrib. The incurved tip is acute or obtuse.

The male cones are cylindrically shaped with a length of from 8 to 13.5 inches and a diameter of 2 to 2.8 cm. They contain triangular Mikrosporophylle with twelve pollen sacs. The female pins have a length of 8-9 cm and a diameter of 6 to 8 cm. The elongated with a size of around 3.2 inches seed has an oval wings.

Occurrence

The natural range of Araucaria montana comprises the whole, belonging to New Caledonia island of Grande Terre. An isolated occurrence exists on the belonging to the Belep islands of Ile d'Art.

Araucaria montana grows at altitudes 200-1400 m. The species grows on soils that develop on ultramafic rocks. It occurs mainly in high thickets and in wet rain forests.

System

Araucaria montana belongs to the section Eutacta within the genus Araucaria (Araucaria ). The first description as Araucaria montana was in 1871 by Adolphe Brongniart, and Jean Antoine Arthur Gris in Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, Ser. 5 13, p 358

Threats and conservation

Araucaria montana is in the IUCN Red List as "vulnerable" out. It has the widest distribution of all occurring in New Caledonia Araucaria species. However it is believed the decline, stocks in the next hundred years by about 30%. The main hazard due to the mining and associated activities such as road construction and Abräumlager be called. Furthermore, forest fires represent a danger

Swell

  • Template: Internet resource / maintenance / access date not in ISO format Christopher J. Earle: Araucaria montana. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, December 12, retrieved June 10, 2011 (English).
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