Agathis australis
A New Zealand Kauri tree ( Agathis australis), the " Tāne Mahuta "
The New Zealand Kauri tree ( Agathis australis), also New Zealand Kauri Pine or New Zealand kauri pine called, is a species of the genus of kauri trees ( Agathis ) in the family (Araucariaceae ). It is the largest native tree species in New Zealand.
Description
The New Zealand Kauri tree is an evergreen tree, which today usually reaches stature heights of 30 to 50 meters and trunk diameter of 1 to 4 meters. In historical times precipitated Exemplate reached much larger diameter. The largest, passed on through a report from 1919 Kauri, Kauri Giant Ghost, still living in the 1870s and had a trunk diameter of 8.54 meters and a circumference of 26.83 meters. The largest living Kauri today, Tāne Mahuta is estimated to be about 2000 years. Therefore, a significantly higher age must be assumed for the known tree diameter felled trees.
The change-constant almost up against permanent leaves are wide and parallel-veined.
The New Zealand Kauri tree is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ); there are male and female cones on a tree. The stationary handle at a male pins are cylindrical, and 2 to 5 inches long. The standing on a short stalk, mature only after 2 years female cones are blue-green, nearly spherical and have a diameter of 5 to 7.5 centimeters on. The cone scales are 1.8 inches long. From pollination in October it will take 19-20 months to seed maturity. The seeds are spread via the wind.
The tree grows in the juvenile form tapered along their whole length distributed branches. At the age he throws off the lower branches and forms an umbrella- shaped crown. At this stage he rises above the other trees of the forest.
The bark peels off in flakes, so that epiphytes can not settle permanently.
The timber of recent kauri has 12% humidity, a density of 560 kg / m³, a tensile strength of 88 MPa and a proof stress of 9.1 GPa. The strength values of Sumpfkauri are lower. When drying to 12%, the wood shrinks by 4.1% tangentially, axially by 2.3%.
Dissemination
The home of New Zealand kauri tree is located in the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand.
In the era of the Jura, there were types of (Araucariaceae ) Family as the first ancestors of Agathis species.
Use
The wood of the Kauri is straight grained, easy to machine and is very sturdy.
With the beginning of the settlement of New Zealand by European settlers, the stock of kauri forests have been decimated. The trees were suitable because of the high Astansatzes their strength and excellent for shipbuilding. In addition was the wood to build houses, used for furniture and wall paneling, fencing, as timber, for tanks, vats and tanks, railway sleepers, supports mining, carving and turnery and other purposes.
The rhizome and the crown of the tree deliver a beautifully grained wood that has been used for furniture and paneling.
Today, the New Zealand Kauri tree is protected and may be made only for ritual purposes by the Māori.
However, you can buy products from kauri today. However, these come from so-called swamp Kauri. The formerly marshy ground has preserved sunken cowries for up to 50,000 years. These are re- excavated and processed. Objects made from this wood are exclusive and expensive.
The Kauri provides a tree resin, Kauri resin, a form of copal.
Kauri in Māori mythology
The Kauri in general, but especially some selected specimens in particular, play an important role in the mythology of Māori.
Tāne, the god of the forest, in the Māori cosmos is the son of Rangi and Papa, the Sky Father and Mother Earth. Tāne pushed apart his parents, who were closely entwined in love and thus caused the earth in darkness. Thus he brought light, space between heaven and earth and air to breathe on the earth. Tāne is followed by the Life Carriers, all living creatures are His children.
Other very large and old Kauri trees play an important role in the identity of Māori. This is also the reason that numerous efforts to planting of kauri were started on Māori land.
The best-known living specimens
Tāne Mahuta - Lord of the Forest
The Tāne Mahuta or Lord of the Forest, as he is known in New Zealand is New Zealand's largest known living kauri tree yet. This specimen has a total height ( with crown) of 51.2 meters and a trunk circumference of 13.77 meters. The stem height from the ground to the crown base is 17.68 meters, the root volume 244.5 m³.
The age of the Tāne Mahuta is estimated to be about 2000 years, so he is the oldest (known) Kauri. In New Zealand, however, there are local guides that tell of an even older tree, that will not be open to the public for his protection but. In the literature, but no statement is to so far been published.
Te Matua Ngahere - Father of the Forest
The Te Matua Ngahere has an overall height ( with crown) of 29.9 meters and a trunk height from the ground to the crown base of 10.21 meters. With a circumference of 16.41 meters, this is the instance with the largest extent. The root volume is 208.1 cubic meters.
Other well-known examples
- Four Sisters
- Yakas
- Square Kauri ( Coromandel Peninsula)
System
The first description of this kind took place in 1824 under the name Dammara australis by David Don in Aylmer Bourke Lambert: A Description of the genus Pinus, 1st Edition, Volume 2, page 14 The classification in the genus Agathis was made in 1829 by John Claudius Loudon in An Encyclopedia of Plants, p 802 A homonym is Agathis australis Steud. published in Nomenclator Botanicus, 2nd edition, 1841, 1, 34 Another synonym for Agathis australis ( D.Don ) Loudon is Podocarpus zamiifolius A.Rich ..
Museum
The Kauri Museum in Matakohe deals with the extraction of Kauri and Kauri resin. It is next to many vehicles and equipment from the world's largest collection of Kauri resin and numerous exhibits from Kauri.
Pictures
Cone scales of Kauri.
Wood of a swamp kauri.
Stairs in an old Kauri tree ( Ancient Kauri Museum, Awanui, New Zealand).
Young tree in Gumdiggers Park ( Waiharara in Kaitaia, North Island, New Zealand).
Leaves of a young tree in Gumdiggers Park ( Waiharara in Kaitaia, North Island, New Zealand).
Kauri tree named " Te Matua. Ngahere "(=" Father of the Forest ") in the Waipoua Forest ( North Island, New Zealand).
The so-called "Four Sisters" in the Waipoua Forest ( North Island, New Zealand).
Kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest ( North Island, New Zealand).
Kauri tree ( Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand).
Kauri tree, Waipoua Forest Park (New Zealand, North Island ).
Kauri resin.
Swell
- Christopher J. Earle: Agathis australis. In: The Gymnosperm Database. May 24, 2011, accessed on 21 October 2011 ( english, Section Description and systematics).