Araucaria luxurians
Araucaria luxurians
Araucaria luxurians is a plant of the genus Araucaria (Araucaria ). It is a critically endangered endemic species belonging to New Caledonia islands of Grande Terre and Ile d'Art.
Description
Araucaria luxurians grows as columnar, evergreen tree, the plant height can reach up to 30 meters. The dense crown is rounded. The gray bark peels off in thin strips. The 1 to 1.8 inches thick branches split at its end in a fan shape.
In young specimens the leaves are scale-like and egg-shaped with a length of 6 to 12 mm. On older trees the like roof tiles overlapping, scale-like leaves are ovate with a length of 5 to 7 mm and a width of 4 to 5 mm with a pronounced midrib.
The male cones are cylindrically shaped with a length of 12 to 17 centimeters and a diameter of 2.5 to 2.8 centimeters. They contain oval Mikrosporophylle with 12 to 15 pollen sacs. The female pins have a length of 10 to 12 inches and a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. The elongated with a size of 3 to 3.5 inches seed has a triangular wing.
Occurrence
The natural range of Araucaria luxurians located south of the island belonging to New Caledonia Grande Terre. You get there before near the coast. Another isolated deposits are on the belonging to the Belep islands of Ile d'Art.
Araucaria luxurians thrives at altitudes 200-1400 m. This species grows on soils that develop on ultramafic rocks. It occurs especially in moist evergreen forests, on cliffs, along rivers and on steep slopes.
System
Araucaria luxurians belongs to the section Eutacta within the genus Araucaria (Araucaria ). The first description as a variety Araucaria cookii var luxurians was made in 1871 by Adolphe Brongniart, and Jean Antoine Arthur Gris in Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, Ser. 5, 13, 354 S. David John de Laubenfels gave her 1972 in Flore de la Nouvelle Caledonia et Dépendances, 4, pp. 92 to the rank of a separate species Araucaria luxurians. A synonym for Araucaria luxurians ( Brongn. & Gris ) de Laub. Araucaria columnaris is f luxurians ( Brongn. & Gris ) EHWilson.
Threats and conservation
Araucaria luxurians is " critically endangered " on the Red List of IUCN. The total population is estimated at fewer than 2,500 adult specimens, with none of the known populations of 250 trees. More than half of the trees growing in stands, the majority are more than 50 kilometers apart. Due to the large distance between the stocks a genetic exchange and a repopulation from other areas of its distribution is not possible. The main hazard due to the mining and associated activities such as road construction and tailings storage are called. Furthermore, the land reclamation for housing development, forest fires, and, acting in coastal erosion is a hazard
Swell
- Template: Internet resource / maintenance / access date not in ISO format Christopher J. Earle: Araucaria luxurians. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, December 12, retrieved June 10, 2011 (English).