Araucaria bidwillii.
The Bunya pine is native to Queensland, Australia.
Trees are up to about 50 m tall with a thick, straight trunk.
The symmetrical, rounded or dome-shaped crown is distinctive.
The lower, bare part of the trunk is relatively short.
Thick, rough bark peels giving a mottled effect.
The almost horizontal branches are in whorls of up to 7.
The lower branches are almost as long as the tree is tall.
Leaves are concentrated near the ends of the branches.
They are a dark glossy green above and paler underneath.
Adult leaves come in 2 forms:
- 1. On vertical growing shoots they are narrowly triangular to needle-like.
- 2. On lateral shoots they are narrowly triangular with the broad base running down the stem.
Leaves, arranged in vertical rows, are 1 to 5 cm long and 3 to 10 mm wide with sharp tips.
Juvenile leaves are similar to the adult ones but smaller.
Male cones, on the ends of branches, are erect, cylindrical, green, and 10 – 15 cm long.
Large amounts of pollen are released from the pollen sacs.
Female cones are on the ends of short lateral branches.
They are ovoid, up to 30 cm long and 20 cm in diameter and disintegrate when mature.
Female cones, when immature are green and each scale has a long, thin brown tip.
Each cone has 50 to 100 seeds or nuts, 2-3 cm long.
J.F.
