Araucaria heterophylla.
Native to Norfolk Island these are not commonly seen compared with Hoop pines.
They are very similar, and closely related to the Cook pine A. columnaris.
Juvenile Norfolk and Cook pines are almost impossible to tell apart.
Norfolk pine trunks are erect and adult trees can be well over 50 m high.
They have a pyramid shape with a much wider base than Cook pines.
The whorls of lateral branches are more horizontal and widely spaced.
Leaves, in spirals are tightly packed along the branchlets.
Juvenile leaves are awl or needle-like, up to 1.5 cm long and only 1 mm or so wide.
Triangular to ovate scale-like adult leaves are 5 to 10 mm long and up to 5 mm wide.
Mature leaves are more flattened and have a slight keel.
Drooping male cones, around 5 cm long are in small clusters near the branch ends.
The ovate female cones are up to 10 or 12 cm long and 11 to 12 cm wide.
Cone scales are similar to those of the Cook pines but slightly larger and thicker.
The seeds are up to 1 cm long.
According to Flora of Australia Vol 48:
The terminal branchlets in Cook pines are drooping; in Norfolk pines they are erect.
Both have mature leaves that are flattened and under 1 cm long.
Cook adult leaves are under up to 4 or 5 mm long;
Norfolk Island adult leaves are 5 to 10 mm.
J.F.
