Araucaria

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Araucaria (Template:IPAc-en; original pronunciation: [a.ɾawˈka. ɾja])[1] is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. While today they are largely confined to the Southern Hemisphere, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous they were globally distributed. There are 20 extant species in New Caledonia (where 14 species are endemic, see New Caledonian Araucaria), eastern Australia (including Norfolk Island), New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

The genus is familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive Chilean pine or monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). No distinct vernacular name exists for the genus. Many are called "pine", although they are only distantly related to true pines, in the genus Pinus.

Description

Araucaria are mainly large trees with a massive erect stem, reaching a height of Script error: No such module "convert".. The horizontal, spreading branches grow in whorls and are covered with leathery or needle-like leaves. In some species, the leaves are narrow, awl-shaped and lanceolate, barely overlapping each other; in others they are broad and flat, and overlap broadly.[2]

The trees are mostly dioecious, with male and female cones found on separate trees,[3] though occasional individuals are monoecious or change sex with time.[4] The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size among species from Script error: No such module "convert". in diameter. They contain 80–200 large edible seeds, similar to pine nuts, though larger. The male cones are smaller, Script error: No such module "convert". long, narrow to broad cylindrical, and Script error: No such module "convert". broad.

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Taxonomy

The genus is named after the Spanish exonym Araucano ("from Arauco") applied to the Mapuche of south-central Chile and south-west Argentina, whose territory incorporates natural stands of a species in this genus identified as A. araucana; the Mapuche people call it Script error: No such module "Lang"., and consider it sacred.[2] Some Mapuche living in the Andes name themselves Pewenche ("people of the Script error: No such module "Lang".") as they traditionally harvested the seeds extensively for food.[5][6]

There are four extant sections and two extinct sections in the genus, sometimes treated as separate genera.[2][7][8]

Template:Cladogram

Extant species

Section Image Leaves Name Distribution
Section Araucaria Wilde and Eames, 1952Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Webysther 20190413132108 - Araucária (Araucaria angustifolia).jpg File:Araucaria angustifolia (2943647465).jpg Araucaria angustifolia – Paraná pine southern and southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina.
File:Araucaria en Parque Nacional Conguillio.jpg File:Araucaria araucana 0003.JPG Araucaria araucana – monkey-puzzle or pehuén central Chile & western Argentina.
Section Bunya Wilde and Eames, 1952Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[9] File:02 20111116nervi-45 (cropped).jpg File:Araucaria bidwillii Montjuic.jpg Araucaria bidwillii – bunya-bunya Eastern Australia
Section Intermedia White, 1947Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Araucaria-hunsteinii.jpg File:Araucaria-hunsteinii-leaf.jpg Araucaria hunsteinii – klinki New Guinea
Section Eutacta Endl. 1847Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
File:Araucaria bernieri Yaté 1.jpg Araucaria bernieri New Caledonia
File:Araucaria biramulata.JPG File:Araucaria biramulata (2).JPG Araucaria biramulata New Caledonia
File:Araucaria columnaris, Armenia, Colombia (14295881033).jpg File:Araucaria Leaves.JPG Araucaria columnaris - Cook pine New Caledonia
File:Araucaria cunninghamii and flag Morris St Highgate Hill P1220274.jpg File:Gardenology.org-IMG 2276 rbgs11jan.jpg Araucaria cunninghamii - Moreton Bay pine, hoop pine Eastern Australia, New Guinea
Araucaria goroensis New Caledonia
File:Araucaria heterophylla Kingston 1.jpg File:Araucaria heterophylla - 001.jpg Araucaria heterophylla – Norfolk Island pine Norfolk Island
File:Araucaria humboldtensis.JPG File:Araucaria humboldtensis (2).JPG Araucaria humboldtensis New Caledonia
File:Araucaria laubenfelsii.JPG Araucaria laubenfelsii New Caledonia
File:Araucaria luxurians 01 by Line1.JPG File:Araucaria luxurians leaves 01 by Line1.JPG Araucaria luxurians New Caledonia
File:Araucaria montana (Blue Mountains BG).jpg File:Araucaria montana leaves 02 by Line1.JPG Araucaria montana New Caledonia
File:Araucaria muelleri (Jardin des Plantes de Paris).jpg File:Araucaria Muelleri.Serres d'Auteuil 001.jpg Araucaria muelleri New Caledonia
File:Araucaria nemorosa.jpg File:Araucaria nemorosa - Serres d'Auteuil.JPG Araucaria nemorosa New Caledonia
File:Araucaria rulei.jpg File:Araucaria rulei 4.JPG Araucaria rulei New Caledonia
Araucaria schmidii New Caledonia
File:Araucaria scopulorum (Jardin des Plantes de Paris).jpg File:Araucaria scopulorum (Jardin des Plantes Paris).JPG Araucaria scopulorum New Caledonia
File:Araucaria subulata (Jardin des Plantes de Paris).jpg File:Araucaria subulata (close-up).jpg Araucaria subulata New Caledonia

Genetic studies

File:Petrified Araucaria cone from patagonia-Edit3.jpg
Petrified cone of Araucaria mirabilis from Patagonia, Argentina dating from the Jurassic Period (approx. 157 mya)

Genetic studies indicate that the extant members of the genus can be subdivided into two large clades – the first consisting of the sections Araucaria, Bunya, and Intermedia; and the second of the strongly monophyletic section Eutacta. Sections Eutacta and Bunya are both the oldest taxa of the genus, with Eutacta possibly older.[10]

Taxa marked with Template:Extinct are extinct.

Araucaria bindrabunensis (previously classified under section Bunya) has been transferred to the genus Araucarites.

Distribution and paleoecology

File:Three araucarias.jpg
Three members of the genus growing together – left to right, A. columnaris, A. cunninghamii and A. bidwillii

Members of Araucaria are found in Argentina, Brazil, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Australia, New Guinea, Chile and Papua (Indonesia).[21] Many if not all current populations are relicts, and of restricted distribution. They are found in forest and maquis shrubland, with an affinity for exposed sites. The earliest records of the genus date to the Middle Jurassic, represented by Araucaria mirabilis of Argentina, and Araucaria sphaerocarpa from England. Fossil records show that the genus also formerly occurred in the northern hemisphere until the end of the Cretaceous period.[14] A possible species of Araucaria may have existed in New Zealand as recently as 350,000 years ago.[22] However, it is also possible that this fossil actually represents a specimen of Agathis.[22]

By far the greatest diversity exists in New Caledonia, likely due to a relatively recent adaptive radiation, as all New Caledonian species are more closely related to each other than they are to other Araucaria.[14][2] Much of New Caledonia is composed of ultramafic rock with serpentine soils, with low levels of nutrients, but high levels of metals such as nickel.[23] Consequently, its endemic Araucaria species are adapted to these conditions, and many species have been severely affected by nickel mining in New Caledonia and are now considered threatened or endangered, due to their habitat lying in prime areas for nickel mining activities.

Some evidence suggests that the long necks of sauropod dinosaurs may have evolved specifically to browse the foliage of tall trees, including those of Araucaria. An analysis of modern Araucaria leaves found that they have a high energy content but are slow fermenting, making their ancestors a likely attractive target.[24]


Uses

Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". Some of the species are relatively common in cultivation because of their distinctive, formal symmetrical growth habit. Several species are economically important for timber production.

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Template:Broader The edible large seeds of A. araucana, A. angustifolia and A. bidwillii — also known as Araucaria nuts,[25] and often called, although improperly, pine nuts — are eaten as food, particularly among the Mapuche people of Chile and southwest Argentina, the Kaingang people in Southern Brazil and among Indigenous Australians.[2] In South America Araucaria nuts or seeds are called piñas or piñones in Spanish and pinhões in Portuguese, like pine nuts in Europe.

Pharmacological activity

Pharmacological reports on the genus Araucaria are anti-ulcer, antiviral, neuro-protective, anti-depressant and anti-coagulant.[26]

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Template:OED
  2. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Araucaria marensii at Fossilworks.org
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ The Pine Trees of Lanai
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Nuts Template:Plant classification Template:Acrogymnospermae classification Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control

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