Wollemia nobilis , Photo: Michael Lahanas Cladus: Eukaryota Name Wollemia nobilis W.G.Jones, K.Hill & J.M.Allen References * Jones, W. G., Hill, K. D., & Allen, J. M. 1995: Wollemia nobilis, a new living Australian genus and species in the Araucariaceae. Telopea 6: 173-176. Vernacular names
Wollemia nobilis, Wollemia nobilis, --------- Wollemia is a genus of coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae. Wollemia was only known through fossil records until the Australian species Wollemia nobilis was discovered in 1994 in a remote series of narrow, steep-sided sandstone gorges near Lithgow in temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales, 150 kilometres north-west of Sydney. In both botanical and popular literature the tree has been almost universally dubbed the Wollemi Pine, although it is not a true pine (genus Pinus) nor a member of the pine family (Pinaceae), but rather is related to Agathis and Araucaria in the family Araucariaceae. The oldest fossil of the Wollemi tree has been dated to 200 million years ago.[1] Description Wollemia nobilis is an evergreen tree reaching 25–40 m (80-130 feet) tall. The bark is very distinctive, dark brown and knobbly, quoted as resembling Coco Pops breakfast cereal.[2] The tree coppices readily, and most specimens are multi-trunked or appear as clumps of trunks thought to derive from old coppice growth. The branching is unique in that nearly all the side branches never have further branching. After a few years, each branch either terminates in a cone (either male or female) or ceases growth. After this, or when the cone becomes mature, the branch dies. New branches then arise from dormant buds on the main trunk. Rarely, a side branch will turn erect and develop into a secondary trunk, which then bears a new set of side branches. The leaves are flat linear, 3–8 cm long and 2–5 mm broad. They are arranged spirally on the shoot but twisted at the base to appear in two or four flattened ranks. The seed cones are green, 6–12 cm long and 5–10 cm in diameter, and mature about 18–20 months after pollination. They disintegrate at maturity to release the seeds. The male (pollen) cones are slender conic, 5–11 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. Discovery
Fewer than a hundred trees are known to be growing wild, in three localities not far apart. It is very difficult to count them as most trees are multistemmed and may have a connected root system. Genetic testing has revealed that all the specimens are genetically indistinguishable, suggesting that the species has been through a genetic bottleneck in which its population became so low (possibly just one or two individuals) that all genetic variability was lost. In November 2005, wild-growing trees were found to be infected with Phytophthora cinnamomi. New South Wales park rangers believe the virulent water mould was introduced by unauthorised visitors to the site, whose location is still undisclosed to the public. Cultivation and uses A propagation programme made Wollemi Pine specimens available to botanical gardens, first in Australia in 2006 and subsequently throughout the world. It may prove to be a valuable tree for ornament, either planted in open ground or for tubs and planters. In Australia, potted native Wollemi Pines have been promoted as a Christmas tree that will last up to ten years[5]. It is also proving to be more adaptable and cold-hardy than its restricted subtropical distribution would suggest, tolerating temperatures between -5°C and 45°C (23° and 113°F), with reports, from Japan and the USA, that it can survive down to -12°C (10°F). A grove of Wollemi Pines planted in Inverewe Garden, Scotland, believed to be the most northerly location of any successful planting, have survived temperatures of -7°C, recorded in January 2010.[6] It also handles both full sun and full shade. Like many other Australian trees, Wollemia is susceptible to the pathogenic water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi, so this may limit its potential as a timber tree.[7] Notes 1. ^ Fact Sheet: Wollemi Pine
* Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Wollemia nobilis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR D v2.3) Source: Wikipedia, Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
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