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{{SPlantbox
{{SPlantbox
|familia=Araucariaceae
|genus=Araucaria
|genus=Araucaria
|Temp Metric=°F
|Temp Metric=°F
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|image=Araucaria columnaris1.jpg
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|image_caption=Araucaria columnaris
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'''''Araucaria''''' is a [[genus]] of [[evergreen]] [[Pinophyta|coniferous]] [[tree]]s in the family [[Araucariaceae]]. There are 19 [[species]] in the genus, with a highly disjunct distribution in [[New Caledonia]] (where 13 species are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]]), [[Norfolk Island]], eastern [[Australia]], [[New Guinea]], [[Argentina]], [[Chile]], and southern [[Brazil]].
Many if not all current populations are relictual and restricted. They are found in [[forest]] and [[maquis shrubland]], with an affinity for exposed sites. These columnar trees are [[living fossil]]s, dating back to early in the [[Mesozoic]] age. [[Fossil]] records show that the genus also formerly occurred in the northern hemisphere until the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period.
[[Image:Petrified Araucaria cone from patagonia-Edit1.jpg.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Petrified cone of ''Araucaria'' sp. from the [[Jurassic]] (210 mya) of [[Patagonia]], [[Argentina]]]]
The genus is familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive [[Araucaria araucana|Monkey-puzzle]] ''Araucaria araucana''. The genus is named after the [[Mapuche|Arauco Indian]]s of central [[Chile]] and south-west [[Argentina]] whose territory incorporates natural stands of this species, where it is known as the '''Pehuén'''. These [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], who name themselves the Pehuenche ('people of the Pehuén'), harvest the seeds extensively for food. No distinct vernacular name exists for the genus; many are erroneously called 'pine', despite their being only very distantly related to [[pine]]s (''Pinus'').
They are mainly large trees with a massive erect stem, reaching a height of 30-80 m. The horizontal, spreading branches grow in whorls and are covered with leathery or needle-like [[leaf|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.
The trees are mostly [[Plant sexuality|dioecious]], with male and female [[Conifer cone|cones]] found on separate trees, though occasional individuals are [[Plant sexuality|monoecious]] or change sex with time. The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size between species from 7-25 cm diameter. They contain 80-200 large, edible seeds, similar to [[pine nut]]s though larger. The male cones are smaller, 4-10 cm long, and narrow to broad cylindrical, 1.5-5 cm broad.
Some of the species are relatively common in cultivation because of their distinctive, formal symmetrical growth habit. Several species are economically important for the edible seeds.
{{Inc|
{{Inc|
Araucaria (Chilean name). Including Columbea and Eutacta. Pinàceae. Large South American and Pacific Australian evergreen trees (about a dozen species), grown in their juvenile state in greenhouses and windows and often used in summer for lawn decoration; they are very decorative pot-plants.
Araucaria (Chilean name). Including Columbea and Eutacta. Pinàceae. Large South American and Pacific Australian evergreen trees (about a dozen species), grown in their juvenile state in greenhouses and windows and often used in summer for lawn decoration; they are very decorative pot-plants.
The commonest species in greenhouses is A. excelsa. It is grown on an enormous scale in many nurseries for decoration as window or table plants. When raised from seed the plants grow rapidly and the branches are invariably disposed in tiers with wide internodes, often as much as 2 feet separating each tier of branches. Such plants are of little use for ordinary decorative work and recourse is made to plants raised from cuttings. This practice has grown up as it is found that plants raised from cuttings assume a dwarf compact habit, with the tiers of branches placed close together, and that they do not grow into large specimens until many years old. The plants for stock purposes are usually raised from seed, and when they nave formed some three to six tiers of branches the tops are taken out and put in as cuttings in light sandy compost in a close house or case at a temperature of about 60° F. They are kept shaded from hot sun and damped over frequently until rooted. The stock plants are kept growing and soon break out into new growth in the axils of each of the upper branches. These are all "leader" growths, and when long enough they each furnish a suitable cutting which is treated in the same way as the primary growth or leader. After each of these has been removed for stock, the stem of the stock plant is cut off to the next tier of branches, which in turn will furnish another set of cuttings and so on until the plant is reduced to the bottom layer of branches, when it is discarded and another stock obtained again from seed. It should be pointed out that the branches themselves may be rooted as cuttings, but they always retain their flat asymetrical shape and are useless for stock purposes. (See Fig. 301.)
The commonest species in greenhouses is A. excelsa. It is grown on an enormous scale in many nurseries for decoration as window or table plants. When raised from seed the plants grow rapidly and the branches are invariably disposed in tiers with wide internodes, often as much as 2 feet separating each tier of branches. Such plants are of little use for ordinary decorative work and recourse is made to plants raised from cuttings. This practice has grown up as it is found that plants raised from cuttings assume a dwarf compact habit, with the tiers of branches placed close together, and that they do not grow into large specimens until many years old. The plants for stock purposes are usually raised from seed, and when they nave formed some three to six tiers of branches the tops are taken out and put in as cuttings in light sandy compost in a close house or case at a temperature of about 60° F. They are kept shaded from hot sun and damped over frequently until rooted. The stock plants are kept growing and soon break out into new growth in the axils of each of the upper branches. These are all "leader" growths, and when long enough they each furnish a suitable cutting which is treated in the same way as the primary growth or leader. After each of these has been removed for stock, the stem of the stock plant is cut off to the next tier of branches, which in turn will furnish another set of cuttings and so on until the plant is reduced to the bottom layer of branches, when it is discarded and another stock obtained again from seed. It should be pointed out that the branches themselves may be rooted as cuttings, but they always retain their flat asymetrical shape and are useless for stock purposes. (See Fig. 301.)
A. albospica, Hort.-A. excelsa.—A. Dombeyi. A. Rich.-A. imbricata.—A. intermedia, R, Br. Tall and erect, sparingly branched, nearly denuded of foliage: Lvs. sessile, imbricated, cordiform. obtuse, green and shining. New Caledonia.—A. Lindltyana, Van Houtte - A. braziliana.—A. montana, Brongn. & Gris. Tall: Iva. scale-like, curved, ovate, obtusish, more or less concave, with white spots in many sériés. New Caledonia.—A. Mùelleri, Brongn. & Gris. Lvs. almost flat, with whitish spots in series. New Caledonia.—A, Niepraschkii, Baumann. Branches wide-spreading with lone drooping side branches: perhaps a form of A. Rulei. R. B. 31: p. 132.—A. aubulala, Vieill. Like A. intermedia, but trunk leas naked, and Lvs. linear-subulate. New Caledonia.
A. albospica, Hort.-A. excelsa.—A. Dombeyi. A. Rich.-A. imbricata.—A. intermedia, R, Br. Tall and erect, sparingly branched, nearly denuded of foliage: Lvs. sessile, imbricated, cordiform. obtuse, green and shining. New Caledonia.—A. Lindltyana, Van Houtte - A. braziliana.—A. montana, Brongn. & Gris. Tall: Iva. scale-like, curved, ovate, obtusish, more or less concave, with white spots in many series. New Caledonia.—A. Mùelleri, Brongn. & Gris. Lvs. almost flat, with whitish spots in series. New Caledonia.—A, Niepraschkii, Baumann. Branches wide-spreading with lone drooping side branches: perhaps a form of A. Rulei. R. B. 31: p. 132.—A. aubulala, Vieill. Like A. intermedia, but trunk leas naked, and Lvs. linear-subulate. New Caledonia.
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==Cultivation==
===Propagation===
===Pests and diseases===
==Species==
===Classification and species list===
There are two sections in the genus, sometimes treated as separate genera:
There are two sections in the genus, sometimes treated as separate genera:
*'''Section ''Araucaria''.''' Leaves broad; cones more than 12cm diameter; seed germination [[hypogeal]]. Syn. sect. ''Columbea''; sometimes subdivided into three sections or subsections.
*'''Section ''Araucaria''.''' Leaves broad; cones more than 12cm diameter; seed germination [[hypogeal]]. Syn. sect. ''Columbea''; sometimes subdivided into three sections or subsections.
** ''[[Araucaria subulata]]''. New Caledonia.
** ''[[Araucaria subulata]]''. New Caledonia.
===Uses===
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery perrow=5>
Image:araucaria_araucana_vieja.jpg|''Araucaria ''
Image:araucaria_araucana_vieja.jpg|''Araucaria ''
Image:araucaria_araucana_pulmari.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' entorno natural
Image:araucaria_araucana_pulmari.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' entorno natural
Image:Araucaria araucana Lanin.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' in an argentinian´s lake [[Neuquén, Argentina]]
Image:Araucaria araucana Lanin.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' in an argentinian´s lake [[Neuquén, Argentina]]
Image:Aa 2006 05 10 araucaria sapling.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' sapling in [[Chester Zoo]]
Image:Aa 2006 05 10 araucaria sapling.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' sapling in [[Chester Zoo]]
Image:araucaria_araucana_verde.jpg|''Araucaria '' vista desde arriba
Image:araucaria_araucana_verde.jpg|''Araucaria '' vista desde arriba
Image:Araucaria araucana Lanin3.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' very old
Image:Araucaria araucana Lanin3.jpg|''Araucaria araucana'' very old
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
<references/>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 -->
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.conifers.org/ar/ar/index.html Gymnosperm Database: ''Araucaria'']
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