Araucaria Explained

Araucaria (; original pronunciation: [a.ɾawˈka. ɾja]) 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), Norfolk Island, eastern Australia, New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

Description

Araucaria are mainly large trees with a massive erect stem, reaching a height of 5-. 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.

The trees are mostly dioecious, with male and female cones found on separate trees,[1] though occasional individuals are monoecious or change sex with time.[2] The female cones, usually high on the top of the tree, are globose, and vary in size among species from 7to diameter. They contain 80–200 large edible seeds, similar to pine nuts, though larger. The male cones are smaller, 4cm-10cmcm (02inches-00inchescm) long, and narrow to broad cylindrical, 1.5- broad.

The genus is familiar to many people as the genus of the distinctive Chilean pine or monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). 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 this genus. The Mapuche people call it Mapudungun; Mapuche: pehuén, and consider it sacred. Some Mapuche living in the Andes name themselves Pehuenche ("people of the Mapudungun; Mapuche: pehuén") as they traditionally harvested the seeds extensively for food.[3] [4]

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.

Distribution and paleoecology

Members of Araucaria are found in Argentina, Brazil, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Australia, New Guinea, Chile and Papua (Indonesia).[5] 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.

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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

Classification and species list

There are four extant sections and two extinct sections in the genus, sometimes treated as separate genera.[6] [9] [10]

Genetic studies

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.[12]

Taxa marked with are extinct.

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

Uses

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.

Food

The edible large seeds of A. araucana, A. angustifolia and A. bidwillii — also known as Araucaria nuts,[20] 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 Native Australians.[6] 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 genus Araucaria are anti-ulcer, antiviral, neuro-protective, anti-depressant and anti-coagulant.[21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Practical seedling growing: Growing Araucaria from seeds . Arboretum de Villardebelle . 18 November 2011.
  2. Book: Michael G. Simpson . Plant Systematics . Academic Press . 2010 . 151 . 978-0-12-374380-0 .
  3. Web site: Araucaria columnaris. National Tropical Botanical Garden. 19 November 2011. 16 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120616174201/http://ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=867. dead.
  4. Web site: Pehuenches: "The people from the Araucarias forests" . Francisco P. Moreno . November 2004 . Museo de la Patagonia . 18 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130857/http://www.bariloche.com.ar/museo/MAPUING.HTM . 11 January 2012 .
  5. http://everything-everywhere.com/2011/05/21/the-pine-trees-of-lanai/ The Pine Trees of Lanai
  6. Web site: Araucaria Jussieu 1789 . Christopher J. Earle . 12 December 2010 . The Gymnosperm Database . 13 November 2011.
  7. Web site: Maquis plants. October 13, 2013.
  8. Jürgen Hummel . Carole T. Gee . Karl-Heinz Südekum . P. Martin Sander . Gunther Nogge . Marcus Clauss . 2008 . In vitro digestibility of fern and gymnosperm foliage: implications for sauropod feeding ecology and diet selection . . 275 . 1638 . 1015–1021 . 10.1098/rspb.2007.1728 . 18252667 . 2600911 .
  9. Book: Michael Black . H. W. Pritchard . Desiccation and survival in plants: Drying without dying . . 2002 . 246 . 978-0-85199-534-2 .
  10. Book: James E. Eckenwalder . Conifers of the World: the Complete Reference . . 2009 . 149 . 978-0-88192-974-4 .
  11. Wilde . Mary Hitchcock . Eames . Arthur J. . The Ovule and 'Seed' of Araucaria Bidwillii with Discussion of the Taxonomy of the Genus: III. Anatomy of Multi-ovulate Gone Scales . Annals of Botany . Oxford University Press . 19 . 75 . 1955 . 0305-7364 . 1095-8290 . 42907286 . 343–349 . 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a083433 . 2022-11-13.
  12. Hiroaki Setoguchi . Takeshi Asakawa Osawa . Jean-Cristophe Pintaud . Tanguy Jaffré . Jean-Marie Veillon . 1998 . Phylogenetic relationships within Araucariaceae based on rbcL gene sequences . . 85 . 11 . 1507–1516 . 21680310 . 10.2307/2446478. 2446478 . free .
  13. Book: Mary E. Dettmann . H. Trevor Clifford . 2005. Occasional Publication 2. Biogeography of Araucariaceae. Australia and New Zealand Forest Histories. Araucaria Forests. 1–9. J. Dargavel. Australian Forest History Society. http://fennerschool-associated.anu.edu.au/environhist/links/publications/anzfh/anzfh2dettmann%26clifford.pdf . https://web.archive.org/web/20090913214958/http://fennerschool-associated.anu.edu.au/environhist/links/publications/anzfh/anzfh2dettmann%26clifford.pdf . 2009-09-13 .
  14. Book: Erich Götz . Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms . Springer . 1980 . 295 . 978-3-540-51794-8 .
  15. Cookson, Isabel C. . Duigan, Suzanne L. . Tertiary Araucariaceae From South-Eastern Australia, With Notes on Living Species . Australian Journal of Biological Sciences . 4. 4 . 415–49. 1951 . 10.1071/BI9510415 . free .
  16. Stockey. Ruth A.. Rothwell. Gar W.. July 2020. Diversification of crown group Araucaria : the role of Araucaria famii sp. nov. in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) radiation of Araucariaceae in the Northern Hemisphere. American Journal of Botany. en. 107. 7. 1072–1093. 10.1002/ajb2.1505. 32705687. 0002-9122. free.
  17. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=336893 Araucaria marensii
  18. Book: Vizcaíno . Sergio F. . Kay . Richard F. . Bargo . M. Susana . 2012 . Early Miocene Paleobiology in Patagonia: High-Latitude Paleocommunities of the Santa Cruz Formation . . 9781139576413 . 112 . 2017-10-21.
  19. 10.1080/03115510802417935 . Pole . Mike . 2008 . The record of Araucariaceae macrofossils in New Zealand . Alcheringa . 32 . 4 . 405–26. 128903229 . free . 2008Alch...32..405P .
  20. Encyclopedia: Pine nut . The Visual Food Encyclopedia . Québec Amerique . 1996 . 280. 9782764408988 .
  21. Aslam, M.S. . Ijaz, A.S. . Review Article . Phytochemical and ethno-pharmacological review of the genus Araucaria . Journal of Tropical Pharmaceutical Research . 12 . 4 . 2013 . 651–659 . 10.4314/tjpr.v12i4.31. free .

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