Agathis sp.

Kauri

Araucariaceae Edible: Seeds 1 iNaturalist observations

wikimedia· cc-by-sa

Wikimedia Commons - gbohne

wikimedia· cc-by

Wikimedia Commons - Michael J. Sharkey, Dicky S. Yu, Simon van Noort, Katja Seltmann, Lyubomir Penev

Contribute a photo Sign in required

Description

A tropical tree species from the wet tropics with stalked leaves with blunt tips and winged seeds.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

Several species are very popular ornamental trees in gardens in subtropical regions, and some are also very important timber trees, producing wood of high quality. Several have edible seeds similar to pine nuts, and others produce valuable resin and amber. In the forests where they occur, they are usually dominant trees, often the largest species in the forest; the largest is Araucaria hunsteinii, reported to 89 m (292 ft) tall in New Guinea, with several other species reaching 50–65 m (164–213 ft) tall. A. heterophylla, the Norfolk Island pine, is a well-known landscaping and house plant from this taxon. Skillful artisans in the Erzurum Province, Turkey, have used fossilized wood of Araucariaceae for centuries to manufacture jewelry and decorative items. It is known as "Oltustone", the name deriving from the town of Oltu, where it is most commonly excavated. Despite the fact that this semiprecious gemstone is classified as "stone", wood anatomy reveals it was fossilized pieces of trunks of Araucariacea. Oltustone, also called ‘Black Amber’ is unique to Turkey. It is dull and black, but when polished, acquires an attractive black sheen.

Distribution

They grow in the wet tropics.

Where It Grows

Australia, New Caledonia, Pacific,

Cultivation

Plants need to be grown from fresh seed.

Notes

There are about 20 Agathis species. There are 5 species in New Caledonia.

Synonyms

Probably Agathis corbassonii

References (6)

Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 111
Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 81
Massal, E. and Barrau, J., 1973, Food Plants of the South Sea Islands. SPC Technical Paper No 94. Nounea, New Caledonia. p 27
Morley, B.D., & Toelken, H.R., (Eds), 1983, Flowering Plants in Australia. Rigby. p 29
Thaman, R. and W. Clarke, Paper on Agroforestry on Aneityum and Tanna, Vanuatu from Internet (Agathis obtusa indigenous in Vanuatu)

Show all 6 references