Moreton Bay pine, Hoop pine
Araucaria cunninghamii

Family: Araucariaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 60 m high. The trunk is 1 m across. It is straight and often only forms branches high up. The bark is reddish brown. The leaves are arranged in spirals and crowded. The male cones are 8 cm long and hang down. The female cones are 6-10 cm long by 5-8 cm wide. The seeds are triangle shaped and 2-3 cm long by 1 cm wide.

The seeds are apparently eaten in Tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. In Papua New Guinea it grows from 1,000-2,750 m altitude. It grows in areas with high rainfall and temperatures between 9-26°C. It can tolerate light frosts. In Yunnan. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Asia, Australia (country/location of origin), Central Africa, Central America, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Guatemala, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Tasmania, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed are collected from ripe cones.

Young trees grow slowly. Trees start to produce cones after 15-25 years. Female cones take about 2 years to ripen.

Its other names

Local names

Pohon arukaria hup

Synonyms

Eutassa cunninghamii (Aiton ex D. Don) Spach.;