Hoop Pine

Description:

Araucaria cunninghamii is a species of Araucaria known as Hoop Pine (also popularly known as Moreton Bay Pine), and is found in the dry rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland, and in New Guinea. Trees can live up to 450 years and grow to a height of 60 metres. The bark is rough, splits naturally, and peels easily. At one time, the resin from these trees was used by Australian Aborigines as a cement.

Habitat:

Australia, variety cunninghamii occurs in coastal tropical and subtropical rainforests from northern Queensland to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, at 0-1000 m elevation. Variety papuana occurs in the Arfak Mountains of western New Guinea. These specimens were found in Toowoomba, SEQ, at an elevation of around 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. Like the Bunya Pine, its favoured natural habitat is mist forest.

Notes:

Historically this was a very important timber tree and most natural stands have been cut out. Thousands of hectares of Southern Queensland and Northern NSW rainforest have been replaced by Hoop Pine plantations. Brisbane's houses were invariably built with Hoop. The remnant patches of the Araucaceae, Hoop, Bunya, Kauri and Norfolk Island pines were once part of a huge primitive conifer forest covering Eastern Australia. The link provides some good photos. http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au/01...