''Agathis robusta'' (syn. ''A. palmerstonii''), the Queensland kauri (pine) or smooth-barked kauri, is a coniferous

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the family

Araucariaceae Araucariaceae – also known as araucarians – is an extremely ancient family of coniferous trees. The family achieved its maximum diversity during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and the early Cenozoic, when it was distributed almost world ...

. (Although sometimes called a

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

, it is not a true pine, and has leaves, not needles.) It has a

disjunct distribution In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but considerably separated from each other geographically. The causes are varied and might demonstrate either the expansion or contraction of a s ...

, occurring in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. Populations in Papua New Guinea may be treated as the distinct species ''

Agathis spathulata ''Agathis spathulata'', the New Guinea kauri, is a species of ''Agathis'' native to the highlands of eastern Papua New Guinea, occurring at altitudes of 900–1980 m. Although long known, it has only relatively recently (1980) been distinguished ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

''Agathis robusta'' occurs in two locations, a southern population on

Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fra ...

and around Maryborough, and a northern population on the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns; the northern population was formerly distinguished as ''Agathis palmerstonii'', but does not differ from the southern population and is no longer considered distinct.Whitmore, T. C. (1980). A monograph of ''Agathis''. ''Pl. Syst. Evol''. 135: 41-69. It is a large

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree growing straight and tall to a height of 30–50 m, with smooth, scaly

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

. The leaves are 5–12 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, tough and leathery in texture, with no midrib; they are arranged in opposite pairs (rarely whorls of three) on the stem. The seed cones are globose, 8–13 cm diameter, and mature in 18–20 months after pollination; they disintegrate at maturity to release the

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

s. The male (

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

) cones are cylindrical, 5–10 cm long and 1-1.5 cm thick.

Uses

The Queensland kauri was heavily logged in the past, and spectacular trees of prodigious size are much rarer than in pre-European times; despite this, the species as a whole is not endangered.

Gallery

Agathisrobusta.JPG, Foliage AgathisRobustaBark.jpg, Bark StateLibQld 1 101056.jpg, Harvested in the Eudlo district, Queensland, in 1905 Agathis_robusta_at_the_Huntington_Library_Rose_Garden_in_San_Marino_California.jpg, Located in the Rose Garden at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, California Agathis_Robusta_Huntington_Sign.jpg, History and description of Agathis robusta tree at the Huntington Library and Gardens

References

External links

''Agathis robusta''.
The Gymnosperm Database. {{Taxonbar, from=Q144112 robusta Flora of Queensland Trees of Australia Pinales of Australia Least concern flora of Australia Least concern biota of Queensland