Araucaria araucana, commonly called the monkey puzzle tree, monkey tail tree, piñonero, pewen or Chilean pine, is an evergreen tree growing to a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) and a height of 30–40 m (98–131 ft). It is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. It is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Because of the prevalence of similar species in ancient prehistory, it is sometimes called a living fossil. It is also the national tree of Chile. Its conservation status was changed to Endangered by the IUCN in 2013 due to the dwindling population caused by logging, forest fires, and grazing.
Araucaria 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 distributed globally. There are 20 extant species in New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, eastern Australia, New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Araucaria heterophylla is a species of conifer. As its vernacular name Norfolk Island pine implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia. It is not a true pine, which belong to the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae, but instead is a member of the genus Araucaria, in the family Araucariaceae, which also contains the hoop pine. Members of Araucaria occur across the South Pacific, especially concentrated in New Caledonia where 13 closely related and similar-appearing species are found. It is sometimes called a star pine, Polynesian pine, triangle tree or living Christmas tree, due to its symmetrical shape as a sapling.
Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree, is a critically endangered species in the conifer genus Araucaria. Although the common names in various languages refer to the species as a "pine", it does not belong in the genus Pinus.
Agathis ovata, the mountain kauri, is a species of conifer, genus Agathis in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only on the southwest Pacific island of New Caledonia. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Araucaria bernieri is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia at elevations below 700 meters, mainly in the southern part of the main island. It is a large tree reaching 40–50 meters in height, though specimens growing on poorer soil tend to be dwarfed. It is threatened by habitat loss with a wild population of less than 10,000 mature trees, and ongoing decline in remaining populations.
Araucaria biramulata, the biramule araucaria, or piggyback araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia on the main island of Grande Terre. Araucaria biramulata is a medium-large tree reaching 30 meters in height. As with several other endemic New Caledonian araucaria species, it is threatened by habitat loss with a fragmented wild population of less than 10,000 mature trees, and ongoing decline in remaining populations, with the main threats being forest fires and mining activities. Piggyback araucaria gets its common name from the unusual growth habit of mature trees, where they often develop a second growth tip halfway up the trunk, giving the appearance of a smaller tree "piggybacking" on the side of a larger one.
Araucaria columnaris, the coral reef araucaria, Cook pine, New Caledonia pine, Cook araucaria, or columnar araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae.
Araucaria humboldtensis, or Humboldt's araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is threatened by habitat loss, as even though the remaining wild populations are located within protected park areas, an increased frequency of forest fires in recent years has led to continued degradation of habitat and increased dieback of mature trees.
Araucaria luxurians is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is known by the common names Sapin de Noël and Coast araucaria. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it grows in several small subpopulations. It grows in ultramafic soils in humid forests and on cliffs and slopes. It is threatened by habitat loss and none of the subpopulations are in protected areas.
Araucaria montana, the mountain araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia.
Araucaria muelleri is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is a medium size tree, 10–25 meters in height, with larger leaves than most other New Caledonian Araucarias. It is found only in New Caledonia, in several sites in the far south of Grande Terre, the main island.
Araucaria rulei is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is an endangered species. Its populations are fragmented and are generally made up of scattered individuals. It is restricted to serpentine soils, often with high nickel levels, and its natural range is almost completely restricted to areas rich in nickel. Nickel mining in New Caledonia has consequently been a major cause of its decline.
Araucaria schmidii is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is a medium to large tree growing up to 30 meters tall. It is found only in a small area on New Caledonia, with only one contiguous population in an area covering less than one square kilometer on the summit and highest slopes of Mont Panié in the north-east of the main island, Grande Terre, though a few scattered individuals may still be found on surrounding peaks. It is threatened by habitat loss. While the single remaining population is in a protected national park in a remote area, this area is still regularly visited by tourists, and IUCN has expressed concern that the entire population is at risk of being wiped out by a chance event such as the introduction of a fungal disease.
Araucaria scopulorum is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is an endangered species. It occurs in small populations that are restricted to two main areas. It grows in shrubland on steep coastal slopes below 300m in altitude. Araucaria scopulorum is a relatively small tree compared to most other araucarias, with mature trees varying from 4–20 meters in height. Much of its habitat is located in areas with active nickel mining operations and no populations are in protected areas.
Dacrydium araucarioides is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is a small tree that reaches a height between 3 and 6 metres.
Dacrydium guillauminii, commonly known as cat-tail Rimu or swamp Dacrydium, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is a slow growing shrub or small tree with roots that grow in water, and reaches a height between 1 and 2 metres.
Retrophyllum minus, the bois bouchon, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia.
The main diversity among genus Araucaria is hosted in New Caledonia, where 14 species, all endemic, are described out of a total of 20 extant species. These New Caledonian species are mainly found as dispersed populations in open areas, where competition is less intense.
Rhacodactylus trachycephalus, commonly known as the lesser rough-snouted giant gecko, dwarf rough-snouted giant gecko, or tough-snouted giant gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to two small areas of islands in New Caledonia. Its body grows to around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) and has a mosaic pattern with a variety of colors. Rhacodactylus trachyrhynchus is a closely related species, but R. trachycephalus is smaller and has a number of other noticeable differences. R. trachycephalus is viviparous, giving birth to only one or two young a year. Its restricted humid forest habitat is vulnerable due to multiple threats. As a result of habitat reduction, low reproduction rate and small population, it is one of the rarest geckos in the world.
