Araucaria bidwillii

Botanical Description

Bunya-bunya is a large evergreen tree with a symmetrical, dome-shaped crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall. The bole, which can have a diameter of 150cm, is straight and undivided, often free of branches for up to two-thirds of the trees height with very little taper[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. This tree was a very important food source for the native Australians - each Aboriginal family would own a group of trees and these would be passed down from generation to generation[ 2 Title Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Publication Author Hedrick. U. P. Publisher Dover Publications Year 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6 Description Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references. ]. This is said to be the only case of hereditary personal property owned by the Aborigines[ 2 Title Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Publication Author Hedrick. U. P. Publisher Dover Publications Year 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6 Description Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references. ]. The trees were greatly over-exploited by the European settlers, who felled the vast majority for their timber, and the few remaining wild stands are usually protected in reserves and National Parks[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. The tree is often grown as an ornamental in warm temperate to tropical gardens[ 307 Title Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. Publication Author Barwick. M. Publisher Thames & Hudson, London Year 2004 ISBN 0-500-51181-0 Description A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life. ]. The isolated northern subpopulation has less than 100 mature individuals. Genetic investigations indicate that this population differs significantly from those in the south and that its conservation should be a priority. Southern subpopulations range in size from a few tens of trees to over 1,000. They are likely to be the remnants of an almost continuous larger population that stretched from the coastal areas into the Bunya Mountains. Despite significant exploitation in the past, the main subpopulations in southern Queensland are not currently threatened. In some areas regeneration and expansion into disused pastoral and farming areas is occurring and the majority of the subpopulations are within protected areas. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].