A number of people have asked me if I know the the identification of a
softwood species recently discovered in Australia and called the "Wollemi
Pine". This is most definitely not my field and I am only acting as a
postman in this instance.
As I understand it the species has not been formally named and this will
take some time and care. It may or may not be a species found in the
Australian fossil record and hence may be a "living fossil" or it may be a
closely related species. The identification is being carried out by the
staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. The Director of these gardens
is Professor Carrick Chambers and further information should be sought
directly from him. I understand that it is certain that the tree is a
member of the family Araucariaceae and that the genus is between Agathis
and Araucaria in characteristics; certainly press photos show leaves
similar to Agathis. The fossil record of this or similar trees goes back
150 million years. The precise location of the trees is a secret but is in
the Blue Mountains area, about 200km north-west of Sydney. Only about 40
trees are left; hence the protection of the actual location. Ryde James
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Ryde James | Forestry/Science
Tel: (61+6)249-4330 | Australian National University
Fax: (61+6)249-0746 | Canberra, ACT 0200
|
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email: Ryde.james@anu.edu.au
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