Wollemia nobilis

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Critically Endangered

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Araucariaceae

Trees evergreen , dioecious or monoecious, with relatively large pith in trunk and resin in cortex. Leaves spirally arranged or decussate, sessile, decurrent. Cones unisexual . Pollen cones axillary or terminal on branchlets , solitary or clustered; microsporophylls numerous , spirally arranged, sessile; microsporangia 4-20, external, suspended, arranged in 2 rows , filiform ; pollen sacs split longitudinally; pollen nonsaccate. Seed cones solitary, terminal on branchlets, maturing in 2nd or 3rd year; bracts numerous, spirally arranged; ovulate scales degenerate or ligulate , connate with bracts on 1 side, each with 1 ovule at base abaxially; ovules connate with ovulate scales or with bracts (when ovulate scales degenerate) ; bracts of mature cones deciduous, flattened, woody or thickly leathery, bearing 1 seed in basal part (if developed), sometimes adnate with ligulate seed scales in center of adaxial surface, apex triangular or caudate . Seeds connate with bracts or detached, flattened, winged or not. 2n = 26.

Three genera and 41 species: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines; Australia, New Zealand, SW Pacific Islands, South America; two genera and four species (all introduced ) in China.[1]

Physical Description

Habitat

Ecology: All stands occur in deep narrow sandstone gorges in warm temperate rainforest of Ceratopetalum apetalum, Doryphora sassafras and Acmena smithii, with an understorey comprising several fern species such as Dicksonia antarctica, Cyathea australis, Sticherus flabellatus, Adiantum diaphanum, Doodia aspera and Blechnum nudum. Most individuals are located on ledges or grow from cliffs within the gorges. Eucalypt woodland dominated by Eucalyptus piperita surrounds these gorges (Benson and Allen 2007). (Ref. 313640).

List of Habitats :

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.4     Forest - Temperate   
[more info]

Biology

Growth

Culture: Space 12-15' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 4.5 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Conservation status: CR (D), Habit: Tree

Last scrutiny: 5-Jun-2008

The genus Wollemia was first described in 1995 following the discovery of a small group of conifers in a remote gorge in Wollemi National Park in 1994. To date only one species is known - Wollemia nobilis. The pollen from Wollemia is virtually indistinguishable from the fossil pollen assigned to the fossil genus Dilwynites which has a fossil record that dates back to the Turonian stage of the Cretaceous period, some 90 million years ago (Dettmann and Clifford 2005). This indicates that the genus, rather than the extant species, has a very long fossil record.[2].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Wollemia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

W. nobilis (Wollemi Pine)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Benson, J. and Allen, C. 2007. Vegetation associated with Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae). Cunninghamia 10(2): 255-262.
• Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. 1988. Rare or threatened Australian plants. CSIRO Publications, Melbourne, Australia.
• Department of Environment and Conservation NSW. 2006. Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) Recovery Plan. NSW Department of Environment & Conservation, Hurstville, N.S.W.
• Dettmann, M.E. and Clifford, H.T. 2005. Biogeography of Araucariaceae. In: J. Dargavel (ed.), Australian and New Zealand Forest Histories. Araucarian Forests, pp. 1-9. Australian Forest History Society, Kingston, ACT.
• George, A. S., ed. 1980–. Flora of Australia, new ed. (F Aust)
• Global Tree Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website
• IUCN. 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2011.2). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 November 2011).
• Jones, W.G., Hill, K.D. and Allen, J.M. 1995. Wollemia nobilis, a new living Australian genus and species in the Araucariaceae. Telopea 6(2-3): 173-176.
• NSW Department of Environment and Conservation. 2006. Critical Habitat determination for the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) Araucariaceae - A determination under Part 3 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville.
• Peakall, R., Ebert, D., Scott, L., Meagher, P. and Offord, C. 2003. Comparative genetic study confirms exceptionally low genetic variation in the ancient and endangered relictual conifer, Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae). Molecular Ecology 12: 2331-2343.
• Cheng Wan-chün, Fu Li-kuo, Tsui Hung-pin & Chen Chia-jui. 1978. Araucariaceae. In: Cheng Wan-chün & Fu Li-kuo, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 7: 24-31.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.
• Conifer Database 2006.
• Conifer Database. Release date: June 5, 2008
• Conifer Specialist Group 1998. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Conifer Specialist Group 1998. Wollemia nobilis. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Farjon, A. 11-Jan-2006 (from Conifer Database, Jun 2006).
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed September 03, 2006. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
• Thomas, P. 2011. Wollemia nobilis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 05February2012.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

• Australian National Herbarium (CANB)
• Harvard University Herbaria
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• Natural History Museum, Vienna - Herbarium W: Herbarium W

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5329288
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Con-2496
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14153254
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:246059-3
• GRIN Nomen Number: 416628
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 246059-3
• IUCN ID: 248964
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 606027

Footnotes

1. Liguo Fu, Nan Li & Robert R. Mill "Araucariaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 9. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Thomas, P. 2011. Wollemia nobilis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 05 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.