What are the characteristics of the Norfolk Island pine? A detailed guide
The family and genus of the Norfolk Island pine
The Norfolk Island pine is a herbaceous plant of the genus Araucaria in the family Araucariaceae.
Other names for the Norfolk Island pine
The Norfolk Island pine is also called the Australian pine, the scale-leaved Araucaria, and the tower-shaped Araucaria.
The origin of the Norfolk Island pine
The Norfolk Island pine is native to South America, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the southeastern coastal areas such as Queensland in Oceania, and is cultivated in Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Yunnan and Guangxi in China.
In the Yangtze River basin and the major cities to its north, it is grown as a potted plant and overwinters in greenhouses.
The morphological characteristics of the Norfolk Island pine
It is a tree, and in its place of origin it can reach 60-70 m tall with a diameter at breast height of more than 1 m; the bark is grayish brown or dark gray and rather thick.
The leaves have two shapes: the leaves of young trees and side branches are loosely arranged and cone-shaped, needle-shaped, sickle-shaped or triangular, while the leaves of the main branches are densely arranged and ovate, triangular-ovate or triangular.
The cone of the Norfolk Island pine is ovoid or elliptical, 6-10 cm long and about 4 cm wide, grayish green on the surface with a white powdery bloom.
The seeds are elliptical, with a membranous wing formed by fusion on both sides.