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Family Pinaceae
Araucaria araucana
The Chile Pine, or “Monkey Puzzle”,
is a native of Southern Chile. It forms extensive
pine forests in the province or Arauco, from which
it gets its name, and to whose inhabitants the
seeds are a most important item of their food
supply. Not only do the trees in these forests
lose their lower branches, but even those growing
in the open plains of their native country have
similarly bare trunks for nearly half their height.
It is therefore a satisfaction to know that the
finest specimens grown in this country have really
surpassed those grown in their native home.
The height reached by old trees is from eighty
to one hundred feet, with a trunk girth of from
sixteen to twenty-three feet. The tapering of
this trunk is very slight, and a few of the stiff,
spine-tipped leaves, with which its younger extremity
is densely clothed, still remain attached in a
dried-up condition far down the column. These
leaves will have been observed to cover the branches
entirely, not being restricted, as in most trees,
to the newly formed branchlets and twigs. They
are very hard and endure for about fifteen years;
are about an inch and a quarter long, and overlap,
though their sharp-pointed ends turn away from
the branch.
The cylindrical male flowers are four or five
inches long, borne singly or in small clusters.
The sexes are usually on separate trees, but some
individuals produce flowers of both kinds. The
female flowers are about four inches long, almost
round in shape, but broader at the base than above.
They are covered with long, narrow, overlapping
scales, beneath which are found the seeds when
the flower has developed into the brown cone,
which is six inches in diameter. The scales are
then easily detached; in fact, when the seeds
are ripe, the cone falls to pieces. The winged
seed is about an inch and a half long, enclosed
in a hard thin shell.
The Chile Pine does not succeed in this country
unless it is given pure air, sunshine, abundant
moisture, and well-drained subsoil. It will grow
to a very handsome tree if these conditions are
observed.
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