''Agathis macrophylla'' (also '' Agathis silbae'') known as Pacific kauri, is a coniferous tree native to the islands of the southwestern

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

in tropical humid lowlands and lower montane regions, notably in Fiji,

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

, the

Santa Cruz Islands The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the nation of Solomon Islands discovered by the Spaniards. They lie approximately 250 miles (400 km) to the southeast of the Solomon Islands ...

, and the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

. The Pacific kauri is one of the largest and fastest growing species in its genus, and is important in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

Description

It is a large

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

, reaching 40 m in height and 3 m in diameter. It possesses the mottled, shedding bark that is characteristic of other

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

species. Young trees are narrow and conic in shape, but begin to grow a wider, deeper

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...

after attaining a trunk diameter of 30–50 cm. In mature specimens, the trunk is generally straight or slightly tapered and clear for 15–20 m before branching into a spreading canopy up to 35 m in diameter. The

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...

system is deep and strong, and the trees are highly wind resistant. The leaves are green and glossy, elliptical to

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

, 7–15 cm long and 2–4 cm wide. They are borne on short petioles and held in a decussate pairs, but twisted so they lie in one plane. Leaves in the shade, of juvenile trees, and of individuals growing in wetter regions, tend to be larger. Male

cones A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

of ''A. macrophylla'' are elliptical and measure roughly 2–5 cm long at pollen shed. The short pollen cones help distinguish this species from related ''Agathis'' species. Female (seed) cones are globular, 8–13 cm across, and are borne on short

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

y stalks. The majority of the cone crop matures early to mid February, as the cones turn brown and release the winged seeds, which are small, flattened, and attached to a wing about 3.5 cm in length. Wind dispersal is very efficient; seeds have been known to travel tens of kilometres in the wind, and may even travel hundreds of kilometres during the

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...

s that occur frequently in the species' range.

Ecology

''A. macrophylla'' is one of the largest trees in its range, and occurs as a dominant emergent tree in closed, humid, lowland-montane tropical forests. Associated plant species vary from location to location, but include '' Cryptocarya turbinata'', '' Ilex vitiensis'', '' Garcinia vitiensis'', ''Palaquium'' spp., and ''

Podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...

'' spp. in Vanuatu, '' Calophyllum vitiense'', ''

Dacrydium nidulum ''Dacrydium nidulum'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found in Fiji, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent ...

'', '' Retrophyllum vitiense'', ''

Fagraea berteroana ''Fagraea berteroana'' ( orth. variant ''F. berteriana''), commonly known as the pua keni keni, pua kenikeni or perfume flower tree, is a small spreading tree or a large shrub which grows in the sub-tropics, where temperatures are 10 °C ...

'', and ''

'' spp. in Fiji. It is one of the fastest growing species in its genus, capable of growing 1-1.5 metres in height annually in lightly shaded to open areas, where growth is fastest. The species is fairly shade tolerant, especially in the seedling stage, though growth is slow under suppression. Strong root systems enable mature trees to withstand cyclones and seed rapidly into gaps. The species on the whole is long lived, capable of reaching ages of 300–1000 years.

Uses

''A. macrophylla'' is a valued commercial timber species, and its wood is much sought after for many uses. The wood is a cream to gold colour (mature

heartwood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

is a lustrous brown) and much appreciated in the timber industry, particularly as a surface veneer. The dry wood has a density of approximately 540 kg/m³. Pacific kauri is a valuable tree throughout the southeastern Pacific (Melanesia). The timber is frequently used for house construction,

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

carving, and

totem pole Totem poles ( hai, gyáaʼaang) are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually ...

construction. Smoke from the resin is used as a black dye for hair, clothes and tattoos, and the leaves are used in traditional medicine. Fijians value the resin itself (known as ''makadre'') to be used as pottery glaze and torch fuel.

References

Notes

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External links