Economic importance of Araucaria angustifolia

Family: Araucariaceae
Genus: Araucaria
Species: A. angustifolia
Origin: Brazil
Common name:  Candelabra tree

Description: It is an evergreen tree .The leaves are thick, tough and scale like, triangular, and with razor-sharp edges and tip. They persist for 10-15 years, so cover most of the tree except for the trunk and older branches. It is usually dioecious, with the male and female cones on separate trees. The male (pollen) cones are oblong. The female (seed) cones, are globose, and hold about 100-150 seeds. The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the nut-like seeds.

Economic Importance:

• The wood is easy to saw and season. In Australia, the wood is used for indoor finishings of houses, furniture, general house fittings, kitchen table, for carving and box wood.
• It is planted mainly for its ornamental appearance. The tree looks majestic and beautiful and is frequently planted in gardens and homes for aesthetic value.
• The seeds are consumed as food in come parts of the world.
• The flower buds have medicinal value.