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Family : ARAUCARIACEAE
Scientific name : Wollemia nobilis
www.wollemipine.com/fast_facts.php
www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1371627.htm
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/hot_science_topics/wollemi_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wollemia
Referred to as the Dinasaur Tree,Wollemia nobilis is an extremely rare species restricted to one rainforest gorge in the Wollemi National park,northwest of Sydney,New South Wales.It was discovered in 1994 by David noble,a NSW National Parks and Wildlife officer,who took a specimen of the tree to Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens for investigation.Since 1994 NSW NPWS and the Royal Botanic Gardens staff have carried out reseach concerning its taxonomy,horticulture and ecology.
The plant has now been released for commercial sale.Excellent specimen trees are thriving in many private and Australian Botanic Gardens but Mt Tomah and Mt Anand Botanic Gardens have excellent populations in particular.
In its natural habitat fewer than a hundred trees are known to be growing wild, in three localities not far apart. It is very difficult to count them as most trees are multistemmed and may have a connected root system. Genetic testing has revealed that all the specimens are genetically indistinguishable, suggesting that the species has been through a genetic bottleneck in which its population became so low (possibly just one or two individuals) that all genetic variability was lost.
In November 2005, wild-growing trees were found to be infected with Phytophthora cinnamomi. New South Wales park rangers believe the virulent water mould was introduced by unauthorised visitors to the site,probably carried in on their shoes. The location of the plants is necessarily therefore not disclosed to the public.
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