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Scientific name: Araucaria muelleri (Carrière) Ad. Brongniart & Gris 1871
Synonyms: Eutacta muelleri Carrière, Eutacta muelleri var. microphylla Carrière, Eutassa latifolia de Laub., Eutassa muelleri (Carrière) de Laub.
Common names: Mueller's araucaria, Chandelier araucaria (English), Pin candélabre (Fench)
Tree to (10-)20-25(-30) m tall, with trunk to 0.3(-0.5) m in diameter. Bark light gray, peeling in flakes or horizontal strips and further roughened by branch scars. Crown flat-topped or broadly rounded to dome-shaped, with a few to many widely spaced tiers of four slender branches extending out to up to 4 m and turning up abruptly at the ends with spirally arranged tufts of very long, upright branchlets densely clothed with foliage. Branchlets up to 60 cm long, coarse, 3-5 cm in diameter, mostly hidden by the leaves, remaining green 2-3 years and then falling intact when shed. Juvenile leaves needlelike, sword-shaped, flat, standing out from the branchlets at a forward angle, 20-25 mm long, continuing to enlarge in succeeding years until their death. Adult leaves thick, leathery, scalelike, pointedly egg-shaped, conspicuously keeled, dark green to olive green, 30-35 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, densely overlapping. Stomates mostly at right angles to the long axis of the leaf, in widely spaced, regular but occasionally interrupted rows on both faces. Pollen cones 13-25 cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide, each pollen scale with 18-20 pollen sacs in two or three rows. Seed cones broadly egg-shaped, 11-15 cm long, 8-10 cm wide, dark green with yellow bract tips at maturity. Seed scales 3-3.5 cm long, 3-4 cm wide including the fragile, papery, often incomplete wings about as wide as the central, seed-bearing portion. Seeds narrowly almond-shaped, about 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. Cotyledons appearing above ground during germination.
The species name honors Ferdinand von Mueller (1825 - 1896) state botanist of Victoria, Australia, who did some work on New Caledonian plants, but not, in fact, on this species.
Southern tip of New Caledonia in the vicinity of the Plaine des Lacs. Forming sparse groves above thickets on serpentine; (150-)550-1,100 m.
Red List Category & Criteria: Endangered
Its restricted distribution and edaphic specificity mean that its current extent of occurrence is considerably less 1,000 km². The major subpopulations are severely fragmented and the area, extent and quality of habitat have declined and the decline is continuing. The principal threat is an increased risk of fire, even in protected areas such as Montagne de Sources. Several locations/subpopulations contain less than twenty trees and these are likely to disappear in the near future. Regeneration and reproduction are very limited.
The largest subpopulation in Montagne des Sources is estimated to consist of more than 2,000 trees. Most other subpopulations contain less than 200 trees. Although most subpopulations are within 50 km of each other, they are considered to be severely fragmented due to physical and ecological barriers that permit little opportunity for recolonization or genetic exchange.
Predominantly found in maquis shrubland on ultramafic soils, rarely emergent in rainforest. Growth and regeneration are very slow. In most parts of its range, including protected areas, it is susceptible to wildfires and an increase in their frequency.
The largest subpopulation in Montagne des Sources is within a protected area. Other smaller subpopulations on Mont Koghis and Pic du Pin are also within protected areas. Despite this these areas are susceptible to fires.
Copyright © Aljos Farjon, James E. Eckenwalder, IUCN, Conifers Garden. All rights reserved.
