The Hindu : International : Jurassic trees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

International

International

Jurassic trees

The Wollemi Pine from 200 million years ago

SYDNEY: Australia could earn millions of dollars if it exports a rare Jurassic-era pine tree rediscovered in the country 11 years ago, a Minister said on Tuesday.

A national parks official came across less than 100 Wollemi Pines, long believed to be extinct, in 1994 at the Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains.

The Wollemi Pine is believed to date back 200 million years, and the oldest known fossils of the species are 90 million years old. An Australian company has been given permission to reproduce the tree for commercial sale.

A limited batch of about 300 trees is scheduled for auction in October. Wollemi Pines International, which is jointly operated by the Queensland State Department of Primary Industries and a private nursery, said the five-year-old trees will measure up to 3 metres.

Proceeds for conservation

Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Wollemi Pine conservation efforts. The company expects to make the trees available for general sale in Australia and around the world in April 2006.

Queensland State Primary Industry Minister Henry Palaszczuk said on Tuesday that the project was expected to generate millions of dollars in export earnings and would help with the conservation of the pines. "We can be justifiably proud of Queensland's pivotal role in the exceptional technological effort that has pulled the Wollemi Pine back from the brink of extinction," he told a parliamentary estimates committee.

A conifer related to the monkey puzzle tree, the Wollemi Pine has dense blue-green foliage, grows up to 40 m tall and has a distinctive bubbly bark. — AP

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