Araukariat – Araucaria

Branches are spreading, whorled. Old trees are often bare of branches, except at summit. Bark is hard, dark grey-brown, ridged horizontally, resinous. Leaves are spirally arranged or nearly 2-ranked, needlelike to broadly ovate or triangular, overlapping, varied in shape and size even on same tree. Cones are axillary or terminal on branchlets, up to 25 cm wide, large, woody, ovoid to globose. Male and female cones are usually on separate trees. Seeds joined with bracts and sometimes have 2 apparent lateral wings formed from bract.