Araucaria hunsteinii (Klinki, Klinkii or "Klinky", native names Rassu and Pai) is a species of Araucaria native to the mountains of Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description

It is a very large evergreen tree (the tallest in New Guinea, and the tallest species in its family), growing to 50–80 m tall, exceptionally to 90 m, with a trunk up to 3 m diameter. The branches are horizontal, produced in whorls of five or six. The leaves are spirally arranged, scale-like or awl-like, 6–12 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad at the base, with a sharp tip; leaves on young trees are shorter (under 9 cm) and narrower (under 1.5 cm). It is usually monoecious with male and female cones on the same tree; the pollen cones are long and slender, up to 20 cm long and 1 cm broad; the seed cones are oval, up to 25 cm long and 14–16 cm broad. The seed cones disintegrate at maturity to release the numerous 3–4 cm long nut-like seeds.

Cultivation and uses

It is a fast-growing tree, and is being tested as a potentially important timber crop in tropical highland climates.

Pests

Barinae spp., Setomorpha rutella, Microlepidopteras, Cacatua galerita (the Sulphur-crested cockatoo) are pests of pine nut production in A. hunsteinii. C. galerita may cause half of the seed crop to be lost in a year, mostly by trying to eat cones that are not yet ready. Another source describes A. hunsteinii as suffering few pests in plantations and therefore substituting A. cunninghamii in plantations with more pests.