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September 1, 2007 : Araucaria araucana
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Keywords: Araucariaceae | Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch | cultivated in Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen, Scotland
Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel
Today's image is a scan from the John Davidson lantern slide archives here at UBC Botanical Garden. This photograph was likely taken in the 1900s or 1910s before Davidson immigrated to Canada, as the locale of the image is Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen, Scotland (Aberdeen was Davidson's home prior to Canada).
Monkey-puzzle trees are classified as vulnerable (VU B1+2c) by the IUCN Red List. Native to Chile and Argentina, logging (including illegal logging in national parks) is contributing to the decline of these intriguing trees in the wild.
Read more about Araucaria araucana via the exceptional Gymnosperm Database (including the ethnobotanical aspect) and the Enciclopedia de la Flora Chilena.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at September 1, 2007 12:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Carol at September 1, 2007 7:34 AM
The only time I've ever heard of this, the "monkey puzzle tree," prior to this email, was in the film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir starring, if memory serves, Rex Harrison and (possibly) Gene Tierney. The Mrs. Muir character angers the sea captain by cutting down his monkey puzzle tree.
Posted by: chuck o'brien at September 1, 2007 10:55 AM
Very intersting photograph. I am interested in how it was coloured. Even in the 1960 in Photography school I was learning how to hand colour photographs. It is such an interesting tree and not one I have seen before. Thanks for all the education I get each day.
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at September 1, 2007 4:52 PM
The cones on this species are quite fascinating, too!
Posted by: Eric in SF at September 2, 2007 7:00 PM
Dear Sir ,
This is very interesting and mind cooling photo. It is recommendable to show more pictures like this in this scenario in the future also.
Abbas - Dubai
Posted by: Abbas Oolikkara at September 4, 2007 2:11 AM
Margaret-Rae - the size of the original lantern slide is about 10cm x 8cm (perhaps a bit smaller). The black-and-white film reproduction was mounted on to glass, and then it was (labouriously) tinted with coloured ink (one can still purchase these paint sets, I'm told).
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at September 4, 2007 8:11 AM
Thank you Daniel, I have worked with glass plates before. You are right in is very labourious. Every once in a while I will get glass slides from Master Gardeners who find them in older homes they purchase. I have been a Master Gardener for 18yrs. Photography was my profession for many years.
Thank you again, Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at September 7, 2007 4:35 PM
Most incredable tree in the world...and such a beautiful specimen too.....Thank you for you efforts to show them to the world.
Posted by: Ken Rosengrangt at June 25, 2008 7:44 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
My first contact with Monkey Puzzle trees was when I visited the west coast and found them growing in Oregon as ornamentals. I was intrigued with their bizarre forms.
Carol