* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Wollemi pine

Blobrana · L

What is believed to be the world's most northerly grove of a Jurassic tree has so far survived freezing temperatures.
Wollemi Pine - thought to have died out two million years ago before being discovered in Australia - were planted at Inverewe Garden last June.
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Blobrana · L

After eons trapped in a gorge west of Sydney, Australia's "dinosaur tree", the Wollemi pine, has reached the heavens.
Twenty-three seeds from the tree, thought extinct for 150 million years until its 1994 rediscovery in the Wollemi National Park, are now circling Earth aboard the International Space Station.

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Blobrana · L

A rare prehistoric plant once thought to be extinct has been given a new home after being presented to Wiltshire College Lackham.
The Wollemi Pine was given to the college by Mark Taylor from Cornwall and presented to head gardener Brin Thornton and head of horticulture Carl Gill.

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Blobrana · L

A new colony of Wollemi pine trees are being planted today in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, close to where the 200-million-year-old plant was originally discovered.

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Blobrana · L

Gianrobert Wootton wanted an unusual Valentine's Day gift for his wife. Tim Urekew wanted a houseplant he couldn't kill.
Then they learned about a rare plant at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden that would fit both bills - a Wollemi pine tree.

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Blobrana · L

Wollemia nobilis

Blobrana · L

RE: Wollemi pine

Blobrana · L

Blobrana · L

The Wollemi pine, (Wollemia nobilis), dating from the Jurassic period 200 million years ago and often described as a living fossil, was thought to be extinct until 1994 when a park ranger stumbled upon a stand of fewer than 100 trees in a remote gorge in Wollemi National Park, 200 kilometres west of Sydney.

The grove's location has since been kept secret and those authorised to visit it undergo strict infection control procedures.
But the stand has now been infected by the fungus-like disease Phytophthora cinnamomi, which was detected in two trees in November.
According to John Dengate, a spokesman for the New South Wales environment department, the infection was almost certainly introduced by an unauthorised visitor.

"It is an endangering factor. Nobody can be sure at this stage how big a threat it poses, but we're treating it very, very seriously" - John Dengate

The environment department had begun treatment on the infected trees and was hopeful that the disease could be cured.
Despite the threat, the species is not at risk of extinction because thousands of the trees have been grown in plantations from the wild stand and some went on sale to the public in October.

Dengate exonerated anyone officially involved with the wild trees.

"We've been scrupulous with our staff to make sure they don't carry anything in. We understand that people are really keen to see the trees in their natural environment, but there are only a few dozen left and they are extremely vulnerable to infections so we're asking people to stay away"- John Dengate.