Common Name: Bunya Bunya
Scientific Name: Araucaria bidwillii
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the southern exit.
Nativity: The bunya bunya is a tree native to Australia. The tree often grows in small groves or single trees in the Bunya Mountains, Queenland, and other areas
Habitat: A. bidwillii grows best in moist and humid climates with an average rainfall of 100 cm. The tree grows in soil composed primarily of basaltic rock.
Special Notes: Every year, the bunya bunya tree sheds its massive cones that are between 25-30 cm in diameter! The weight of the cone is enough top break the branches as the cones fall to the earth. These cones are so heavy, they are capable of killing a man. The cones of the tree contain nuts which can be harvested and eaten. The nuts can also be ground up and made into a paste and made into a bread.
Resources: http://www.ozpolitic.com/gardening/trees/bunya.html#cooking-shelling
http://www.conifers.org/ar/Araucaria_bidwillii.php
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