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Claim to fame: | One of the world's oldest and rarest trees
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Scientific name: | Wollemia nobilis
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Family: | Araucariaceae
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Relatives: | Agathis australis, Araucaria heterophylla,
Araucaria hunsteinii,Araucaria bidwillii, Araucaria araucana
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When discovered: | 1994
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Where discovered: | 200km west of Sydney in a rainforest gorge within the 500,000 hectare Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains
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Discovered by: | David Noble, a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Officer and avid bushwalker
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Age: | The Wollemi Pine belongs to the 200 million year old Araucariaceae family
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Oldest known fossil: | 90 million years
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Wild population: | Less than 100 mature trees
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Characteristics: | Conifer with attractive, unusual dark green foliage, bubbly bark and sprouts multiple trunks
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Growth habit: | Fast growing in light, favours acid soils, and temperatures from - 5 to 45°C (23 to 113°F). Trials in the USA and Japan have indicated that it will survive temperatures as cold as -12°C (5 °F).
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Size: | The largest wild Wollemi Pine in the rainforest gorge is 40m tall with a main trunk of 1.2m wide
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Release date: | 2006
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Conservation: | Royalties from sales of the Wollemi Pine to support conservation of the Wollemi Pine and other rare and endangered plant species
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Best use: | Unique gift for special occasions (birthday, wedding, christening), a stunning patio and indoor plant (in well lit positions) and feature tree for parks and large gardens
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