Botanical Family · Pinales

Araucariaceae

Christmas Tree Family

5 speciesOrder Pinales5+ well-known plants

The Araucariaceae family (Christmas Tree Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Pinales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 5 species across 2 genera. Its members are predominantly trees. Well-represented genera include Araucaria and Agathis. Familiar examples include Queensland Kauri, Bunya-Bunya and Christmas Tree.

Browse all 5 species ↓

Representative specimen · Araucariaceae

Key pattern

Tall evergreen conifers with stiff, often broad or overlapping scale-like leaves arranged in a distinctive symmetrical, tiered branching pattern; reproduction is by large woody cones rather than flowers, with male and female cones usually on the same tree.

The rigid, geometric, tiered branch whorls are so symmetrical that the family's best-known member is simply called the 'Christmas tree'; some living species trace back largely unchanged to the age of dinosaurs.

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Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Araucariaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method

Typical flower & fruit

Flower symmetryVariable
InflorescenceVariable
FruitNut

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

Queensland Kauri, Dammar PineAgathis robustaBunya-BunyaAraucaria bidwilliiChristmas TreeAraucaria columnarisHoop Pine, Colonial Pine, Coorong, Moreton By PineAraucaria cunninghamiiNorfolk Island Pine, New Caledonia PineAraucaria excelsa

Families that can look similar

Cupressaceae

Compare against Cupressaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Cupressaceae

Pinaceae

Compare against Pinaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Pinaceae

Podocarpaceae

Compare against Podocarpaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Podocarpaceae

Taxodiaceae

Compare against Taxodiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Taxodiaceae

All 5 species in ARAUCARIACEAE

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