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https://theconversation.com/southern-conifers-meet-this-vast-group-of-ancient-trees-with-mysteries-still-unsolved-182600>
"When you think of “conifers”, tall, conical shaped trees often found in public
parks or front yards may spring to mind. But these impressive trees are far
more fascinating than you may have realised, as they represent just one piece
of an unsolved botanical puzzle.
These popular garden trees are from the northern hemisphere. But we also have
conifers in the southern hemisphere, called “southern conifers”, found largely
in Australia, South America, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
A little detective work reveals that southern conifers evolved in Gondwana, and
long ago separated from coniferous relatives in the northern hemisphere.
They appeared around 200 million years ago, before the first flowering plants
evolved, sharing land with the dinosaurs. One example is the Wollemi pine,
which was famously saved in a secret firefighting operation during the
2019-2020 bushfires.
Unlike the introduced conifer garden trees, southern conifers are neither as
well-known nor as popular with Australians as they should be. So let me help
you get to know them a little better."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
