Agathis robusta (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Agathis robusta (Moore) Bailey

Protologue: Syn. Queensl. fl.: 498 (1883).

Synonyms

• Agathis palmerstonii (F. v. Mueller) Bailey (1891).

Vernacular names

• Smooth-barked kauri (En).

Distribution

New Britain, south-eastern Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia.

Uses

The wood is used as kauri. Trees are tapped for resin which is also dug up at the base of the tree.

Observations

• A large tree of up to 48 m tall; adult leaves ovate, 5-9.5 cm × 1-2.6 cm, acute to rounded at the apex, tapering into a 3-10 mm long petiole.
• Mature pollen cones 4-8.5 cm × 0.7-0.9 cm, microsporophylls with a sharply angled apex with 3 lateral faces of c. 1 mm wide.
• Mature seed cones oval to elongated, 9-15 cm × 8-10 cm, seed bracts rounded obtriangular-ovate, with a large projection on one side and a smaller one near the base on the other.
• Seed with a prominent, acute projection on one upper corner and a wing on the other.

A. robusta is locally common in recently disturbed places and occurs on a variety of soils up to 900 m altitude. The density of the wood is about 475 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

105, 163, 359, 748, 773, 774, 776, 780.

Authors

• C.C.H. Jongkind (selection of species)

Main genus page

• Agathis