Araucaria

/ˌɑːraʊˈkɛəriə/ noun

Definition

A tall evergreen tree native to South America and Australia, with distinctive branches that look almost like a candelabra or geometric puzzle.

Etymology

Named by Linnaeus after the Araucania region of Chile, where the trees were native and well-known to indigenous and Spanish populations. The scientific name honors the geographic origin of these remarkable conifers.

Kelly Says

Araucaria trees are living fossils—their lineage goes back 200 million years to when dinosaurs roamed Earth, and they're so geometrically perfect that some people keep them as living houseplants!

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