The Araucaria cunninghamii, or Hoop Pine, a tall Australian conifer with distinctive peeling bark and leaves that change from needle-like to scale-like as the tree matures

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The Araucaria cunninghamii, also known as the hoop pine or Moreton Bay pine, is a majestic conifer native to eastern Australia. It's a tall, evergreen tree that can reach heights of up to 60 meters (200 feet) and live for centuries.

One of the most striking features of the hoop pine is its distinctive bark. It peels off in thin, horizontal layers, resembling hoops, hence the common name. The tree's crown is typically conical in shape, with whorls of horizontal branches that give it a somewhat symmetrical appearance.

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The leaves of the hoop pine vary depending on the age of the tree. Young trees have needle-like leaves that are sharp and spirally arranged. As the tree matures, these juvenile leaves are replaced by smaller, scale-like leaves that are closely packed on the branches. These adult leaves are typically green to blue-green in color and have a slightly overlapping arrangement.

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The hoop pine is a dioecious species, meaning that male and female cones are found on separate trees. The cones are large and woody, and the seeds are edible. The hoop pine is an important timber tree and is also cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

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