Agathis moorei

(Lindl.) Mast. 1892

Common names

Moore kauri (Silba 1986).

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: Dammara moorei Lindl. 1851, Dammara lanceolata Viell. 1862 (Farjon 1998). Curiously, due to a mix-up of the type specimens, this tree with lanceolate leaves was named Agathis moorei whilst a tree collected by Moore was named Agathis lanceolata (pers. comm. Graeme Platt, 2003.03.12). Farjon (2010) places A. corbassonii into synonymy with A. moorei; see the A. corbassonii page for discussion of morphological and molecular evidence to the contrary.

Description

Tree 15-30 m tall, normally with a clear bole to the base of the rounded, spreading crown. Bark whitish, exfoliating in fine scales; inner bark tan or reddish. Branches fine, pendent at the tips. Leaves lanceolate to elliptic, attenuate, dark green above, pale below, 5-7 × 0.8-1.2 cm, nearly sessile. Juvenile leaves lanceolate, opposite, 20 × 3.3 cm, on a short, wide petiole. Buds short and round with a few large scales. Cones globular or pyriform, 10-15 × 9-12 cm; cone scales broadly rounded. Pollen cones cylindrical, 2.5-3 × 0.8-0.9 cm, on an 8-12 mm peduncle; scales imbricate, erose and finely denticulate. Seeds narrow, with one oblique wing and one small, acute wing (Silba 1986). See García Esteban et al. (2004) for a detailed characterization of the wood anatomy.

Distribution and Ecology

New Caledonia: Pembe to Thio and Dumbea to Prony at elevations of 200-1000 m (Silba 1986).

This maps shows all native species Agathis in New Caledonia, keyed by color; A. moorei (including A. corbassonii is green). Click on an icon for further information. Distribution data from GBIF (2020.03.30), edited to remove duplicates.

The IUCN reports that this species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild due to a limited and severely fragmented distribution that is undergoing continuing decline in extent of habitat, number of subpopulations, and number of mature individuals. The entire species is now thought to contain fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2023.02.22.

Ethnobotany

Adam Black (Facebook post 2014.12.19) reports it is a widely cultivated ornamental in New Caledonia.

Observations

No data as of 2023.02.22.

Remarks

Named by Lindley (1851) for its discoverer, Australian botanist Charles Moore, who collected it in 1850. He described it as "A native of New Caledonia. In habit and appearance very unlike any other Dammar; by far the most elegant of the genus, and of much smaller size; seldom above 40 feet high. It has an erect compact growth, yet withal is graceful. In a range of country of some miles in extent, where it grows sparingly, not a cone could be found; but from information derived from an English settler, it produces a smaller rigid cone than Dammara Australis."

Citations

Lindley, P. 1851. Notices of certain Ornamental Plants lately introduced into England. Journal of the Horticultural Society of London 6:258-300 (p. 271). Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2020.02.24.

Masters, M. T. 1892. List of conifers and taxads in cultivation in the open air in Great Britain and Ireland. Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, London. V. 14, Report of the Conifer Conference, pp. 179-256. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2020.02.24.

See also

Association Endemia, a site devoted to New Caledonian species. Has excellent photos, a range map, and other information. In French.

The species account at Threatened Conifers of the World.

de Laubenfels 1972.