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2. Hoop Pine
Araucaria cunninghamii (花旗杉) This handsome tree belongs to the gymnosperms, a group of seed plants which have “naked seeds” and at one time, some 250 million years ago, they dominated the floras of the world. Known as Hoop pine in English, it is great to have such a precious representative of these ancient seed plants right here on the grounds of our USRC. Hoop pine displays small, spirally arranged, firm to touch, incurved, stalkless leaves armed with a sharp point. Strong seasonal monsoons stop Hoop pines in Hong Kong from reaching for the sky to touch 45m in height but the trunk still manages to display the hoop-like circular bands which give the inspiration for the name "Hoop pine". |
Fauna you may find here:
