Paraná Pine Tree
AKA: Candelabra Tree
Scientific Name: Araucaria angustifolia
Gralha- Azul
Gralha-Azul Cyanocorax caeruleus
The Gralha Azul bird is the State Bird for the Brazilian State of Paraná. This bird likes to bury its food, especially its favorite nut: the Paraná Pine Tree Nut (pineiro-do-paraná). For centuries this bird was eating an planting this nut in the lands of Southern Brazil and make the hugh forests of Paraná Pine Trees that once dominated the southern Brazil. Only 1% to 4% of its orginal habition still exists today due to deflorestation.
The Paraná Pine Tree is one of the most magestic trees in souther Brazil. It is an evergreen tree that can grow 100 feet tall (30 meters). As this tree grows, it drops off its lower branches and keeps its upper branches. This tree stands taller that the other trees in the region. Therefore it stands ahead and shoulder taller than its conterparts. When Columbus arrived in the new world, these trees occupied an area of 200,000 Km2 and was the prodomanant tree in the three southern states of Brazil: Paraná (80,000 Km2), Santa Catarina (62,000 Km2), and Rio Grande de Sul (62,000 Km2). Due to deflorestation, the Paraná Pine Tree now only occupies 1% (some sources say 2% others 4%) of its original habitation in Brazil.
This tree produces a nut called Pinhão (Barata). The Tupi Indians cooked and ate these nuts. Today, no one can have the Brazilian June Festivities (or parties) with boiled or baked Pinhão. The Brazilian nincked named this cook nut the Barata (which in Portugese means "Cockroach"). They gave it this name because when the nut is boiled, it is the size and has the color or a brown cockroach or "Barata". It is a very nutricious nut and was a good staple food for the Brazilian Indians of the region. These trees have been know to grow to 160 feet tall (50 meters) and 27 feet in circumfrance.
The Tupi Indians called this tree "Curi." The Tupi Indians called the area where Curitiba is located today "Curi tiba" which means "The place of many 'Curi'." "Or the place of many Paraná Pine Trees"
Araucaria angustifolia
Sources: http://www.jardimdeflores.com.br/floresefolhas/A20pinhao.htm
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_angustifolia
http://www.ipef.br/identificacao/araucaria.angustifolia.asp
http://www.maternatura.org.br/servicos/index_apm.htm