Paraná Pine Tree

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 and planting this nut in the lands of Southern Brazil and aiding in the reproduction of 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.

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 and planting this nut in the lands of Southern Brazil and aiding in the reproduction of 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 southern Brazil. It is an evergreen tree that can grow 160 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 a head 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 predominant 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) without boiled or baked Pinhão. The Brazilian nick named this cooked nut the Barata (which in Portuguese means "Cockroach"). They gave it this name because when the nut is boiled, it is the size and has the color of a brown cockroach or "barata". It is a very nutritious 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