16. Chilean Araucaria or Monkey Puzzle

Its sharp leaves, pointing towards the end of the branch, have earned it the nickname of Monkey's Despair. Monkeys can easily climb it, but once at the top, they get stuck and can't climb back down because of the spikes.
The fruit, about the size of a coconut, contains seeds that are eaten as a dessert in Latin America. At the end of the 18th century, the traveller Menzies, invited to the table of the Spanish governor of Chile, was intrigued by the roasted seeds served as dessert. He was offered seeds (unroasted) to plant in England. This tree is the only species of the Araucaria genus (of which there are around fifteen) to acclimatise to the European climate.