Plate 186.-PODOCAKPUS NIVALIS. 



(THE ALIMNE TOTAKA.) 



Family TAXACEJd].| [Genus PODOCAilPUS, L'HjiKiT. 



Podocarpus nivalis, Hook. Ic. PUiiU. U 582 ; (Jhceseni. Man. N.Z. Ft. 649. 



Podocarpus nivalis was one of tlie many interesting plants discovered by 

 Mr. J. C. Bidwill in 1839 on the slopes of Ngauruhoe, which he was the first 

 European to ascend. A single specimen given by him to Mr. Colenso was 

 communicated by that gentleman to Sir VV. J. Hooker; and from that slender 

 material the species was described and figured in the " Icones i'lantaruin," as 

 quoted above. In 1845 Mr. Colenso gathered the plant during his first 

 journey to the Ruahine Mountains, and two years later he also collected it at 

 the eastern base of Tongariro (" Visits to the Uuahine Range," pp. 21 and 39). 

 Since then it has been found to be a most abundant plant on the mountains 

 of both the North and South Islands, in many localities forming a considerable 

 proportion of the subalpine " scrub " at elevations of from 2,500 ft. to 5,500 ft. 

 Its northern limit is the little tract of open moorland which forms the very 

 summit of Moehau (Cape Colville), the altitude of which is a little over 

 3,000 ft.; but it does not appear again until Mount Hikurangi is reached, 

 in the East Cape district. From thence southwards it is found in all moun- 

 tain districts of sufficient altitude as far as the south-west of Otago, but 

 apparently it does not cross Foveaux Strait into Stewart Island. 



Podocarims nivalis varies much in size and habit. Occasionally, when 

 growing in sheltered situations, as, for instance, near the upper limits of the 

 beech forests of central and north-west Nelson, it takes the shape of an erect 

 shrub 2 ft. to 8 ft. high, with numerous close-set spreading branches; but usually 

 it forms a depressed much branched slirub from 6 m. to 2 ft. or 4 ft. in height, 

 with very numerous much interlaced prostrate and rigid branches spreading 

 outwards in all directions, the whole ))lant thus forming a dense springy mat 

 often many feet in diameter. The lower branches give off numerous roots 

 from their under-side, and are also provided with many suberect leafy branch- 

 lets. The leaves are small, \ in. to | in. long, erect or suberect, linear-oblong, 

 rounded at the tip but distinctly mucronate, very thick and coriaceous. The 

 flowers are dioecious, the females being solitary and axillary, the males usually 

 2 to 4 together at the top of a short axillary peduncle, but frequently solitary. 

 The fruit is a small oblong-ovoid nut seated on the top of a bright-red fleshy 

 peduncle. 



P. nivalis is allied to both P. totara and P. acutifolius, but is separated 

 from the first by the small size and different habit, obtuse leaves, and usually 

 clustered male flowers. Its stout spreading habit and thick and coriaceous 

 obtuse leaves at once distinguish it from P. acutifoliits. Its dimensions are 

 too small to allow its timber to be applied t'o any economic purpose; but, as 

 remarked by Mr. Kirk in his " Forest Flora," the plant is serviceable from its 

 spreading and rooting habit, which helps to bind the loose surface of steep 

 mountain-slopes. 



Pl.\te 186. Podocarpus iiiraUs, drawn from specimens collected on the Nelson Mountains, at an 

 altitude of 4.000 ft. Fig. 1. portion of branchlet, with leaves {x3): 2, male inflorescence, the usual 

 short type ( x 3) ; 3 and 4, front and back view of anthers ( x 7) ; 5, male inflorescence, long and slender 

 type (x3); 6, female flower, with leaf (x3); 7, female flower, with its peduncle or "receptacle" 

 of two swollen bracts ( x 8) ; 8. front view of ovule (x8); 9, longitudinal .section of ovule (x8); 

 10, nut, seated on the enlarged and succulent receptacle (x 2.5) ; 11, longitudinal section of nut (x 5) ; 

 12, embryo (x 10) 



