Plate 190. PHYLTiOOLADUS TRICHOMANOIDES. 



(THE TANEKAHA.) 



Family TAXACE^.J [Genus PHYLLOCLADUS, L. C. Rich. 



Phyllocladus trichomanoides, D. Don in Lamb. Pin. cd. ii, App. ; Hook. j. Fl. Nor. Zel. i, 235 ; 

 Cheescin. Man. A'.Z. Fl. 058. 



The tanckaha, as it is usually called by Maoris and Europeans alike, is a 

 familiar tree to the residents of North New Zealand, and from its singularly 

 graceful shape and attractive appearance should be more connnonly seen in 

 cultivation than is the case at the present time. Its first discovery has been 

 attributed to Banks and Solander, but, I believe, erroneously, for it is neither 

 mentioned in Solander's manuscript Flora, nor are specimens contained in 

 the set of Banksian plants presented to the Dominion by the Trustees of 

 the British Museum. It was, however, collected by Allan Cunningham in 

 1826, by D'Urville in 1827, and by Dr. G. Bennett in 1829. From specimens 

 and information supplied by the latter a notice of the plant was contributed 

 by D. Don to the second edition of Lambert's " Pinetum " (xVppendix), but 

 the first diagnosis under its present name was that given by Allan Cunning- 

 ham in his " Precursor," published in 1838. In 1843 it was excellently figured 

 by Sir W. J. Hooker in the " Icones Plantarum " (tt. 549-551). 



The geographical range of P. trichomanoides is limited to the North 

 Island and tTie extreme north of the South Island. From the North Cape 

 southwards to the Upper Waikato it is tolerably frequent in all forest dis- 

 tricts. Further south it is often rare and local, although it extends to the 

 East Cape and Hawke's Bay on the eastern side of the Island, and to Tara- 

 naki and the Tararua Mountains on the western. In the South Island I 

 have gathered it in the Maitai Valley, near Nelson; Mr. Macmahon has sent 

 me specimens collected in the Rai Valley ; and many years ago Mr. Kirk 

 collected it in some locality near Picton. On the western side of the Island 

 it has been gathered at West Wanganui by Mr. R. J. Kingsley. It has also 

 been reported from the vicinity of Westport, but T have not seen specimens, 

 and it is not mentioned in Mr. Townson's catalogue of the Westport flora. 



The tanekaha attains a height of from 60 ft. to 80 ft. The stem is from 

 2 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter, and is usually bare for 30 ft. or 40 ft., above which is 

 a regular pyramidal crown of spreading branches. The bark is thick and 

 smooth, and of a dark-brown colour. The timber is yellowish- white, firm, 

 hard and compact, and of much closer grain than the kauri, and of greater 

 specific gravity. It is durable, tough and strong, works up well, and takes 

 a good finish. It is suitable for outdoor work of any kind, and has been 

 used for posts and rails, sleepers, the floors of verandas, and the decking of 

 small vessels, the piles of wharves, and to a small extent for building pur- 

 poses. The bark, which contains from 20 to 25 per cent, of tannin, is of 

 great value to the tanner, and at one time considerable quantities were 

 exported. It also yields a red dye, formerly often used by the Maoris for 

 dyeing their cloaks, &c. According to Dr. G. Bennett, " the bark is pounded 

 and then placed in a vessel of cold water, into which hot stones are thrown 

 till the water boils. After the bark has been boiled for some hours, the 

 decoction becomes of a dark-red colour; it is then left to cool, when it is 

 strained and readv for use." 



