148 PODOCAKPUS CHILINUS. 



comparison ; it is thence probable that many of these imperfectly 

 known forms may hereafter be reduced to varieties or even to 

 synonyms of the authentic types. 



The Podocarps occupy but a subordinate place in the British 

 Pinetum. Of the introduced species, not more than four or five 

 can be cultivated in the open ground in any part of Great Britain, 

 but the number might be increased by the addition of two shrubby 

 alpine species (P. nivalis and P. acutifolius) that inhabit the 

 mountains of the South Island of New Zealand. The hardy species 

 are described in the following pages with the addition of three 

 others that are highly valued for their timber in their native 

 country. 



The generic name Podocarpus is derived from TTOUC, TTO&OC (a foot) 

 and Kap-TTog (fruit), in reference to the swollen peduncle of the fruit. 



Podocarpus alpinus. 



A prostrate straggling bush, but sometimes arborescent, attaining a 

 height of 12 15 feet. Branches spreading, often much elongated; 

 branchlets slender, opposite or in pseudo-whorls, with pale green bark 

 furrowed longitudinally. Leaves inserted all round the stem or 

 obscurely two-ranked, often recurved, linear or linear-oblong, obtuse, 

 O25 0*5 inch long, tapering to a very short petiole, dark green 

 above, glaucous beneath with thickened margins and midrib. " Staminate 

 flowers cylindric, scarcely so long as the leaves, sessile, solitary or 

 fascicled. Fruit small, elliptic, seated on or towards the apex of one 

 fork of a bifid, fleshy, scarlet, sub-cylindric peduncle which is larger 

 than the fruit, and consists of several fleshy bracts adnate to the 

 swollen peduncle."* 



Podocarpus alpinus, R. Brown ex Mirbel in Mem. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. XIII. 75 

 (1825). Hooker nl in Lond. Joiirn. Bot. IV. 151 ; and Fl. Tasm. I. 356. Endlicher, 

 Synops. Conif. 214. Parlatore, D. C. Prodr. XVI. 520. Gordon, Pinet. ed. II. 

 351. Beissner, Nadelholzk. 194. Masters in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. XIV. 242. 



P. Totara alpina, Carriere, Traite Conif. ed. II. 652. 



Podocarpus alpinus inhabits the mountains of Victoria and Tasmania 

 at 3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation ; in the first-named colony it occurs 

 on Mounts Buller and Hotham, in the latter on Mounts Wellington 

 and Marlborough. It has long been in cultivation in British 

 gardens, and has proved to be one of the hardiest of the genus. 

 The date of introduction does not appear to have been recorded. 



Podocarpus chilinus. 



A much-branched tree 40 50 feet high. Branches scattered, close- 

 set, spreading and much ramified. In Great Britain, usually a low 

 dense shrub rarely a medium-size tree. Branchlets with smooth brown 

 bark, opposite or in pseudo-whorls of three five, but sometimes 



* Flora of Tasmania, loc. cit. 



