150 PODOCARPUS MACROPHYLLUS. 



colony ; the wood is white, firm, strong, straight in grain and of fairly 

 even texture but not durable when in contact with the ground ; it is 

 extensively used in house-building, framing and weather-boarding, and 

 it is especially suitable for conversion into pulp for the manufacture 

 of paper. 



The late Mr. Kirk described a virgin forest of Kahikatea trees as one 

 of the most striking sights in New Zealand scenery. " Straight un- 

 branched trunks rise one after the other in endless series and in such 

 close proximity that at a short distance no trace of foliage is visible 

 except overhead or in the immediate vicinity of the observer; the naked 

 symmetrical shafts tapering almost imperceptibly, appear to form dense 

 walls which completely shut out every glimpse of the outer world. "- 

 Forest Flora of New Zealand,. 



Podocarpus ferruginous. 



A tall round-topped tree 50 80 feet high with a trunk 1 3 feet 

 in diameter covered with dark greyish bark deeply furrowed or cast 

 off in large flat flakes. Leaves distichous, narrowly linear, acute, 0*5 

 0'75 inch long, with thickened midrib and often falcately curved. 

 Inflorescence dioecious; staminate flowers solitary, axillary, sessile, as long 

 as the leaves; ovuliferous flowers axillary, consisting of a single ovule 

 borne on a short stalk clothed with minute scale-like leaves. Fruit 

 about 0'75 inch long with a bright red pericarp covered with a glaucous 

 bloom and enclosing a hard nut containing a single seed.* Kirk, Forext 

 Flora of New Zealand, 163, t. 84. 



Podocarpus ferruginous, Don in Lambert's Genus Pinus, ed. II. Vol. II. App. 

 (1832). Hooker, W. Icon. PI. 542 (1843). Endlicher, Synops. Conif. 220. Hooker 

 til, Handb. N. Zeal. Fl. 253. Carriere, Traite Conif. ed. II. 674. Parlatore, 

 D. C. Prodr. XVI. 519. Gordon, Pinet. ed. II. 352. 



N. Zeal, vernacular, The Miro. 



" Podocarpus ferrugineus is generally distributed throughout New 

 Zealand but is less plentiful in the North than in the South Island. 

 It occurs in great abundance in the southern part of the South Island 

 and forms a large proportion of the forest on Stewart Island." Miro 

 timber exceeds that of all other New Zealand Taxads in strength ; it 

 is straight and even in grain, hard and elastic, but not durable in 

 contact with the ground. 



Podocarpus macrophyllus. 



A low or medium-sized tree 25 40 feet high with a straight 

 erect trunk covered with ash-brown bark and with a diffuse or spreading 

 crown. Branches crowded and much ramified ; branchlets (of plants in 

 British gardens) stoutish, short, close-set and angulate. Leaves scattered 

 or sub-spirally arranged around their axis, shortly petiolate, narrowly 

 lanceolate, sub-acuminate, 2 -5 5 inches long, straight or slightly 

 falcately curved, dark green with a narrow keel along the midrib above, 



It is probable that this species may be hereafter referred to Prtinniopitys if that genus 

 should be retained. 



