984 Transactions.—Botany. 
rare, and when produced are merely the linear leaves diminished in size. In 
some specimens of D. kirkii there is reason to believe that this transition is 
not effected until the tree is thirty or forty years old. In D. bidwillii this 
change is effected by the end of the second or third year at most, although 
occasionally branches exhibiting the early form of leaf are produced on the 
trunk and primary limbs of old specimens. D. colensoi requires an inter- 
mediate period, and on old specimens of its most robust mountain form the 
early leaf state is rarely seen. The members of this group exhibit a strong 
tendency to produce aggregated fruit which attains its maximum in D. 
kirkii. 
The species vary greatly in habit and dimensions. D. laxifolium is 
perhaps the most diminutive pine known ; pigmy specimens may be covered 
by a crown-piece. D. bidwillii is a dwarf, often prostrate, shrub. D. cupres- 
sinum is commonly 80 feet high or more, with a trunk 9-4 feet in diameter, 
and weeping branches. D. colensoi is a small tree with short trunk and 
heavy round head. D. kirkii is a noble species, 60-80 feet high, with 
conical head and peculiar aspect from the lower spreading branches having 
leaves resembling those of a Picea, while the upper fastigiate branches have 
abbreviated cypress-like foliage. 
Several species are of great importance from their economic value. D. 
cupressinum, the rimu or red pine, yields the greatest portion of the 
marketable timber produced in the South Island. It is of great value for 
all inside work, and is largely used for building purposes, but, although of 
great strength, is not durable when exposed. It is largely used in the 
manufacture of furniture. D. westlandicum, the Westland or white silver 
pine, is of great durability, probably owing to the large quantity of oily and 
resinous matter which it contains. It is exported from Westland to a 
considerable extent, and fetches a higher priee in the Westland markets 
than any other timber except kauri. D. intermedium, the yellow silver pine, 
is considered still more durable, and is highly valued on the west coast of 
the South Island. D. colensoi, the yellow pine or tar-wood of the Otago 
settlers, is another species of great durability, although of rather small 
dimensions. D. kirkii, the manoao of the North Island, affords perhaps the 
most durable timber of all: small trunks the thickness of a man’s arm, 
used as palisades in a Maori pa known to have been constructed ninety 
years ago, are said to be still perfectly sound and good. This species was 
sufficiently plentiful on the Great Barrier Island to admit of its conversion 
a few years ago, and the timber was placed in the Auckland market under 
the name of Barrier pine ; but, owing to the removal of the machinery, the 
supply has ceased, j 
