152 Transactions.—Miscellaneous. 
4, Dacrydium " , 9 species. 
5. Phyllocladus  ,, 24 5 
Total number of species 13 
Of the above one in each of the three last genera is a mere shrub or 
small Alpine tree frequenting the mountain ranges of the interior, generally 
from an altitude of 3,000 feet upwards. They are therefore of no economic 
value. The first in the list is the famous kauri, monarch of New Zealand 
timbers. Unfortunately it is absent from Otago, therefore does not come 
within the scope of our inquiry. This reduces the number of the Conifere 
timber trees in the province to nine. I shall now consider them seriatim 
in the order established by Hooker, as above, which is also followed in 
Table I. hereto appended. 
No. 1. Cedar—Libocedrus bidwillii. This tree belongs to a small subdi- 
vision of the conifere family that has only three representatives out of New 
Zealand, all of which, like our native plants, frequent mountain ranges. 
These three are all found on the western side of the American continent, 
from British Columbia to the Straits of Magellan. The members of this 
genus were formerly classed as Thuja or Arbor vite ; but the present name, 
which means incense cedar, is now universally adopted. I do not know 
why they should be so named. The New Zealand varieties do not emit 
incense, and under any circumstance the name seems inapplicable, for the 
genus was not discovered until long after the practice of burning wood for 
incense had ceased. 
« The Handbook of New Zealand Flora” gives two species of cedar— 
Libocedrus doniana and Libocedrus bidwillii ; the former of which is stated as 
furnishing good and the latter worthless timber. In naming L. bidwillü 
Dr. Hooker says :—‘ I advance this species with much hesitation. It is 
difficult to suppose that a timber tree described as having excellent wood, 
and growing at the Bay of Islands at the level of the sea (I gathered L. 
doniana on the banks of the Kawa-kawa river) should be the same as one 
inhabiting the mountains of the Middle Island, and described by Buchanan 
as having soft worthless wood, but I can find very little difference between 
the specimens.” He further points out that they are botanically alike, and 
seems to depend to a.great extent on the difference of the timber in making 
them distinct species. I hope to prove that instead of being worthless this 
is one of the most valuable and durable timbers in Otago. It is therefore 
possible that the trees in the North and South Islands are identical. Mr. 
Buchanan refers to the Otago cedar as L. doniana, and mentions no other, 
but Mr. Kirk seems to recognise two distinct species, and calls the Otago 
one L. bidwillii. I shall therefore adhere to the latter name, but assume 
that the tree that I describe is the same as Buchanan’s L. doniana. 
