Kirk. — On the New Zealand Species of Pliyllocladus. 381 



on short peduncles whicli occupy their place and are confined to the lower 

 part of the rachis. The nuts are arranged in slightly interrupted sphals. 

 The young leaves disappear ahout the second or thu'd year. The mature 

 plant hears some resemhlauce to the ginko, SaUsburia adiantifoUa. 



Phyllocla du s triclio m ano ides . 



Don in Lamb. Pin., ed. 2, App.; Eich., Con., p. 129, t. 3 ; A. Cunn., Prodr. ; Hook., 

 Ic. Plant., t. 549, 550, 551; Endl., Conif., p. 225 ; Hook, fil., Fl. N.Z., I., 235— 

 Handbook, p. 952 ; Carr., Conif., p. 449 ; Gord., Pin., p. 142 ; Pari, in DC. 

 Prodromus, XVI., pt. H., p. 498. 



P. rhomioidaUs, A. Each., Fl. Nov. Zel., p. 363. (not of C. L. Eich.) 



A monoecious tree 60 feet high or more, trunk 2-3 feet in diameter, 

 branches whorled, branchlets slender ; young leaves linear, crowded, scale 

 leaves acuminate, rachides 1-3 in. long, whorled, cladodia distichous, coria- 

 ceous, lohed or toothed, lobes truncate, erose. Fl. : male — amenta in 

 terminal fasciculi of from 5 to 10, shortly pedicelled, scales acuminate ; 

 female — amenta solitary on the margin of cladodia, which are often reduced 

 to mere peduncles, one-flowered, cup fleshy, nut much compressed. 



Hab. North Island. Frequent in forests from the North Cape to Lake 

 Taupo ; less frequent southwards. 



South Island : Mr. Travers informs me that this species occurs in the 

 Maitai A'^alley, Nelson, where it attains the height of forty feet. I have not 

 seen South Island specimens. 



This species ranges from the sea-level to 2,500 feet. 



It is the tanekaha of the northern natives, and, according to Colenso, 

 the toa-toa of the natives south of the Thames. 



It is easily distinguished by its slender twiggy branches and single seeded 

 fruit. It is the loftiest of all the celery pines, in some cases attaining the 

 height of seventy feet, and affording a timber of great strength and durability, 

 capable of being worked with the greatest ease. The bark is valued for 

 tanning and yields a black dye which has long been utilized by the natives. 



The young leaves disappear the second year, and their transition to 

 cladodia is somewhat abrupt ; from the axils of the uppermost leaves pinnate 

 or pinnatifid leaf-like organs are produced, the first two or three being about 

 an inch in length with the lateral segments deeply laciniate or pinnatifid, 

 but immediately above these others of larger dimensions are quickly pro- 

 duced, three to four inches in length, with the lateral segments acute and 

 deeply laciniated, membranous, and glaucous beneath. These gradually 

 pass into cladodia, which do not become coriaceous until the plant developes 

 its second or third whorl of branches. 



In an account of the building timbers of Otago,* Mr. Blair states that 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., IX., p. 163. 



