Kirk. — On a revised Arrangement of N.Z. Species 0/ Dacrydium. 389 



fruiting branches 4-farioiis, imbricated, coriaceous, triangular, keeled, 

 obtuse. Male catkins slender, terminal solitary, anthers two, connective, 

 obtuse. Nuts solitary or in twos, striate, compressed, keeled, obtuse ; 

 involucral cup sometimes resinous. 



a. erecta. — Erect, main branches pyramidal or conical ; linear flat 

 leaves obscm'ely costate, fruiting brauchlets very slender ; male catkins 

 produced in profusion. 



/3. reclinata. — Prostrate or reclinate, linear leaves with evident costa ; 

 fruiting branches stouter. 



North Island : I have no certain knowledge of the occurrence of either 

 form in this island, although there is reason to believe that var. a. occurs 

 at Tongariro, and is probably not uncommon on the Kuahine and other 

 mountains. 



South Island : a. Nelson — Bidwill in Herb. Hook ! Eoto Iti 2,000 feet, 

 Square Town — T.K. ; Canterbury — Sinclair and Haast ; between Grey- 

 mouth and Okarita, Westland — T.K. ; Dusky Bay, Otago — Hector in Herb. 

 Hook ! [3. Dun Mountain, Nelson — Herb. Mus. Col. (but without col- 

 lector's name) ; flats by the Thomas Eiver, Upper Waimaldiiri, Bealey Gorge, 

 and Lake Misery, 2,000-3,000 feet— J. D. Enys and T. Kirk ; West Coast 

 of Otago — Hector. 



This species is distinguished from its allies by its dwarf stature and 

 sessUe linear leaves, which are attached by broad bases. It varies con- 

 siderably in habit and in the size of the quadrifarious leaves. 



In var. a, the Imear flat leaves, so far as my observations extend, are 

 never found on plants more than six inches high ; when dry, they are of a 

 pale brown colour ; those of var. /3. of a reddish-black. 



A number of remarkable specimens of var. /3. occur on flats by the 

 Thomas river, where they form hemispherical clumps 2-5 feet high and 

 10-20 feet in diameter ; there are also densely crowded rings of young 

 plants with open centres of similar diameter. In the oldest specimens the 

 trunk is found to branch at the surface of the ground, the main branches 

 being prostrate, from 5-10 feet in length and 5-6 inches in diameter, 

 rooting at their extremities. When the trunk is injured, or when it decays, 

 the branches gradually die away, leaving their rooted tips to form a ring 

 of young plants, but usually erect secondary branches are given off along 

 then' entire length, and a compact clum]D is formed. In this form the 

 linear leaves are seldom seen except on seedlings, rarely small branches 

 bearing leaves of the early type are given off from bare ^olaces in the main 

 arms. Plants of similar habit were observed in the Waimakariri, but not 

 nearly so weU developed, owing to the crowded vegetation by which they 

 were surrounded. The ordinary form of this variety has rechnate or 

 spreading branches. 



