258 
LXXV. C0NIFER2E. 
[Podocarpus. 
Northern Island: on the mountains, Tongariro, Bidicill ; Ruahiue range, Colenso. 
Middle Island: Southern Alps, alt. 2500-5000 ft., Sinclair and Haast ; forming much 
of the subalpine forest ; Wairau mountains, alt. 4-5000 ft., Travers. Perhaps an alpine form 
of P. Totara ; Otago, Hector and Buchanan. Very nearly allied to the Tasmanian P . alpina. 
3. P. Totara, A. Cunn. ; — FI. N. Z. i. 233. A lofty and spreading tree, 
60 ft. high ; trunk 2-4 ft. diam. ; bark rather flaking ; wood red, close-grained, 
very durable. Leaves distichous or not so, very coriaceous, erect, spread- 
ing or recurved, straight or falcate in. long, linear, acuminate,, pungent ; 
midrib indistinct, pale-green when dry. Male catkins short, stout, obtuse, 
solitary or 2 or 3 together, bracteate at the base ; connective toothed. Drupes 
solitary or 2, on a swollen peduncle as big as a cherry. — Hook. Lond. Journ. 
Bot. l 572. t. 19. 
Throughout the Northern and Middle Islands: Menzies, etc. Wood the most valu- 
able in the islands. Drupe eaten. Bark used for roofing. 
4. P. spicata, Br. ; — FI. N. Z. i. 232. A large tree, 80 ft. high; bark 
bluish-black, almost smooth ; wood white, soft, close, and durable. Leaves 
more or less distichous, -j— | in. long, linear, straight or falcate, obtuse or api- 
culate, glaucous below. Male catkins numerous, spiked, horizontal. Drupes 
often spiked, very numerous, globular, in. diam. — Hook. Ic. PI. t. 543 ; 
Dacrydium taxifolium, Banks and Sol. ; D. (?) Mai, A. Cunn. 
Northern and Middle Islands : abundant, Banks and So/ander, etc. “ Black Rue ” 
of Otago. Drupe sweet, eatable. 
5. P. dacrydioid.es, A. Rich. ; — FI. N. Z. i. 233. Trees gregarious, 
very lofty, 150 ft. high, 4 ft. diam. ; wood white, soft, spongy. Leaves of 2 
forms, of young trees and on twigs of old, distichous, ~ in. long, linear, fal- 
cate, tip turned up and acuminate, nerveless; on old branches imbricated, 
small, subulate, -i .- a in. long, keeled. Male catkins terminal, small, \ in., 
solitary, sessile ; connective acute. — Drupes small, gibbous, on swollen pe- 
duncles. — P. thuyoides, Br. 
Abundant throughout the Northern and Middle Islands : in swamps, Banks and So- 
lander, etc. Twigs used for eel-baskets. W T ood bad. Drupe eaten. The rootlets bear 
singular minute globular bodies, containing cells with spiral markings. The wood of Otago 
specimens is described as close-grained and heavy (Buchanan). 
4. DACRYDIUM, Solander. 
Trees or shrubs. Leaves linear and distichous or subulate and imbricating. 
— Inflorescence dioecious. Male : small, terminal, ovoid, solitary cones, formed 
of imbricating stamens ; anthers sessile ; cells 2, pendulous from a peltate 
connective. Female : a short rachis, with 1 or more scales, 1 or 2 of which 
bear an inverted ovule, which becomes erect as it ripens. Nut ovoid, erect, 
outer coat short, sheathing at its base, sometimes fleshy. 
A small genus, confined to the Malayan and Pacific islands, Tasmania and New Zealand. 
Lofty tree, branches weeping. Leaves subulate 1. B. cupressinum. 
A tree, brauches erect or spreading. Leaves obtuse 2. I). Colensoi. 
A small, creeping bush. Leaves lax, obtuse 3. B. laxifolium. 
1. D. cupressinum, Boland. ; — FI. N. Z. i. 233. Tree pyramidal, 
pale-green ; branches weeping ; trunk 80 ft. high, 4-5 ft. diam. ; bark scaling ; 
wood red, heavy, solid. Leaves closely imbricating all round ; on the young 
