BOTANY. 
439 
beautiful tree is found on the sides of hills; its general 
height is seldom more than fifty feet. The bark is plain, light 
colored, and ringed every six inches, forming distinct flakes up 
to the branches of the tree. The leaves are parsley shaped, 
which chiefly distinguishes it from the toatoa, which are flat 
and oval shaped. The wood is very similar to that of the 
Cyprus, it is lighter and closer grained than the Icauri, and 
very fragrant; it is also more durable when exposed to wet. 
The bark is much used to form a black and brown dye. The 
tree is rarely found in the south, but in the north is very 
abundant. 
Miro (podocarpus ferruginea). This tree bears a rather 
large and flattened fruit, of a bright red color, and very 
aromatic flavor', which imparts an agreeable taste to the pigeon 
when it is in season. It closely resembles the yew in its leaf; 
the wood is close grained and durable; it does not attain any 
great size or elevation ; but is, however, a very valuable timber. 
Totara (podocarpus totara ). This is a noble tree, and very 
highly prized for its great durability; it rises to the height of 
about a hundred and fifty feet. The bark has the appearance of 
having been chopped at intervals; it is tough and stringy, and 
much used as a covering for houses. Like the yew, the tree 
appears to be detrimental to underwood, and generally little 
is found growing under it. The totara is so abundant as to 
form forests up the Manawatu, and in some parts of the in¬ 
terior ; in general the contrary is the case, and it is found 
scattered and intermingled with other trees. 
The wood of this noble pine is red, hard, and durable, but 
brittle; it is preferred for canoes, and it is not unusual to see 
them more than seventy feet long, with a width of five or six 
feet, formed from a single log. The roots generally stand high 
out of the ground, and cover a considerable surface; in the 
south, this is by far the most valuable tree of all. 
Kahikatea, Jcahika, koroi,—{Podocarpus excelsus .) This tree 
is generally called the white pine, from the color of its wood, 
although there is a variety which is yellow, harder, and more 
durable, and therefore the most prized. The kahikatea may 
be considered as nearly the loftiest tree in the New Zealand 
