DACRYDIUM INTERMEDIUM, I. Kirk. 
THE YELLOW SILVER-PINE. 
OrpER—CONIFERZAZ. 
TRIBE—TAXEAL. 
(Plates LXX XVI, and LXXXVII. a part.) 
Tue yellow silver-pine or mountain-pine, as it is less frequently termed, was 
originally described by the writer in 1877. Usually it is a handsome conical tree, 
4oft. high or more, with a trunk from Ift. to 2ft. in diameter; but in mountain 
localities the trunk is often yery short and of larger diameter, with spreading 
arms, forming a lax round-headed tree. In very old specimens the branchlets 
are pendulous, and the tree is of great beauty, especially when growing by the 
side of a river or creek. In the young state the leaves are awl-shaped, 4in. to 
4in. long, somewhat crowded and spreading. They become gradually shorter 
and closely appressed to the branchlets until, in the mature state, they do not 
exceed jsin. in length, and are ridged or keeled on the outside, the hase of each 
leaf being overlapped by the apex of the leaf below it. 
The male and female flowers are developed on separate trees, and are 
carried at the tips of branchlets: the male catkins are about jin. long, with 
numerous anther-scales, which are short and broad like those of all the New 
Zealand species except D. cupressinum. The female flowers are solitary, and 
consist of a single ovule. The fruit consists of a single cylindrical nut, which 1s 
partly embedded in a red pulpy receptacle, partially clothed with short green 
scales, as in D. cupressinum, but the receptacle only becomes pulpy in warm 
seasons. It frequently remains dry, or a few receptacles only may be pulpy, the 
majority remaining dry and leathery. 
| PROPERTIES AND USES. 
The wood of the yellow silver-pine is of a reddish-yellow, resinous, straight 
in the grain, firm, compact, and even, of great strength and extreme durability. 
It is usually of smaller dimensions than the Westland pine, which somewhat 
detracts from its value, but it may be applied to the same purposes, and is 
reputed to be of even greater durability. 
On Stewart Island it is highly valued for boat-building: a punt largely 
constructed of this timber has lasted over seventeen years, and seems likely to 
maintain its good condition for many years to come. 
This and the Westland pine are dangerous when used for firewood, as 
sparks are projected from the burning logs in all directions. 
DISTRIBUTION; 
Dacrydium intermedium attains its northern limit on the higher parts of the 
Hirakimata Range, Great Barrier Island, and is common on the Thames Gold- 
field, where it is plentiful at about 2,oooft. It is found in many places in the 
central parts of the North Island, but has not been observed in the vicinity of 
Cook Strait. 
