DACRYDIUM LAXIFOLIUM, Hook. £ 
THE MOUNTAIN RIMU. 
OrdDER—CONIFERA. 
TRIBE—TAXEA. 
(Plate LXXXVIL) 
‘Tuts small species is interesting as being the least of all the conifers: fruiting 
specimens may sometimes be fond less than 2in. in height; usually, however, 
itis trom 6in. to 12in. high: very rarely it may be found growing amongst other 
shrubs, and supporting its weak stems amongst their brariches to the height of 
aft. or 3ft., but left to itself the stems are weak and prostrate. 
In several respects it approaches the preceding species, Dacrydiutn inter- 
medium—in the shape of the young leaves, in the closely-appressed mature leaves, 
and in the fruit being sometimes dry and sometimes pulpy. It is a much- 
branched shrub, with prostrate or, rarely, sub-erect stems. In the young state 
the leaves are subulate, acute, fin. to Jin. long, which gradually vive place to 
shorter spreading leaves, yin. long: in another form the eave: are minute, 
overlapping, obtuse, st;in. long and nearly as broad. Both forms bear flowers 
and fruit: the male and female flowers may be produced on the same or on 
ferent plants. The male catkins are from tin. to din. long, and are solitary” 
on the branchlets. The female flowers are solitary; they consist of about three 
Miva whitish leaves, one of which bears a single ovule. The fruit is a cylin- 
drical nut seated on a fleshy or dry receptacle: when fleshy, three or four green 
s sales are sometimes developed on the upper margin of the receptacle. 
PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
This species has no known economic value, except that its roots serve to 
bind the surface of loose mountain-slopes, thus preventing landslips. 
DisTRIBUTION, 
—— Daerydium laxifolium is common in mountain districts throughout the colony. 
The most northern habitat known to me is near the base of Tansey but in all 
probability it will yet be discovered on the higher parts of the East Cape district. 
Iti is common on the Southern Alps, and is found on Stewart Island, where it 
descends nearly to the sea-level. It ascends to upwards of 4,oooft. 
DerscRIPTion. 
Dacrydium laxifolium, Hook. f., ‘‘ Icones Plantarum,”’ t. 825. 
A weak straggling shrub with prostrate stems, 3in. to 12in. long, or, rarely, 
sub-erect and longer when growing amongst echaeet shrubs. Moncecious or 
- dicecious. Toenves. in the young state subulate, acute, Hin. to din. long, shortly 
spreading and obtuse; in the mature state jin. long ; or closely appressed and 
_ imbricating, broadly avate or rhomboid, Nested, gsin. long. Male catkins soli- 
tary, terminal; connective broadly triangular, acute. Roma flowers solitary, 
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