PHYLLOCLADUS ALPINUS, Hook. t. 
THE MOUNTAIN TOATOA. 
OrpdER—-CONIFERAZ. 
TRIBE—TAXE. 
(Plate C.) 
Tus species is most plentiful in mountain districts, and is most generally known 
in the South Island as ‘‘toatoa,’’ but is frequently termed ‘‘tanekaha :’”’ by 
settlers and bushmen it is called ‘‘celery-pine’’ or ‘“celery-topped pine,” 
and in Southland ‘‘New Zealand hickory.’”’ It was originally discovered by 
Mr. Bidwill on Tongariro, and soon afterwards by Mr. Colenso on the Ruahine 
Mountains. It forms a bush or small tree, from 5ft. to 25ft. high, with numerous 
short stout branches: the trunk rarely exceeds 1ft. in diameter. True leaves 
are produced on young plants only, and are narrow-linear, acute, about 4in. 
long. : these are succeeded by narrow rhomboid cladodes tin. long and from 
lin. to #in. wide, of thick texture, narrowed into a short foot-stalk, and with the 
margins finely toothed, the teeth acute or obtuse: on older specimens the 
cladodes become shorter, narrower, with thickened margins and in many cases 
deeply cut into very narrow lobes. 
Male and female flowers are produced on the same trees: the male catkins 
in clusters of from three to seven at the tips of branches, sessile or on short 
pedicels, connective obtuse, red: the female flower forms small cones, each 
consisting of two or three naked ovules in a fleshy cup. In the ripe fruit the 
cones are a bright crimson, with two or three nuts, each invested with a 
membranous cup at its base. 
This species is closely related to the Tasmanian P. rhomboidalis, with which 
it should perhaps be united. 
: PROPERTIES AND USEs. 
The wood is white, straight-grained, and, although of small dimensions, 
equals if it does not surpass that of P. trichomanoides in strength, toughness, and 
elasticity; but as itis not durable it can only be used for temporary purposes. 
The thick bark and the cladodia are doubtless available for tanning, but, so far 
as [ am aware, their value has not been ascertained, 
DIsTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 
Phyllocladus alpinus is endemic in New Zealand, and attains its northern 
limit on the summit of Cape Colville: it is not infrequent in mountain districts 
in the central parts of the North Island, but rarely occurs at altitudes below 
2,000ft. In the South Island it is plentiful, from Marlborough and Nelson to 
Southland: on the eastern side of the Island it is restricted to high elevations, 
but on the western side it often forms a considerable portion of the forest at low 
levels, and in such situations the trunk is long and slender, with few branches. 
