114 TAXACEAE, [ Podocarpus. 
swollen. Fruit a black ovoid nut about 4in. long, seated on the greatly 
enlarged bright-red succulent peduncle.— Raoul Choix (1846) 41; Hook. 
f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 233; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 258; T. Kirk Forest 
Fl. (1889) t. 31, 32; Pélger in Pflanzenr. iv, 5 (1903) 57; Cheesem. Man. 
N.Z. Fl. (1906) 651; Cockayne Veg. N.Z. (1921) t. 27. PP. thuyoides 
Rk. Br. in Benn. Pl. Jav. Rar. (1838) 41. Dacrydium excelsum A. Cunn, 
Precur. (1838) n. 214. D. ferrugineum Van Houtte ex Gord. Pin. (1858) 590. 
Nort AND SoutH IsLanps, StEwaRT Istanp: In lowland forests from the North 
Cape southwards, abundant. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Kahikatea ; Kahika; White-pine, 
The kahikatea, or white-pine, as it is usually called in the south of New Zealand. 
is probably the tallest tree in the Dominion. Two specimens measured by Sir David 
Hutchins in the forests of Westland had heights of 210 ft. and 184 ft. respectively, each 
having a diameter of about 5{t. Another example noticed at Kakahi, a little to the south 
of Taumarunui, on measurement by Mr. Phillips Turner proved to be 195 ft. high. 
No doubt taller trees will yet be observed. The wood is white or pale-yellow, tough 
and compact, straight-grained and easily worked, but unfortunately not durable when 
in contact with the ground or where regularly exposed to damp. It is very suitable for 
inside work of all kinds, but is liable to the attacks of a small boring-beetle. 
2, DACRYDIUM Soland. | y%e? SO 
Trees or shrubs. Leaves usually dimorphic; of old trees small and 
scale-like, closely imbricate; of young trees or of the lower branches of 
old ones longer and narrower, spreading, linear or linear-subulate. Flowers 
dioecious or more rarely monoecious. Males solitary at the tips of the 
branchlets and sessile amongst the uppermost leaves. Staminal column 
oblong or cylindrical; anthers sessile, spirally imbricate ; cells 2, globose, 
contiguous, deflexed ; connective prolonged into a terminal claw or spur. 
Female flowers at or near the tips of the branchlets, the bracts hardly differing 
from the foliage-leaves. Ovuliferous scale free, at length exceeding the 
bract ; ovule solitary, at first more or less reversed, at length erect. Seeds 
ovoid, nut-like, seated within a membranous or fleshy cup-shaped aril. 
Cotyledons 2. | 
About 16 species are known, natives of the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Australia 
and Tasmania, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Chile. All the species found in New 
Zealand are endemic. 
A. Leaves of young plants spreading, linear, flat, abruptly passing into the smaller mature 
scale-like leaves. Nuts 1-5 togeiner. 
Height 50-80 ft. Leaves of young trees 1-1} in., shortly petiolate. 
Mature branchlets nearly terete. Nuts 1-5, usually 3-4 .. IL. D. Kirkus. 
Height 15-30 ft. Leaves of young trees 4-3 in., shortly petiolate. 
Mature branchlets tetragonous, stout. Nuts12 .. .. 2. D. biforme. 
Height 2-10 ft. Leaves of young trees }-4in., sessile. Mature 
branchlets tetragonous. Nuts 1-2 - am .. oo D. Bidwillti. 
B. Leaves of very young plants spreading, linear, terete, passing by gradual transitions 
into the mature scale-like imbricating leaves. Nuts usually solitary. 
Height 60-100 ft.; branchlets pendulous. Leaves of mature 
plants ~,-}in., subulate, trigonous. Receptacle below the 
female flower often fleshy ty A = 
Height 20-40 ft.; branchlets not pendulous. Leaves of young 
trees (second stage) trigonous, not distichous. Mature branch- 
lets 4; in. diam. ; leaves ;4—j, in. long, obtuse. Nuts solitary ; 
aril short = +3 a - . an! 
Height 20-50 ft., branchlets not pendulous. Leaves of young 
trees (second stage) flat, triangular, decurrent, often distichous. 
Mature branchlets ,—in. diam.; leaves j4,-;j,in. long, 
subacute. Nuts often 2; aril large, sometimes reaching the 
middle of the nut vs 26 - - + 
Prostrate, 3-18 in. long; branches straggling. Leaves of mature 
plants either spreading, 4-4, in. long, or imbricating, 3,-;+ in... 7. D. laxifoliwm. 
4, D. cupressinum. 
5. D. intermedium. 
6. D. Colensot. 
