118 TAXACEAE. [Dacrydium. 
Very close to the preceding; but the leaves of the young trees are much flatter, 
more decurrent, and often distichous; the mature leaves are smaller and the branchlets 
more slender; and the nuts are smaller, often 2 together, and are enclosed sometimes 
almost as far as the middle in the unusually well-developed aril. The wood is yellowish- 
white, straight-grained, strong and compact, very durable. It is exported from 
Westland to all parts of the colony for railway-sleepers, and has been used with good 
results for the framework of bridges, wharves, &c. 
D. Colensoi is a species which has been much misunderstood. By nearly all 
writers the name has been applied to the mountain-plant originally described by Sir 
W. J. Hooker in the “Icones Plantarum’ (t. 544) as Podocarpus(?) biformis, the 
Dacrydium biforme of this work, although the two species are in reality totally different. 
The mistake appears to have originated in the “ Flora Nove Zelandie,” where Sir 
J. D. Hooker quoted Podocarpus(?) biformis as a synonym of D, Colensoi. His 
description is based entirely on D. biforme, and the localities given (Dusky Bay, 
Menzies ; Tongariro and Ruahine Mountains, Colenso ; mountains near Nelson, Bidirill) 
all unquestionably refer to the same plant. It is curious that, although the original 
plate of D. Colensoi is cited in the Flora, no reference is given to the locality in which 
the species was first discovered. From a letter of Mr. Colenso’s sent with the type 
specimens, and published in the London Journal of Botany (vol. i, p. 301), this appears 
to have been the rough forest country between Whangarei and the Bay of Islands— 
a station quite 250 miles to the north of the northern limit of D. biforme. Early in 
the preparation of this work a comparison of the original descriptions and figures 
convinced me that, although the plate of Podocarpus(?) biformis was a very faithful 
representation of the plant to which all New Zealand botanists, following the example 
of Sir J. D. Hooker, at that time assigned the name of Colensoi, it by no means | 
corresponded with the original plate of D. Colensot. Not only did the two plants 
differ in a marked degree in habit and foliage, but the figures given of the fruit of 
D. Colensot were so unlike that of D. biforme as to make their specific distinctness beyond 
all doubt. It therefore became necessary to restore Podocarpus(?) biformis to the rank 
of a species under the name of D. hiforme. Further study of the original plate of 
D. Colensoi made it clear that two subsequently described species—D. intermedium and 
D. Westlandicum—were evidently close allies, intermedium so far as the foliage was 
concerned, Westlandicum with respect to the fruit. Under these circumstances I applied 
to Kew with the object of having these two plants compared with the type specimens, 
but, unfortunately, it was found that the latter were no longer in the herbarium. 
About this time Dr. Pilger, of Berlin, took up the study of the Taraceae for “* Das 
Pflanzenreich.”’ Fortunately, he found one of Colenso’s original specimens in the 
Imperial Herbarium at Vienna. He has thus been able to compare it with the other 
New Zealand species, and has satisfied himself that it is identical with D. Westlandicum. 
I willingly accept this determination, although D. Westlandicum usually has much 
more slender branches than those figured in the original plate. Iam also glad to take 
this opportunity of referring New Zealand students to Dr. Pilger’s memoir, which 
contains carefully prepared descriptions of the whole of the New Zealand Taxads, and 
much valuable information respecting them. 
7. D. laxifolium Hook. f. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. iv (1845) 1438.— 
A small prostrate shrub with very slender trailmg branches 3-24 in. long ; 
rarely suberect, and reaching a height of 2ft. Leaves of young plants 
lax, spreading, 14 in. long, narrow-linear, acute, flat, curved; with the 
growth of the plant gradually becoming shorter, broader and thicker, and 
more closely set. Leaves of mature plants varying from } in. long, linear- 
oblong, obtuse or subacute, spreading, =';-g m. long, broadly ovate 
or oblong, obtuse, keeled or rounded on the back, closely imbricate. 
Flowers dioecious or monoecious. Males solitary, terminal, sessile, +—} in. 
long. Female flowers solitary and terminal. Nut small, erect, oblong, 
obtuse with a small curved apiculus, about 2 in. long; receptacle some- 
times dry, sometimes swollen and succulent.—Hook. f. Ic. Plant. (1852) 
t. 825; Fl. Nov. Zel. 1 (1853) 234; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 269; 7. Kirk in 
Trans. N.Z. Inst. X (1878) 388; Forest Fl. (1889) t. 87; Pilger in Pflanzenr. 
(1903) 50; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 657; Ill. N.Z. Fl. (1914) t. 189; 
Cockayne Veg. N.Z. (1921) t. 41. 
