Dacrydium colensoi Hook.
D. westlandicum Kirk ex Hook. f. Ic. Pl. 1877, t. 1218 and in T.N.Z.I. 10, 1878, 387, t. 18.
Silver Pine.
Tree up to 15m., trunk up to 1 m. diam., bark brownish grey. Lvs of juveniles 6-12 mm. long, narrow-linear-subulate, subterete, decurrent; of semi-juveniles (sts flowering and fruiting in this stage) 3-4·5 mm. long, narrow-lanceolate, acute, subfalcate, flattish, subdistichous; of adults 1-2.5 mm. long, rhomboid, obtuse to subacute, coriac., keeled, imbricate, appressed. Ultimate branchlets c. 1·5 mm. diam. Male strobili solitary, terminal, 3-5 mm. long or more, c. 1·5 mm. wide; apiculus short, triangular, acute. Ovules solitary or paired, terminal, final scale lvs thin, rather lax, spreading; epimatium transversely keeled, about ?-1/2 length of seed, which is 2-4 mm. long, broadly ovoid-oblong, black.
DIST.: N., S. Lowland and montane forest from lat. 35° to lat. 44° on west of S.
Further critical work is required on both D. intermedium and D. colensoi, especially as to the existence of vars with distinct geographical ranges. Pilger Pflanzenr. 18, 1903, 51 says:
"Ex Icone 548 apparet, Dacrydium Colensoi propter ovula sese erigentia valde a D. biformi et D. Kirkii differre. Specimina Colensoi in insula septentrionali ad Wangarei-Bay collecta sunt et fere eundem locum Kirk pro D. westlandico citat: Whangaroa-North and Great-Barrier-Island. Specimina a cl. Colenso collecta, quae ante oculos habui, plane cum speciminibus D. westlandici congruunt." Kirk, however, loc. cit. p. 385, places his westlandicum in the group with "leaves of young plants terete, spreading, passing into the mature imbricating state by gradual transitions. Nuts not compressed", while colensoi is placed in the group with "leaves of young plants linear, flat, abruptly changing into the mature state; nuts compressed."
