Flora of New Zealand Series

P. montanus Col. in T.N.Z.I.27, 1895, 395.

Type locality: Mount Tongariro. Type: K, Bidwill.

Prostrate shrub with wide-spreading branches, or suberect up to 3 m. tall, with slender trunk. Lvs close set, spirally arranged, erect or sub-patent, rigid, coriac., margins thickened, linear-oblong, obtuse, ± apiculate, midvein prominent, 0·5-1·5 cm. × 2-4 mm. Male strobili axillary, 0·5-1·5 cm. long (on peduncle 3-5 mm. long) solitary or up to 4 per peduncle, apiculus obtuse. Female branchlet axillary, peduncle 3 mm. long, receptacle of two acute, red, swollen bracts. Seeds solitary ovoid, 3·5-5·5 mm. long, obtusely pointed, nutlike.

DIST.: N., S. Upper forest margins and subalpine scrub from lat. 36° 50' southwards, also lowland forest in Westland.

Var. erectus Ckn. in T.N.Z.I. 48, 1916, 199. Erect, up to 3 m., lvs up to 2.5 cm. Type locality: Debris-field on Mount Sugarloaf, Cass; also recorded by Cheeseman from Mount Owen and Mount Percival. Probably forms of P. hallii × nivalis.