Flora of New Zealand Series

Podocarpus? biformis Hook. Ic. Pl. 1843, t. 544.

D. colensoi Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1853, 234, p.p.

Type locality: Dusky Sound. Type: K, Menzies.

Shrub or tree up to 10 m., trunk up to 6 dm. diam., bark dark brown, wood pinkish. Lvs of juveniles and reversion shoots 1-2 cm. × 1·5-3 mm. or more, linear, acute, sts mucronate; petiole short, broad, twisted, midvein us. distinct; stomatal lines evident. Lvs of adults 2 mm. long, densely imbricate, appressed, obtuse, prominently keeled, rhomboid, margins hyaline. Final branchlets 3-4 mm. diam., sub-tetragonous. Male strobili solitary, terminal, c. 4 mm. long; apiculus triangular, obtuse, keeled. Carpidia solitary or paired, towards apices of branchlets, resembling scale lvs, but subpatent; ovules ovoid, compressed. Epimatium adnate to carpidium at base, coriac., surrounding pend. inverted ovule; integument membr. Seed 2-3 mm. long, about oblong in outline, compressed. Aril orange.

DIST.: N., S., St. Montane and subalpine forest and scrub, from lat. 36° 50' southwards, also lowland forest in western southern S. and St.