Flora of New Zealand Series

Norfolk Island pine

Large tree; bark dark grey-brown, peeling in thin flakes, deep pink beneath. Semi-juvenile lvs (on lowest branches of mature trees) somewhat flattened, 3-11 mm long, linear-subulate, acute, incurved. Adult lvs (from coning branches) ± flattened, 5-9 mm long, ovate or ovate-elliptic, ± obtuse, slightly keeled, strongly imbricate, incurved. ♂ strobili 3-5 cm long, narrow-cylindric. ♀ cones towards top of tree, 9-13 cm diam., broadly oblong-ellipsoid or subglobose, green at maturity; emergent part of scale (prickle) 6-10 mm long and c. 2 mm wide at 1/2 way to apex, pungent, directed forward.

N.: only known from Motukiki Id (Bay of Islands); K.: Raoul Id.

Norfolk Id 1959

Regenerating from planted trees into surrounding indigenous coastal forest, seaward slopes.

Norfolk Island pine is a very familiar sight in coastal towns and cities round the North Id and northern part of the South Id. Norfolk Id is due W. of Raoul and the climates are so similar that it is not surprising that this conifer is naturalised on the latter. Because most of Raoul Id is a Nature Reserve, these young trees are regularly culled. The sp. has been previously recorded in N.Z. as A. excelsa.

In N.Z. and the Pacific Is, A. heterophylla is sometimes confused with the much less common, very closely related, A. columnaris (Forster) Hook. from New Caledonia and the nearby Île des Pins. Both belong to the small-leaved sect. Eutacta Endl., and the only reliable character separating the 2 spp. seems to be the habit, strongly columnar in A. columnaris and pyramidal in A. heterophylla.