Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
Order LXXVIII. ConiferÆ
Order LXXVIII. ConiferÆ.
Resinous trees or shrubs, almost always evergreen. Leaves opposite or whorled or alternate, solitary or fascicled within membranous sheaths, rigid, subulate or linear or scale-like, rarely broad and flat. Flowers monœcious or diœcious; males usually solitary, catkin-like, deciduous; females often cone-like. Perianth always wanting in both sexes. Male flowers reduced to the stamens only, which are usually numerous; filaments connate into an oblong or cylindrical central axis (staminal column); anthers placed around the axis, stipitate or sessile; cells 2 or more, either adnate to the back of the connective, or pendulous from its scale-like or peltate summit. Female flowers of one or more erect or reversed naked ovules, without ovary style or stigma, sessile on a scale (open car-pellary leaf or carpidium) which is free or adnate to a bract; scales rarely Solitary, usually several or many, in the latter case forming a cone or head. Fruit composed of the enlarged hardened or succulent scales or bracts, between which the seeds are hidden; or the mature seed may be exserted beyond the unchanged or fleshy scales or bracts. Seeds winged or wingless; testa thick or thin, membranous or crustaceous or fleshy; albumen copious, fleshy or farinaceous; embryo straight, axile, cotyledons 2 or more, radicle terete.
A large and important order, almost worldwide in its distribution, but most abundant in the temperate part of the Northern Hemisphere; rare in the tropies, except on high mountains; fairly well represented in the south temperate zone, Genera 33; species about 350. Many of the species yield valuable timber. Pines, firs, larches, cedars, cypresses in the Northern Hemisphere; the kauri, totara, rimu, Huon pine, &c, in the Southern, are well-known timber-trees, of great economic and commercial value. The mammoth tree of California {Sequoia gigantea) is probably the largest known tree. One has been measured 400 ft. high, with a trunk 116 ft. in circumference. The resinous products of the order are also of great importance. The most valuable are tar, turpentine, pitch, and kauri-gum. The 5 genera found in New Zealand are all widely distributed in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of them (Podocarpus) advances as far north as China and Japan.
1. Agathis, Salisb.
Evergreen monoecious or diœcious trees, often of great size. Leaves subopposite or alternate, broad, flat, coriaceous; nerves parallel. Male flowers solitary, axillary, peduncled; peduncle furnished with imbricate scales at the top. Anthers densely spirally arranged on a cylindrical column; cells 5–15, pendulous from the top of a rigid stipes. Female cones terminating short branchlets, broadly ovoid or globose; scales densely spirally arranged, tips broad. Ovules solitary or rarely 2 at the base of each scale and adnate to it, reversed. Mature cone globose or nearly so; scales closely imbricating and appressed, broad, flattened, hard bu, scarcely woody. Seeds 1 to each scale, very rarely 2, reversedt compressed, ovate or oblong; testa thin, produced into a membranous wing; albumen fleshy; cotyledons 2.
A genus of 6 or 7 species of timber-trees, ranging through the Malay Archipelago, north-east Australia, the Pacific islands, and New Zealand. The New Zealand species is endemic, although stated by Parlatore (D.C. Prodr. xvi. 2, 376) and Eichler (Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien ii. 1, 67) to occur in Australia.
-
1. A. australis, Salisb. in Trans. Linn. Soc. viii. (1807) 312.— A lofty forest-tree, with a straight columnar trunk and rounded somewhat bushy head, highly resiniferous in all its parts, usually ranging from 80 to 100 ft. high, with a trunk 4–10 ft. diam., but attaining an extreme height of 150 ft., with a trunk 15–22 ft. diam.; bark glaucous-grey, deciduous, falling off in large flat flakes. Leaves subopposite or alternate, sessile, very thick and coriaceous; of young trees lanceolate, 2–4 in. long, ¼–½ in. broad, gradually passing into those of mature trees, which are ¾–1½in. long, linear-oblong or narrow obovate-oblong, obtuse. Flowers monoecious; males ¾–1½ in. long, cylindrical. Female cones obovoid in the flowering stage, becoming almost spherical when ripe, erect, 2–3 in. diam.; scales broad, flat, rather thin, falling away from the axis at maturity. Seeds 1 to each scale, ovate, compressed, winged.— Kirk, Forest Fl. tt. 79 to 81. Dammara australis, Lamb. Pin. ed. i. 2, 14; A. Cunu. Precur. n. 325; Raoul, Choix, 41; Rook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 231; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 256. Podocarpus zamise-folius, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 360.
North Island: Abundant in forests from the North Cape to Tauranga and Kawhia. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Kauri, of the resin kapia.
The kauri-pine, too well known to require any detailed account. Timber not excelled by any other for the variety of uses for which it is adapted, and remarkable for its strength, durability, and the ease with which it is worked. The resin, or "kauri-gum," so important for varnish-making, is still dug in large quantities on the sites of previous forests, or obtained from those still living.
2. Libocedrus, Endl.
Usually tall trees. Leaves opposite, small and scale-like, quad-rifariously imbricate, either all equal and decussate, or flattened on the branchlets, the lateral larger and keeled, those on the upper and lower faces of the branchlets smaller and flat. Flowers monoecious or diœcious; males terminal, solitary, oblong or ovoid or almost globose, consisting of a staminal column sessile within the uppermost leaves and bearing several or many decussately placed anthers; connective scale-like, ovate, subpeltate; anther-cells usually 4, pendulous. Female cones oblong or ovoid, terminating short branchlets; scales 4 or 6, decussately opposite, the lowest pair smallest and sterile, the second pair with 2 erect collateral ovules at the base of each scale, the third pair when present sterile and connate. Scales of the mature cones persistent, gaping, indurated, mucronate or horned at the back towards the tip. Seeds solitary or rarely 2 at the base of each fertile scale, compressed, unequally winged.
A small genus of 9 species, with a very singular distribution, 1 being found in California, 2 in Chili, 2 in New Zealand, and 1 each in New Caledonia, New Guinea, China, and Japan.
Branchlets of mature trees more or less compressed, not tetragonous. Cones ½ in. long 1. L. Doniana, Branchlets of mature trees always tetragonous. Cones ¼–⅓ in. long 2. L. Bidwillii.
3. Podocarptus, L'Herit.
Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, scattered or imbricate or distichous, very diverse in size and shape. Flowers diœcious or rarely monoecious; males solitary or in fascicles of 2–5, or laxly spicate along an elongated rhachis, usually stipitate, the stipes furnished with imbricate bracts. Staminal column elongate, cylindric; anthers sessile, densely spirally crowded; cells 2, parallel, dehiscing longitudinally; connective usually prolonged into a short claw. Female flowers solitary or occasionally geminate, very rarely spicate; bracts or scales few, adnate with the rhachis into a swollen fleshy or succulent peduncle or "receptacle"; ovuliferous scale springing from the receptacle, ovoid, fleshy, bearing a single reversed ovule. Seeds globose or ovoid, seated on the enlarged receptacle, drupaceous or nut-like. Cotyledons 2.
About 60 species are known, scattered through the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, from Japan and China southwards to New Zealand and South Africa, also in most parts of South America; wanting in Europe, North America, North Africa, and western Asia. The New Zealand species are all endemic.
4. Dacrydium, Soland.
Trees or shrubs. Leaves usually dimorphic; of old trees small and scale-like, closely imbricate; of young trees or of the lower branches of old ones longer and narrower, spreading, linear or linear-subulate. Flowers diœcious or more rarely monœcious. Males solitary at the tips of the branchlets and sessile amongst the uppermost leaves. Staminal column oblong or cylindrical; anthers sessile, spirally imbricate; cells 2, globose, contiguous, deflexed; connective prolonged into a terminal claw or spur. Female flowers at or near the tips of the branchlets, the bracts hardly differing from the foliage leaves. Ovuliferous scale free, at length exceeding the bract; ovule solitary, at first more or less reversed, at length erect. Seeds ovoid, nut-like, seated within a membranous or fleshy cup-shaped aril. Cotyledons 2.
About 16 species are known, natives of the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Australia and Tasmania, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Chili. All the species found in New Zealand are endemic.
A. Leaves of young plants spreading, linear, flat, abruptly passing into the smaller mature scale-like leaves. Nuts 1–5 together. Height 50–80 ft. Leaves of young trees 1–1½ in., shortly petiolate. Mature branchlets nearly terete. Nuts 1–5, usually 3–4 1. D.Kirkii. Height 15–30 ft. Leaves of young trees ⅓–¾ in., shortly petiolate. Mature branchlets tetragonous, stout. Nuts 1–2 2. D. biforme- Height 2–10 ft. Leaves of young trees ¼–⅓ in., sessile. Mature branchlets tetragonous. Nuts 1–2 3. D. Bidwillii. B. Leaves of very young plants spreading, linear, terete, passing by gradual transitions into the -mature scale-like imbricating leaves. Nuts usually solitary. Height 60–100 ft.; branchlets pendulous. Leaves of mature plants 1/12–⅛ in., subulate, trigonous. Receptacle below the female flower often fleshy 4. D. cupressinum. Height 20–40 ft.; branchlets not pendulous. Leaves of young trees (second stage) trigonous, not distichous. Mature branchlets 1/12 in. diam.; leaves 1/15–1/10 in. long, obtuse. Nuts solitary; aril short 5. D. intermedium. Height 20–50 ft., branchlets not pendulous. Leaves of young trees (second stage) flat, triangular, decurrent, often distichous. Mature branchlets 1/20–1/15 in. diam.; leaves 1/20–1/12 in. long, subacute. Nuts often 2; aril large, sometimes reaching the middle of the nut 6. D. Colensoi. Prostrate, 3–18 in. long; branches straggling. Leaves of mature plants either spreading, ⅛–1/12 in. long, or imbricating,1/25–1/20in 7. D.laxifolium.
5. Phyllocladus, L. C. Rich.
Trees or shrubs; branches often whorled; branchlets flattened and expanded into rigid and coriaceous toothed or lobed leaf-like cladodia. True leaves reduced to linear scales. Flowers monoecious or diœcious. Males fascicled at the tips of the branchlets, catkin-like, peduncled; each peduncle arising from the axil of a leafy bract. Staminal column oblong or cylindrical; anthers numerous, densely spirally imbricate, 2-celled; connective prolonged into an acute claw. Female flowers sessile on the margins of the cladodia or on peduncle-like divisions of the cladodia. Ovuli-ferous scales 1 or several, thick and fleshy, free. Ovule solitary, erect. Seeds erect, ovoid or oblong, compressed, protruding from the enlarged and fleshy scales, each seated within a cup-shaped aril. Cotyledons 2.
Besides the 3 species found in New Zealand, there is one in Tasmania, another in Borneo, and a sixth in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. The genus is remarkable for the flattened cladodas or leaf-like branchlets, which take the place of the true leaves, these last being reduced to linear deciduous scales. The New Zealand species have been excellently described and figured by Mr. Kirk in Vol. x. of the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute" and in his "Forest Flora."
* Cladodes pinnately arranged. Tree 50–70 ft. Cladodes ½–1 in. Female flowers on the margins of the cladodes 1. P. trichoma-noides. Tree 25–40 ft. Cladodes 1–2½ in. Female flowers pe-dunoled on the rhachis below the cladodes 2. P. glaucus. ** Cladodes simple. Shrub or tree 5–25 ft. Cladodes ½-l in. Female flowers on the margins of the cladodes near the base 3. P. alpinus.