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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

5. Phyllocladus, L. C. Rich

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."

page 658
* 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.
1.

P. trichomanoides, D. Don. in Lamb. Pin. ed. ii, App. — A tall graceful tree 50–70 ft. high; trunk 1–3 ft. diam.; branches, whorled, slender, spreading. Cladodes or flattened leaf-like branch-lets alternate and distichous on whorled rhachises 1–3 in. long, each rhachis and its cladodes resembling a pinnate leaf; each cladode ½–1 in. long, obliquely cuneate or rhomboid, thick and coriaceous, lobed or pinnatifid, the lobes truncate or erose; veins spreading. Leaves of seedling plants ½–¾ in., long, narrow-linear, soon deciduous; of older plants reduced to minute subulate scales at the base of the rhachises of the cladodes or of the cladodes themselves. Flowers monoecious. Males in fascicles of 5–10 at the tips of the branchlets, ⅓–½ in. long. Females on the margins of modified cladodes at the tips of the branchlets, cladodes much reduced in. size, often little more than a peduncle, each flower in the axil of a. minute subulate bract. Nuts solitary, compressed, half exserted beyond the thickened and fleshy scales; aril cupular, with an, irregularly crenulate margin.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 326; Raoul, Choix, 41; Hook Ic. Plant, t. 549, 550, 551; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 235; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 259; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. x. (1878) 381; Forest Fl. t. 6, 7; Pilger in Pflanzenreioh, iv. 5, 97. P. rhomboidalis, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 363 (not of L. C. Rich.).

North Island: In forests from the North Cape to Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, not uncommon. South Island: Northern portions of Nelson and. Marlborough, advancing along the West Coast as far south as Westport. Sea-level to 2500 ft. Tanekaha; Toatoa; Celery-leaved Pine.

Wood white, close-grained, free from knots and other defects, very serviceable for sleepers, piles, the timbers of bridges, and probably for general building purposes. Bark often used for tanning, and by the Maoris for the preparation of a red dye.

2.

P. glaucus, Carr. Trait. Gen. Conif. 502.—A small handsome tapering tree 25–40 ft. high; branches stout, whorled; trunk 12–18 in. diam., rarely more. Cladodes or flattened leaf-like branch-lets alternate and distichous on a rhachis 4–12 in. long, glaucous, when young, 1–2½in. long, rhomboid or obliquely ovate-cuneate, extremely coriaceous, deeply or coarsely toothed or lobed, lobes obtuse or acute. True leaves on seedling plants ½-l in. long, linear, page 659obtuse, membranous; on mature plants chiefly developed at the base of the young rhachises and falling away very early. Flowers diœcious or monœcious. Males very numerous, in fascicles of 10–20 at the tips of the branches, ¾–1 in. long, on stout peduncles of equal length. Female flowers forming globose heads terminating short stout distichous peduncles (modified cladodes) springing from the rhachis below the cladodes; fully ripe heads ½ in. long. Nuts 8–20, compressed, about ⅛ in. long, half exserted beyond the thickened scales; aril cupular. — Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. i. (1868) 149; x. (1878) 380; Forest Fl. t. 98, 99; Pilger in Pflanzenreich, iv. 5, 95.

North Island: Between Whangape and Hokianga, Kirk! between Hokianga and the Northern Wairoa, Petrie! Puhipuhi Forest, R. Hair! Great Barrier Island, Omaha, Kirk! Waitakarei Ranges, T. F. C.; from Cape Colville to the Thames goldfields and Te Aroha, Kirk! Adams! T. F. C. Wairoa South, Kirk! near Titiraupenga, T. F. C. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Toatoa.

A very distinct species, quite the most handsome of the New Zealand Taxads, and easily recognised by the robust branches, very large cladodes, and large female flowers. Carriere's description, founded on garden specimens of doubtful origin cultivated in France, hardly agrees with wild specimens, but probably refers to the same species.

3.

P. alpinus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 235, t. 53.—A shrub or small tree, usually from 8 ft. to 25 ft. high, but in exposed alpine localities often reduced to a bush of 3–6 ft.; branches numerous, short, stout, spreading; trunk short, 6–14 in. diam. Cladodes simple, crowded, spreading, ½–1½in. long, variable in shape, linear-oblong to oblong - rhomboid, obtuse or acute, very coriaceous, glaucous, lobed or pinnatifid, lobes usually obtuse. True leaves on seedling plants linear, ¼-½ in. long. Flowers monœcious. Males in fascicles of 2–5 at the tips of the branchlets, ¼–⅓ in. long; peduncles short, sometimes almost wanting. Females forming globose heads towards the base of the cladodes or on the margins of modified ones. Fully ripe heads about ¼ in. diam.; scales fleshy, bright-red. Nuts small, compressed, exserted beyond the scales; aril cupular, margin irregularly lobulate.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 260; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Lnst. x. (1878) 382; Forest Fl. t. 100; Pilger in Pflanzenreich, iv. 5. 98. P. trichornanoides var. alpinus, Parl, in D.G. Prodr. xvi. 2, 498.

North and South Islands: In subalpine and mountain forests from Cape Golville and Te Aroha to Foveaux Strait, abundant. Usually from 1500 ft. to 5000 ft., but descends to sea-level in Westland and in the south of Otago. Mountain Toatoa.

Very closely allied to the Tasmanian P. rhomboidalis, L. C. Rich. (P. aspleniifolius, Hook, f.), principally differing in the position of the female flowers. It is a very important constituent of the subalpine forests of the South Island, particularly at high altitudes.