| Tree 25–60 ft.; bark thin, papery. Leaves ¾–1½ in., linear, rigid and coriaceous, pungent. Male flowers evidently stalked. Nut acute | 2. P. Hallii. |
| Erect shrub 3–10 ft.; branches slender. Leaves lax, ⅓–1 in. long, narrow-linear, pungent, thin | 3. P. acutifolius. |
| Diffuse or prostrate shrub 2–8 ft.; branches stout. Leaves close-set, ¼–⅔ in., linear-oblong, obtuse, thick and coriaceous | 4. P. nivalis. |
| Tree 50–80 ft. Leaves distichous, ½–¾ in., linear, acute, falcate. Fruit large, broadly oblong, succulent, ¾ in. long | 5. P. ferrugineus. |
| ** Male flowers numerous, spiked. | |
| Tree 40–80 ft. Leaves distichous, ⅓–½ in., linear, obtuse. Fruit globose, succulent, J-Jin. diam. | 6. P. spicatus. |
| B. Flowers terminating the branchlets. | |
| Tree 80–120 ft. Leaves of young trees distichous, ¼ in.; of mature plants imbricate all round, 112–18 in., subulate-lanceolate, acuminate | 7. P. dacrydioides. |
1. P. Totara, D. Don. in Lamb. Pin. ed. ii. (1832) 189.—A lofty forest-tree 40–80 ft. or even 100 ft. high; trunk 2–6 ft. diam.; bark thick, furrowed, stringy and papery, capable of removal in large sheets. Leaves dull brownish-green, spreading on all sides or obscurely distichous, ½–1 in. long, linear, straight or slightly falcate, acute, pungent, rigid and coriaceous, midrib obscure. Flowers diœcious. Males ½–¾ in. long, stout, obtuse, axillary, solitary or 2–3 together at the top of a very short stout peduncle or almost sessile; each flower with 4 bracts at the base. Anthers numerous, crowded; connective toothed at the tip. Female flowers axillary, solitary or geminate at the top of a short swollen peduncle. Fruit ovoid-oblong, rounded at the tip; peduncle usually much enlarged, red, succulent; but occasionally dry and shrivelled.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 328; Raoul, Choix, 41; Hook. in Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 572. t. 19; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 233; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 258; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 115. Pilger, Pflanzenreich, iv. 5, 84. P. Bidwillii, Hoibrenk ex Endl. Conif. 213. P. Cunninghamii, Col. Visit to Ruahine Range, 58.
North and South Island: Common in forests from the North Cape to the south-east of Otago. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Totara.
A magnificent tree, scarcely less valuable than the kauri; but, unlike it, generally distributed throughout the colony. Wood red, straight-grained, compact, extremely durable, much used for all kinds of building purposes and constructive works. From its power of resisting the attacks of the teredo it is particularly valuable for the piles of wharves, &c. The huge war-canoes of the Maoris, which were often over 80 ft. in length, were carved from the trunks of totara-trees, and it was also the favourite timber for their carved houses.
2. P. Hallii, T. Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 9, 9a.—Very closely allied to P. Totara, and perhaps a mere variety, but smaller, 25–60 ft. high; trunk rarely exceeding 3ft. diam.; bark thin, papery;
