near the tips of the branchlets, the bracts hardly differing from the foHage 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 cupshaped 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 112–18 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 112 in. diam.; leaves 115–110 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 120–115 in. diam.; leaves 120–112 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, 18–112 in. long, or imbricatmg, 125–120 in. | 7. D. laxifolium. |
1. D. Kirkii, F. Muell. ex Parl. in D.C. Prodr. xvi. ii. 495.—A tall tree 50–80 ft. high; trunk 2–3 ft. diam.; bark greyish-brown; lower branches spreading, upper more erect. Leaves of two forms: those of young trees and on the lower branches of old ones large, erecto-patent, 1-1½ in. long, linear, subacute, narrowed into a very short twisted petiole, flat, pale-green, coriaceous; midrib distinct; margins slightly cartilaginous. Leaves of the upper and fertile branches small and scale-hke, densely quadrifariously imbricate and appressed to the almost terete branchlets, 112–18 in. long, ovate-rhomboid, obtuse, thick and coriaceous, obtusely keeled on the back; margins thin, membranous. Flowers diœcious. Males solitary, terminal, sessile, ⅛–¼ in. long. Females at the tips of the branchlets, forming a short oblong head ¼–½ in. long. Nuts 1–5
