Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/689

Podocarpus.] branches of young trees weak, slender. Leaves of young plants usually distichous, spreading, 1–1½ in. long, narrow linear-lanceolate; of mature trees inserted all round the branches, close-set, ¾–1 in. long, linear or linear-lanceolate, acute, pungent, rigid and coriaceous, midrib somewhat prominent beneath. Flowers dioecious. Male flowers as in P. Totara, but usually solitary and distinctly peduncled. Female flowers frequently geminate on the short peduncle. Fruit narrow-ovoid, pointed; peduncle usually enlarged and succulent.—P. Totara var. Hallii, Pilger, Pfianzenreich, iv. 5, 84.

3. P. acutifolius, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 370, t. 26.—An erect much-branched shrub 3–10 ft. high; branches slender, erect. Leaves usually rather lax, spreading, ⅓–1 in. long, linear, straight, acuminate and pungent, sessile or nearly so, green, coriaceous; midrib indistinct; margins slightly recurved. Flowers diœcious. Males ⅓–½ in. long, solitary or in fascicles of 2–4 at the top of an erect peduncle about ½ in. long, each flower with 4 scarious acuminate bracts at its base, forming a quasi involucre at the top of the peduncle. Anthers numerous, closely packed; connective obtuse. Female flowers minute, axillary, solitary or very rarely geminate at the top of a short swollen peduncle. Fruit small, ovoid, seated on the enlarged and fleshy bright-red peduncle.—Forest Fl. t. 39; Pilger, Pflanzenreich, iv. 5, 84.

4. P. nivalis, ''Hook. Ic. Plant.'' t. 582.—A much-branched erect or prostrate shrub 2–8 ft. high; branches wide-spreading, often rooting at the base. Leaves close-set, sessile, not distichous, spreading or recurved, ¼–⅔ in. long, linear to linear-oblong or narrow linear-obovate, obtuse, apiculate, narrowed to the base, very thick and coriaceous, midrib prominent beneath, margins thickened. Flowers diœcious. Males axillary, solitary or 2–4 at the top of