SILVER PINE
Silver pine (Dacrydium colensoi) is one of the smaller native pine trees belonging to Podocarpaceae. It has brownish-grey bark which scales off in large flakes. The leaves are typical of this class of pine. There is distinction between the leaves of a long persistent juvenile form and those of mature trees. The adult leaves are very small, about 2 mm, and closely appressed to the stem. The flowers are dioecious, and both male and female cones are at tips of branches. Male cones are about 4 mm, but female cones are a few ovules found on more or less open scale-leaves. The fruit is a shining black nut 2 to 3 mm long.
by Alec Lindsay Poole, M.SC., B.FOR.SC., F.R.S.N.Z., Director-General of Forests, Wellington.
