Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

Mature specimen of Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

The New Zealand Warzeneibe ( Dacrycarpus dacrydioides ) is a plant from the family of Podocarpus plants ( Podocarpaceae ). It is native to New Zealand where it is known kahikatea.

Description

The New Zealand Warzeneibe grows as a tree; it reaches stature heights of 55 meters and a trunk diameter of about 1 meter. It forms the base support roots.

The leaves are arranged spirally around the twig. In young plants, they are commended shaped and 3-8 mm long and twisted at the base so that the leaves are in a plane on the side of the branch. For mature plants they are scale-like, spread 1-3 mm long and evenly around the branch.

The cones are highly modified. The cone scales swell similar to the European yew tree in a ripe fruit with orange to red-colored, fleshy aril with a single terminal seeds 3-5 mm in diameter. The seeds are shed in the faeces of birds that eat the aril.

Others

Prior to the extensive deforestation of the stocks of trees 60 m plant height were known. Today is a copy in the Pirongia Forest Reserve with 55.1 m height of the tallest native tree in New Zealand.

Until recently, the tree in English often than White Pine (Eng. " White Pine " ) has been designated, although the tree is not in the jaw. The name of the tree in the language of Māori " kahikatea " is the most common name today. Other Māori names are kahika, Katea ' and kōaka.

Like many other species of the family stone Yews ( Podocarpaceae ) the classification of the New Zealand Warzeneibe was changed; it formerly belonged to the genera Podocarpus and Nageia. Synonyms are dacrydioides P., D. excelsum, P. thujoides, D. thuioides, D. ferrugineum, N. dacrydioides, N. excelsa, P. excelsus.

Dissemination

The New Zealand Warzeneibe is the dominant tree species in the forests of the lowlands and wetlands of New Zealand.

Use

Since the wood gives off no odor and is light and clean, the wood in Australia and New Zealand was used in the 1880s as an export packaging for butter, than the refrigerated transport arose. The butter was exported in 56 -pound plates. Kahikatea was therefore less likely to increase in exports.

For the Māori kahikatea had many uses. The fleshy aril oderkoroi was an important source of food and was consumed at festivals in large quantity. The wood was preferred for making spears to hunt birds. Soot from burnt wood core was used as a pigment for traditional tattoos ( tā moko ).

Kahikatea may today - as well as other kinds - are like in private forests only with the permission and in the context of sustainable forest management.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Dacrycarpus dacrydioides. In: The Gymnosperm Database. January 25, 2011, accessed on 31 October 2011 ( English).