Overview
Podocarpus totara
Habit: Tall tree.
Claims to fame: Becomes one of the giants of New Zealand’s forests. The wood is highly valued.
Traditional uses: The fleshy stalks of the seeds can be eaten. Used to treat fever and skin problems, with the outer bark used to splint broken bones (Brooker et al., 2002, New Zealand Medicinal Plants, Reed). The durable and comparatively-workable wood is good for carving and making waka (canoes).
Distribution/ecology: Native only to New Zealand, where it occurs throughout.
Relationships: A conifer in the podocarp family, along with kahikatea, matai, miro, and rimu.
Identification: Spiky, linear leaves arranged spirally around the stems. Bigger trees have distinctive reddy bark arranged in long, vertical strips.
Bush City locations: Near the Fossil Dig (9 & 10).