''Halocarpus kirkii'', or monoao, is a species of

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

in the family

Podocarpaceae Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pre ...

. It is native and endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It was formerly known as ''

Dacrydium ''Dacrydium'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many m ...

kirkii''.

Etymology

This species is named in honour of the botanist Thomas Kirk.

Description

When seen at a distance, it resembles a small

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

in its overall appearance. It can be usually distinguished by its juvenile foliage, which often remains on the lower branches until the tree grows to approximately 10 metres tall. The tree ultimately reaches a height of about 25 metres, with a trunk up to 1 metre thick and grey-brown bark that has a rough, pustular texture. The pale reddish-brown wood is strong and durable. The leaves of the younger trees and on the lower branches of the adults are narrow and to some extent leathery, up to 4 cm long and 3 mm wide. The adult leaves are thick, scale-like and much smaller; the leaves overlap and lie appressed to the branchlets in 4 rows. It is not a common tree, sometimes being found in lowland forests to an altitude of 700 metres in the north of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

and on

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island ( mi, Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain. Its highest point, Mount Hobson ...

References

Podocarpaceae Trees of New Zealand Vulnerable plants {{NewZealand-plant-stub