Nikau.--_Areca Sapida._ A beautiful and graceful palm, with ringed trunk, and bright green pinnate leaves 4 to 6 feet long, the sole representative of its genus in New Zealand; the pulp of the top portion of the stem is edible, and when young is a favourite article of food with the natives; very frequent in the forests of the interior, but appeared to attain its greatest growth and development in the damp marly soil of the Valley of the Whanganui. Pohutukawa.--_Metrosideros tormentosa._ A grand, wide-spreading tree, with gnarled trunk and twisting branches, growth 30 to 50 feet; bears in the month of December a large crimson flower; inner bark used by the natives for diarrhoea; wood hard and red; grows usually near the sea, but also inland at Lake Tarawera at altitude of over 1000 feet. Pukatea.--_Atherosperma Novæ Zelandiæ._ A straight-growing tree, with a buttressed trunk, growth 50 to 150 feet; grows to a large size in the forests west of Ruapehu, at an altitude of about 2000 feet. Rata.--_Metrosideros robusta._ A gigantic tree from 60 to 160 feet in height, base of trunk often exceeds 40 feet in circumference; blooms with a crimson flower; the trunk gives life to innumerable parasitical plants; wood hard, but not durable; inner bark powerful astringent, used by natives for diarrhoea; frequent in all the forests of the interior, the largest trees found being on the eastern side of Mount Pirongia and in the dense low-lying forests of the Valley of Whanganui. Rewarewa.--_Knightia excelsa._ A handsome tree, growth 80 to 100 feet; bears large clusters of red flowers; frequent in the Lake Country. Rimu.--_Dacrydium cupressinum_, the red pine. A noble tree, growth from 80 to 150 feet; branches pendulous; wood red, heavy, and handsome. This tree attains to its largest size in the Terangakaika Forest, west of Mount Ruapehu, where it flourishes in great abundance at an altitude varying from 2000 to 2500 feet. Tanekaha.--_Phyllocladus trichomanoides._ A celery-leaved pine, producing a tough timber-growth, from 20 to 30 feet; the bark affords a red dye which is fast becoming a valuable article of export for the purpose of colouring kid gloves; frequent in forests of Western Taupo and Te Toto ranges.[75] Tawa--_Nesodaphne Tawa._ A fine tree, growth 60 to 80 feet; leaves lance-shaped; produces an edible berry; common throughout the interior. Ti.--_Cordyline Australis._ Growth 10 to 30 feet; leaves uniform, from 2 to 3 feet long; flowers white and drooping; root edible; frequent throughout the interior, grows at an altitude of 3000 feet; frequent on Rangipo table-land.