New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
  • Member login
  • Join
Facebook
  • Home
  • Flora
    • Flora species
    • Vascular
    • Non Vascular
    • Plant identification
    • Fungi
    • Make your own book
    • Quiz
  • Threats
    • Exotic Plants (Weeds)
    • Pest Animals
    • Other threats
  • Ecosystems
    • Plant communities
    • Ecosystem services
    • Novel ecosystems
  • Publications
    • Plant lists
    • Botanical Society journals
    • Newsletter
    • NZPCN publications
    • Documents
  • Conservation
    • Seedbank
    • Training
    • Restoration
    • Monitoring
    • Habitat protection
    • Funding
    • Botanic gardens
  • NZPCN
    • Members
    • Council members
    • Awards
    • David Given Scholarship
    • Events
    • Shop
    • Favourite Plant
    • Join
    • News
    • Donate
    • Trilepidea newsletter
    • Why join NZPCN?
  • Contact us
  • Help
    • FAQ
    • Query
    • Glossary

Search flora

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Flora
  3. Flora species
  4. Libocedrus bidwillii

Libocedrus bidwillii

Juvenile foliage, Dunedin.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Libocedrus bidwilli bark.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Juvenile.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Juvenile.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Juvenile.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Juvenile.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>.
Libocedrus bidwillii.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Ruahine Corner, NW Ruahine Range. Feb 2008.<br>Photographer: Vivienne McGlynn, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Ruahine Corner.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Siberia Valley.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Juvenile foliage, Dunedin.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Libocedrus bidwillii.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Libocedrus bidwillii.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Mount Ruapehu.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 27/12/2008, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Mount Ruapehu.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 27/12/2008, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Download PDF Comment on factsheet

NZPCN members can select up to 20 plant species and automatically create a full colour, fully illustrated A4 book describing them (in PDF format).

  • Find out more...
  • Join NZPCN...
Find in plant lists
iNaturalist NZ View observations Traditional Maori Uses Click here to view Flora of NZ Click here to view Donate Support NZPCN

Common name

pāhautea, kaikawaka, New Zealand cedar

Synonyms

None

Family

Cupressaceae

Authority

Libocedrus bidwillii Hook.f.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms

NVS code

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

LIBBID

Chromosome number

2n = 22

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.

Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2017 | Not Threatened

Previous conservation statuses

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North from Te Moehau, Te Aroha and Mt Pirongia south.

Habitat

Montane to subalpine (250-1200 m.a.s.l.) but exclusively upper montane in northern part of range. Usually in mixed cloud forest, often at the margins where forest grades into subalpine scrub or wetlands. This species seems to prefer regions of moderate to high rainfall and long periods of cloud cover.

Wetland plant indicator status rating

Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).

FAC: Facultative

Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).

Features

Tree 25(-30) m tall and 1.0-1.5 m d.b.h., or a shrub in open conditions, evergreen, monoecious. Bark thin, scaly, greyish-brown, exfoliating in longitudinal strips. Branches long, spreading or ascending, arranged in dense tufts above each other, forming a pyramidal crown in young trees, conical or irregular with a clear bole in old trees. Foliage flattened sprays in young trees, in old trees more irregular and ascending, ultimate branchlets subopposite to alternate, 5-40 mm long, entirely covered with leaves, changing with age of plant from flattened to ± quadrangular, persistent. Leaves decussate, on lateral branchlets, short, decurrent, imbricate, dimorphic in young trees, facials small, rhombic, 1.5-2.0 × 1..0 mm, apiculate to acute, appressed, partly covered at base by larger 2.0-6.0 × 1.5-2.5 mm, divergent, bilaterally flattened, slightly curved laterals with entire margins and free apices, leaves on mature trees smaller, nearly monomorphic; amphistomatic, stomata on facials at base, on laterals much reduced on adaxial side, abaxially in a short, conspicuous band of irregularly but densely arranged stomata, adaxially dull dark green or yellow-green with whitish-green stomatal band, bearing a single resin cavity, eglandular. Pollen cones terminal, solitary, 2.5-5.0 mm, subglobose to ovoid, yellowish-green maturing light brown; microsporophylls decussate, 8-14, peltate, margins entire, bearing 4 abaxial yellow, microsporangia containing spherical pollen. Seed cones terminal on branchlets with monomorphic leaves of equal size, initially consisting of 2 decussate pairs of acute, 3-4 mm long, spreading bracts subtended by 4-5 similar but gradually smaller leaf pairs, the upper pair developing within one growing season to become thinly woody, together forming a cone 8-12 mm long. Bract-scale complexes 7-10 mm long, ± finely rugose, recurved in upper half above the abaxially exserting bract, subtended by the lower, smaller (3-4 mm long) less modified pair. Ovules 4, erect. alternating with each fertile bract. Seeds 2-4, 2-3 mm long, ovoid, flattened, with an acute apex, brown, with a whitish hilum and 2 opposite, thin, unequal, membranous wings, smaller 1 mm wide, larger, irregularly oval-oblong, 4-5 × 2.3 mm, yellowish brown. Cotyledons 2, juveniles leaves only on seedlings, ± acicular, on lower stem in whorls of 4 but soon decussate, bilaterally flattened, acuminate, the facials only slightly smaller, transitional leaves prevalent through much of life of young trees.

Similar taxa

Easily distinguished from kawaka (Libocedrus plumosa) by the ultimate branches ± quadrangular rather than flattened, by the facial leaves only slightly smaller than lateral leaves (< half the size of the laterals in L. plumosa); and by the free part of the bract 1/3 the size of the cone scale beyond which it does not extend, rather than half the size of the cone scale and exceeding beyond it.

Flowering

August - November

Flower colours

No flowers

Fruiting

August - July

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. Can be grown from hard wood cuttings but these are often slow to take and results variable. Does best in a deep, well mulched, moist, fertile soil. Makes an excellent specimen tree. Libocedrus bidwillii is however, better suited to cooler climates. It does not like drought or humidity.

Etymology

libocedrus: Frankincense cedar

bidwillii: Named after the botanist - John Carne Bidwill (born 1815 and died 16 March 1853)

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (13 January 2012).Description adapted from Farjon (2005).

References and further reading

Farjon, A. 2005: A monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1842460684.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Libocedrus bidwillii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/libocedrus-bidwillii/ (Date website was queried)

▲ Back to top
  • Home
  • Flora
  • Threats
  • Ecosystems
  • Publications
  • Conservation
  • NZPCN
  • Contact us
  • Help

© 2023 New Zealand Plant Conservation Network • Website by RS

Coastlands Plant Nursery Wildlands

Website sponsor

  • Home
  • Flora
    • Flora species
    • Vascular
      • Ferns
        • King fern
        • True ferns
        • Adder's tongue ferns
        • Fork ferns and whisk ferns
        • Horsetails
      • Conifers
        • Celery pines
        • Kauri
        • Podocarps
          • Podocarpus
          • Dacrydium
          • Prumnopitys
          • Dacrycarpus
          • Halocarpus
          • Lepidothamnus
          • Manoao
        • Cypress
      • Flowering plants
        • Parasites
          • Leafy mistletoes
          • Pygmy mistletoes
            • Korthalsella hosts
            • Dispersal of Korthalsella
            • Korthalsella flowers
            • Associates of Korthalsella
          • Root parasites
          • Saprophytes
        • Epiphytes
          • NZ
            • Typical
            • Occasional
            • Hemi-epiphytes
            • Ephemeral
            • NZ list
        • Monocots
          • Orchids
            • Structure
          • Grasses
        • Dicots
          • Hebes
          • Kowhai
          • Coprosma
          • Beech
          • Rata
        • Carnivorous
        • Deciduous plants
        • Aquatic plants
      • Poisonous natives
      • Threatened plant lists
      • What's a vascular plant?
      • Club mosses
    • Non Vascular
      • Bryophytes
        • Liverworts
        • Mosses
        • Hornworts
      • Algae
        • Seaweeds
      • Lichens
    • Plant identification
      • Written descriptions
      • Experts
      • Plant keys
        • Key to parasitic plant genera
      • Collecting plants
        • Should I collect
        • Choosing a specimen
        • Field notes
        • Fresh plant material
        • Pressing and drying
        • Mounting specimens
        • Labelling specimens
    • Fungi
    • Make your own book
    • Quiz
  • Threats
    • Exotic Plants (Weeds)
      • Unwanted organisms
      • DOC weeds
      • Plant me instead
      • Pest Plant Accord
    • Pest Animals
      • Mammals
        • Mustelids
        • Rodents
        • Ungulates
        • Possums
      • Fish
      • Insects
    • Other threats
      • Natural events
        • Insects
      • Human induced
        • Habitat loss
        • Collection
        • Climate change
  • Ecosystems
    • Plant communities
      • Dunes
        • Volcanic
        • Coastal
          • Pingao research
          • What you can do
          • Common species
          • Research on dunes
          • Threats
      • Wetlands
        • Estuaries
          • Common estuarine species
          • Research on estuaries
        • Ephemeral
        • Restiad peat bogs
      • Forests
        • Kauri-podocarp-broadleaved
        • Podocarp broadleaved
        • Beech
      • Scrub/shrublands
        • Geothermal
          • Distribution of geothermal vegetation
          • Geothermal plants
          • Geothermal vegetation types
          • Threats to geothermal vegetation
        • Frost flat/hollow
        • Manuka fens
        • Gumlands
      • Grasslands
        • Tussock grasslands
      • Bare ground
        • Braided rivers
        • Alpine
        • Cliff
        • Scree and boulderfields
        • Shingle beaches
      • Herbfields
        • Saltpan
    • Ecosystem services
    • Novel ecosystems
  • Publications
    • Plant lists
      • How to prepare a plant list
      • National plant lists
      • Plant lists by region
      • Search plant lists
    • Botanical Society journals
    • Newsletter
    • NZPCN publications
    • Documents
  • Conservation
    • Seedbank
      • Project 2 - Alpine flora and the Forget-Me-Nots
      • Project 3 - Kowhai and its relatives
      • Project 1 - Pohutukawa, Rata and Myrtaceae
      • Project 4 - Podocarps and trees of the forest
    • Training
      • Module 1: Plant life
      • Module 2: Covenants
      • Module 3: Propagation
      • Module 4: Wetlands
      • Pilot course 2006
    • Restoration
      • Gardening
        • Being weed wise
        • Garden plants
          • Ferns
          • Climbers
          • Trees and shrubs
          • Broad-leaved herbs
          • Grass-like herbs
        • Attracting wildlife
        • Planting for lizards
          • Rules
      • Species recovery
        • Plant translocations
      • Ecological restoration
        • Case studies
          • Tavora Reserve
          • Waiwhakareke
      • Revegetation
      • Eco-sourcing
      • Find a restoration group
    • Monitoring
      • Number count
        • Number count method
        • Pros and cons of number counts
        • Data analysis and interpretation
      • Presence/absence surveys
        • Presence/absence survey methods
        • Pros and cons of presence/absence surveys
        • Data analysis and interpretation
      • Mapping spatial extent
        • Pros and cons of spatial extent mapping
        • Data analysis and interpretation
        • Spatial extent mapping methods
      • Photo points
        • Photo point guidelines
    • Habitat protection
      • Legal protection
        • Nga Whenua Rahui
        • QEII covenants
        • DOC Covenants
      • Animal pest control
      • Weed control
      • Fencing
    • Funding
    • Botanic gardens
  • NZPCN
    • Members
    • Council members
      • Council 2009
      • Council 2010
      • Council 2011
      • Council 2012
      • Council 2013
      • NZPCN council member profiles
      • Council 2003
      • Council 2004
      • Council 2005
      • Council 2006
      • Council 2007
      • Council 2008
      • Council 2014
      • Council 2015
      • Council 2016
      • Council 2017
      • Council 2018
      • Council 2019
      • Council 2020
      • Council 2021
      • Council 2022
      • Council 2023
    • Awards
      • NZPCN Awards
        • 2018
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
        • 2012
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2017
        • 2019
        • 2022
    • David Given Scholarship
      • David Given Scholarship Recipients
    • Events
      • Conference 2019
      • Conference 2017
      • Conference 2015
        • Speakers
        • Workshops
        • Field trips
        • Charity auction
      • Conference 2013
        • Speakers
        • Timetable
      • Conference 2022
        • 2022 conference field trips
        • 2022 conference workshops
        • Code of conduct
        • 2022 conference sponsors
        • COVID-19 information
        • Abstract and poster submission
        • 2022 Conference venue and accommodation
        • 2022 conference postponement
        • Conference Workshop: Restoration Pathways
        • Conference programme summary
      • 2023 Restoration Pathways Workshop
    • Shop
    • Favourite Plant
    • Join
    • News
    • Donate
    • Trilepidea newsletter
    • Why join NZPCN?
  • Contact us
  • Help
    • FAQ
      • The Network
      • Network website
      • New Zealand plants
      • The law
      • Your discoveries
      • Joining the Network
    • Query
    • Glossary