Podocarpus laetus
Common names
mountain tōtara, Hall’s tōtara, thin-barked tōtara, tōtara-kiri-kōtukutuku
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Robust dioecious conifer up to 20 m tall. Trunk stout, 1–1.5 m diameter, clad in papery, thin, freely flaking reddish-grey bark, without branches at base. Branches slender, erect, spreading or somewhat drooping. Leaf bud significantly broader than the diameter, of the branchlet, surrounded by caducous, papery, ovate bracts. Leaves yellow-green, green, or brownish-green, erect, leathery; juvenile 25–50 × 4–5 mm, adults 20–30 × 3–4 mm., narrow-linear to linear-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, apex very pungent, mid-vein distinct. Male cones (strobili) axillary, 10–25 mm, solitary or up to 5 on a common peduncle. Female branchlets axillary. Ovules solitary or paired; receptacle of 2–4 scales, irregularly elliptic-oblong to obovate-oblong, maturing as a red, swollen, succulent, sweet tasting “fruit” this surmounted by a 1–(2) elliptic, elliptic-oblong or ovate-oblong, (5)–6.5–8.5 mm long, grey nut brown or dark brown (green when fresh) seed.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from Podocarpus totara var. totara by the leaf bud which is wider than the diameter of the branchlet (resembles a meat ball on a stick), and by the broadly ovate bud bracts. The bark is generally papery—hence “thin barked totara”, the leaves (especially juveniles and subadults) are longer and broader with a very sharp, pungent leaf tip. Hybridises with P. totara var. totara and hybrids can only reliably be distinguished by bud scale and bud diameter characters. See also Gardner (1990) in references below.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Habitat
Lowland, montane to lower subalpine forest (but notably more common in montane forest). Often found on impoverished soils, immature (skeletal) soils, or sites that are naturally stressed by drought or extreme temperature fluctuations.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Podocarpus hallii Kirk; Podocarpus cunninghamii Colenso
Taxonomic notes
Molloy (2015) has outlined the complex taxonomic history of Hall’s tōtara noting that there are three valid names that could be used for this species, P. hallii Kirk, P. cunninghamii Colenso and P. laetus Hooibr. ex Endl. Molloy (2015) concludes that Podocarpus laetus is the earliest legitimate and validly published name, and in the absence of any final ruling on the matter that name is now used here. Previously it had been recommended that P. cunninghamii should be used (see Molloy 1985; de Lange & Rolfe 2010).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(August)–October–(December)
Fruiting
Fruits take a year or so to ripen, and may be found throughout the year, usually peaking at about the same time that cones are produced. They are most frequently seen between April and May.
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and hard-wood cuttings.
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). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultivation
Uncommon in cultivation. Not often seen in gardens though it is commercially available.
Etymology
podocarpus: Foot or stalk fruit
laetus: From the Latin laetus ‘bright’
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.
PODLAE
Chromosome number
2n = 34
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
Connor HE, Edgar E. 1987. Name changes and Nomina Nova IV. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25(1): 115–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1987.10409961.
de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR. 2010. New Zealand indigenous vascular plant checklist. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, Wellington, NZ. 131 p.
Gardner R. 1990. Totara and Halls totara. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 45: 27–28.
Kirk T. 1889. The Forest Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 345 p. https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE17359801.
Molloy BPJ. 1985. The continuing saga of native conifer nomenclature. DSIR Botany Division Newsletter 102: 26–27.
Molloy BPJ. 2015. The correct name for the New Zealand endemic conifer Hall’s totara (Araucariales: Podocarpaceae). Phytotaxa 220(2): 101–116. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.220.2.1.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 January 2005). Description adapted from Kirk 1889 and Allan 1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Podocarpus laetus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/podocarpus-laetus/ (Date website was queried)