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NZ Plants

Libocedrus plumosa - kawaka, kaikawaka

Cypress family: Cupressaceae

  • Mature foliage

    L Jensen

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  • Mature foliage

    L Jensen

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  • Leaves, upper stem surface

    I MacDonald

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  • Leaves, lower stem surface

    L Jensen

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  • Leaf lower surface, stomata

    L Jensen

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  • Seedling plant

    L Jensen

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  • Juvenile foliage, seedling plant

    L Jensen

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  • Juvenile foliage with early formation of scale leaves

    L Jensen

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  • Older seedling with mature foliage

    L Jensen

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  • Pollen cones

    I MacDonald

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  • Pollen cone

    L Jensen

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  • Ovule cones

    I MacDonald

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  • Young ovule cone with two pairs of bracts. Only the two inner bracts will bear ovules.

    L Jensen

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  • Large fertile bract

    L Jensen

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  • Base of fertile bract, a small dome-shaped fertile scale bears two pre-pollination ovules.

    L Jensen

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  • Fertile bract removed, enlarged fertile scale with pair of post-pollination ovules.

    L Jensen

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  • Fertile scales join together over the ovules while the bracts (outermost) enlarge and form spines.

    L Jensen

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  • Cone opened up, bract and fertile scale removed. The seeds develope large, flat wings.

    L Jensen

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  • As the mature cone dries out, the bracts and fertile scales separate exposing the winged seeds within.

    I MacDonald

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  • Seed with wing

    L Jensen

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Libocedrus plumosa  is a tall tree with a pyramidal shape when young and small scale-like leaves that are compressed and flattened to the stem stem into four rows forming a lateral pair and a dorsal-ventral pair. The lateral leaves are much larger than the dorsal and ventral leaves and the ultimate branches are flattened giving a feathery effect to the foliage. Seed cones are small and woody, with a distinctive sharp spine on the outer bracts and release seeds while attached to the tree.

An endemic species found in lowland forest throughout New Zealand.

Vegetative characteristics

Reproductive characteristics

Adult plant form: tree up to 25 m

Pollen and ovule cones: on the same tree

Adult leaf form: sheathing, triangular, closely overlapping two dorsal/ventral rows

Pollen cone: 5-8 mm long with 10-14 fertile scales

Adult leaf size: lateral leaves up to 5mm; dorsal-ventral leaves up to 2.5 mm

Ovule cone: ovoid, 5-8 mm wide with two sterile and two fertile bracts arranged in opposite pairs; a small fertile cone scale is on the inner surface of each of the two uppermost bracts

Adult leaf arrangement: in pairs arranged in two lateral rows and two dorsal-ventral rows

Ovule position: two upright ovules on the upper surface of each fertile cone scale

Juvenile leaf form: linear, needle-like becoming triangular

Ovule coverings: a single covering (integument); after fertilisation the ovule is covered by the enlarged fertile scale

Juvenile leaf size: up to 10 mm

Ovule pore (micropyle): directed upward

Juvenile leaf arrangement: spiral, spreading out from the stem becoming in two lateral rows.

Mature seed cone: spherical and woody, 10-15 mm diam.; curved spine on the back of each woody bract ; up to four winged seeds are released when cone opens


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