Summary: | The Podocarpaceae is an essentially southern hemisphere family of conifers which includes seven genera: viz. Podocarpus, Dacrydium, Phyllocladus, Microstrobos, Microcachrys, Acmopyle, and Saxegothaea. The first of these is represented in every major southern continent except Antarctica, includes some 90 species, and is sub-divided into eight sections (Buchholz & Gray, 1948). Dacrydium and Phyllocladus are both fairly widely distributed around the southern borders of the Pacific Basin and include 20 and six species respectively. All three of these genera are represented in New Zealand. The remaining four genera are all of very limited distribution, again around the borders of the South Pacific, and include only one or two species each. None is represented in New Zealand.
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