Where found:

• Lowland and montane forest, common in the 'goblin forest' on Mt Taranaki/Egmont (760 - 1100 metres above sea level)

• Tall, slow growing forest tree with a trunk up to 1.25m diameter, enormous roots and slender branchlets, in the early stages it is a spreading bushy tree becoming open branched when older
  
• Narrow brownish green leaves with pointed tips, juvenile leaves are larger (2.5-5cm x 4-5mm) than adult leaves (2-3cm x 3-4mm)
  
• Cones occur solitary or in groups of 2-5
  
• Seeds 3-5mm long and nutlike on a swollen red 'base'
  
• Thin, flaky, paperlike bark which can be used to tell this tree from P. totara