Podocarpus nivalis, mountain totara or snow totara is endemic to the North and South Islands, and is found from Cape Colville southwards and throughout the South Island. It grows in montane to alpine (virtually confined to subalpine and alpine areas in the North Island), and is common in open tussock grassland, subalpine scrub and herbfield, at the base of active scree, amongst boulderfalls and on cliff faces and razorback ridges. Sometimes extending down into beech forest and down into valley heads. It varies much in size and habit. In some districts it is mainly a more or less erect shrub 1 to 1.2m high, while in others it is depressed or quite prostrate and spreading in all directions to form springy mats that are many metres wide. Both forms are useful plants in rock gardens and the more prostrate form is good as a ground-cover plant or for growing down over walls and banks, and th erect form is useful as a low growing hedge. It has a slender trunk with numerous spreading branches, dense branchlets with bronze-green, dark green, sometimes dark wine-red or bronze-purple, leaves that are closely spaced and spirally arranged.  It was discovered by J.C. Bidwill in 1839 during his ascent of Mount Ngauruhoe.