Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia.[3] The bark is smooth and light grey to grey-brown, usually peeling into irregular flakes that become thicker on more mature trees.Young leaves are often a coppery-red, contrasting markedly with the usually green or glaucous-green foliage of the previous season.The timber is generally straight-grained and of fine quality with an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and rot resistance, making it ideal for yacht hull construction.The uses of the New Zealand species (A. australis) included shipbuilding, house construction, wood panelling, furniture making, mine braces, and railway sleepers.