The plant was excellently described by Solander in his manuscript "Primitae Florae Novae Zelandiae" under the name Ephielis pentaphylla, and a drawing of considerable artistic merit was also prepared.

[1] The next botanist to notice pūriri, Allan Cunningham, did not do so until 1826 when he observed it on "the rocky shores of Bay of Islands, growing frequently within the range of salt water."

The pūriri tree can grow up to 20 m tall, with a trunk commonly up to 1.5 m in diameter, frequently thicker, and a broad spreading crown.

When the flower is fully open the style starts growing and reaches its full length just after the anthers on the stamen have shed all the pollen.

Pūriri is a very important tree for native birds in the top half of the North Island because it provides a constant year-round food supply.

[9] Pūriri is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the upper half of the North Island from North Cape to the Waikato and Upper Thames, and from thence in small numbers southwards to Māhia Peninsula (39°10′S) on the east coast and Cape Egmont (39°27′S) on the west (rare inland south of latitude 37).

[2][10] Pūriri is an invaluable food source for native wildlife, as it provides both fruit and nectar in seasons when few other species produce these, thus it is often used in restoration planting, e.g. the Elvie McGregor Reserve between Waipoua Forest and Katui Scenic Reserve in Northland and on Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

It is hoped that restoration planting, with trees such as pūriri, will provide a year-round food source for birds, boosting their populations.

Maintaining kererū populations is particularly important for natural restoration and maintenance of forest remnants, as this bird is the main disperser of large fruited species.

[11] The wide spreading branches also provide room for epiphytic species such as Astelia, puka (Griselinia lucida) and northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta).

[12] Māori used infusions from boiled leaves to bathe sprains and backache, as a remedy for ulcers, especially under the ear, and for sore throats.

[10] Pūriri timber is usually greenish dark-brown, but sometimes nearly black or streaked with yellow, it was often used for implements and structures requiring strength and durability.

European settlers used great quantities of pūriri timber for fence posts, railway sleepers, shipbuilding and house blocks, as it is ground durable without treatment for 50 years or more.

[17] Pūriri was also favoured for furniture and decorative wood work such as inlay veneers, as its appearance was "quite equal to the best Italian or American walnut".

Some of the special-purpose end uses advocated were; furniture, veneer, turnery, exterior joinery, boat building and tool handles.

Other potential roles for pūriri include post, wharf and bridge pilings, as pine requires a high degree of preservative treatment and can break too readily under pressure due to lack of cross-grained wood.

[24] Indications are that pūriri could coppice well, and, as it is one of New Zealand's most demanded burning timbers,[10] it might prove suitable as a source of biomass or for charcoal production.