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Whitireia Park
Whitireia Park is a headland north of Titahi Bay and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour in Porirua, in the Wellington Region at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island. It is a regional park administered by Wellington Regional Council. The park includes Onehunga Bay, Kaitawa Point and part of Rocky Bay. Geography The park covers of hilly headland, consisting mostly of open grasslands with some native bush. The headland has uplifted from the harbour during a series of earthquakes over the past one or two million years. The most recent earthquake in January 1855 created the marshland at Te Onepoto Bay and the western coastline beaches, and made Porirua Harbour too shallow for large sailing ships. Te Onepoto Bay now provides a habitat for water birds, including kingfishers and white-faced herons. There are also some little shags, black shags, royal spoonbills, black backed gulls and shore plover. There is of remnant coastal kohekohe forest, with two rare streblus banksii ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doodia Australis
''Doodia'' is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, in the suborder Aspleniineae (eupolypods II). It is named after Samuel Doody (1656-1706), an English botanist. Distribution of the genus includes parts of Australia and New Zealand.C. Michael Hogan. 2009 Phylogenic studies found ''Doodia'' to be embedded within the paraphyletic ''Blechnum'' as then circumscribed. In 2011, Christenhusz ''et al.'' therefore reassigned ''Doodia'' species to ''Blechnum''. The alternative taken in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group, or PPG, is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the classification of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns) that reflects knowledge about plant relation ... classification of 2016 (PPG I) is to split ''Blechnum'' into a number of smaller genera, including ''Doodia''. Species , the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' accepted the follow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perna Canaliculus
''Perna canaliculus'', the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, also known as the New Zealand mussel, the greenshell mussel, ''kuku'', and ''kutai'', is a bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae (the true mussels). ''P. canaliculus'' has economic importance as a cultivated species in New Zealand. Distribution ''Perna canaliculus'' occurs around all of New Zealand's mainland. It is usually found below the intertidal zone, but it can occur in the intertidal zone. ''P. canaliculus'' feeds on various types of phytoplankton. Description This shellfish is economically important to New Zealand. It differs from other mussel species in that it has dark brown/green shells with green lips around the edges, and has only one adductor muscle. It is also one of the largest mussel species, reaching in length. Aquaculture ''P. canaliculus'' is endemic to New Zealand. When grown for aquaculture there, it is marketed under the trademark name Greenshell. This industry produces over annually and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pāua
Pāua is the Māori name given to three New Zealand species of large edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs which belong to the family Haliotidae (in which there is only one genus, ''Haliotis''), known in the United States and Australia as abalone, and in the United Kingdom as ormer shells. Pāua has entered English through common use in the New Zealand English dialect, and is both singular and plural, following the grammar rules of its original language. Species There are three species of New Zealand pāua: New Zealand's best known pāua species is ''Haliotis iris''. It is also the most common species, growing up to 18 cm (7") in width Habitat Pāua are commonly found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shorelines in depths of 1 to 10 metres (3' to 30'). There is clear distinction between juvenile and adult habitats for ''Haliotis iris'', pāua less than 7 cm (3") occur in crevices and under stones in the shallow intertidal zone while adults are f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kina (animal)
Kina (''Evechinus chloroticus'') is a sea urchin endemic to New Zealand. This echinoderm belongs to the family Echinometridae and it can reach a maximum diameter of 16–17 cm. Kina have been a traditional component of Māori diet since pre-European times and has been fished commercially since 1986 in small quantities under the quota management system in restricted areas along the coast of New Zealand. Attempts to export ''E. chloroticus'' to Asian markets have been unsuccessful, so it may not be an economically attractive species for aquaculture development (James 2010). ''Evechinus chloroticus'' is distributed throughout New Zealand and in some northern and southern offshore islands. Habitat This sea urchin is found all around New Zealand in shallow waters around 12–14 metres deep, although there are also intertidal populations in the north of both the North and South Islands. ''Evechinus chloroticus'' prefers areas with moderate wave action. In the north of New Zeal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Museum Of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring from mother Earth here in New Zealand". Usually known as Te Papa (Māori for "the treasure box"), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery. An average of more than 1.5 million people visit every year, making it the 17th-most-visited art gallery in the world. Te Papa's philosophy emphasises the living face behind its cultural treasures, many of which retain deep ancestral links to the indigenous Māori people. History Colonial Museum The first predecessor to Te Papa was the ''Colonial Museum'', founded in 1865, with Sir James Hector as founding director. The Museum was built on Museum Street, roughly in the location of the present day Defence House Office Building. The muse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kupe
Kupe ( ~1180-1320) was a legendary Polynesian explorer, navigator and great rangatira of Hawaiki, who is said to have been the first human to discover New Zealand. Whether Kupe existed historically is likely but difficult to confirm. He is generally held to have been born to a father from Rarotonga and a mother from Raiatea, and probably spoke a proto-Māori language similar to Cook Islands Māori or Tahitian. His voyage to New Zealand would ensure that the land would be known to the Polynesians, and he would therefore be responsible for the genesis of Māori civilisation. Kupe features prominently in the mythology and oral history of some Māori iwi (tribes), but the details of his life differ between iwi. Various legends and histories describe Kupe's extensive involvement in the settlement of Aotearoa, around 1000–1300 CE, with many talking of his achievements, such as the hunting and destruction of the great octopus, Te Wheke-a-Muturangi. Time of arrival Estimates of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iris (plant)
''Iris'' is a flowering plant genus of 310 accepted species with showy flowers. As well as being the scientific name, ''iris'' is also widely used as a common name for all ''Iris'' species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus '' Scorpiris'' are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower. The often-segregated, monotypic genera '' Belamcanda'' (blackberry lily, ''I. domestica''), '' Hermodactylus'' (snake's head iris, ''I. tuberosa''), and ''Pardanthopsis'' (vesper iris, '' I. dichotoma'') are currently included in ''Iris''. Three Iris varieties are used in the Iris flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper ''The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems'' as an example of linear discriminant analysis. Description Irises are perennial plants, growing from creeping rhizomes (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tussock (grass)
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial plants, most species live more than one season. Tussock grasses are often found as forage in pastures and ornamental grasses in gardens. Many species have long roots that may reach or more into the soil, which can aid slope stabilization, erosion control, and soil porosity for precipitation absorption. Also, their roots can reach moisture more deeply than other grasses and annual plants during seasonal or climatic droughts. The plants provide habitat and food for insects (including Lepidoptera), birds, small animals and larger herbivores, and support beneficial soil mycorrhiza. The leaves supply material, such as for basket weaving, for indigenous peoples and contemporary artists. Tussock and bunch grasses occur in almost any habitat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shore Spurge
''Euphorbia glauca'', known by the common names of waiūatua, waiū-o-Kahukura, New Zealand sea spurge, or shore spurge, is a coastal plant endemic to New Zealand. It is in decline. Description ''Euphorbia glauca'' is a perennial herb with multiple erect reddish stems, around 1 metre tall. Its foliage is a blue/green colour. It flowers between September and March, although sporadic flowering can take place at other times. Flowers occur at the tip of the stems. Each flower is surrounded by a deep red coloured cup. Fruit occurs in from December to May. The plant produces an irritating milky sap. Habitat This species is endemic to New Zealand, found on coastal cliffs, sand dunes, banks and slopes and rocky lake shore scarps. It is at risk from browsing domestic and feral animals including pigs, cattle and sheep. Possums are also a threat. Its habitat can be impacted by road widening or erosion. A fungal disease is thought to have affected populations on the West Coast of the So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ficinia Spiralis
''Ficinia spiralis'' (pīngao, pīkao, or golden sand sedge) is a coastal sedge endemic to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands). Originally widespread, it has suffered severely from competition with introduced marram grass and animal grazing and now has only a patchy distribution. Description Pīngao is a stout, grass-like plant, 30–90 cm tall, from the sedge family, found on active sand dunes. It is found only in New Zealand and is easily distinguished from other dune species such as spinifex or marram grass. Seen from a distance, pīngao patches have a distinctive orange hue. Most plants produce long, prostrate, tough rope-like stolons that creep along the sand surface until buried by shifting sand, leaving just the upper portion of leaves exposed. Some southern South Island populations produce dense tussock-like plants without extensive stolons. Numerous tough, roughly textured leaves are borne in dense tufts on well-spaced, short, upright stems (tillers), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinifex (coastal Grass)
''Spinifex'' is a genus of perennial coastal plants in the grass family. They are one of the most common plants that grow in sand dunes along the coasts of Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, with the ranges of some species extending north and west along the coasts of Asia as far as India and Japan. As they help stabilise the sand, these grasses are an important part of the entire sand dune ecosystem. The single species indigenous to New Zealand, ''Spinifex sericeus'', is also found in Australia. Confusingly, the word "spinifex" is also used as a common name referring to grasses in the related genus '' Triodia''. ''Triodia'' however is native to inland Australia and refers to a group of spiny-leaved, tussock-forming grasses. Species Species include: * ''Spinifex'' × ''alterniflorus'' Nees – Western Australia * '' Spinifex hirsutus'' Labill. – all 6 states of Australia * '' Spinifex littoreus'' (Burm.f.) Merr. – Ashmore R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
