This article relates to the flora of New Zealand, especially indigenous strains.

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

isolation has meant the country has developed a unique variety of native flora. However,

human migration Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another with intentions of settling, permanently or temporarily, at a new location (geographic region). The movement often occurs over long distances and from one country to another (ex ...

has led to the importation of many other plants (generally referred to as 'exotics' in New Zealand) as well as widespread damage to the indigenous flora, especially after the advent of European colonisation, due to the combined efforts of farmers and specialised societies dedicated to importing European plants & animals.

Characteristics

Indigenous New Zealand flora generally has the following characteristics: * the majority are evergreen. * few annual herbs. * few cold-tolerant trees. * majority are dispersed by birds. * very few have defences against mammalian browsers. * few

nitrogen fixing Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmos ...

plants. * few fire-adapted species. * many

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...

species. * flowers are typically small and white. * many plants have divaricating growth forms. * many plants have evolved into larger forms compared with similar plant families in other countries.

List of plants

Trees and shrubs

* Akeake * Bartlett's rātā or Cape Reinga white rātā *

Beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

(''Nothofagus'') * Bog pine *

Broom A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. ...

* Cabbage tree or Tī rākau / Tī kōuka *

Coprosma ''Coprosma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Borneo, Java, New Guinea, islands of the Pacific Ocean to Australia and the Juan Fernández Islands. Description The name ''Copros ...

* Daisy bush * Dracophyllum * Five finger *

Fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' () is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first to be scientifically described, ''Fuchsia triphylla'', was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic ...

or Kōtukutuku * Hebes * Horopito * Kahikatea or White Pine *

Kaka Beak ''Clianthus'', commonly known as kakabeak (''kōwhai ngutukākā'' in Māori), is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, comprising two species of shrubs native to New Zealand. They have striking clusters of red flowers ...

* Kanuka * Kapuka or Broadleaf * Karaka * Karamū *

Karo Karo may refer to: Ethnic groups * Karo people (East Africa), a group of tribes in East Africa * Karo people (Ethiopia), an ethnic group from Ethiopia * Karo people (Indonesia), the indigenous people of the Karo Plateau in North Sumatra Language ...

* Kauri * Kawakawa * Kohekohe * Kohuhu * Kōwhai *

Kumaraho Kumarahou is a Maori designation for various species of shrub. It may refer to: *''Olearia colensoi ''Olearia colensoi'', commonly known as tūpare (from the Māori ) or leatherwood, is a sub-alpine shrub that is endemic to New Zealand. Other ...

Lacebark Lacebark is a common name for several plants, lacebark trees and may refer to: * lacebark or lace-bark, a textile made from ''Lagetta lagetto'' species * lacebark, a common name for species in the genus ''Brachychiton'' * lacebark, a common name fo ...

* Lancewood or Horoeka * Lemonwood or Tarata *

Mahoe Mahoe is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Alectryon macrococcus'', or ʻalaʻalahua, a species of tree in the soapberry family endemic to Hawaii *''Melicytus ramiflorus'', a tree endemic to New Zealand *Other ''Melicytus ''Me ...

or Whiteywood * Maire *

Manawa Manawa can refer to: *Manawa, Wisconsin, a city in Wisconsin * ''Manawa'' (crustacean): ''Manawa'' Hornibrook, 1949, a genus of ostracod *''Manawa'' Forster, 1970 an invalid genus of spider: now '' Mesudus'' Özdikmen, 2007 *''Manawa'' Bergquist & ...

or White or Grey mangrove *

Mānuka ''Leptospermum scoparium'', commonly called mānuka, () mānuka myrtle, New Zealand teatree, broom tea-tree, or just tea tree, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands ...

or Tea Tree * Māpou or Red Matipo *

Matagouri ''Discaria toumatou'', commonly called matagouri, tūmatakuru or wild Irishman, is a tangle-branched thorny plant endemic to New Zealand. Matagouri is a tangle-branched, extremely thorny, divaricating shrub or small tree up to five metres t ...

* Mataī or Black Pine * Mingimingi * Miro * Manoao or Silver pine * Mountain tōtara * Neinei * Ngaio * Nikau * Northern rātā * Olearia * Ongaonga or Tree nettle * Patē or Seven Finger * Other

Pittosporum ''Pittosporum'' ( or ) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. '' ...

s * Pōhutukawa * Poroporo or Bullibulli * Puka *

Putaputaweta ''Carpodetus serratus'' is an evergreen tree with small ovate or round, mottled leaves with a toothy margin, and young twigs grow zig-zag, and fragrant white flowers in 5 cm panicles and later black chewy berries. It is an endemic of New ...

or marbleleaf *

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

or Bushman's friend * Rewarewa or New Zealand honeysuckle *

Ribbonwood Ribbonwood is a common name for several plants. They are like the lacebarks in having an inner layer of bark made up many lace-like layers, which can be torn into ribbon-like strips, and may refer to: * ''Adenostoma sparsifolium'', more commonly kno ...

or Manatu * Rimu or Red Pine * Southern rātā *

Tanekaha ''Phyllocladus trichomanoides'', the tānekaha or celery pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. Description Tānekaha is a medium-sized forest tree growing up to 25 m in height and 1 m trunk diameter. The main structural shoots ar ...

Taraire ''Taraire'' is a small genus of Polynesian long-jawed orb-weavers. The genus was first described by A. Álvarez-Padilla, R. J. Kallal and Gustavo Hormiga in 2020, and it has only been found in New Zealand. They build vertical orb webs near fore ...

* Tawa * Titoki * Toatoa * Toru * Tōtara *

Tetrapathaea tetrandra ''Passiflora tetrandra'' is a climbing vine found in New Zealand. The Māori name for the plant is kōhia. Other common names include New Zealand passionflower and New Zealand passionfruit. Of the c.500 species of passionflower, this is the so ...

* Tutu *

Yellow pine In ecology and forestry, yellow pine refers to a number of conifer species that tend to grow in similar plant communities and yield similar strong wood. In the Western United States, yellow pine refers to Jeffrey pine or ponderosa pine. In the ...

Whau ''Entelea arborescens'' or whau is a species of malvaceous tree endemic to New Zealand. ''E. arborescens'' is the only species in the genus ''Entelea''. A shrub or small tree to 6 m with large lime-like leaves giving a tropical appearanc ...

* Wineberry or Makomako

Ferns

While most of the world's

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except ...

s grow in tropical climates, New Zealand hosts an unusual number of ferns for a temperate country. These exhibit a variety of forms, from stereotypical feather-shaped tufted ferns and

tree ferns The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tre ...

to less typical filmy, leafy and climbing ferns. Both the

koru The ''koru'' () is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. Its shape "conveys the ...

, in the shape of an unfurling fern frond, and the silver fern are widely accepted symbols of New Zealand. New Zealand has ten species of tree ferns, but there are numerous ground, climbing and perching smaller ferns to be found throughout the countries forests, the largest of which is the king fern. * Silver fern or ponga, ''Cyathea dealbata'' *

New Zealand tree fern ''Dicksonia squarrosa'', the New Zealand tree fern, whekī or rough tree fern, is a common tree fern endemic to New Zealand. It has a slender black trunk that is usually surrounded by many dead brown fronds. Description This species has a fa ...

, ''Dicksonia squarrosa'' * Black tree fern or mamaku, ''Cyathea medullaris'' * Tuokura, ''Dicksonia lanata'' * Kuripaka, ''Dicksonia fibrosa'' *

Mountain tree fern ''Alsophila colensoi'', also known as the creeping tree fern, mountain tree fern and golden tree fern, is a species of Cyatheales, tree fern native to New Zealand, from the southern part of the North Island south to Stewart Island/Rakiura, Stewar ...

, ''Cyathea colensoi'' * Gully tree fern, ''Cyathea cunninghamii'' *

Soft tree fern ''Dicksonia antarctica'', the soft tree fern or man fern, is a species of evergreen tree fern native to eastern Australia, ranging from south-east Queensland, coastal New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania. Anatomy and biology These ferns ...

, ''Cyathea smithii'' * King fern, ''Ptisana salicina'' * Prince of Wales fern, ''Leptopteris superba'' * Hound's tongue fern, ''Microsorum pustulatum'' *

Kidney fern ''Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum'', the kidney fern, is a filmy fern species native to New Zealand. It commonly grows on the forest floor of open native bush. Individual kidney-shaped fronds stand about 5–10 cm tall. In hot weather they shri ...

or raurenga, ''Trichomanes reniforme'' * Hen and chickens fern, ''Asplenium bulbiferum'' *

Hanging spleenwort ''Asplenium flaccidum'' is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae. The plant common name is drooping spleenwort or weeping spleenwort, and the species name ''flaccidum'' derives from the Latin root meaning ''drooping''. An example occurrenc ...

, ''Asplenium flaccidum'' * Mangemange, ''Lygodium articulatum''

Seaweeds

Neptune's necklace ''Hormosira banksii'', also known as Neptune's necklace, Neptune's pearls, sea grapes, or bubbleweed) is a species of seaweed ( brown algae, Fucales) native to Australia and New Zealand. The genus ''Hormosira'' is monotypic. Distribution ''Ho ...

Liverworts

New Zealand has a greater density of

liverworts The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of g ...

than any other country, due to its cool, wet and temperate climate. About half the species are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to New Zealand. There are 606 species known in New Zealand. While these include some thallose liverworts, with liver-shaped thalli, most are leafy liverworts which can be confused with mosses and filmy ferns. Undescribed species, and those not previously recorded in New Zealand, continue to be found in lowland forests. Ninety species and varieties are listed on the 2001

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

threatened plants list, and 157 liverwort species and varieties will be included on the next version of the list as a result of better knowledge of the group. A three-volume work on liverworts in New Zealand is being written by

John Engel John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

and

David Glenny David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, with the first volume published in 2008. The first volume will also be placed online in June 2009 as part o
Floraseries
David Glenny, ''New Zealand's liverworts, no longer a forgotten group'', ''Te Taiao'', Number 6, July 2006, ISSN 1176-2454

Grasses

There are 187 species of native grasses in New Zealand: 157 endemic and 30 indigenous species. The grasses belong to the following tribes and genera: * Ehrharteae ** '' Microlaena'', 4 species ** ''

Zotovia ''Zotovia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to New Zealand (including the Antipodean Islands). The genus is named for Victor Dmitrievich Zotov (1908–1977), a botanist born in Vladivostok who migrated to New Zealand in 1924. ...

'', 3 species * Stipeae ** '' Achnatherum'', 1 species ** ''

Anemanthele ''Anemanthele'' is a genus of plants in the grass family native to New Zealand. The only known species is ''Anemanthele lessoniana'', often called gossamer grass or New Zealand wind grass or pheasant's tail grass. This is a naturally rare g ...

'', 1 species ** '' Austrostipa'', 1 species *

Poeae The Poeae are the largest tribe of the grasses, with around 2,500 species in 121 genera. The tribe includes many lawn and pasture grasses. Taxonomy Two separate tribes, Poeae and Aveneae, used to be distinguished based on morphology, but phylog ...

** '' Austrofestuca'', 1 species ** ''

Festuca ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on e ...

'', 10 species ** ''

Poa ''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...

'', 38 species ** ''

Puccinellia ''Puccinellia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, known as alkali grass or salt grass. These grasses grow in wet environments, often in saline or alkaline conditions. They are native to temperate to Arctic regions of the Northern and S ...

'', 4 species * Agrostideae ** '' Agrostis'', 10 species ** ''

Amphibromus ''Amphibromus'' is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae. Most are known as swamp wallaby grass.Thieret, J. W''Amphibromus''. Grass Manual. Flora of North America.Deschampsia ''Deschampsia'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. The genus is widespread across many countries.

'', 5 species ** '' Deyeuxia'', 5 species ** ''

Dichelachne ''Dichelachne'' is a genus of Australian, Indonesian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family. They are known commonly as plumegrasses.Echinopogon ''Echinopogon'' is a genus of grasses native to Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, and New Zealand. They are known commonly as hedgehog grasses. They are perennial grasses with bristly panicles.Hierochloe'', 7 species ** '' Koeleria'', 3 species ** '' Lachnagrostis'', 12 species ** ''

Trisetum ''Trisetum'' is a genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and b ...

'', 9 species ** '' Simplicia'', 2 species * Hordeeae ** ''

Australopyrum ''Australopyrum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea. The genus ''Australopyrum'' is closely related to ''Agropyron,'' and some authors consider it part of that genus. ; Species * '' Austr ...

'', 1 species ** '' Elymus'', 7 species ** '' Stenostachys'', 3 species * Danthonieae ** ''

Chionochloa ''Chionochloa'' is a genus of tussock grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in New Zealand with one known species in New Guinea and another on Lord Howe Island (part of Australia). Some of the species are referred to as snowgrass. Most of ...

'', 22 species ** '' Cortaderia'' (

Toetoe ''Austroderia'' is a genus of five species of tall grasses native to New Zealand, commonly known as toetoe.

), 5 species ** ''

Pyrrhanthera ''Rytidosperma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. Most of the species occur in Australasia, with a few in insular Southeast Asia, southern South America ( Chile + Argentina), and certain islands of the Pacific ( Hawaii + Easter Is ...

'', 1 species ** ''

Rytidosperma ''Rytidosperma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the gr ...

'', 18 species * Chlorideae ** '' Zoysia'', 2 species * Leptureae ** '' Lepturus'', 1 species * Paniceae ** '' Cenchrus'', 1 species ** ''

Oplismenus ''Oplismenus'' is a small genus of annual or perennial grasses, commonly known as basketgrass, found throughout the tropics, subtropics, and in some cases, temperate regions of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The systematics of the ge ...

'', 1 species ** '' Spinifex'', 1 species * Isachneae ** ''

Isachne ''Isachne'' is a widespread genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family, found in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands.Andropogoneae ** '' Imperata'', 1 species

Mosses

There are 523 known

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

species and 23 varieties in New Zealand, with 208 genera represented. 108 species and 11 genera are considered endemic. Most New Zealand mosses originated in

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final st ...

, so there are strong relationships with species in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, South-eastern Australia, and temperate parts of South America. The endemic genera are: * ''

Beeveria ''Beeveria'' is a genus of moss endemic to New Zealand, in the family Daltoniaceae. It is a monotypic genus with characteristics of the type species, including solely the species ''Beeveria distichophylloides''. The name honours the New Zealand ...

'' * ''

Bryobeckettia ''Bryobeckettia'' is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Funariaceae The Funariaceae are a family of mosses in the order Funariales. About 303 species are included in the family, with 200 species in '' Funaria'' and another 80 classifie ...

'' * '' Bryodixonia'' * '' Cladomnion'' * '' Crosbya'' * '' Cryptopodium'' * '' Dichelodontium'' * '' Fifea'' * '' Hypnobartlettia'' * '' Mesotus'' * ''

Tetracoscinodon ''Tetracoscinodon'' is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Pottiaceae The Pottiaceae are a Family (biology), family of mosses. They form the most numerous moss family known, containing nearly 1500 species or more than 10% of the 10,000 t ...

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

moss is also of economic importance.

Other

* Bush lawyer *

Celmisia ''Celmisia'' (New Zealand aster or New Zealand daisy) is a genus of perennial herbs or subshrubs, in the family Asteraceae. Most of the species are endemic to New Zealand; several others are endemic to Australia. ; Species and nothospecies #RED ...

(Mountain Daisy) * Megaherbs * Nine species of

mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant ...

, including ''

Peraxilla colensoi ''Peraxilla colensoi'', the scarlet mistletoe, is a shrubby parasitic plant composed of broad, leathery leaves that grow up to 8 cm long and have a red edge. The common name is derived from the scarlet petals of the plant that bloom every Octob ...

'', ''

Peraxilla tetrapetala ''Peraxilla tetrapetala'', or red mistletoe, is a parasitic plant in the family Loranthaceae, endemic to New Zealand and found on both the North and South Islands. The Māori names for the plant are pikirangi, pirirangi and roeroe. It is a shru ...

'', ''

Alepis flavida ''Alepis'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Loranthaceae Loranthaceae, commonly known as the showy mistletoes, is a family of flowering plants. It consists of about 75 genera and 1,000 species of woody plants, many of th ...

'', and the extinct ''

Trilepidea adamsii ''Trilepidea'' is a extinct monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Loranthaceae. Its native range was New Zealand. The only species was ''Trilepidea adamsii'', or Adams mistletoe. It was first described in 1880 as ''Loranthus ...

'' (last seen in 1954). *

Mount Cook Lily ''Ranunculus lyallii'' (Mountain buttercup, Mount Cook buttercup, or, although not a lily, Mount Cook lily), is a species of '' Ranunculus'' (buttercup), endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs in the South Island and on Stewart Island at alt ...

New Zealand flax New Zealand flax describes the common New Zealand perennial plants ''Phormium tenax'' and ''Phormium colensoi'', known by the Māori names ''harakeke'' and ''wharariki'' respectively. Although given the common name 'flax' they are quite distinc ...

* New Zealand spinach (''Kokihi'') *

Nikau Palm ''Rhopalostylis sapida'', commonly known as nīkau ( mi, nīkau), is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand. Etymology is a Māori word; in the closely related Eastern Polynesian languages of the ...

* Pingao * Raupō or bulrush * Supplejack * '' Tecomanthe speciosa'' * Wood rose

References

External links

* * http://www.nzflora.info/index.html - Flora of New Zealand * *
Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture
'. Lincoln University,

Canterbury, New Zealand Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current f ...

.
New Zealand Plant Names Database

Bushmansfriend:NZ native plant information

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
* http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/plants/grass-key (a Lucid key to naturalised and indigenous grasses of New Zealand)

University of Auckland {{DEFAULTSORT:Flora Of New Zealand