This article relates to the flora of New Zealand, especially

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

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 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

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 Atmosphere of Earth, air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but al ...

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 reproductio ...

species. * flowers are typically small and white. * many plants have

divaricating Divaricate means branching, or having separation or a degree of separation. The angle between branches is wide. In botany In botany, the term is often used to describe the branching pattern of plants. Plants are said to be divaricating when the ...

growth forms. * many plants have evolved into larger forms compared with similar plant families in other countries.

List of plants

Trees and shrubs

Akeake Akeake is the name of at least three New Zealand species of tree: *''Dodonaea viscosa'', akeake *''Olearia avicenniifolia'', mountain akeake or tree daisy *''Olearia traversiorum'', Chatham Island akeake or Chatham Island tree daisy The species a ...

* 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 ''Engle ...

(''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. I ...

Cabbage tree Cabbage tree is a common name for several plant species: * '' Andira inermis'', native to Central and South America * Various members of the genus ''Cordyline'' native to New Zealand. **''Cordyline australis'' (Cabbage tree) **''Cordyline banksii'' ...

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 ''Dracophyllum'' is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledon ...

Five finger Five finger is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * The genus '' Dasiphora'' * The genus ''Potentilla'' * Carambola * ''Pseudopanax arboreus'', a shrub native to New Zealand * ''Tabebuia ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plan ...

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 Republi ...

or Kōtukutuku * Hebes * Horopito *

Kahikatea ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori) and white pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. A podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m and a life span of 600 years. It was firs ...

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 whi ...

* Kanuka * Kapuka or Broadleaf * Karaka * Karamū * Karo *

Kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...

* Kawakawa *

Kohekohe Kohekohe (''Dysoxylum spectabile'') is a medium-sized tree in the Meliaceae family, native to New Zealand. It is found in lowland and coastal forests throughout most of the North Island and also occurs in the Marlborough Sounds in the north ...

* Kohuhu *

Kōwhai Kōwhai ( or ) are small woody legume trees within the genus ''Sophora'' in the family Fabaceae that are native to New Zealand. There are eight species, with ''Sophora microphylla'' and '' S. tetraptera'' being the most recognised as large tree ...

* Kumaraho *

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 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 & F ...

or White or Grey mangrove * Mānuka or Tea Tree * Māpou or Red Matipo * Matagouri *

Mataī ''Prumnopitys taxifolia'', the mataī ( mi, mataī) or black pine, is an endemic (ecology), endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island/Rakiura (47 °S) but is uncommon ...

or Black Pine *

Mingimingi Mingimingi is a Māori word meaning 'twisted' or similar. The name is used to describe at least three different species of New Zealand plants: *''Coprosma propinqua'' (Mingimingi), a widespread small leaved shrub. *''Leucopogon fasciculatus'' (Tal ...

* Miro *

Manoao ''Manoao'' is a monotypic genus in the family ''Podocarpaceae.'' The single species, ''M. colensoi'', known as manoao (Māori), silver pine, Westland pine, or white silver pine, is endemic to New Zealand. Before 1996 it was classified in genu ...

or Silver pine * Mountain tōtara *

Neinei ''Dracophyllum'' is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caled ...

* Ngaio *

Nikau ''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 ...

Northern rātā ''Metrosideros robusta'', the northern rātā, is a forest tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to or taller, and usually begins its life as a hemiepiphyte high in the branches of a mature forest tree; over centuries the young tree sends d ...

Olearia ''Olearia'', most commonly known as daisy-bush, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae, the largest of the flowering plant families in the world. Olearia are found in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. The genus i ...

* 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. '' Ci ...

s *

Pōhutukawa ''Metrosideros excelsa'', commonly known as pōhutukawa ( mi, pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display o ...

Poroporo ''Solanum aviculare'', commonly called poroporo or pōporo (New Zealand), bumurra (Dharug), kangaroo apple, pam plum (Australia), or New Zealand nightshade, is a soft-wooded shrub native to New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. The M� ...

or Bullibulli * Puka * Putaputaweta 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 ''Knightia excelsa'', commonly called rewarewa (from Māori), is an evergreen tree endemic to the low elevation and valley forests of New Zealand's North Island and Marlborough Sounds (41° S) and the type species for the genus ''Knightia''. ...

or New Zealand honeysuckle * Ribbonwood or Manatu *

Rimu ''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The Māori name ''rimu'' comes from the Polynesian ...

or Red Pine * Southern rātā * Tanekaha * Taraire * Tawa * Titoki *

Toatoa Toatoa is a Māori word that is the common name for several species of plants that are endemic to New Zealand. *'' Haloragis erecta'' *''Phyllocladus alpinus'' *'' Phyllocladus toatoa'' *''Phyllocladus trichomanoides ''Phyllocladus trichomanoid ...

Toru TORU or Toru may refer to: *TORU, spacecraft system *Toru (given name), Japanese male given name *Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Est ...

Tōtara ''Podocarpus totara'' (; from the Maori-language ; the spelling "totara" is also common in English) is a species of podocarp tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows throughout the North Island and northeastern South Island in lowland, montane and ...

* Tetrapathaea tetrandra * 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 S ...

* Whau *

Wineberry Wineberry may refer to the following plants: * '' Aristotelia chilensis'', Chilean wineberry * ''Aristotelia serrata'', a tree which is endemic to New Zealand * ''Rubus phoenicolasius'', a type of raspberry native to Asia and introduced to North Am ...

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 t ...

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 tree ...

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 ide ...

, in the shape of an unfurling fern frond, and the

silver fern ''Alsophila dealbata'', synonym ''Cyathea dealbata'', commonly known as the silver fern or silver tree-fern, or as ponga or punga (from Māori or ),The Māori word , pronounced , has been borrowed into New Zealand English as a generic term fo ...

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 ''Alsophila dealbata'', synonym ''Cyathea dealbata'', commonly known as the silver fern or silver tree-fern, or as ponga or punga (from Māori or ),The Māori word , pronounced , has been borrowed into New Zealand English as a generic term fo ...

or ponga, ''Cyathea dealbata'' * New Zealand tree fern, ''Dicksonia squarrosa'' *

Black tree fern ''Sphaeropteris medullaris'', synonym ''Cyathea medullaris'', commonly known as mamaku or black tree fern, is a large tree fern up to 20 m tall. It is distributed across the south-west Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn Island. Its other Māori names ...

or mamaku, ''Cyathea medullaris'' * Tuokura, ''Dicksonia lanata'' *

Kuripaka ''Dicksonia fibrosa'', the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand. ''D. fibrosa'' has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. It holds on to its dead leaves produ ...

, ''Dicksonia fibrosa'' * Mountain tree fern, ''Cyathea colensoi'' * Gully tree fern, ''Cyathea cunninghamii'' * Soft tree fern, ''Cyathea smithii'' * King fern, ''Ptisana salicina'' * Prince of Wales fern, ''Leptopteris superba'' * Hound's tongue fern, ''Microsorum pustulatum'' * Kidney fern or raurenga, ''Trichomanes reniforme'' * Hen and chickens fern, ''Asplenium bulbiferum'' * Hanging spleenwort, ''Asplenium flaccidum'' * Mangemange, ''Lygodium articulatum''

Seaweeds

* Neptune's necklace

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 ge ...

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 elsew ...

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 and David Glenny, 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 Ehrharteae is a tribe in the grass family, comprising four genera. References Poaceae tribes Oryzoideae {{Poaceae-stub ...

** ''

Microlaena ''Microlaena'' is a genus of grass with a single species ''Microlaena stipoides'' or ''Ehrharta stipoides''. It occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines.

'', 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 The Stipeae are a tribe of grasses within the subfamily Pooidae, with up to 600 described species. Description The defining morphological features of the Stipeae include single-flowered spikelets lacking a rachilla extension, and the lemmas (th ...

** ''

Achnatherum ''Achnatherum'' is a genus of plants which includes several species of needlegrass. Several needlegrass species have been switched between ''Achnatherum'' and genus ''Stipa''; taxonomy between the two closely related genera is still uncertain. ' ...

'', 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 gra ...

'', 1 species ** ''

Austrostipa ''Austrostipa'' is a primarily Australian genus of plants in the grass family, commonly called speargrass. The genus includes species formerly included in the genus ''Stipa.'' All known species are native to Australia, most of them found nowher ...

'', 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 ''Austrofestuca'', called beach fescue, is a genus of Australian and New Zealand plants in the grass family. The only accepted species is ''Austrofestuca littoralis'', native to seacoast regions in Australia (all states except Queensland) and Ne ...

'', 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 every ...

'', 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 ''Agrostis'' (bent or bentgrass) is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass. Species * '' Agrostis aequivalvi'' ...

'', 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 ''Deyeuxia'' is a genus of plants allied to the Poaceae 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 gras ...

'', 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 ''Hierochloe'' is a genus of plants in the grass family known generally as sweetgrass. These are perennial rhizomatous grasses found primarily in temperate and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America, although some species extend southward ...

'', 7 species ** ''

Koeleria ''Koeleria'' is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family, found on all continents except Antarctica and on various oceanic islands. It includes species known generally as Junegrasses. The genus was named after German botanis ...

'', 3 species ** ''

Lachnagrostis ''Lachnagrostis'' is a genus of African, Australian, Pacific Island, and South American plants in the grass family. They are often treated as members of genus ''Agrostis''. ; SpeciesRúgolo de Agrasar, Z. & A. M. Molina. 2002. El género ''Lachn ...

'', 12 species ** ''

Trisetum ''Trisetum'' is a genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biologica ...

'', 9 species ** '' Simplicia'', 2 species * Hordeeae ** '' Australopyrum'', 1 species ** '' Elymus'', 7 species ** ''

Stenostachys ''Stenostachys'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, found only in New Zealand. It is sometimes included in the genus '' Elymus''. ; Species * '' Stenostachys deceptorix'' Connor - South I * '' Stenostachys enysii'' (Kirk) Barkworth & S. ...

'', 3 species *

Danthonieae Danthonioideae is a mainly southern hemisphere subfamily of grasses, containing the single tribe Danthonieae and one unplaced genus, with altogether roughly 300 species. It includes herbaceous to partially woody perennial or annual (less common) ...

** ''

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 ''Cortaderia'' is a genus of South American and Central American plants in the Poaceae grass family. Etymology The common name pampas grass, though strictly referring to ''C. selloana'', is frequently applied to all species in the genus (and so ...

'' (

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

), 5 species ** '' Pyrrhanthera'', 1 species ** ''

Rytidosperma ''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 Island).

'', 18 species * Chlorideae ** ''

Zoysia ''Zoysia'' (;"Zoysia."
entry at CollinsDictionary.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021. , -, ...

'', 2 species * Leptureae ** ''

Lepturus ''Lepturus'' (common name thintail) is a genus of plants in the Poaceae, grass family, native to Asia, Africa, Australia, and various islands in the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Islands, Pacific Oceans. ; Species * ''Lepturus anadabolavensis ...

'', 1 species *

Paniceae Paniceae is a large tribe of the subfamily Panicoideae in the grasses (Poaceae), the only in the monotypic supertribe Panicodae. It includes roughly 1,500 species in 84 genera, primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Pan ...

** ''

Cenchrus ''Cenchrus'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. Its species are native to many countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands. Common names include buffelgrasses, sandburs, and sand spur “sti ...

'', 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 ...

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

Isachneae Isachneae is a tribe of tropical and subtropical grasses in subfamily Micrairoideae Micrairoideae is a subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Within the PACMAD clade, it is sister to subfami ...

** '' Isachne'', 1 species *

Andropogoneae The Andropogoneae, sometimes called the sorghum tribe, are a large tribe of grasses (family Poaceae) with roughly 1,200 species in 90 genera, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. They include such important crops as maize (corn), ...

** ''

Imperata ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'', 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 hor ...

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 stages ...

, 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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and temperate parts of South America. The endemic genera are: * '' Beeveria'' * '' Bryobeckettia'' * '' Bryodixonia'' * '' Cladomnion'' * '' Crosbya'' * '' Cryptopodium'' * '' Dichelodontium'' * '' Fifea'' * '' Hypnobartlettia'' * '' Mesotus'' * '' Tetracoscinodon''

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 Megaherbs are a group of herbaceous wildflowers growing in the New Zealand subantarctic islands and on the other subantarctic islands. They are characterised by their great size, with huge leaves and very large and often unusually coloured flowers, ...

* 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 tetrapetala'', '' Alepis flavida'', 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 *

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 ''Tetragonia tetragonioides'', commonly called New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens and other local names, is a flowering plant in the fig-marigold family (Aizoaceae). It is often cultivated as a leafy vegetable. It is a widespread species, nat ...

(''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 ''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 gra ...

* Raupō or bulrush * Supplejack * ''

Tecomanthe speciosa ''Tecomanthe speciosa'' (also known as the Three Kings vine or akapukaea) is a species of subtropical forest lianes. A single specimen was first discovered on Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, 55 km off the northern tip of New Zealand, dur ...

'' * 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

Characteristics

List of plants

Trees and shrubs

Ferns

Seaweeds

Liverworts

Grasses

Mosses

Other

See also

References

External links