The Antarctic Floristic Kingdom, also the Holantarctic Kingdom, is a floristic kingdomTakhtajan, A. (1986). ''Floristic Regions of the World''. (translated by T.J. Crovello & A. Cronquist). University of California Press, Berkeley
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that includes most areas of the world south of 40°S latitude. It was first identified by botanist Ronald Good, and later by Armen Takhtajan. The Antarctic Floristic Kingdom is a classification in

phytogeography Phytogeography (from Greek φυτόν, ''phytón'' = "plant" and γεωγραφία, ''geographía'' = "geography" meaning also distribution) or botanical geography is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution ...

, different from the Antarctic realm classification in biogeography, and from Antarctic flora genera/species classifications in

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

Geography

The Antarctic Floristic Kingdom includes the continent of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

(southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, southern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, Tierra del Fuego), most of

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 ...

, the

New Zealand Subantarctic Islands The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands comprise the five southernmost groups of the New Zealand outlying islands. They are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most of the islands lie near the southeast edge of the largel ...

, and all islands of the Southern Ocean south of 40°S latitude, including Gough Island, the Kerguelen Islands, and the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...

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

is omitted since its plant species are more closely related to those found in the Australian Floristic Kingdom.

Flora

The flora of the Antarctic Kingdom dates back to the time of Gondwana, the southern

supercontinent In geology, a supercontinent is the assembly of most or all of Earth's continental blocks or cratons to form a single large landmass. However, some geologists use a different definition, "a grouping of formerly dispersed continents", which leav ...

which once included most of the landmasses of the present-day Southern Hemisphere, though it has been influenced by the flora of the

Holarctic Kingdom The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

since the Tertiary period. Ronald Good noted, as had

Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of ...

much earlier, that many plant species of Antarctica, temperate South America and New Zealand were very closely related, despite their disjunction by the vast Southern Ocean. According to Ronald Good, about 50 genera of vascular plants are common in the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom, including ''

Nothofagus ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gui ...

'' and '' Dicksonia''. Takhtajan also made note of hundreds of other vascular plant genera scattered and isolated on islands of the Southern Ocean, including '' Calandrinia feltonii'' of the Falkland Islands, '' Pringlea antiscorbutica'' of the Kerguelen Islands, and the

megaherb 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 ...

genera of the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands. According to Takhtajan, the following families 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 else ...

or subendemic to this kingdom: Thyrsopteridaceae, Lactoridaceae, Gomortegaceae, Hectorellaceae (''Hectorella''),

Halophytaceae ''Halophytum ameghinoi'' is a species of herbaceous plant endemic to Patagonia. It is the only species in the genus ''Halophytum''. It is a succulent annual plant, with simple, fleshy, alternate leaves. The plants are monoecious, with solit ...

, Malesherbiaceae,

Francoaceae The Francoaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Geraniales, including the genera ''Francoa'', commonly known as bridal wreaths, and ''Tetilla''. The Francoaceae are recognized as a family under various classification schemes bu ...

, Aextoxicaceae, Vivianiaceae,

Misodendraceae ''Misodendrum'' is a genus of hemiparasites which grow as mistletoes on various species of ''Nothofagus''. Its species are all restricted to South America. The name of the genus is incorrectly spelt in a number of ways, including ''Misodendron'' ...

, Tribelaceae,

Griseliniaceae ''Griselinia'' is a genus of seven species of shrubs and trees, with a highly disjunct distribution native to New Zealand and South America. It is a classic example of the Antarctic flora. It is the sole genus in the family Griseliniaceae; in the ...

and

Alseuosmiaceae Alseuosmiaceae is a plant family of the order Asterales found in Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. They are shrubs with leaves arranged in spirals or whorls about the stem. The flowers are solitary or borne in raceme or fascicle inflore ...

.Тахтаджян А. Л. Флористические области Земли / Академия наук СССР. Ботанический институт им. В. Л. Комарова. — Л.: Наука, Ленинградское отделение, 1978. — 247 с. — 4000 экз
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Subdivisions

The Antarctic Floristic Kingdom is subdivided into four floristic regions, and subdivided even further into sixteen floristic provinces. Most of the provinces lie within, or very near the

Antarctic convergence The Antarctic Convergence or Antarctic Polar Front is a marine belt encircling Antarctica, varying in latitude seasonally, where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic. Antarctic waters pr ...

zone.

Floristic Regions

The Floristic Regions in the Antarctic Floristic Kingdom are the: * Fernandezian Region *Argentina-Chile-Patagonian Region *South Subantarctic Islands Region *Neozeylandic Region

Fernandezian Region

The Fernandezian Region is often also included within the Neotropical Kingdom. It includes the Juan Fernández Islands and

Desventuradas Islands The Desventuradas Islands ( es, Islas Desventuradas, , "Unfortunate Islands" or ''Islas de los Desventurados'', "Islands of the Unfortunate Ones") is a group of four small oceanic islands located off the coast of Chile, northwest of Santiago in ...

archipelagoes off the west coast of Chile. *Endemic family: Lactoridaceae. *Endemic genera: 20, including ''

Thyrsopteris ''Thyrsopteris'' is a genus of tree fern. It contains a single living species, ''Thyrsopteris elegans'', endemic to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago off the coast of Chile. ''Thyrsopteris'' is the only genus in the family Thyrsopteridaceae in the ...

'', '' Nothomyrcia'', '' Selkirkia'', ''

Cuminia ''Cuminia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1835. It contains only one known species, ''Cuminia eriantha''. It is endemic to Robinson Crusoe Island, one of the Juan Fernández Islands in the southeast Pa ...

'', '' Juania'', '' Robinsonia'', '' Rhetinodendron'', '' Symphyochaeta'', '' Centaurodendron'', '' Yunquea'', '' Hesperogreigia'', '' Podophorus'', '' Pantathera'' and '' Megalachne''. *Species endemism of vascular plants is very high (about 70%). *Provinces ::Juan Fernández Province

Argentina-Chile-Patagonian Region

Within southern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, in regions of

and

. *Endemic families: Gomortegaceae,

, Malesherbiaceae, Tribelaceae,

, Aextoxicaceae,

. *Endemic genera: many, including '' Leptocionium'', '' Saxegothaea'', '' Austrocedrus'', ''

Pilgerodendron ''Pilgerodendron'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, ''Pilgerodendron uviferum'', which is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern ...

'', '' Fitzroya'', '' Peumus'', '' Boquila'', '' Lardizabala'', '' Philippiella'', '' Austrocactus'', '' Holmbergia'', '' Berberidopsis'', '' Niederleinia'', '' Lebetanthus'', ''

Ovidia ''Ovidia'' Meissn. is a genus of plants in the family Thymelaeaceae. (''Ovidia'' Raf. is a synonym for ''Commelina''.) , The Plant List accepts three species: *'' Ovidia andina'' (Poepp. & Endl.) Meisn. *'' Ovidia pillopillo'' (Gay) Meisn. *'' ...

'', '' Quillaja'', '' Kageneckia'', '' Saxifragella'', '' Zuccagnia'', '' Tepualia'', ''

Tropaeolum ''Tropaeolum'' , commonly known as nasturtium (; literally "nose-twister" or "nose-tweaker"), is a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus in his book ''Species Plantarum'' ...

'', '' Gymnophyton'', '' Laretia'', '' Mulinum'', '' Talguenea'', '' Schizanthus'', '' Melosperma'', '' Monttea'', '' Hygea'', '' Mitraria'', '' Sarmienta'', '' Chiliotrichum'', '' Melalema'', ''

Nassauvia ''Nassauvia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Nassauvieae within the family Asteraceae. It is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and the Falkland Islands. ''Nassauvia'' is said to be chocolate scented. Species Formerly included ...

'', '' Tetroncium'', '' Gilliesia'', '' Leontochir'', '' Leucocryne'', '' Schickendantziella'', '' Solaria'', ''

Lapageria ''Lapageria'' is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, ''Lapageria rosea'', commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (''copeewueh'', from Mapudungun ''kopiwe''). ''Lapageria rosea'' is the national flower of Chile. It ...

'', '' Conanthera'', '' Tecophilaea'', '' Tapeinia'', '' Fascicularia'', '' Ortachne'', ''

Jubaea ''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...

'' *Endemic species: many. *Provinces ::Northern Chilean Province ::Central Chilean Province ::Argentine

Pampas The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazi ...

Province ::

n Province :: Tierra del Fuego Province

Neozeylandic Region

The greater

islands region, including: the

Zealandia Zealandia (pronounced ), also known as (Māori) or Tasmantis, is an almost entirely submerged mass of continental crust that subsided after breaking away from Gondwanaland 83–79 million years ago.Gurnis, M., Hall, C.E., and Lavier, L.L., ...

islands (e.g. North Island, South Island), the New Zealand outlying islands, and the

. *Endemic family: Ixerbaceae an endemic monogeneric family of one species, '' Ixerba brexioides''. The only endemic New Zealand vascular plant family. *Endemic genera: 50, including '' Loxsoma'', '' Pseudowintera'', '' Hectorella'', ''

Entelea ''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 appearance, ...

'', ''

Hoheria ''Hoheria'' is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. All are endemic to New Zealand. The genus name is a latinization of the Māori language name, ''houhere''. That name, as well as lacebark and ribbonwood, ar ...

'', '' Corokia'', '' Alseuosmia'', ''

Carmichaelia ''Carmichaelia'' (New Zealand brooms) is a genus of 24 plant species belonging to Fabaceae, the legume family. All but one species are native to New Zealand; the exception, '' Carmichaelia exsul'', is native to Lord Howe Island and presumably dis ...

'', '' Lophomyrtus'', '' Neomyrtus'', '' Plectomirtha'', '' Stilbocarpa'', '' Kirkophytum'', '' Coxella'', '' Lignocarpa'', '' Scandia'', '' Dactylanthus'', '' Myosotidium'', '' Parahebe'', '' Negria'', '' Rhabdothamnus'', '' Teucridium'', ''

Oreostylidium ''Oreostylidium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stylidiaceae with a single species, ''Oreostylidium subulatum'', that is endemic to New Zealand. ''O. subulatum'' is a very small plant with small, white flowers. It has a complicate ...

'', '' Pachystegia'', '' Haastia'', '' Leucogenes'', ''

Phormium ''Phormium'' is a genus of two plant species in the family Asphodelaceae. One species is endemic to New Zealand and the other is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. The two species are widely known in New Zealand as flax or their Māori ...

'', ''

Rhopalostylis ''Rhopalostylis'' is a genus of two species of palms native to the South Pacific. Both are smooth-trunked, with regular ringed scars from fallen leaves. The leaves are 3–5 m in length, and the leaf bases encircle the trunk. Distribution ''R ...

'', '' Lepidorrhachis'', ''

Hedyscepe ''Hedyscepe canterburyana'', the big mountain palm or umbrella palm, is the sole species in the genus ''Hedyscepe'' of the family Arecaceae. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia and is threatened by habitat loss. It is a solitary palm wit ...

'', ''

Howea ''Howea'' is a genus of two palms, '' H. belmoreana'' and '' H. forsteriana'', both endemic to Lord Howe Island, Australia. ''H. forsteriana'' in particular is commonly grown as an indoor plant in the Northern Hemisphere, and the two species for ...

'', '' Sporadanthus'', '' Aporostylis'', '' Desmoschoenus''), *Endemic species: very high species endemism, especially among Pinophyta. *Provinces :: Lord Howe Province :: Norfolkian Province :: Kermadecian Province ::Northern Neozeylandic Province ::Central Neozeylandic Province ::Southern Neozeylandic Province :: Chatham Province ::

Province

South Subantarctic Islands Region

The South Subantarctic Islands *Endemic species: '' Lyallia kerguelensis'', '' Pringlea antiscorbutica'' :: Tristan— Gough Province ::

Kerguelen The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large ...

Province

References

External links

*''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

''
Antarctic Floristic Kingdom
{{Antarctica Floristic kingdoms Kingdom Floristic kingdom * * *

Geography

Flora

Subdivisions

Floristic Regions

Fernandezian Region

Argentina-Chile-Patagonian Region

Neozeylandic Region

South Subantarctic Islands Region

See also

References

External links