This review summarises the ecology and biology of the North Island New Zealand endemic evergreen epiphytic shrub Pittosporum kirkii Hook.f. ex Kirk (Pittosporaceae). While mainly found as an epiphyte associated with other nest epiphytes such as Astelia spp., it also exhibits rupestral and terrestrial lifestyles. Pittosporum kirkii is distinguished from other members of New Zealand Pittosporum by distinctive thick, fleshy, cori...

This review summarises the biology and ecology of the distinctive North Island New Zealand endemic tree Ixerba brexioides (A.Cunn.). The genus Ixerba is monotypic and belongs to the family Strasburgeriaceae found only in New Zealand and New Caledonia. Ixerba brexioides (tāwari) is a New Zealand tree restricted to rain forests north of 39°S latitude in areas of mature soil in mild, moist climates. With conspicuous white flowers...

Aim Cities represent an ideal study system for assessing how intensive land‐use change and biotic interchange have altered beta diversity at broad geographic extents. Here we test the hypothesis that floras in cities located in disparate regions of the globe are being homogenized by species classified as invasive (naturalized species that have spread over a large area) or as a E uropean archaeophyte (species introduced into E...

Information on the biology and ecology of Griselinia lucida (Forst. f.) (Griseliniaceae) available through published and unpublished sources is assembled and reviewed. G. lucida is a large shrub hemiepiphyte that grows primarily in trees of wet, lowland forests and also in open coastal and rocky outcrop habitats. Large, bright green, glossy leaves and grooved terrestrial roots that descend from the canopy make this species a v...

information relevant to the ecology and morphology of Eleocharis sphacelata (Cyperaceae) available through published and unpublished sources is assembled and reviewed. Eleocharis sphacelata is a freshwater wetland sedge found growing at the edge of lake margins, swamps, lagoons, and bogs within New Zealand, australia, and papua New Guinea. it is a perennial rhizomatous herb, with tall green cylindrical culms rising from submer...

We review the biosystematics, chemistry, phenology, ecology, and cultural and economic uses of Phormium tenax , a widespread iconic New Zealand monocotyledon. Phormium tenax is endemic to New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and the Chatham Islands, and is distinguished from the sole other member of the genus, P. cookianum , by its erect trigonous seed capsules and red flowers, despite incomplete barriers to hybridisation. Flowers pro...

Restiad bogs dominated by Sporadanthus traversii on Chatham Island, New Zealand, were sampled to correlate vegetation patterns and peat properties, and to compare with restiad systems dominated by Sporadanthus ferrugineus and Empodisma minus in the Waikato region, North Island, New Zealand. Classification and ordination resulted in five groups that reflected a disturbance gradient. The largest S. traversii group, which compris...

An experiment was conducted over two years to investigate the effect of Coriaria arborea, a native nitrogen‐fixing shrub, on soil seed banks at sites representing a post‐volcanic successional sequence on Mt Tarawera, New Zealand. The sites ranged from bare volcanic ash and lapilli substrate, through low‐growing pre‐Coriaria vegetation, to dense stands of Coriaria scrub. Soils (to a depth of 50 mm) under recently established Co...