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Eco-evolutionary priority effects, in which early arriving taxa pre-empt environmental niches and evolve to exclude or marginalise later arriving taxa, have been claimed to have influenced current vegetation communities in New Zealand. We here critically assess this claim. An examination of the entire New Zealand conifer and angiosperm flora shows that early arriving lineages do not have more species than later arriving lineages, and do not dominate regional species pools. A nationwide forest plot data set shows no influence of lineage age on tree dominance. Woody species with wide latitudinal ranges tend to be older, but plant height and biotically dispersed fruit exert a stronger influence. Range extent is not influenced by lineage age in the alpine zone. The New Zealand studies on which the original claim for eco-evolutionary priority effects is based are flawed as they sample only a small fraction of the flora and plant communities and base their conclusions on a few selected lineages. The large climatic and landscape alterations of the last 50 million years, changes in the type and number of immigrant taxa establishing, and extinction are likely to have been much more influential than arrival times in shaping the extant New Zealand flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Globally, plant species are facing numerous threats; an issue particularly acute for island floras, which often exhibit high levels of endemism. Ex situ conservation in seed banks is an important tool for plant conservation. However not all species' seeds can be stored in conventional seed banks. Data on seed storage behaviour are therefore vital for conservation decision making. Aims: To review available seed storage information for the New Zealand (NZ) indigenous seed plant flora, 86% of which are endemic. Methods: We compiled seed storage information for the NZ flora from databases and existing literature, and used boosted regression trees models to investigate predictors of seed storage behaviour for NZ woody plants. We used existing global models to predict the likely storage behaviour for the NZ woody flora where this was unknown, to examine the overall contribution that conventional seed banking could make towards NZ plant conservation. Key results: Data were available for 412 of 1823 seed plants, of which 83% produced orthodox seeds that can be stored in a conventional seed bank. Of the woody flora, the incidence of non-orthodox seeds was positively correlated with seed mass, plant height, biotic dispersal, and habitat diurnal temperature range. Eighty-one percent of the woody flora are predicted to produce orthodox seeds. Conclusions and implications: Conventional seed banking is likely to be suitable for a high proportion of the NZ flora. However, work is required to gain further seed storage behaviour data for NZ species, and to develop protocols for alternative ex situ conservation strategies for non-orthodox species, especially those facing in situ conservation threats. Seed banks are an important tool for plant conservation. However not all species can be stored. We compiled information on seed storage for New Zealand plants, finding that 83% could be stored in a seed bank. Plants unable to be banked are generally bird-dispersed canopy trees, including some threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present data on sexual systems and associated traits in the New Zealand angiosperm flora and discuss reasons for the anomalously high levels of gender dimorphism in the flora, and the low levels of monoecy in woody species. Along with Hawai’i and New Caledonia, New Zealand has exceptionally high levels of gender dimorphism (19.5% of angiosperm species). The plant traits associated with gender dimorphism (woody growth, small, unspecialised white to yellow-green flowers, abiotic pollination, fleshy fruit) are the same as those in other regions and most gender dimorphic species belong to lineages that were already gender dimorphic on arrival in New Zealand. We attribute the high levels of gender dimorphism to several distinct factors. New Zealand’s evergreen forests have many small trees and understorey shrubs with fleshy fruit and small, open, inconspicuous flowers, a combination characterised by high levels of gender dimorphism elsewhere. Many of these species belong to lineages that migrated from the tropical north, a region with high levels of gender dimorphism. In comparison with many other regions, the New Zealand angiosperm flora has few annuals, and few plants with large, specialised flowers or pollinated by birds, traits elsewhere associated with exceedingly low levels of gender dimorphism. Finally, chance may have played a role through the association of gender dimorphism with rapidly radiating lineages. While the New Zealand angiosperm flora has similar levels of monoecy (14.2%) to other comparable regions, monoecy is exceptionally uncommon in the tree flora (3.4% for strictly monoecious species). However, the endemic Nothofagaceae and introduced woody monoecious species thrive in New Zealand. We suggest it is the lack of temperate sources for monoecious tree species, combined with the difficulty large-fruited monoecious tropical species have in crossing ocean gaps that may be ultimate reason for their failure to establish in greater numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is changing: both a conventional and a vaccine passport are now needed to travel internationally. Mask mandates, and social distancing are the new norm in a rapidly changing society. These measures were put in place to control the spread of the highly infectious and often fatal COVID-19, caused by a viral agent, a microorganism, a zoonosis, and the cause of death for over 6 million people around the world. Considering this, maintaining biosecurity is important around the world to ensure public health. Biosecurity in New Zealand supposes that people including young people understand different pests and diseases that can harm public health. This qualitative study was conducted to gauge the biosecurity knowledge of 171 young people (14-15-year-olds). Young people were tested on their knowledge about biosecurity related plants, animals, and microorganisms. This paper reports specifically on the results of knowledge of microorganisms of young people. Results show that negative anthropocentric views dominate adolescents understanding of microorganisms and anthropomorphism is widely used to explain microorganism activity. An educational programme, targeted at developing a conceptual understanding about microorganisms starting at primary education may help develop a more educated global citizen, one versed in understanding the biology of microorganisms.

Arguably New Zealand's best loved picturebook author/illustrator, Gavin Bishop invariably challenges populist power structures in his fiction and non-fiction. As such, his books are ideal vehicles for teaching children about such broad topics as race relations, colonisation, migration, class conflicts, gender relationships, environmental issues and spiritual beliefs. The fact that Bishop often addresses several of these simultaneously, and draws on found texts to do so, paves the way for the teacher to encourage the child to read not only the lines and images but between and beyond these in order to construct a fuller meaning. This article will discuss Bishop's (2018a) picturebook, "Cook's Cook: The Cook Who Cooked for Captain Cook," which qualifies as "faction", a genre that mixes fact and fiction, with Bishop reproducing historical events and characters whilst investing them with an imaginative dimension. Most obviously, the selected book portrays migration, including the colonisation of New Zealand and the Pacific, and its longer-term effects. Hence, it focuses on the subjugation of the indigenous people, culture, flora and fauna to those that are imported, as well as the domination of the working class by the upper class. However, Bishop is too skilful an author/artist to suggest that everything is black and white. Rather, through paralleling and fusing the aforementioned foci, and in the ways in which the print and pictures work separately, together, sometimes against each other, and in interaction with fore texts, he suggests that dichotomies are mixed. The article will examine those portrayed as minions and masters (whether human or non-human), their conflicts and conflations, and Bishop's use of verbal and visual techniques and fore texts to challenge dominant power structures. It will also argue that, while emphasising dichotomies, Bishop, the master storyteller and artist, creates structures that ensure his picturebook is balanced and whole and that, rather than treating the reader as a minion, allow him or her to become a master of meaning making.

A new combination Tridontium cockaynei J.E.Beever, Fife & J.A.Jiménez is made, and a new species Tridontium milleneri J.E.Beever, Fife & J.A.Jiménez is described. The name T. cockaynei, first published as Trichostomum cockaynei R.Br.bis (1897), has priority over Weissia weymouthii R.Br.bis (1899), the basionym of Tridontium weymouthii (R.Br.bis) J.A.Jiménez & M.J.Cano (2021). Tridontium milleneri is described and named in honour of Prof. L.H. Millener. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the Plant Names Database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic Flora of New Zealand – Ferns and Lycophytes includes 466 basionyms relevant to the New Zealand flora. These names are typified by 281 lectotypes, 4 neotypes, 1 conserved type, 4 names for which a designation has not been made, and 25 for which a type could not be located. The remaining 151 basionyms have been considered in initial editions of the Flora as having holotypes. However, 37 of these require lectotypification in order to comply with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, as well as suggestions for "best practice". This is either because the full extent of original material was not considered, or had not been located, or because specimens that had been cited by other authors as holotypes and isotypes are, in reality, often syntypes from which a lectotype must be chosen. 21 of these 37 lectotypes have been inadvertently designated by earlier authors, and a further 16 are designated here for the first time. Lectotypes are being chosen where possible for all names at specific and subspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we share how developing and following tikanga was integral to our enactment of mana orite in the local curriculum as we (tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti) collaborated on a Year 7 science unit: Plants, Place, and People. Our initial thinking as we approached this unit had been to look for connections between matauranga Maori, the New Zealand science curriculum, and a prior unit on plants that the lead teacher partner had developed. However, through ongoing conversations with tangata whenua, mana whenua, and kaiako Maori at the outset and throughout this work, we concluded that this approach was misguided. Instead, we recognised that for this unit on plants, it made more sense to start with matauranga Maori o te ao turoa--Maori knowledge about the natural world--and then use matauranga Maori and science as lenses for understanding plants, place, people, and the relationships between them. Findings reveal how this mohiotanga-enhancing approach created space for students in a superdiverse classroom to share their own narratives and experiences, in a process of "desettling" expectations in science.

Notogrammitis (Polypodiaceae) is a medium-sized genus of ferns in New Zealand with 11 indigenous species. Lectotypes are chosen here for the basionyms Asplenium angustifolium Jacq., Grammitis humilis Hombr. and G. rigida Hombr., but no type material has been found for Grammitis australis var. alpina S.Jones or G. australis var. villosa Hook.f., and the types for these names remain undesignated. In Blechnum, a lectotype is designated for Lomaria colensoi Hook.f. and a second-step lectotypification made for Stegania fluviatilis R.Br. Lectotypes are being chosen where possible for all names at specific and subspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacity of Indigenous peoples to officially name taonga species (flora and fauna) within taxonomy signifies resilience and a reworking of western scientific processes and institutions. This article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women contribute to environmental justice through the naming of taonga species. Ngāti Kuri were the first tribe in the world to install a tribal name into the co‐authorship of a nomenclature. The article explores the ways in which Ngāti Kuri women, both past and present, rework environmental relationships and knowledge in both tribal and non‐tribal spaces in Aotearoa's most northern region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Some plant traits may be legacies of coevolution with extinct megafauna. One example is the convergent evolution of 'divaricate' cage architectures in many New Zealand lineages, interpreted as a response to recently extinct flightless avian browsers whose ancestors arrived during the Paleogene period. Although experiments have confirmed that divaricate habit deters extant browsers, its abundance on frosty, droughty sites appears consistent with an earlier interpretation as a response to cold, dry Plio‐Pleistocene climates.We used 45 protein‐coding sequences from plastid genomes to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the divaricate habit in extant New Zealand lineages. Our dated phylogeny of 215 species included 91% of New Zealand eudicot divaricate species.We show that 86% of extant divaricate plants diverged from non‐divaricate sisters within the last 5 Ma, implicating Plio‐Pleistocene climates in the proliferation of cage architectures in New Zealand.Our results, combined with other recent findings, are consistent with the synthetic hypothesis that the browser‐deterrent effect of cage architectures was strongly selected only when Plio‐Pleistocene climatic constraints prevented woody plants from growing quickly out of reach of browsers. This is consistent with the abundance of cage architectures in other regions where plant growth is restricted by aridity or short frost‐free periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lineage through time plots (LTTs) are often used to explore past patterns of lineage diversification and community assembly. However, as they are based solely on extant species their ability to accurately depict past events can be questioned. Here, simulation models based on neutral processes are used to explore immigration and extinction scenarios to assist with interpretation of LTT plots generated from molecular clock age estimates for a nearly complete set of extant New Zealand vascular plant genera. With significant genus turnover, model simulations yield smooth exponential and linear semi-log LTT plots. Abrupt changes in extinction and immigration rates imposed in the scenarios caused only slight alterations of the curves. The vast majority of New Zealand vascular plant genera derive from trans-oceanic dispersal, and LTT plots generated from divergence dates and fossil data indicate consistently high turnover. Even major geological and climatic events leave minor signatures on LTT plots. Most notably, the maximum Oligocene Marine Transgression (27–22 Ma), when at least 85% of the current landmass was inundated, isn't clearly registered. By themselves, LTT plots shed little light on the biotic effects of climatic or geomorphic change in the remote past and need to be interpreted in the light of fossil and geological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand's algal flora is still far from fully explored, and new taxa continue to be discovered. The taxonomy of the red algal order Hildenbrandiales, consisting mostly of crustose members, is controversial as descriptions are largely based on limited morphological features. The order Hildenbrandiales is also in a close, apparently obligate, relationship with an endophytic fungus. Apophlaea is a genus in this order currently comprising two described species, both endemic to New Zealand. The morphology of this genus is more complex than that of other members of the Hildenbrandiales as it consists of extensive upright thalli. Sampling of Apophlaea in New Zealand, especially in the southern part of the North Island, has led to the discovery of a genetically distinct entity, that is only crustose. We propose a new species for this entity, Apophlaea darchinoae sp. nov., which is found on rocks in the high intertidal zone. This species has the typical tetrasporangial conceptacles of Apophlaea and no other reproductive structures were observed, and it consists of filaments that are laterally joined by secondary pit connections. Apophlaea darchinoae can be found in sympatry with A. sinclairii in the north of the North Island. We provide molecular evidence for the distinct nature of A. darchinoae and provide observations of extensive fungal filaments within this new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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, coriaceous leaves, which may assist survival in water-stressed habitats. Water availability is speculated to be the most limiting factor across all of the habitats that P. kirkii occupies and when under water stress, the species utilises a desiccation postponement strategy. Pittosporum kirkii has a restricted distribution with strong habitat preferences restricting it to upper lowland and lower montane mainly old-growth forest ecosystems of the upper North Island. The highest probabilities of P. kirkii occurrence lie within mean annual temperature between 7.8°C and 15.6°C, mean annual rainfall between 1172 and 4432 mm, mean minimum solar radiation in the coldest month between 4.8 and 6.6 MJ/m2/day, and vapour pressure deficits between 0.15 and 0.39 kPa. Pittosporum kirkii is currently listed as at risk–declining and qualified as data-poor and partial decline because of a lack of autecological information. Palatability to introduced brushtail possums and forest clearance have been suggested as the main agents of decline. Due to significant morphological differences between mainland New Zealand and Great Barrier Island/Aotea populations, further study is warranted to determine distinctness. Including P. kirkii in restoration plans and conservation monitoring is recommended in areas where it naturally occurs as this species is recognised as an indicator of overall forest health. Further detailed research on P. kirkii would be invaluable to fill the current gap in knowledge on its ongoing threats, sexual expression, pollination and seed dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, outdoor therapies are practiced in many nations around the world, with a broad diversity of philosophies, theories, methods, functions, and formats (Norton et al., 2015). The field of therapy within the outdoors has been much discussed and debated within the experiential profession (Itin, 1998). The disputes and deliberations have centred on topics such as the difference between therapy and therapeutic, primary or adjunctive treatment, licensed clinician or outdoor leader, and more. These disagreements have given several forms of outdoor therapy: adventure, wilderness, outdoor behavioral health care, bush, bush adventure, forest, nature-based/eco, land-based healing, horticultural, animal-assisted, adapted/inclusive, and eudaimonic. Outdoor therapies can be arranged with respect to one another according to the varying amounts of challenge, nature, and psychotherapy. This essay considers these three key dimensions before discussing the 10 or more well-known forms of outdoor therapy.

Pteridaceae is a large family of ferns in New Zealand with six genera, 15 indigenous species and 11 naturalised species. Eleven lectotypes are designated for basionyms relevant to New Zealand – Adiantum affine var. heterophyllum Colenso, A. cunninghamii Hook., A. pullum Colenso, A. trapeziforme G.Forst., A. trigonum Labill., Cheilanthes sieberi var. deltoidea J.B.Armstr., C. kirkii J.B.Armstr., Pteris affinis A.Rich., P. macilenta A.Rich., P. macilenta var. saxatilis Carse, and P. pendula Colenso. No type material has been found for the indigenous taxon Adiantum affine var. chathamicum Field, and the type for this name remains undesignated. Lectotypes are being chosen where possible for all names at specific and subspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many tree fern taxa have a skirt, an encircling structure of persistent dead fronds or stipes around the growing crown at the top of the trunk. Page and Brownsey (1986) hypothesised that the function of these skirts was to protect tree ferns against damage from large epiphytes, hemiepiphytes, and climbing plants. Tree fern trunks provide both suitable establishment surfaces for a range of woody epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in New Zealand, as well as attachment surfaces for climbing rātā (Metrosideros spp.). We collected detailed occurrence and cover data of woody epiphytes (including hemiepiphytes), climbing rātā, and skirts from 350 Cyathea smithii and 350 Dicksonia squarrosa across New Zealand. We also collected frequency data on epiphyte, climbing rātā and skirt occurrence from an additional 1212 tree ferns. While skirts reduce the density of woody epiphytes on tree fern trunks, they neither prevent woody epiphytes from establishing on trunks nor prevent epiphytes establishing and growing on areas of the trunk covered by skirts. Envelopment of the growing crown of tree ferns was not observed in any of the 1912 individuals surveyed; incidental observations suggest that climbing rātā crown-envelopment is extremely rare and may occur only when tree ferns are exposed in high-light environments. Tree fern skirts occur on species that are frost-tolerant and occur more frequently in higher elevations and latitudes than non-skirted species. We suggest a new defence hypothesis: skirts protect the growing meristem from freezing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three naming systems have been applied to the flora of Aotearoa New Zealand, but differences in their use are poorly understood. Analyses of 45 sets of Māori and settlers' vernacular plant names and botanical names in Papers Past between 1839 and 1948 shows that Māori plant names were well-used in referring to the flora. Māori plant names (2,242,201; 82.6%) are mentioned more than settlers' names (465,155; 17.1%) or botanical nomenclature (8,193; 0.3%). Māori name usage was dominant from 1839 to 1858, declined during 1859–1868 when settlers' names were featured, and increased from 53.15% in 1869 to 90.89% in 1948. In Papers Past, 32 (71.0%) of the 45 Māori plant name(s) are mentioned most often, followed by 11 (24.5%) settlers' and two (4.5%) botanical names. Analysis of the 45 sets of names in four New Zealand science journals (1863–2020) shows the number of name mentions to be: botanical nomenclature 10,827 (54.4%), Māori 6,731 (33.8%) and settlers' 2,341 (11.8%). Botanical nomenclature (35 names) and Māori names (10 names) were the most mentioned of the 45 sets of names in the science journals. Analysis of the 45 sets of names in a Google Search undertaken in 2021 confirmed the prevalence of Māori names (92.5%) over botanical nomenclature (7.5%). The most mentioned Māori names refer to plants of economic importance such as rimu, mānuka and mataī. The overall dominance of Māori plant name mentions does not support recent contentions that botanical nomenclature has 'set aside' and 'replaced' these. Further, the low number of total mentions of botanical nomenclature in Papers Past and the science journals suggests little is to be gained from promoting the use of Māori epithets in botanical nomenclature for newly named taxa, and a strategy for the promotion of Māori plant names in the context of indigenous ecological knowledge is perhaps desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing students' scientific literacy requires teachers to use a variety of pedagogical approaches including video as a form of instruction. In addition, using video is a way of engaging students in science ideas not otherwise accessible to them. This study investigated the merit of video clips representing scientific ideas in a secondary science classroom as one component of a science program. Drawing an interpretive approach framed as authentic participant-centered inquiry, the analysis used cogenerative dialoguing to generate collective perspectives on the affordances and constraints of learning from video. We found that the structure of a video in terms of complexity of the content delivery and its length shaped students' viewing experiences and access to science ideas. We argue that structures of the learning context afford and constrain students' opportunities to learn science from video.

Eucalyptus bosistoana is an important durable hardwood species selected by New Zealand Dryland Forest Initiative (NZDFI) for their adaptability to diverse environments and good quality wood. There is no report on in vitro methods for callus induction and plantlet micropropagation of this species, although these methods could assist further genetic improvement of plants. In this study, different combinations of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and benzyl adenine (BA) at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2 mg L−1 were investigated for callus induction, shoot regeneration, shoot elongation and root formation. High frequency of callus induction was obtained when cotyledon explants were cultured on MS (Murashige and Skoog medium 1962) with 1.0 mg L−1 NAA and 1.5 mg L−1 BA. For shoot regeneration from callus, MS medium with 0.5 mg L−1 NAA and 1.5 mg L−1 BA was an effective medium. Shoot elongation was observed on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L−1 NAA, 1.0 mg L−1 BA and 1.0 mg L−1 GA3. High frequency of adventitious root formation in micro-cuttings of E. bosistoana was observed on half-strength MS medium with 0.5 to 1.0 mg L−1 NAA. Finally, pre-acclimatization of the micropropagated plantlets led to 100% survival under glasshouse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Crassula helmsii (Kirk) Cockayne (New Zealand Pygmyweed, Australian Swamp Stonecrop) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history, and conservation.Crassula helmsii is an invasive aquatic macrophyte originating from Australia and New Zealand. The first naturalized population was recorded in Britain in 1956. All British specimens appear to represent a single lineage. DNA analysis indicates that British specimens originate from Australia.Crassula helmsii is capable of growing in a wide range of lentic freshwater and riparian habitats. It may grow as free floating, submerged, emergent or terrestrial forms. Morphology can differ markedly on the same stem.Flowers are produced, but with no known pollinators outside of its native range. Reproduction is thought to be predominantly by asexual methods outside Australia and New Zealand, through stem fragmentation and dispersal. Seed germination outside the native range appears to be very rare and poorly understood.Crassula helmsii has been and still is controlled by active management because of fears that its capacity to produce monocultures will lead to loss of biodiversity in the plant communities it invades. Evidence for species losses due to colonization by C. helmsii is rather anecdotal, although suppression of native biomass through competition has been reported. No consistently effective control procedures have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand endemic and presumed extinct Stellaria elatinoides Hook.f. is shown to be conspecific with the Australian Stellaria multiflora Hook. subsp. multiflora and is treated as a heterotypic synonym. A suite of morphological characters unifies these two taxa, including an annual growth habit, glabrous stems and leaves, sessile leaves, monochasial inflorescences, usually apetalous flowers, short styles and stamens, broadly ellipsoid capsule with valve apices strongly revolute, and the seeds suborbicular and with uniformly-sized prominent tubercles. The biostatus of Stellaria multiflora subsp. multiflora is reviewed and it is treated as indigenous to Australia and New Zealand, and since it was last collected from New Zealand in 1921 its conservation status there is confirmed as extinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blechnaceae is a medium-sized family of ferns in New Zealand with one genus, 23 indigenous species, two naturalised species and two nothospecies. A new combination, Blechnum × digenum (Parris) Brownsey & Perrie, is made for the hybrid between Blechnum molle (Parris) Christenh. and B. parrisiae Christenh. 11 lectotypes are chosen for basionyms relevant to New Zealand – Lomaria dura T. Moore, L. filiformis A. Cunn., L. membranacea Colenso ex Hook., L. nigra Colenso, L. oligoneuron Colenso, L. parvifolia Colenso, L. paucijuga Colenso, L. pumila Raoul, L. rotundifolia Colenso, Parablechnum procerum var. acuminatum C. Presl, and Stegania procera var. stipulosa A. Rich. No type material has been found for Blechnum capense var. auriculatum Domin, B. capense var. contractum Domin, B. capense var. hookerianum Domin, Lomaria paleacea Potts, or Lomaria pygmaea Colenso, and the types for these names remain undesignated. Lectotypes are being chosen where possible for all names at specific and subspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABC model, Clianthus, Eucalyptus, flowering, gibberellin, growth habit, heteroblasty, homoblasty, Metrosideros, microRNA, Pachycladon, phase change, Phormium, photoperiod, reproduction, Sophora. [Extracted from the article]

Brachyscome simplicifolia J.B.Armstr. was treated as incertae sedis by H.H. Allan in the Flora of New Zealand, Volume 1, published in 1961. At that time, H.H. Allan, along with the earlier flora writers T. Kirk and T.F. Cheeseman, had not seen herbarium material referable to that name. An authentic herbarium specimen from the Armstrong Herbarium, formally part of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens Herbarium (CHBG) but now housed at the Allan Herbarium (CHR), has been located and is designated as lectotype for B. simplicifolia. Based on this lectotypification, B. simplicifolia is conspecific with Abrotanella linearis Berggr., and being the more recently published name is treated as a heterotypic synonym. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous plant naming systems and systematic botanical nomenclature involve different methodologies that result in different knowledge systems. Botanical nomenclature provides a single, universal name for a plant based on its taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. Indigenous classifications allow ready identification of plants for particular communities sharing a common language and cultural milieu to which the names are specific. The two systems are independent, but they can profit from mutual comparison, and each should be respected and valued for its distinctive role. A recent proposal argues that indigenous vernacular plant names, being older than those given in colonial circumstances, should have priority over existing botanical names. This suggestion, along with the call for greater use of indigenous languages in specific epithets, is here discussed in relation to the New Zealand flora. We conclude that the proposal would require extensive, complex changes to the International Code of Nomenclature, result in nomenclatural instability, and subject indigenous names to the rules of botanical nomenclature while severing them from their local cultural contexts. We suggest the proposal undermines indigenous naming systems, threatens the integrity of indigenous languages, and would disrupt botanical nomenclature for little benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and establishment of gender dimorphism has been postulated as a key element in the evolution of insular floras but has generally not been studied in an explicit phylogenetic framework. We tested the prior conclusion that the origin of gender dimorphism in the New Zealand species of Gaultheria Kalm ex L. is allochthonous by newly tracing the evolution of gender dimorphism on a phylogenetic tree of the Wintergreen Clade. We scored species for male sterility and breeding system type (cosexual, gynodioecious, or dioecious) based on the literature, and observations from the field and herbarium specimens. We traced the evolution of gender dimorphism, fruit evolution, and ancestral areas on the tree with parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Our analyses revealed that male sterility in New Zealand most likely emanated from a male-sterile fleshy red-fruited South American lineage, with reversals to cosexuality in two or three Australian lineages of the more inclusive Australasian Clade. The results support an allochthonous origin of gynodioecy in New Zealand Gaultheria and corroborate arrival of the ancestral ancestor through over-water dispersal, likely by birds. Although gender dimorphism could have arrived to New Zealand as a preadaptation to avoid inbreeding depression in an island setting, its correlation with fleshy fruit, unspecialised flowers, and woody habit across the genus suggests that factors other than the island setting per se are responsible for its maintenance in New Zealand. Although gender dimorphism in New Zealand has usually arisen autochthonously in dry-fruited genera, in Gaultheria the presence of gynodioecy in several dry-fruited species is best explained by its retention from fleshy-fruited ancestors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic analyses resolved that specimens from Manawatāwhi/Three Kings Islands in northern New Zealand, formerly identified as Sonderophycus coriaceus, belong to the genus Agissea (Peyssonneliales). This species is dark red, prostrate and robust, with leathery, fan-shaped lobes and is described here as Agissea teruruhau. It was found to serve as a host to a very small red algal epiphyte described here as Piriora waewaiti gen. & sp. nov. While phylogenetic analyses have placed Piriora in the Gigartinales, the familial placement of this genus has been unable to be resolved. Manawatāwhi/Three Kings Islands is a group of small islands known to harbour a rich marine biota with many endemic species, and the description of these taxa has increased the reported endemic algal flora of the islands. In addition, the phylogenetic analyses have confirmed the presence of Olokunia boudouresquei and a further three species of Peyssonneliales in the New Zealand flora, belonging to the genera Olokunia, Peyssonnelia and Seiria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several hundred (396) compounds from New Zealand flora with medicinal properties were analyzed for their physicochemical properties. It was found that approximately 10 % fulfilled all the requirements to be considered to be lead‐like, over half of the compounds were deemed to be in the drug‐like space and ≈75 % were in the known drug space. These results indicate the presence of a significant proportion of compounds that are of particular interest to pursue as potential lead compounds or therapeutics. Additionally, compound classes were analyzed separately—most carbonyl‐containing compounds (aldehydes, ketones, esters and lactones), along with phenols were the most lead‐like compounds, which also displayed very good proportions in the drug‐like and known drug space. The information presented herein can be harnessed and utilized in future work, through focussing on the compounds and compound classes that exhibit high‐levels of lead‐likeness for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscopy skills are critical for many aspects of biology, yet they are notoriously difficult to teach, especially to large classes. We trialled the use of widescreen monitors with touch-screen capability connected to compound microscopes in an introductory-level plant biology lab. Working in teams, students used the screens to interpret, annotate and measure images of their sections taken through fresh leaf material. The lab progressed more rapidly than in previous years in which it was run as a traditional microscopy exercise; it was also far noisier and more congested. Students reported that they valued the size and quality of the images, and the opportunity to work collaboratively to identify the leaf's structural features. All teams expressed a strong appreciation for the group discussions facilitated by the monitors, which presented a safe environment to bounce ideas off one another, and assisted their comprehension. The monitors were seen as an effective and time-efficient tool for collaborative learning of fundamental microscopy skills.

Pyrrosia serpens is recorded here for the first time from the New Zealand Botanical Region, based on a single collection from Dayrell Island in the Kermadec Islands. This is a significant southern extension of range for the species, otherwise known in the Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn and Henderson Islands. The identification of the Dayrell Island collection is based on evidence from both morphology (particularly soral and rhizome scale characters) and genetics. Morphological comparisons were made, in particular, with three related Australasian species. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the chloroplast DNA sequence of the Dayrell Island collection is very similar to that of P. serpens from the Cook Islands. However, previously reported sequences from samples of P. serpens from elsewhere are very different, reflecting a wider need for further taxonomic investigation of Pyrrosia subgenus Nipholobus. Pyrrosia serpens is one of ten fern species that, in New Zealand, are found only on the Kermadec Islands. In preparation for a revised treatment of Polypodiaceae for the electronic Flora of New Zealand, the taxonomic treatment of Pyrrosia is reviewed, a description of P. serpens from the Kermadec Islands provided, and its conservation status assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unpublishedGlossarium Botanicum: Novae Zelandiae, begun in 1838 by William Colenso, is the oldest extant manuscript by a resident New Zealand botanist. It was begun at a time when theFlorae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursorof Allan Cunningham was in the process of being published, and when Cunningham and Colenso were botanising together in Northland. This article discusses the relationships between Colenso’s and Cunningham’s works. It is argued that Colenso modelled the manuscript on a notebook which Cunningham had with him in 1838, adding more information in 1841 when he obtained a copy of Cunningham’s paper. Material from Colenso’s East Coast journey was added either in 1842 or possibly later. An appendix identifies previously unrecorded Colenso localities from theGlossarium. A second appendix identifies approximate dates for the various published papers resulting from his East Coast journey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two male intruders entered a house in which the sole female occupant slept having left the back door unlocked for the return of her live-in boyfriend. She awoke and saw strangers in her bedroom. The intruders ran off, one leaving a jacket behind on the kitchen floor. One of the intruders subsequently returned to recover his jacket, but in his rush to leave the house he brushed against a flowering Hypericum bush growing just outside the back door. A suspect was arrested later that day and charged with indecent assault on a female and burglary, but denied any involvement and refused to name any associate. A day following the offence the suspect's clothes were taken for forensic examination. Pollen analysis of selected parts of his clothing showed that his track pants contained 14% Hypericum pollen, denim jacket 24%, and polo shirt 27.5%. Traces of Hypericum pollen occurred on other items. Most of these pollen grains still had their cell contents preserved and were on the clothing in clumps consistent with having recently been collected by the clothing and not having been aerially dispersed. The pollen from the Hypericum bush was identical in colour, shape, development, and size range to the pollen from the clothing. The clothes had so much Hypericum pollen on them that they had to have been in direct and intimate contact with a flowering bush. Pollen evidence is by its nature circumstantial and often cannot be used on its own to convict, or more strictly to determine the truth. The suspect may have been in contact with Hypericum elsewhere, but detailed investigations indicated that this was unlikely. In 30 years of New Zealand forensic work Hypericum had only ever been found on clothing in trace amounts. This is but one way in which forensic palynology can assist law enforcement agencies to determine the history behind a criminal action, and demonstrates that forensic palynology should be considered as an integral part of any criminal investigation.

Forensic palynology is a useful source of evidence in cases of violence committed in the open. A young girl was grabbed off the street, threatened and brutally raped. During the investigation the exact place of the rape became an issue. Growing around the scene identified by the victim were shrubs identified as Coprosma, a common New Zealand plant and one that produces abundant, easily wind-dispersed pollen. Abundant Coprosma pollen was found at the scene. The pollen were unusual in that the site was very damp, encouraging fungal growth, and fungal hyphae had penetrated the pores of many of the tricolporate pollen grains. Some grains had fungal spores inside. Coprosma pollen identical in preservational characteristics and morphology to those from the scene and containing fungal hyphae and spores were found in considerable numbers on the victim's clothes. This and rare Coprosma pollen grains and fungal remains recovered from vaginal swabs provided evidence that she had been at the scene where she claimed to have been raped. The diversity of pollen types recovered from the clothing in this case provides further evidence of the usefulness of clothing in picking up and retaining pollen from crime scenes and that obvious staining on clothes is not a pre-requisite for good pollen recovery. It also demonstrates the importance of collecting samples from different parts of the same garment in order to get a full picture of events since different parts of a garment can come into contact with different plants or different parts of the ground in a scuffle. It is also demonstrated that significant evidential material can be collected from the body, in this case from vaginal swabs from the victim. Forensic palynology should be considered in every case of violent assault, especially, but not exclusively, when having occurred in an open area subject to extensive pollen settlement.

It is argued that the greater use of te reo Māori and ta re Moriori languages for naming new taxa in the flora of Aotearoa / New Zealand supports the aspirations of Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. However, using these indigenous languages in botanical nomenclature is more complex than a simplistic 'more is better', and we identify a number of issues requiring consideration. We appraise Waitangi Tribunal claim Wai 262 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, collaboration at the interface of mātauranga Māori and research science, debate whether iwi are active collaborators or informants, and, crucially, defend the credibility and utility of te reo Māori / ta re Moriori and botanical nomenclatural systems. We conclude that (1) formal botanical nomenclature and (2) te reo and ta re vernacular plant names are independent, complementary, and mutually supportive classifications, each with different purposes and denoting two functional knowledge systems. Our recommendation when naming new taxa is to derive names from botanical Latin terminology. To provide clarity for the application of indigenous languages in naming Aotearoa / New Zealand vascular plants and bryophytes, an assessment of the rules and recommendations in the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN) is presented, including the use of geographical, personal and plant vernacular names as epithets, diacritical signs, hyphens, combinations of different languages, and epithet authorship. For those considering using te reo or ta re names for a new taxon, we present guidelines that address dialogue between scientists and iwi, key aspects of the ICN to consider, and suggestions for maintaining the scientific credibility of nomenclatural practices. A knowledge gap is identified for ethnobotanical folk taxonomy research into vernacular te reo and ta re names, and to document and promote this mātauranga we recommend Māori-led research into etymology, hierarchical structure, cultural relationships, whakapapa, and relationships to botanical names. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal flora plays an important role in atherosclerosis. Tongxinluo, as a multi-target Chinese medicine to improve atherosclerosis, whether it can improve atherosclerosis by affecting the intestinal flora is worth exploring. We established a vulnerable plaque model of atherosclerosis in New Zealand white rabbits by high cholesterol diet and balloon injury (HCB), and performed Tongxinluo intervention. We detected the level of inflammation by immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, and ELISA, analyzed plaque characteristics by calculating the vulnerability index, and analyzed the changes of gut microbiota and metabolites by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomic sequencing. The results showed that Tongxinluo intervention improved plaque stability, reduced inflammatory response, inhibited NLRP3 inflammatory pathway, increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Alistipes which reduced by HCB, and increased the content of beneficial metabolites such as trans-ferulic acid in feces. Through correlation analysis, we found that some metabolites were significantly correlated with some bacteria and some inflammatory factors. In particular, the metabolite trans-ferulic acid was also significantly positively correlated with plaque stability. Our further studies showed that trans-ferulic acid could also inhibit the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. In conclusion, Tongxinluo can improve plaque stability and reduce inflammation in atherosclerotic rabbits, which may be achieved by modulating intestinal flora and intestinal metabolism. Our study provides new views for the role of Tongxinluo in improving atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque, which has important clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the 1860s, there was a flurry of activity around the natural sciences in colonial New Zealand, as the native flora of this place was collected, analysed, identified and classified. While males dominated the professional world of knowledge production in the recently established field of 'serious' scientific botany, the amateur field was populated by highly talented females, including Georgina Hetley and Sarah Featon. James Hector, first Director of Wellington's Colonial Museum, was a keen botanist, and regularly communicated with 'My dear Hooker', Joseph Dalton Hooker of Kew Gardens. Hector supported several scientific publications by males in the 1870s and 80s, yet his lack of support for locally produced works by females is notable. This paper investigates the networks that both supported and restricted female activity in this field. It will consider the contributions of female practitioners, highlighting that the life of a 'flower painter' occupied a liminal realm – never fully at home either in the world of science, or of art. It will imagine how different these women's lives and careers may have been if they had been privileged to communicate with 'My dear Hooker' and to receive letters addressed in turn to, for example, 'My dear Hetley'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aotearoa's (New Zealand's) biological heritage is in decline due to threats such as climate change and habitat destruction. Aotearoa's biological heritage and the wider environment are critical to the Māori world view and culture and Māori have long advocated for greater engagement in efforts to reverse this decline. One negative outcome of localised declines in biological heritage is a concomitant loss of local Māori language (dialectical) terms. Compounding this is the growing use of standardised Māori terms that can displace local dialectical terms. This also runs the risk of losing the associated mātauranga (knowledge) that is inherent in the meaning of these local terms for their unique flora and fauna. Retaining this biocultural knowledge is considered important and could play a role in conservation efforts. This collaborative research addressed the concerns articulated by a Māori biological heritage expert about the loss of their own unique local Māori terms for flora and fauna. The research explored ways to retain and empower local indigenous biocultural terms via the creation of a static visual educational resource for Tūhoe–Tuawhenua youth displaying the forest vegetation of their rohe (area that defines a tribe's traditional mandate or authority). The plants in the final resource are identified by their local Māori term and their corresponding scientific name. Depicting ecological accuracy in the artwork was a specific requirement of the kaumātua and created some unique outcomes in how the artwork formed. The approaches employed in this research and an analysis of the results and wider implementation are discussed. The loss of Māori dialects has allowed the loss of mātauranga, leading to the loss of dialectal terms for local flora and fauna. This collaborative research addressed the concerns articulated by a Māori biocultural heritage expert about the loss of their own unique local Māori terms for flora and fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilosella officinarum is a serious adventive weed in New Zealand. It has also proven to be highly invasive in other countries. The areas infested are typically extensive rangelands for which expensive control measures would be hard to justify economically. However, it has been known for many years that species of this genus are particularly sensitive to the concentration of boron in the soil. The application of boron fertilisers is now a common practice to control P. officinarum infestations in the extensively grazed tussock grasslands in Central Otago. The farmers seek to exploit the differences in boron tolerance between P. officinarum and the exotic pasture species which farmers would like to establish in its place. However, there are large tracts of infested land for which the aim is the restoration of the native vegetation for water harvesting, aesthetic or conservation reasons. This study examines the effect of boron application (as ulexite) on the native species of the tussock grasslands flora. At the application rates recommended for P. officinarum control none of the native species was adversely affected by the added ulexite. Doubling the recommended application rates affected some but not all of the native species. The results suggest that the use of boron in this manner is unlikely to have any adverse effect on conservation values in tussock grassland, whether grazed or retired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Global studies show strong climatic control of leaf area index (LAI) and related ecosystem properties. However, alternative states stabilized by positive feedbacks have the potential to produce appreciable differences in LAI in a given environment. On certain sites in New Zealand, ectomycorrhizal (EM) southern beech forest (Nothofagaceae) appear to form a stable alternative to more species‐rich conifer‐broadleaved forest dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees. We asked which climate variables best predict LAI of New Zealand's remaining old‐growth forests, and if stands dominated by Nothofagaceae have lower LAI and better‐lit understories than conifer‐broadleaved forests, when climate and other site factors are held constant. Location: New Zealand. Taxon: Seventy‐two tree species belonging to 37 angiosperm, conifer and pteridophyte families, the most frequent occurrences being Cunoniaceae, Cyatheaceae, Dicksoniaceae, Lauraceae, Nothofagaceae, Podocarpaceae and Violaceae. Methods: We quantified overstorey composition of 45 old‐growth stands, and used the LAI‐2200C Plant Canopy Analyzer to measure LAI and understorey light. We used generalized linear mixed models to determine how these variables were influenced by environment and by dominance of Nothofagaceae. Results: LAI ranged from 3.5 to 6.9, and increased linearly with mean annual temperature (MAT); percentage light transmission to the understorey spanned an order of magnitude and decreased exponentially with increasing MAT. However, at a given MAT, LAI of stands dominated by Nothofagaceae averaged 0.8–0.9 units lower than conifer‐broadleaf stands, resulting in twofold higher understorey light levels in the former. Soil water deficits also significantly depressed LAI, and increased understorey light; atmospheric water deficits had the opposite effect. Main conclusions: Temperature is the best climatic predictor of LAI and understorey light in New Zealand's remaining old‐growth forests. However, the lower LAI and canopy light interception in southern beech stands presumably reflects the light‐demanding nature of Nothofagaceae, and their apparent ability to inhibit invasion by more shade‐tolerant AM trees with heavier crowns. This inhibitory effect may reflect reduced N supply to AM plants because of suppression of N mineralization by EM fungi, as observed in some EM systems elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]