Progress in understanding the natural history of New Zealand plants

In investigations of the reproductive biology of New Zealand plants, breeding systems have received much attention but there has been little work on pollination and still less on seed biology. New Zealand plants, in general, have flowers that lack bright colours, are of small size, and have simple unspecialised structures. Dish and (especially at higher altitudes) tube blossoms abound, whereas bell, brush, gullet, and flag blossoms are relatively uncommon. There is an unusually high frequency (c. 18 per cent) of genera with separate sexes. New Zealand has few specialised pollinators. The unspecialised flowers are interpreted as adaptations to fluctuating combinations of promiscuous pollinators. The high frequency of separate sexes is associated with unspecialised pollinators and fleshy bird-dispersed fruits. A number of larger genera show considerable evolution of flower structure accompanying respecialisation to different pollinators. The occurrence of conspicuous floral displays on certain outl...