Preface
PREFACE
Volume I of Flora of New Zealand, dealing with all the indigenous vascular plants except the monocotyledons, was published in April 1961. The principal author was Dr H. H. Allan, but after his death in late 1957 some remaining sections were contributed by L. B. Moore and M. B. Ashwin. Volume II is similarly concerned only with indigenous plants and includes all the monocotyledonous families except Gramineae. The main descriptive text is a direct continuation from Volume I and the section "Annals of Taxonomic Research" amplifies and brings up to date the chronological enumeration of papers on Tracheophyta in general, not on monocotyledons alone. A new feature is a Subject Index to those works cited in the Annals in Volume II, and another novel section catalogues published Chromosome Numbers of indigenous conifers, dicotyledons and monocotyledons. Errors which have been detected in the text of Volume I are listed, with corrections, but the Corrigenda do not include revisions or other matters reported after 1960.
As in Volume I the classification adopted is very close to that of Hutchinson, and 22 monocotyledonous families are recognised, excluding Gramineae. The genera total 75, and the species 339 while some 18 varieties are accepted as distinct from the type varieties. Equivalent figures from Cheeseman's Manual of the New Zealand Flora ed. 2, 1925, are 15 families, 68 genera, 277 species and 66 varieties. Cyperaceae still remains much the largest family with 167 species and 5 varieties in 16 genera (cf. 123 species and 43 varieties in 14 genera of Cheeseman), Orchidaceae is next with 72 species in 21 genera (cf. 66 in 21), and Juncaceae has 29 species in 4 genera (cf. 27 in 3). Liliaceae is here credited with 27 species in 8 genera whereas Cheeseman, taking a broader view of the family, lists 27 species in 10 genera. Carex is by far the largest genus, followed by Uncinia, Scirpus, Pterostylis and Juncus; revisions have, in general, resulted in more species being recognised and numbers compared with Cheeseman's Manual are respectively 73:55; 32:14; 23:13; 19:13; 16:17. In Carex and in Uncinia many varieties have been raised to specific rank. A few cosmopolitan or widespread species previously treated as indigenous are now regarded as introduced and are therefore excluded, while other names familiar in northern countries no longer appear because the New Zealand plants have proved to be specifically distinct.
Names are applied in accordance with the Rules set out in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature 1966, and those accepted at or below specific rank are shown in bold face type. Of English names only some of the most widely used and generally accepted are quoted; a rather full glossary of Maori plant names, including those of monocotyledons, is to be found in Volume I, pp. 998–1007.
Again the distribution of most species is stated in general terms only, but much more detail has already been presented, often by means of maps, in papers on certain individual families and genera. New records for the Kermadec, Chatham and Subantarctic Islands are supported by specimens collected by recent expeditions to all these places.
During the preparation of this second volume it has been possible to grow a large proportion of the species, and to obtain some experimental evidence about hybridism. Thus for the most part descriptions are drawn up from a knowledge of living, as well as of pressed plants. A great many of the type specimens have been examined, some in New Zealand and some in British and European herbaria. Some nomenclatural problems have been discussed and new taxa described in a series of precursory papers. The two authors have worked closely together but each has dealt with certain families, as indicated in the table of Contents. The Annals and its Index were prepared by the junior author who also undertook responsibility for the list of Chromosome Numbers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many problems in the taxonomy and especially in the nomenclature of New Zealand plants can be solved only by reference to classical specimens in the older herbaria, particularly those in Europe. We are greatly indebted to the Director, Keeper and staff of the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and to the Keeper and staff of the Department of Botany of the British Museum (Natural History) for access to specimens and books, and for much personal help and discussion. Other herbaria visited include those at Goettingen, Paris, Caen and Leiden, and to the Directors of these institutions we express our thanks for the opportunity to see New Zealand specimens. Australian colleagues have been consulted on many of the genera where common problems arise and we are grateful especially to Dr S. T. Blake (Queensland), Dr B. G. Briggs and Mr L. A. S. Johnson (New South Wales), Mr M. Gray (Australian Capital Territory), Mr J. H. Willis (Victoria), Dr W. M. Curtis (Tasmania), Dr Hj. Eichler (South Australia), and Mr A. S. George (Western Australia).
All the large herbaria in New Zealand have been used freely and we are indebted to the Directors and to the officers immediately in charge of each. The local collectors who have responded repeatedly to requests for specimens and information are too numerous to mention individually, but their assistance has been greatly valued. Mr E. D. Hatch's contributions of orchids must be singled out for remark because of his many publications on this family.
Mr J. Bruce Irwin most generously lent for study a long series of water colour illustrations of orchids, made over a period of years; the drawings which he subsequently prepared for this volume reflect his intimate understanding of the structure of these plants.
The Director of the Dominion Museum kindly made available the artist on his staff, Miss Nancy M. Adams, to draw the text-figures of other families, continuing the series she began in Volume I. Again we have to thank her for a cover design that is as appropriate as it is attractive.
Three maps prepared by the Department of Lands and Survey for the end papers of Volume I have been used again; the fourth, showing the New Zealand Botanical Region and the bathymetric contours of the surrounding sea, has been redrawn by the same Department to incorporate the results of discoveries made in the intervening years, the information being supplied by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute.
The Director of Botany Division has afforded every assistance and sympathetic encouragement and each member of the staff has made some direct contribution towards the completion of the work. We thank Dr J. B. Hair and Mr E. J. Beuzenberg especially for help with chromosome numbers; they have examined many plants under study so that our judgments could be based on cytological as well as morphological evidence. Aquatic monocotyledons are unusually well represented in the herbarium here, because of Miss Ruth Mason's long-continued work on water plants, and we have taken full advantage of her wide knowledge of the literature pertaining to them. Amongst living plants received were almost complete species collections of Uncinia and Scirpus, assembled in the North Island by Mr A. P. Druce. For much technical help we thank Mr I. C. Brown, who is in charge of the experimental gardens, and also Ann Latter and Jean Clarke. Miss Clarke did much of the tedious checking of references, took charge of records of living plants and prepared the first drafts for the list of chromosome numbers and for the main index.
In 1965 a grant of £24,000 was made to Botany Division library by the Scientific Research Distribution Committee of the "Golden Kiwi" lottery. This money is being used to purchase back numbers of botanical periodicals poorly represented in New Zealand, and already it is easy to consult directly a large proportion of the publications relevant to the Flora. This contrasts strongly with the situation ten years ago and it has been a very real benefit to have such good bibliographic resources immediately at hand.
Finally it is a pleasure to acknowledge the goodwill and helpfulness of the Government Printer and his staff.
LUCY B. MOORE
ELIZABETH EDGAR
Lincoln,
30 September 1969.
