Preface
PREFACE
"Every botanist who prepares a Flora starts from the standpoint reached by his predecessors in the same field." Writing this in the Preface of his 1906 Manual of the New Zealand Flora T. F. Cheeseman was looking back to Flora Novae-Zelandiae of 1852-1855 and the Handbook of the New Zealand Flora of 1864-1867, both by J. D. Hooker, and to T. Kirk's incomplete Student's Flora of 1899. The second edition of the Manual, revised and enlarged by the author, appeared in 1925. The present work began in 1949 as a further revision, but it soon became evident that in spite of the excellence of Cheeseman's descriptions a patchwork could not be satisfactory, and the preparation of an entirely new Flora was undertaken. To this task Dr. Allan brought a wide knowledge of both plants and botanical literature. During twenty years with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research he had personally built up much of the herbarium and library of the Botany Division, of which he was the first Director. He had studied classical collections of New Zealand plants in British herbaria in 1930 and spent a further period in England, mostly at Kew, in 1950. At the time of his death on 29 October 1957 he had completed the greater part of the manuscript for the present volume which includes all the indigenous vascular plants except the monocotyledons. The responsibility of filling in gaps, making final checks and seeing the whole through the press fell to the present writer who had been closely associated with the project since 1953.
A Flora is in general a compilation, a drawing together by a competent taxonomist of information already published. In the present work some groups, especially those dealt with by less experienced collaborators, had to be studied rather intensively, and details are included that might be more appropriate in monographic accounts. Such unevenness is regretted but it could hardly have been avoided without still further delaying the appearance of this volume. The description of new taxa in the Flora is perhaps not altogether desirable but that also is a matter of expediency; the Latin diagnoses are collected together on pages 965 to 976.
The total number of families is 116, of genera 290, of species 1,457 and of distinct varieties 280; the respective figures for dicotyledons alone are 87, 238, 1,273 and 272. Three genera, 29 species and 61 varieties are described as new. The number of species of ferns and fern allies has increased little since Cheeseman's 1925 Manual (164 compared with 159), and that of gymnosperms (20) not at all; for dicotyledons a total of 1,273 species contrasts with 1,184 of Cheeseman, the chief gains being in the large genera Carmichaelia, Dracophyllum, Aciphylla and Epilobium. Genera with 20 or more species are, in order of size: Hebe, Celmisia, Epilobium, Coprosma, Ranunculus, Senecio, Aciphylla, Carmichaelia, Dracophyllum, Myosotis, Olearia, Pittosporum, Gentiana, Cotula, Hymenophyllum and Raoulia.
Only those species which can reasonably be regarded as indigenous are included here. Concerning several cosmopolitan ones, especially those collected by Banks and Solander, there will always be some doubt, and a score or more accepted by Cheeseman are omitted. Most of these were discussed by Cockayne and Allan in 1926 (T.N.Z.I. vol. 57). A number of species described as native were in fact based on introduced plants and their names, though superfluous, are brought together in the supplementary notes for convenient reference.
Names are applied in accordance with the Rules set out in The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, Utrecht, 1956, and those of taxa accepted at or below specific rank are shown in bold face type. Infraspecific categories are treated conservatively, only varietal status being recognized; most names were so published and they are recorded without change. The Code states clearly that varietas is subordinate in rank to subspecies but gives no guidance as to choice of category when only one is required. Of English names only some of the most widely used and generally accepted are quoted, but a rather full glossary of Maori plant names is appended. J. C. Andersen (1926, 1927) has discussed popular names for New Zealand plants and gives comprehensive lists assembled from many sources.
The distribution of most species is stated in general terms only. With increasing numbers of workers in the field and closer exploration of remote areas the known limits of many species are constantly being extended. It is hoped that records from the Kermadec, Chatham and Subantarctic Islands are all included, but occurrences on Three Kings and other nearer island groups are mentioned only in special cases.
This work attempts to fulfil the primary purpose of a regional Flora which is to provide a means of identifying plants, and to this end the keys to families, genera and species have been kept simple, strictly dichotomous and often "mechanical", and some are illustrated. At the same time it is recognized that many species are very inadequately known and a second, but not necessarily secondary, objective has been to indicate directions in which more investigations are urgently needed. With the deliberate aim of facilitating such research some features that are rather unusual in a modern Flora have been incorporated. Bibliographic references, for instance, have been made as complete as possible, with all practicable cross-checking where originals could not be consulted. Synonymies, though by no means exhaustive, are given more fully than in most Floras, and it is hoped that most basionyms founded on New Zealand types are mentioned. Names of uncertain value, including many proposed by Colenso, are dealt with in notes which may help in determining the status of the taxa concerned and should prevent many validly published names from being overlooked. Quoting the original or type locality and giving details about the type specimens or their whereabouts could lead to the more precise application of names and so perhaps to the recognition of entities not yet described.
COLLABORATORS
The following sections were prepared by authors other than H. H. Allan, all, except in Scrophulariaceae, under his general supervision: by L. B. Moore - Balanophoraceae, Boraginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Plantaginaceae, Haloragis, Hebe (except whipcord species), Myoporum (in part), Myriophyllum (with assistance from R. Mason), Ourisia, Pomaderris, Tecomanthe; by M. B. Ashwin - Euphrasia, Hebe (whipcord species), Parahebe, Pygmea. Supplementary notes incorporating recently published names and other information not available when the main script was completed are the work of L. B. Moore, as are also about half the Latin diagnoses, the latter with the assistance of Dr. Elizabeth Edgar.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In notes prepared for this Preface Dr. Allan has written: "That great and stimulating teacher, F. G. Gibbs, led me from books to the study of plants in the field. My interest in taxonomic botany was quickened by my friend A. H. Cockayne who greatly helped me in identifying specimens of both indigenous and naturalized plants and F. W. Hilgendorf was also ever ready with advice and assistance. Then I had the privilege of a long friendship with L. Cockayne, spending many delightful days in the field with him. Much assistance was given me by D. Petrie, T. F. Cheeseman, C. Chilton, and my lifelong friend J. E. Holloway. Of earlier workers too I had the good fortune to meet, or to accompany in the field, E. P. Turner, G. M. Thomson, H. Carse, R. M. Laing, D. L. Poppelwell, Arnold Wall and J. Speden. Many visiting botanists have influenced my views, as J. P. Lotsy, G. E. Du Rietz, E. C. Jeffrey, F. R. Fosberg, E. H. Walker and especially C. Skottsberg who has contributed so much to the knowledge of the relationships of our flora. Of later years I owe much to the help of G. Simpson and J. Scott Thomson, ardent field workers. Dr. W. R. B. Oliver, whose outstanding work I have taken full advantage of, has been of great help in many ways. I hope the very many recent workers who have ungrudgingly forwarded specimens and information will not be hurt if I make only this general acknowledgment.
"The work could not have been attempted without assistance from outside New Zealand. I must make special reference to the help received from the Director, Keeper and staff of the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; the Keeper and staff of the Department of Botany, British Museum (Natural History); the Directors of the Australian National Herbaria at Melbourne and Sydney; Dr. Winifred M. Curtis of the University of Tasmania; and Miss N. T. Burbidge of C.S.I.R.O., Canberra."
Constant use has been made, not only of the Botany Division herbarium and the F. G. Gibbs herbarium donated by Miss H. Jenkins, but also of the other main New Zealand collections: Auckland Institute and Museum, including the Cheeseman herbarium; Dominion Museum, including the Colenso, Kirk, Petrie and Cockayne herbaria; Canterbury Museum, including the herbaria of H. Carse and A. Wall, and the Armstrong herbarium; Otago Museum, including J. Buchanan's herbarium. To the directors of these institutions and to those immediately in charge of the collections gratitude is expressed. It has been a great advantage to draw on living material from all parts of New Zealand grown at the Otari Open-air Native Plant Museum under the care of W. B. Brockie, and at the Taita Soil Bureau Station by A. P. Druce. The section on ferns owes much to the work of Miss M. W. Crookes, and help with many individual families and genera is acknowledged in the text.
The Flora, as an undertaking of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, has had the personal interest of the Permanent Secretaries, Mr. F. R. Callaghan and Dr. W. M. Hamilton, and the editorial assistance of Miss Mabel Rice. Every help has been given by Departmental libraries and through them by the very efficient National Library Service. The Department of Lands and Survey prepared the maps for the end papers, the bathymetric information being supplied by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute.
Successive Directors of the Botany Division, Mr. A. L. Poole, Mr. C. M. Smith and Dr. E. J. Godley, have provided all facilities and given every encouragement, and members of the Division's staff have collaborated in many ways. Dr. Allan would wish to express especial thanks to Nancy M. Adams, botanical artist, for her sympathetic treatment of the figures and the cover design, and to loyal technical assistants, first Judith A. Hay, then Pauline J. Harrigan and later Bryony H. Macmillan; in particular to Margot B. Ashwin who prepared most of the final typescript and index, verified references and in many other ways maintained a keen and constant vigilance over the text during four critical years.
Finally it is a pleasure to acknowledge the unfailing helpfulness, goodwill and patience of the Government Printer and his staff during the whole course of this rather long-drawn-out project.
To end on a personal note, I am glad to record my gratitude for the privilege of being associated with Dr. Allan in this major botanical work. I would also acknowledge the great debt I owe to a host of unnamed colleagues, friends and acquaintances whose help has been freely sought and invariably most generously given.
LUCY B. MOORE
Wellington,
1 July 1960.
