New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Notes and Comments:
SIGNIFICANCE OF XEROMORPHIC FEATURES IN HUMID SUBALPINE ENVIRONMENTS IN NEW ZEALAND

P. Wardle

Botany Division of scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch

Abstract n the vegetation of New Zealand, xeromorphic characters of various kinds are present to an extent that seems out of keeping with the predominantly moist, mild climates. The subalpine belt in the North Island, west of the Main Divide in the South Island, and in Stewart Island surely experiences one of the wettest and cloudiest climates in the world, yet even here there is a predominance of plants with features that would generally be regarded as xeromorphic. This leads me to suggest that at least some of these features have evolved, not in response to drought, but in response to the need to make the most effective use of radiant energy received in short spells of fine weather.

N.Z. J. Bot. 3 : 342-43
(Received for publication 28 June 1965)

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (95K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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