New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Short communication

Homalanthus polyandrus (Euphorbiaceae) on Macauley Island, southern Kermadec Islands, with notes on that island’s vascular flora

J. W. Barkla

Department of Conservation
PO Box 5244
Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
jbarkla@doc.govt.nz

P. J. Dilks

T. C. Greene

Department of Conservation
Research, Development and Improvement Unit
Private Bag 13049
Christchurch 8141, New Zealand

R. Griffiths*

Warkworth Area Office
Department of Conservation
PO Box 474
Warkworth 0941, New Zealand

*Present address: Auckland Area Office, Department of Conservation, PO Box 32026, Devonport, North Shore City 0744, New Zealand.

Abstract Homalanthus polyandrus (Kermadec poplar; Euphorbiaceae) is reported for Macauley Island, southern Kermadec Islands group. Previously this species had been reported (without a substantiating herbarium specimen) from that island by T. F. Cheeseman in 1887. In 2006 a single large tree was discovered on the western edge of the Macauley Island plateau. It is likely to have established following the eradication of feral goats in 1970 and may have arisen from bird-dispersed seed from Raoul Island. The vegetation on Macauley Island has undergone a huge transition from a presumed earlier forested cover to the current Hypolepis dicksonioides fernland and Cyperus insularis sedgeland. A comprehensive list of all vascular plants recorded for Macauley Island is included in an appendix.

Keywords Euphorbiaceae; Homalanthus polyandrus; vascular flora; Kermadec Islands; Macauley Island; New Zealand flora

B07054; Online publication date 15 August 2008; Received 17 December 2007; accepted 31 July 2008

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2008, Vol. 46: 373–379
0028–825X/08/4603–0373 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

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