New Zealand Journal of Botany abstract
Genecological aspects of flowering patterns of populations of Kunzea
ericoides and K. sinclairii (Myrtaceae)
W. HARRIS
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
P. O. Box 69
Lincoln, New Zealand
Abstract Kunzea ericoides populations from 25 locations in New
Zealand and two in Australia, and a Kunzea sinclairii population from Great
Barrier Island, New Zealand, were grown in two plantings at Lincoln, New
Zealand. Years to first flowering and times and duration of flowering each year
differed significantly between populations. Flowering time was advanced by
higher temperature sums in July-December but retarded by this factor in
January-June. Flowering duration increased as plants aged. Most populations
that flowered first at an early age also did so earlier and for longer in each
flowering season than populations that were less precocious. Several groupings
of populations with different reproductive strategies, ranging from quick
maturing and profusely flowering to slow maturing and sparsely flowering, could
be derived according to their region of origin. The Australian populations were
characterised by their synchronous and profuse flowering. For a southern New
Zealand group of populations, flowering time was delayed as latitude of origin
increased. South Island populations showed both regional and site-specific
adaptations of reproductive strategies. Variation in flowering synchrony of
individual plants in populations and correlation of individual shrub flowering
in different years were observed. It is hypothesised that this variation
underlies adaptation to the probability of conditions favourable for flower
maturation at the sites of origin.
Keywords Kunzea ericoides; K. sinclairii; flowering maturity;
flowering pattern; reproductive strategy; ecotypic adaptation; New Zealand;
Australia
B95020
Received 4 May 1995; accepted 4 March 1996
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