New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand

P. J. de Lange

Science & Research Unit
Department of Conservation
Private Bag 68908
Newton
Auckland, New Zealand

D. A. Norton

Conservation Research Group
School of Forestry
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand

P. B. Heenan

Landcare Research
P. O. Box 69
Lincoln 8152, New Zealand

S. P. Courtney

Department of Conservation
Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy
Private Bag
Nelson, New Zealand

B. P. J. Molloy

Research Associate
Landcare Research
P. O. Box 69
Lincoln 1852, New Zealand

C. C. Ogle

22 Forres Street
Wanganui, New Zealand

B. D. Rance

Department of Conservation
Southland Conservancy
Private Bag
Invercargill, New Zealand

P. N. Johnson

Landcare Research
Private Bag 1930
Dunedin, New Zealand

R. Hitchmough

Biodiversity Recovery Unit
P.O. Box 10 420
Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract  A reappraisal of the conservation status of the indigenous New Zealand vascular plant flora is presented. The list comprises 792 taxa (34% of New Zealand’s total indigenous vascular flora) in the following categories: Extinct 4 taxa, Acutely Threatened 122 taxa (comprising 47 taxa Nationally Critical, 54 Nationally Endangered, 21 Nationally Vulnerable), Chronically Threatened 96 taxa (comprising Serious Decline 26 taxa, Gradual Decline 70 taxa), At Risk 499 taxa (comprising Sparse 126 taxa, Range Restricted 373 taxa), Non-resident Native 26 taxa (comprising Vagrant 16 taxa, Colonist 10 taxa), and Data Deficient 45 taxa. A further 208 plants are listed as Taxonomically Indeterminate, being those which might warrant further conservation attention once their taxonomic status is clarified. A further 31 named taxa and 18 rated as Taxonomically Indeterminate, and previously considered to be threatened and/or uncommon, are removed from this updated listing. A concordance of plant names is provided. The lists presented use a new threat classification system developed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation for sole use within this country. This paper represents the first time the entire known indigenous vascular flora has been assessed from a conservation perspective since the mid 1970s. A brief analysis of the patterns of rarity exhibited by the taxa listed is presented.

Keywords  New Zealand; threatened vascular plants; uncommon vascular plants; conservation status; rarity

B03016; Online publication date 30 March 2004; Received 13 May 2003; accepted 3 December 2003
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2004, Vol. 42: 45-76
0028-825X/04/4201-0045 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2004

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