Podocarpus totara var. Waihoensis var. Nov.: The result of introgressive hybridisation between P. Totara and P. Acutifolius

Abstract

Podocarpus acutifolius is a tall shrub occurring in the Buller district and northern part of Westland Province, while P. totara is a tree with a much wider distribution. Plants were scored for growth habit, and width and acuteness of leaves. It was concluded that P. totara remains distinct from P. acutifolius where it occurs within the northern part of the range of the latter, but in the southern part of the overlap there are numerous hybrids. In south Westland, populations are again substantially uniform, but show effects of introgression between the two species. This situation can be related to the extent of Pleistocene glaciation. The introgressed plants are described as Podocarpus totara var. waihoensis var. nov. © 1972 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.