Floristic relationships of lowland rainforest phanerogams of New Zealand.

Abstract

The 80 genera are divided into 1) gymnosperms; 2, 3, 4) non-endemic angiosperms; 5) endemic genera and genera of uncertain status. Climatic preference is the basis for division of the non-endemic genera; 2) lowland tropical; 3) lowland and montane tropical to Australian temperate; 4) montane tropical and lowland S temperate. The species of angiosperms are grouped into standard leaf-size classes. The number of species per genus is lowest in lowland tropical genera (1.4 per genus) and greatest in the montane tropical and S temperate (4.2 per genus); approx 1/3 of the species in lowland tropical genera are microphyllous, in the other 2 categories approx 2/3 of the species are microphyllous; lowland tropical genera (category 2) occur only in rainforest, of species in category 3, 28% occur also in non-forest habitats, and in category 4, 48%; 27% of species in category 2 belong to genera of probably S origin, for category 4, 90% of species. Contrary to these trends is the greater frequency of specialized growth forms (lianes and epiphytes) in category 4 (36%) compared with 16% of species in category 2.-from Author