Pōhutukawa, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, or iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red flowers, each consisting of a mass of stamens. The pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand. Renowned for its vibrant colour and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs, it has found an important place in New Zealand culture for its strength and beauty, and is regarded as a chiefly tree by Māori.
Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua is the northwestern most tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. Cape Reinga is more than 100 km north of the nearest small town of Kaitaia.
Spirits Bay, officially named Piwhane / Spirits Bay, is a remote bay at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, which forms the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It lies between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the west and Ngataea / Hooper Point in the east. It is one of two bays in the short length of coast at the top of the North Island.
Metrosideros bartlettii, commonly known as the Bartlett's rātā, is a rare tree endemic to only a few parts of the Northland Region in New Zealand's North Island. It is one of twelve Metrosideros species in the family Myrtaceae. Bartlett's rātā was first discovered in 1975 by New Zealand botanist and schoolteacher, John Bartlett. There are only three known patches of dense native forest near Piwhane / Spirits Bay that contain Bartlett's rātā: Radar Bush, Kohuronaki Bush, and Unuwhao Bush. Bartlett's rātā has a high chance of becoming extinct unless immediate conservation measures are taken, due to its ongoing decline. A 2021 study in the New Zealand Journal of Botany reported only 13 adult trees that are known to exist in the wild. Despite its rarity in the wild, Bartlett's rātā is common in cultivation, with it being found in several private and botanic gardens throughout New Zealand. Its current conservation status was assessed by the IUCN Red List in 2013 as "Critically Endangered" and its population trend was assessed as "Decreasing".
Metrosideros fulgens is a forest liana or vine endemic to New Zealand. It occurs in coastal and lowland forest throughout the North Island, on the west coast of the South Island and on the Three Kings Islands north of Cape Reinga. It is one of a number of New Zealand Metrosideros species which live out their lives as vines, unlike the northern rata (M.robusta), which generally begins as a hemi-epiphyte and grows into a huge tree. Scarlet rātā is one of the better-known species of rātā vines, because it flowers in autumn or winter, and is often highly visible on well-lit host trees along forest roads, with vibrant displays of large red flowers that rise above the forest canopy.
Metrosideros carminea is a forest liane or vine that is endemic to New Zealand. It occurs in coastal and lowland forest from Te Paki in the north of the North Island south to Māhia Peninsula and Taranaki. It is one of a number of New Zealand Metrosideros species which live out their lives as vines, unlike the northern rātā (M.robusta), which generally begins as a hemi-epiphyte and grows into a huge tree.
Radula jonesii is a species of liverwort in the family Radulaceae, first described in 1988 from specimens collected in the Anaga Mountains of Tenerife. Endemic to Macaronesia, this dark to olive-green liverwort is known from five locations on Madeira Island and one location on Tenerife, where it grows as both an epiphyte on trees such as Laurus novocanariensis and as a lithophyte on shaded rocks in old growth laurel forest ecosystems between 800–1,000 m (2,600–3,300 ft) altitude. The species is distinguished by its procumbent growth habit, pinnately branched stems measuring 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) in length, and distinctive cellular features including uniformly thin-walled leaf cells. Classified as Endangered due to its restricted range and small population size, R. jonesii faces threats from climate change, habitat degradation, and tourism pressure, though its habitat receives protection through various conservation designations including UNESCO World Heritage status.
Radula is a genus of liverwort in the family Radulaceae. The genus includes 248 species of small plants that typically grow as green, scaly patches on tree trunks, logs, or rocks in moist environments. It is distinguished from other liverworts by several unique features, including the production of root-like structures (rhizoids) exclusively from leaf surfaces and characteristic branching patterns. The plants have rounded, overlapping leaves consisting of two unequal lobes, with considerable variation in structure across species. Following a major taxonomic revision in 2022, the genus comprises five subgenera with distributions ranging from tropical to temperate regions. The oldest known fossil species, R. cretacea, found in Burmese amber, dates to the Cenomanian age, though molecular evidence suggests the genus originated in the Triassic period, around 228 million years ago.
The topic of ghosts and spirits (kehua) in Māori culture is often considered a tapu subject, yet many Māori legends contain mentions of apparitions and paranormal occurrences. It is claimed that long deceased family members may appear to warn of upcoming danger, such as with the famous phantom canoe in 1886 that many reportedly saw on Lake Tarawera, that is believed to have been an omen for the volcanic eruption that occurred eleven days later.
Lejeunea hodgsoniana is a species of liverwort in the family Lejeuneaceae. Endemic to New Zealand, it was first recognized in 1980 but not formally described until 2013. The plant forms bright green mats up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter on tree bark and occasionally on rocks. The species is found from the Kermadec Islands in the north to the Chatham Islands in the south, primarily in coastal and lowland areas below 100 m (330 ft) elevation. It is distinguished from related species by its relatively large size, multi-celled tooth on the leaf lobule, and deeply divided underleaves with pointed tips. While showing a particular affinity for mahoe trees, it grows on various native and introduced trees and is considered "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System due to its abundance within its range and ability to grow in both pristine and disturbed habitats.
Radula demissa is a species of liverwort in the family Radulaceae. It occurs in southeastern Australia and New Zealand, where it grows as an epiphyte in temperate rainforest environments.
John Kenneth Bartlett was a New Zealand plant collector and botanist who specialised in mosses, liverworts, and lichens. In 1974, he found Bartlett's rātā growing south-east of Cape Reinga.
Frullania eboracensis, the New York scalewort, is a species of liverwort in the family Frullaniaceae. New York Scalewort can be distinguished from other species of scalewort by its morphology. In particular, the small size, lower leaf lobes that are about as long as they are across, lower leaf lobes that are about one-third to one-half the size of upper leaf lobes, underleaves that are only a little wider than their stems. The underleaves of New York Scalewort have toothless or nearly toothless lateral margins, and perianths that have smooth to slightly roughened keels along their sides. Despite some distinctive morphology, microscopy is often necessary to confidently distinguish New York Scalewort from other species of Frullania, and the cells of the leaves have diagnostic irregular, jagged edges and cell walls are swollen at intervals.
John E. Braggins is a New Zealand botanist and bryologist, known for his research into ferns and liverworts. Braggins lectured at the University of Auckland from 1969 until 2000, during which time he supervised and mentored a significant number of New Zealand botanists. During Braggins' career, he has taken part in the identification of 12 species and one suborder, many of which are endemic New Zealand liverworts.
Frullania hattorii is a species of liverwort in the order Porellales, native to Tasmania, Australia. The species was first described by Matt von Konrat and John E. Braggins in 2003.
Frullania truncatistyla is a species of liverwort in the order Porellales. The species was first described by Matt von Konrat, Jörn Hentschel, Jochen Heinrichs and John E. Braggins in 2011, and is native to New Zealand.
Frullania colliculosa is a species of liverwort in the order Porellales, native to New Zealand. The species was first described by Matt Von Konrat, Jörn Hentschel, Jochen Heinrichs, John E. Braggins and Tamás Pócs in 2010.
Frullania hodgsoniae is a species of liverwort in the order Porellales, native to New Zealand. The species was first described by Matt Von Konrat, Jörn Hentschel, Jochen Heinrichs, John E. Braggins and Tamás Pócs in 2010.
Lophocolea mediinfrons is a species of liverwort in the family Lophocoleaceae. The plant was first described by John J. Engel and John E. Braggins in 2010 as Chiloscyphus mediinfrons, and has only been found on Ulva Island in New Zealand.
Dactyloradula is a liverwort genus in the family Radulaceae, containing the single species Dactyloradula brunnea. The species is endemic to Japan, though a disjunct population was historically known from Oregon in the western United States. The species typically grows as an epiphyte on tree bark in temperate forests, particularly in subalpine regions, and occasionally on rock faces. First described in 1910 as a species of Radula, it was elevated to genus status in 2022 based on its distinctive morphological features and ancient evolutionary history. The genus is characterised by its bistratose stem cortex, finger-like appendages at the base of its leaf lobules, and regular production of specialised branches called amentulose (reduced-leaf) shoots. Molecular studies indicate that Dactyloradula represents one of the earliest diverging lineages within Radulaceae, having separated from other members of the family about 133 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.
