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Recommended Books

A  FieldGuide to theNative Edible Plants of New Zealand

A practical field guide to New Zealand's native edible plants. Andrew Crowe

Gardener's Encyclopaedia of NZ Native Plants

Gardener's Encyclopaedia of NZ Native Plants by Cave, Paddison

Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand

Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand  by Poole and Adams

Which Native Plant Can I Grow Here?

100 Best NZ Native Plants for Gardens

ScienceDirectory.info

Plant       heritage NZ Order on line

NZ Plant names and botanists 


Many plants are given their botanical name after a note-worthy botanist.  
New Zealand plants are rich with the names of botanists who have been influential in New Zealand's biological History.
Cordyline banksii leafCordyline banksii


Allan Dr. H.H. 1882 - 1957 who collaborated with Cockayne on studies of wild hybrids and wrote "NZ Trees and Shrubs" and how to identify them and the important flora of New Zealand.
Banks Sir Joseph Naturalist with Captain Cook and later director of Kew Gardens.  Along with Solander they collected 350 species of plants on Cooks first voyage.  He appointed as naturalists Dr J.R Forster and his son George for Cooks second voyage.
Alseuosmia banksii, Cordyline banksii
Bidwill Plant Collector from 1839. Collected in Tongariro area.  Libocedrus bidwilli, Halocarpus bidwilli
Buchanan John collected the high mountain plants of Fiordland.  Wrote a work on grasses of New Zealand in which life size figures of all the species of the family are given.  Carex buchananii
Cheeseman His Botanical research began in 1873.  In 1906 published "Manual of New Zealand flora" which stamped him as the leading floristic botanist of the day.  Coprosma cheesemanii
Cockayne Dr. Leonard 1850-1934 wrote the influential "New Zealand plants and their story".  Preceded science of Ecology as he studied much on plant associations.  Hebe cockaynea
Colenso Reverend William landed in Bay of Islands in 1834 as a  young man of 23.  For the next 65 years he was an ardent investigator in Anthropology, Te Reo, Zoology and Botany.  He was a missionary and travelled much throughout New Zealand.  Was the first European botanist to visit the high mountain vegetation.  Published volumes. Leucopogon colensoi Coprosma colensoi, Metrosideros colensoi, Lagarostrobos colensoi, Pittosporum colensoi, Metrosideros colensoi, Colensoa physaloides
Cunningham Richard and Allan  Brothers who visited Bay of Island's, Hokianga and Whangaroa 1826 and 1832. Colonial Botanist of New South Wales;  Nestegis cunninghamii, Dendrobium cunninghamii, Clematis cunninghamii.
D'Urville Lieutenant Dumont Visited NZ 1824 &1827. Collected plants in Bay of Islands.  Durvillea a genus of fern

 


Forster Dr, John Reinhold & son George Naturalists on Cooks second voyage. Forstera is a small genus of alpines.  Clematis forsteri
Haast Sir Julius Von Provincial Geologist explored Mountains and flora of Southern Alps.  According to Hooker he contributed more new species to the flora than anyone since Colenso. Hebe haastii
Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton born 1817.  World famous botanist, travelled on the Antarctic expedition of 1839 under the command of Sir James Ross.  Hooker visited the Auckland and Campbell Islands plus the Bay of Islands where he met Colenso.  He wrote "Handbook of New Zealand Flora" published in 1864-67 describing many specimens sent to Kew  by collectors.  A remarkable achievement working mainly from dried Herbarium specimens of many botanists.  He was a friend, a guide and a counsellor.  He died in 1911 and has a memorial stone at Westminster Abbey London.  Hebe hookeri, Coprosma hookeri
Kirk Thomas  Stands foremost along with Cheeseman as leader on Botanical thought in New Zealand.  Published 140 papers.  Wrote "Forest Flora of New Zealand"  which was the classic of New Zealand trees for many years.  Kirk building in his honour at Victoria University.  Carmechaelia kirkii, Halocarpus kirkii, Coprosma kirkii, Brachyglottis kirkii.
Lesson Rene Primeverre Botanist with D'Urville 1824.
Lesson Pierre Adolph Botanist with D'Urville in 1827 younger brother of above.  Pseudopanax lessonii.
Lyall David Surgeon naturalist on survey ship Acheron 1847-49.  Hoheria lyalli, Pimelia lyalli Ranunculus lyalli
Menzies Archibald Surved on 1791 voyage to dusky sound by Catain Vancouver of Artic fame.  Abundant harvest of mosses and liverworts.  Dracophyllum menziesii
Monro Explored Nelson mountains 1850 Celmisia monroi
Oliver Dr W. R. B 1883-1957 studied plants of Kermadec is and in general Coprosma, Dracophyllum and Aciphylla. Dracophyllum oliveri
Raoul Botanist on French voyage to Akaroa in 1840. Raoulia a genus of mountain plants. Hebe raoulii
Sinclair Collector 1850-1860 in various parts of North Island and Nelson associated with Haast in an exploration of the Rangitata River but was drowned. Meryta sinclairii
Solander Dr Daniel Charles Botanist with Banks on Cooks first voyage.  Nephew to Scandanavian Professor Daniel S Solander.  Nothofagus solandri, Olearia solandri
Travers Henry H  Made first botanical exploration of Chathams in 1863.  Also worked in Nelson area.  Archeria traversii, Pseudowinter traversii, Hebe traversii, Pimelia traversii

 

 

Life-size Guide to New Zealand Native Ferns: Featuring the Caterpillars Which Feed on ThemA Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New ZealandGardener's Encyclopaedia of NZ Native PlantsTrees and Shrubs of New ZealandThe Reed Field Guide to New Zealand Native Trees

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