Threatened Plants of New Zealand

Threatened Plants

Threatened! Animals Birds Glossary Resources

	*Some native plants had developed defenses against native species like the moa, but were not able to defend themselves against their new predators*
For example the Lancewood; when it is young the leaves are sharp, hard and pointed - not very easy or yummy to eat - so the tree was able to grow. When the Lancewood grew its leaves became softer and the moa might have eaten some of the leaves but not enough to kill it. Then animals like the possum arrived in New Zealand and they can eat a tree to death!

The Department of Conservation scientists decide which New Zealand plant species need the most help. They have a list of the most threatened species. The list is divided into three groups, A, B and C. The plants listed in the ‘A’ group are the most threatened.

The list was put together by the Department of Conservation in 1992.

The list has their scientific name and their common name (some species do not have a common name).

Below is a list of category 'A' plants.
Mosses
Archidium elatum
Fissidens berteroi
Lindbergia maritima

Liverwort
Pachyschistochila papillifera
Schistochila nitidissima
Temnoma angustifolium

Vascular Plants
Acaena rorida
Asplenium pauperequitum	Poor Knights spleenwort
Australopyrum calcis subsp. calcis
Australopyrum calcis subsp. optatum
Botrychium aff. lunaria	Moonwart
Carex inopinata
Chordospartium muritai	Coastal tree broom
Christella denata	Soft fern
Clianthus puniceus	Kakabeak, kowhai ngutu-kaka
Coprosma "violacea"
Cortaderia turbaria	Chatham Island toetoe
Corybas carsei	Swamp helmet orchid
Dactylanthus taylorii	Pua o te reinga, woodrose
Davallia "Puketi"
Hebe "bishopiana"	Waitakere rock hebe
Hebe breviracemosa	Kermadec koromiko
Helichrysum dimorphum
Lepidium banksii	Coastal peppercress
Lepidium sisymbrioides subsp. kawarau	Kawarau Gorge cress
Lepidium sisymbrioides subsp. matau
Leptinella nana
Melicytus "Egmont"
Metrosideros bartlettii	Bartlett's rata
Muehlenbeckia astonii	Shrubby tororaro
Myosotis "Lyttletonensis"
Olearia hectorii	Hector's tree daisy
Olearia pachyphylla	Thick-leaved tree daisy
Pennantia baylisiana
Pittosporum "Surville"	North Cape kohuhu
Plantago spathulata subsp. picta
Pterostylis micromega	Tutukiwi, swamp greenhood
Ranunculus recens "Moawhango"
Sebaea ovata
Tecomanthe speciosa
Thelymitra matthewsii	Spiral sun orchid

Here is a list of some of the category 'B' and 'C' species...
Category 'B'
Kunzea sinclairii	Great Barrier kanuka
Myosotidium hortensia	Chatham Island forget-me-not, kopukapuka
Myosotis "pottsiana"	Potts forget-me-not
Olearia fragrantissima	Fragrant tree daisy
Pachystegia rufa	Red rock daisy
Rhopalostylis "Chathams"	Chatham Island nikau

Category 'C'
Cyathea kermadecensis	Kermadec treefern
Hebe acutifolia	Koromiko