Checklist of the New Zealand flora : seed plants
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Date
2019Citation:
Schönberger, I., Wilton, A.D., Boardman, K.F., Breitwieser, I., de Lange, P.J., de Pauw, B., Ford, K.A., Gibb, E.S., Glenny, D.S., Korver, M.A., Novis, P.M., Prebble, J.M., Redmond, D.M., Smissen, R.D., & Tawiri, K. (2019). Checklist of the New Zealand Flora - Seed Plants. (4th). Christchurch, New Zealand: Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. II. Allan Herbarium. DOI: 10.26065/s3gg-v336Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4768Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The scientific names of plants “provide a means of reference to facilitate communication about those organisms” (Turland 2013). Established over 300 years ago, the process of naming plants is today governed by the International Code of Nomenclature, with the names themselves anchored by a type specimen. In this electronic age the names remain a vital means of accessing and sharing information. As a result of new scientific research our understanding of plant species is constantly evolving, with old hypotheses being tested and new hypotheses of relationship being inferred as our knowledge improves. This expansion of our knowledge frequently leads to changes in the application of names and the publication of new names. A comprehensive list of names, including accepted names and their synonyms, and the relationship between names and their application, is important for anyone wanting to access and manage biological information.
At the Allan Herbarium (CHR), Manaaki Whenua — Landcare Research, the New Zealand Plant Names Database (PND) provides a contemporary account of the names of New Zealand indigenous and naturalised plants. The PND lists nearly 50,000 scientific names, primarily for hornworts, lichens, liverworts, mosses, ferns and seed plants in New Zealand, as well as some information for freshwater algae and our cultivated flora. The PND indicates which of the names are preferred for use at the Allan Herbarium, and provides information on the authorship and biostatus of the taxa. In addition to the scientific names, the PND is also used to record taxonomic concepts and associated literature, and vernacular and Māori names.
The data in the PND are continuously curated and updated. The updated data are published twice weekly to Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa – New Zealand Plants website (http://nzflora.landcareresearch.co.nz). The changes in the data are also summarised in quarterly reports that are published to the Manaaki Whenua — Landcare Research Datastore
(http://datastore.landcareresearch.co.nz/organization/plant-names-database-reports).