Describing New Zealand's Orchid Flora

The orchid family is one of the top 10 largest families of flowering plants in New Zealand. Currently, there are more than 110 orchid species listed for New Zealand but this number may increase as over the last three decades field botanists and orchid enthusiasts have identified a number of potentially new species.

These putative new species belong to the genera Corybas, Microtis, Prasophyllum, Pterostylis, Thelymitra and Spiranthes. Some of them are common and widespread across New Zealand while others are restricted to a single site and their conservation status is of great concern. For instance, some may disappear before they are formally described and named.　　

To resolve the taxonomic status of these orchids we are studying herbarium specimens and collecting fresh samples to examine and describe features of their flowers and extract DNA for genetic analyses.

This study is funded by the Australia & Pacific Science Foundation Grant APSF #19047.

To see images of these specimens we are studying scroll down to "Related Objects".