Research on Pseudopanax

People: Leon Perrie, with Lara Shepherd (Massey University).

Our Pseudopanax research was initially directed at using DNA analyses to examine the hybridisation that occurs between lancewood (horoeka, P. crassifolius) and coastal five-finger (houpara, P. lessonii).

It has since extended to include investigation of the relationships amongst the species, the taxonomic status of morphological variants within coastal five-finger, and the distribution of genetic variation amongst populations of fierce lancewood (P. ferox).

Te Papa's research on Pseudopanax was initially funded by a Fast-Start Marsden award to Leon Perrie, with additional contributions from Forest & Bird's JS Watson Trust and the Wellington Botanical Society's Jubilee Award.