Orchids of Great and South West Islands, Three Kings Islands Group, Northern New Zealand
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Tane 36: 1-14 (1997) ORCHIDS OF GREAT AND SOUTH WEST ISLANDS, THREE KINGS ISLANDS GROUP, NORTHERN NEW ZEALAND P.J. de Lange Science & Research Division, Regional Station, Auckland Conservancy, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 68908, Newton, Auckland SUMMARY Published accounts of the flora of the Three Kings Island group suggest that these islands have a depauperate orchid flora, with only four taxa having been recorded. During a scientific expedition to the Three Kings Islands in December 1995 a list of orchid taxa of South West and Great Island was compiled. A total of 17 taxa within 9 genera was recorded; 17 from Great Island, with 3 (possibly 4) of these extending to South West Island, from which orchids had previously not been reported. Of the 17 taxa noted, 2 taxa occur further north on the Kermadec Islands, while the remaining 15 taxa reach their northern limits within the New Zealand Botanical Region on the Three Kings. The orchid flora of the Three Kings is compared with the Kermadec and Poor Knights Islands groups, as well as that recorded from Te Paki. With respect to these locations it is concluded that the Three Kings orchid flora is still expanding. Keywords: New Zealand flora; Three Kings Islands; indigenous orchids; biogeography. INTRODUCTION The Three Kings Island group (referred to hereafter as the Three Kings) is a nature reserve 58km northwest off Cape Reinga (Fig. 1). The flora, vegetation and geology of the islands has been described by previous workers Cheeseman (1891); Baylis (1948, 1958); Oliver (1948); Hayward & Moore (1987); and Brook (1989). Two endemic species, well known internationally, Pennantia baylisiana1 and Tecomanthe speciosa, are presently known from the wild as solitary individuals on Great Island (Oliver 1948; Baylis 1977; Wright 1983; Murray & de Lange 1995). Despite the significance of the islands' vascular flora, and its high level of endemism (Oliver 1948, Wright 1983), comparatively 'Except for orchids, and unless otherwise stated, the taxonomy of all vascular plants mentioned follows that suggested by Allan (1961), Moore & Edgar (1970), and Connor & Edgar (1987). I Three Kings Islands North East 1 0 Great Island m& \ \ Farmer T > Rocks Princes Is k ** South West 1 West 1 0 5km Great Island (Manawa Tawhi) Crater Head Hapuka Point Farmer Rocks Tasman Bay N Fig. 1. Location of the Three Kings and Poor Knights Islands groups including details of the locations of geographic features of Great Island named within the text. few botanical accounts have been published in the last twenty years concerning the general vascular flora and vegetation of the group. During the first week of December 1995 I was one of eight Department of Conservation staff who visited the Three Kings, making landfalls on Great, North 2 East and South West Islands (Fig. 1). I compiled notes on the conservation status of the endemic vascular plants and flora of Great and South West Island, and sampled peat profiles for macrofossils, pollen and tephra from a swamp in "Tasman Valley"2, Great Island. In the course of these studies it became apparent that Great Island has a significantly more diverse orchid flora than available literature would suggest (Cheeseman 1888, 1891, Oliver 1948, Baylis 1958). While the first report of orchids from South West Island was made. The orchid flora of both islands is discussed below. ANNOTATED LIST OF THREE KING ISLANDS ORCHID TAXA All orchids recorded for the Three Kings Islands are listed alphabetically and an indication of their relative abundance given. Those taxa verified by vouchers within the Auckland Institute and Museum Herbarium (AK) have the relevant herbarium specimen cited. A search of the AK database revealed only four previous herbarium orchid collections from the Three Kings. First records (published or herbarium specimens) are cited. Acianthus sinclairii Hook.f. Abundant on Great Island but scarce on South West where only one plant was seen. On Great Island this species is most frequently seen in thick leaf litter under dense kanuka (Kunzea ericoides s.l.) forest. In these sites it is often associated with Corybas cheesemanii. Most plants observed were seeding but several flowering plants were found in small depressions near "Tasman Stream". Bulbophyllum pygmaeum (Smith) Lindl. Scarce. A single patch (c. 5cm diameter) noted on shaded rocks below Hapuka Point, Great Island. The scarcity of this species and absence of such perching orchids (sensu Molloy 1988) as Dendrobium and Earina from the Three Kings is paralleled by the complete or near absence of other normally epiphytic indigenous vascular plant genera e.g. Astelia, Collospermum. Possibly the extremely dry spring and summer conditions and added risk of salt burn during storms, provides less than ideal growing conditions for epiphytic plants. However other factors may also be involved (see discussion). 2Not an approved New Zealand Geographic Board name. As the topography of Great Island is so varied past field parties have bestowed a variety of unofficial names to aid in their work. In recognition of this all informal names used previously and by our party such as "Tasman Valley" are indicated by the use of quotation marks (see Fig. 1). 3 Caladenia minor Hook.f. Scarce. This species was first reported from Great Island as C. carnea var. minor (Oliver 1948) but no indication of abundance was given. I found only one plant, which was in full flower (colour dark pink). This specimen was growing under light kanuka scrub near "Bald Hill" Great Island. Oddly despite large areas of apparently suitable habitat Caladenia species appear to be extremely uncommon on the Kings. Caladenia "green column" Scarce. A single flowering plant of this undescribed taxon was discovered in thick leaf mould under kanuka near the lighthouse, Great Island. On the mainland this is a common species found throughout Te Paki (McCrae 1990) - its perceived scarcity on Great Island may have been an artifact of the timing of our visit; nevertheless fruiting specimens should still have been conspicuous. It is therefore possible that the plant I observed was a recent arrival, otherwise as suggested for C. minor, some other factor(s) may be acting upon the ability of Caladenia to successfully colonise the island. Corybas cheesemanii (Kirk) Kuntze AK 224943 Abundant on Great Island under kanuka within deep leaf mould. This species is especially common on the ridges connecting "Tasman Valley" with "Baylis Stream" but is also locally common to abundant where there is suitable habitat. Corybas cryptanthus Hatch AK 224944 Scarce, however exact status uncertain, as this saprophytic species is easily overlooked and suitable habitat is common on Great Island. One patch of C. cryptanthus was discovered under a mat of the moss Ptychomnion aciculare in close association with C. cheesemanii above "Tasman Stream", Great Island. The population was recognised only through the discovery of their seed capsules borne upon the conspicuously elongated peduncles typical of this species. The colony grew within mouldy leaf litter under an extremely dense canopy of kanuka. C. oblongus (Hook.f.) Reichb.f. Scarce. One flowering plant growing on a rock amongst mosses within Tasman Stream, Great Island. Cyrtostylis oblonga Hook.f. One small colony of c. 18 plants, some with withered flowers or fruiting capsules, were noted in association with Acianthus sinclairii and Corybas 4 cheesemanii, under kanuka on a steep ridge below the lighthouse, Great Island. Leaf shape was variable, and plants corresponding to the form sometimes known as C. rotundifolia Hook.f. were also present. Drymoanthus adversus (Hook.f.) Dockrill AK 224940 Abundant on Great Island, but local on South West Island (AK 224938) with only occasional, widely scattered plants observed. This epiphytic species is notable as the only orchid with this life style which has made a more than successful colonisation of the Three Kings. This may stem from its ability to colonise a wide variety of substrates, certainly on Great Island it was frequently observed on a both tree trunks and branches as well as rocks and rock outcrops within the forest. On South West, however this species was restricted to a single Three Kings milk tree (Streblus smithii) growing within the most sheltered part of the coastal forest. The range of plant "hosts" utilised on Great Island certainly makes interesting reading, with kanuka the most frequently used, but specimens also grew on pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) (frequent), cabbage tree (Cordyline kaspar) (frequent), Pennantia baylisiana (one instance), Myrsine oliverii (occasional), mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus subsp. "Three Kings"3) (occasional), Three Kings rangiora {Brachyglottis arborescens) (occasional) and coastal maire (Nestegis apetala) (occasional). All plants observed were setting abundant seed. Microtis parviflora R.Br. Local. Occasional flowering plants noted on bare clay, especially along the western cliffs from the Trig to "Deep Cove", Great Island, where it was frequently intermixed with M. unifolia. A dried-off specimen examined on South West Island may have been this species. M. unifolia (G.Forst.) Reichb.f. AK 24121 Abundant. Probably the most common orchid on Great Island, although this species appears to be scarce on South West Island. On Great Island this species is widespread in all suitably open sites, even occasionally occurring as a low epiphyte on pohutukawa. First recorded from Great Island as M. porrifolia by Cheeseman (1888, 1891). Both flowering and seeding plants were noted during this visit. 3Three Kings specimens of mahoe differ consistently from mainland, other offshore island, and Kermadec specimens in their markedly smaller foliage. Aside from their stipule characters which place Three Kings plants within the present concept of M. ramiflorus subsp. ramiflorus (R.O. Gardner pers. comm., 1995), all Kings material thus far examined has the leaf range seen in the Norfolk Island endemic M. ramiflorus subsp. oblongifolius. 5 Pterostylis alobula (Hatch) L.B.Moore AK 24120 Locally common amongst kanuka scrub on Great Island.