Conner, A. J.

Conner, L. N.

English

UC Research Repository

MAURI ORA, 1978, 6: 111-115 RECORDS OF MIRO (PODOCARPUS FERRUGINEUS) AND OTHER SPECIES FROM INLAND CANTERBURY, NEW ZEALAND (NOTE) A.J. CONNER and L.N. CONNER Department of Botany, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. ABSTRACT A small stand of miro (Podocarpus ferrugineus) is recorded near the confluence of the Rakaia and Wilberforce rivers, inland Canterbury, New Zealand. Locations of matai (Podocarpus spicatus) and southern rata (Metrosideros umbe11ata) in the Wilberforce valley are noted. Implications of these finds are outlined with respect to past climates and forests of inland Canterbury. The only published accounts to date of living mira (Podocarpus ferrugineus) trees in Canterbury are from WandIe Bush near Waiau (Lintott and Burrows 1973) and several sites on Banks Peninsula (Molloy 1976). In June 1978, a small stand of miro was found at Mt. Algidus, near the confluence of the Wilberforce and Rakaia rivers (NZMS 1 S65/9, 878907) (Table 1, Fig. 1). This stand covers an area of approximately 5-6 ha, and contains 34 mature, living trees plus an additional 7 dead trees that were probably miro. The dbh of most of the trees is greater than 0.40 m, the exception being a pole of 0.18 m. In addition a seedling about 1.5 m high was recorded, and a total of 40 small seedlings less than 0.1 m high were seen. The miro stand is on an east-facing slope, 650-750 m a.s.l. and is situated toward the edge of a mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri, var. cliffortiodes) forest. Mira is sub-dominant to mountain beech, its crowns being below the mountain beech canopy. Other trees and shrubs present include mountain totara (Podocarpus hallii) , lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius) , marble leaf (Carpodetus serratus), wineberry (Aristotelia serrata) , pepper-leaf (Pseudowintera colorata) , mapou (Myrsine australis), itself a new recording for the area, and two matai (Podocarpus spicatus) trees. The existing stands in Canterbury are probably relics of former, more extensive forest containing miro as miro is believed to be an important indicator of moist, mild climate (Lintott and Burrows 1973). Its presence at Mt. 111 112 o N. Z. 1 1-4 5-11 MAURI ORA, 1978, Vo1.6 km 10 MIRO MATAI SOUTHERN RATA Rakaia N ... J I,j/' ... , ./ ...... I I Unknown North ./ ,.." .... -, I .... _J \ , / Main Divide \. .. ,,/ ~(' .... .. " : .... : L.·. : . [ ........ . Coleridge , ... .. ..... Fig. 1 Localities of miro, matai and southern rata in the Wilberforce valley, Inland Canterbury. Algidus suggests that not long ago climates of inland Canterbury were milder than at present. It is interesting to note that a single miro tree has recently been discovered near Mt. oxford, at approximately 550 m a.s.l. (New Zealand CONNER & CONNER - MIRO RECORD Forest Service 1978). The upper altitudinal limit of miro in North Westland is about 450-525 m a.s.l., varying with aspect and soil type (8. June, pers. comm.) , and those at Wandle Bush are at 450 m (Lintott and Burrows 1973). The miros at Mt. Algidus and Oxford exceed these altitudes. Matai has been known at Mt. Algidus for many years, a single "veteran" tree being noted there by Holloway (1954). In addition to the two matai trees in the miro stand, five further matais were located about 1 km away (Fig. 1, Table 1). The mountain beech forest surrounding these matai has been disturbed by logging, and in places is largely taken over by broom (cytisus scoparius) I blackberry (Rubus fructicosus) I and wineberry. None of the additional matai trees recorded here could be regarded as "veteran". Other single matai trees ... ,ere found at two locations in the Wilberforce Valley nearer the main divide (Fig. 1, Table 1), and further finds could be predicted in neigh-bouring areas. The only previously published account of the flora of the Wilberforce Valley is that of Burrows (1977). He recorded the presence of southern rata (Metrosideros umbellata) wi th kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa) (associated with mountain beech, C.J. Burrows, pers. comm.) in the Kiwi and Moa streamS. However, other small disjunct stands of southern rata are also present throughout the Wilberforce Valley (see Fig. 1 and Table 1 for details). Bost of these sites are on rocky outcrops or bluffs, which suggests that southern rata is largely confined to such sites by competition with mountain beech. The New Zealand Forest Service (1978) also found southern rata on four similar disjunct sites in mountain beech forests near Mt. Oxford (see Table 1 for details). These scattered recordings of southern rata in Canterbury along with those noted by Burrows (1969, 1977) also suggest that this species was once more widespread in inland Canterbury. Further forest and scrub species in the Wilberforce Valley not recorded by Burrows (1977) include: Clematis australis, Elytranthe flavida, Gastrodia cunninghamii, Myrsine australis, Nertera dichondraefolia, Podocarpus ferrugineus in the mountain beech forest, and Cassinia fulvida in all the forest types of the valley. Voucher specimens of miro and matai from the area have been deposited in the herbarium of the Botany Department, University of Canterbury. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Some observations reported here were made during January 1978 with the help of Mark Belton, Susan Begg, Lisa Crozier and Anne Evison while being employed by the New Zealand Forest Service. The enthusiastic companionship of Lynley Pierce on more recent trips into the Wilberforce Valley, and the encouragement and constructive criticism of the manuscript by Dr C.J. Burrows is greatly appreciated. 113 TABLE 1. SPECIES miro matai THE DISTRIBUTION OF MIRO, MATAI AND SOUTHERN RATA IN THE WILBERFORCE VALLEY, WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LOCALITIES IN THE MT. OXFORD AREA. SITE NUMBER (see Fig. 1) 1 1 2 3 4 LOCATION Mt. Algidus West Coopers Ck. Mt. Oxford Mt. Algidus Mt. Algidus Kiwi Stm. MAP REFERENCE (NZMS 1) S 65/9 878907 S 67/7 491907 S 65/9 878907 S 65/9 886908 5-6 ha single tree* 2 trees several trees NOTES single veteran tree ** single veteran tree southern rata 5 Between Moa Stm. and Logans Mistake Boulderstone Stm. S 65/6 859041 S 65/5 841099 S 65/9 883974 S 65/6 873001 S 65/6 925018 several trees and shrubs on rocky bluff numerous trees and shrubs on rocky face several trees and shrubs on rocky bluff** common throughout 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kakapo Stm. Boundary Stm. Bristed Stm. Burnet Stm. Logans Mistake North Stm. Eyre River, Mt. Oxford West Coopers Ck. Mt. Oxford West Coopers Ck. Mt. Oxford East Coopers Ck. Mt. Oxford * from New Zealand Forest Service (1978) ** pers. comm. S. Begg, L. Crozier, A. Evison. S 65/3 863151 S 65/2 839120 S 65/5 773063 S 67/7 469921 S 67/7 498919 S 67/7 506917 S 67/7 521913 several trees and shrubs on bouldery slope several trees and shrubs on bouldery slope on rock faces along the river several trees and shrubs on rocky outcrop* numerous trees and shrubs on rocky outcrops about 100 trees and shrubs on rocky bluffs few shrubs on rock faces above river* I-' I-' ~ ~ §l f..j ~ N \,() '-I 0:. ~ N 0\ CONNER & CONNER - MIRa RECORD LITERATURE CITED BURROWS, C.J. 1969. Forest distribution and the forest and scrub flora. In: Knox, G.A. (ed.) The Natural History of Canterbury: pp 226-254. Reed, Wellington. 620 pp. BURROWS, C.J. 1977. Forest and Scrub Flora of the Upper Rangitata, Rakaia and Wilberforce Valleys. Canterbury Botanical Society Journal 10: 1-8. HOLLOWAY, J.T. 1954. Forests and climate in the South Island of New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 82: 329-410. LINTOTT, W.H., and BURROWS, C.J. 1973. A Pollen Diagram and Macrofossils from Kettlehole Bog, Cass, South Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 11: 269-282. MOLLOY, B.P.J. 1976. Floristic Notes. Canterbury Botanical Society Journal 9: 34-37. NEW ZEALAND FOREST SERVICE 1978. Oxford State Forest: Survey Report. Unpublished report to the Conservator of Forests, Canterbury, Christchurch. 24pp. N.Z.M.S. 1 S65. Wilberforce. New Zealand Topographical Map 1: 63 360 Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington. 115 

Records of miro (Podocarpus ferrugineus) and other species from inland Canterbury, New Zealand (Note)

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Records of miro (Podocarpus ferrugineus) and other species from inland Canterbury, New Zealand (Note)

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