Online resources for NZ flora

Fancy a fix of New Zealand canopy flora? Here a few websites that share quality information on epiphytes, vines, mistletoes and more:

NZPCN

The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network is a great source of information and photos of native and exotic plants. Running since 2003, this network has many databases, tools and online features that help people to conserve our native plants. The network has 600 members across the world but the website is also regularly used by hundreds of non-members. Members work in various ways to protect the unique indigenous plant life of New Zealand.

What is great about NZPCN?

• Information is provided on every native plant species in New Zealand and each species page is linked to more information and tools including distribution maps and phenology information
• The Trilepidea newsletter is really interesting and informative. You can receive it as a paid-up member or find it online
• The forum provides access to a community of knowledgeable people who can answer your plant questions

NatureWatch NZ

NatureWatch NZ is a recording website for people to share their observations of nature in New Zealand. This includes plants, birds, bugs and everything in between. They are aiming to "build a living record of life in New Zealand that scientists and environmental managers can use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone can use to learn more about New Zealand's amazing natural history."

What is great about NatureWatch NZ?

• It is a large and growing source of information on all sorts of lifeforms in NZ 
• You can easily sign up and start making contributions and then get to know others who are interested in your favourite critters
• The information can be viewed in lots of different ways including by place, species, users and projects or through specific guides

Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants

This website is run by Landcare Research and is clearly explained on the homepage:

"This site provides access to information on plant taxa that occur in New Zealand. The site combines data from the New Zealand Plant Names Database and the Allan Herbarium Specimen database – providing access to information on the scientific and vernacular names, distribution and collection data, keys, descriptions and images. It currently includes the data for the seed plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens and freshwater algae."

The database can be searched by name, collection, description, image and literature. This is a good site for keeping up with botanical name changes.

Landcare Research also run Ngā Tipu Whakaoranga - Māori Plant Use Database which has fantastic information about traditional plant use.

eflora

The Flora of New Zealand is a series of books that have been the key source of botanical information in NZ for many years. However, the sizeable books are out of date so Landcare Research, Te Papa, and NIWA have launched the eflora or "Flora of New Zealand Online". Their goal is "to provide New Zealand with a dynamic, continually updated, electronically-based Flora. It will be based on new systematic research and will bring together information from our network of databases and online resources. Users will have easy access to the most authoritative, accurate, and up to date information on New Zealand plants." 

The website has information from the latest Flora of NZ books and is steadily being updated with our latest understandings.

I hope these are useful links. If I've left any key resources out please let me know through the comment function.