<i>Plants &amp; Fungi of Niue</i> NaturaList: a compilation of the indigenous and introduced flora and mycota of a Polynesian island

Abstract

A checklist of the flora and mycota of Niue (https://plantsniue.nu/#!/checklist) is presented using the NaturaList app platform. The Plants & Fungi of Niue NaturaList was compiled from information presented in the flora treatments of TG Yuncker (1943. The flora of Niue island. In: Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin. 178) and WR Sykes (1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand DSIR Bulletin 200. Wellington: Government Printer), with additional literature documenting the indigenous flora, rare plants, and invasive species. International databases such as iNaturalist and Plants of the World Online were consulted for taxa documented as occurring in Niue. Checklist information presented includes biostatus, Niuean vernacular names, synonyms, references, and images. Kingdom Fungi, mainly comprising Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, are included. The majority of fungi records are derived from surveys of diseases of agricultural crops and food plants, along with recent collections of lichenised fungi. Five additional phyla of Fungi comprise 15 records, with the mycota comprising a total of 270 taxa. Also listed are single species of Bacteria and Protozoa, and 9 taxa of Protista. Kingdom Plantae is represented by the vascular Polypodiophyta (ferns), Pinophyta (conifers), Lycopodiophyta (clubmosses), Cycadophyta (cycads) and Magnoliophyta (flowering plants). The Niue NaturaList includes indigenous (191 species), naturalised (376 species), Polynesian introductions (57 species), and cultivated (382 species) vascular taxa. The cultivated flora includes garden ornamentals and crop plants. The non-vascular Bryophyta (mosses) and Marchantiophyta (liverworts) are represented by 41 taxa. With the floras of Yuncker and Sykes out-of-print and recent literature often disparate and not readily accessible, the Plants & Fungi of Niue NaturaList provides a single, electronic and up-to-date compilation. This is necessary to improve knowledge of and access to Niue's indigenous biota and introduced cultivated and naturalised plants. It also informs and encourages further study relating to conservation of indigenous species and ecosystems, invasive species management, food security, and climate change adaptation. An appendix lists 37 new records of naturalised and cultivated plants made in 2024.

Topics & Concepts