The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Great that Bartlett's rata was plant of the year once more! I wonder if the citation might have included more information about why the tree has become so endangered, because it really seems hard to credit.

But also, I haven't seen any announcement about the Weed of the Year. Can anyone help with this information? Has one of the losing weeds applied for a recount?

Hi William, There will be an article in the December Trilepidea about the winners/losers of both competitions. The result is an repeat of the 2014 vote you may wish to have a browse through this newsletter from back then which has a good back ground about the Bartlett's Rata plight http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/publications/Trilepidea-133-141220.pdf
The weed of the year being Veldt grass - Ehrharta erecta.
Since the rata winning the 2014 vote and those articles being published more work has been done about the current situation, which has unfortunately worsened. This species is in real trouble, and the complexities of it situation are many. As with all things information is key and the more that is known the better that information can be used to help this species survive. Hopefully this will tide you over until the December Trilepidea. Cheers Matt.

Thanks, Matt, for all the information.

Regarding Bartlett's rata, I'm sure those who are in the know will know that there is a big specimen on the grounds of the University of Auckland, and I guess also about the one growing at Fernglen (Muriel Fisher's graden on the North Shore), now looked after by her son.

Hi William - thanks - the big tree you mentioned outside the Thomas Building and many trees found in cultivation around New Zealand have been DNA fingerprinted. Despite comments from various people and agencies we found that all cultivated material belongs to two genotypes (and in fact comes from just two trees) - a tree in Radar Bush (Thomas Building) and a tree at Kohuronaki (the majority of cultivated trees). These two genotypes are insufficient to save the species from extinction. Its complicated but in short the future of this species resides in three trees left at Unuwhao Forest. Material of which is now in cultivation. There are only five genotypes left of this species in the world. We need ALL of them to save it. Ciao Peter

Many thanks. It's too depressing. I was hoping against hope that maybe the Fernglen specimen might not be from one of those two genotypes, but from what you say it must have been accounted for.