Flowering records forChionochloa,Aciphylla, andCelmisiaspecies in the Craigieburn Range, South Island, New Zealand

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Abstract
Several species of the New Zealand mountain flora show periodic flowering. Of particular interest are the species in which mass flowerings occur after several, or sometimes many, seasons with little or no flowering. However, specific flowering patterns have rarely been elucidated. A flowering record for individual plants of species of Celmisia, Chionochloa, and Aciphylla is presented, based on up to 9 years of observations on populations at two altitudes on Mt Cockayne in the Craigie bum Range, South Island. Celmisia spectabilis flowered each season at least moderately, whereas the other species showed various degrees of periodicity. In Chionochloa macra single non-flowering seasons intervened between periods of two or three successive flowerings. Celmisia Iyallii and Aciphylla aurea flowered less frequently. Infrequency was most marked in Celmisia viscosa. This species made one mass flowering after eight seasons with virtually no flowering, and the previous mass flowering in the study population was probably 4 years before the observations on labelled plants commenced. Infrequency, and synchronisation of flowering within populations, was most marked at the higher altitude where the tendency was for either mass flowering or no flowering to occur.

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