Nine species of Sphagnum are documented in the New Zealand flora: S. australe, S. compactum, S. cristatum, S. falcatulum, S. novozelandicum, S. perichaetiale, S. squarrosum, S. subnitens, and S. simplex Fife sp. nov. A key to species is presented and all species are described. Sphagnum simplex, in section Subsecunda, is described and illustrated, its distribution is mapped, and ecology and systematic relationships are discussed. Sphagnum compactum is recorded from New Zealand and Australasia for the first time; its distinguishing microscopic features are illustrated and known New Zealand distribution mapped.The species occurring in New Zealand are assignable to six sections in Sphagnum. Each section is discussed with emphasis on its distinguishing morphological features, historical background, and taxonomic and related typification problems associated with its New Zealand representatives and their distribution here. Lectotypes are designated for the names S. antarcticum Mitt., S. australe Mitt., S. compactum var. ovatum Hook.f. & Wils., S. cristatum Hampe, and S. novo-zelandicum Mitt.

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Primary succession to montanerain forest on the bare slip faces of landslides is described from three variously aged slides with plot and plotless data, 24 years after a previous study, and is related to adjacent mature forest. Over a 15-102 yr period striking successional changes occurred in both vegetation and flora.The dominant pioneer, Leptospermum scoparium, persists with decreasing importance in the canopy beyond a century, with regeneration falling completely from the seventh decade. Although some species persist throughout the succession and into the mature forest most characterise particular stages and several were recorded only in the mature forest. Among the 90 vascular plant taxa recorded, richness was variable (38-46 taxa) throughout the seral stages and greatest (52) in the mature forest.A total of 118 bryophyte taxa and 26 lichens were recorded from the succession. Bryophyte richness varied from 54 to 66 taxa, the highest being recorded from late seral (102 yr) forest. Ten to 15 species of lichen were recorded per sere with the greatest number in the youngest (39 yr) stage.Tree basal area increased while that of smalltrees declined after 40 yr. Tree and small-tree densities generally declined after c. 70 yr to values similar to those in the mature forest. Densities of shrubs, subshrubs, and herbs showed no consistent trends with time.The successional pattern can be explained by the facilitation (relay floristics, or autogenic) model. It also conforms with the recently proposed resourceratio model although more data are needed for its substantiation.

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Although New Zealand's diverse bryophyte flora has attracted the attention of collectors and botanical authors since 1791 our knowledge of the bryoflora lags considerably behind that of the vascular flora.The historical development of both New Zealand muscology and hepaticology is reviewed. In muscology, the contributions of W.