Included here is the Chatham archipelago situated in the South Pacific some 450 miles east of New Zealand. The largest is Chatham Island measuring about 30 miles in length while the next largest, Pitt Island, barely measures 8 miles.

Chathamian Limestone Cliff Vegetation

Veronica dieffenbachii, usually with its thick stem embedded in a crevice, is one of the characteristic species of these steep cliffs. Associated species include Phormium tenax, Senecio lautus and the endemic Linum monogynum var. chathamicum (Linaceae).  In some of the dryer areas white flowers of the endemic Geranium traversii (Geraniaceae) can also be found.

Chathamian Limestone Sophora Forest.

In limestone hollows, small woodlands characterized by the endemic Sophora chathamica (Fabaceae) can be found. Other dominant trees include the endemic Plagianthus chathamica (Malvaceae) and Pseudopanax chathamicus (Araliaceae). In fact, most of the trees found in these woodlands, including Coprosma chathamica (Rubiaceae) and Corakia macrocarpa (Cornaceae) are endemic to these islands.

References

Cockayne, L. 1958. The Vegetation of New Zealand. H. R. Engelmann (J. Cramer).

Cockayne, L. 1902. A short account of the plant-covering of Chatham Island. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 34: 243-325.

Molloy, L. 1994. Wild New Zealand. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Northcroft, E. F. 1975. Adventive flora of the Chatham Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 13: 123-129.