Ocean Dispersal Quotes

“On this list of overwater colonists are many of New Zealand’s most abundant and conspicuous plant taxa, ones I remember seeing there even though I was mostly watching birds. They include diverse shrubs and small trees in the genus Pittosporum; two lineages of podocarp conifers; the world’s largest buttercup species (the one Tara and I saw at Arthur’s Pass on the South Island), along with all the other New Zealand buttercups; the many species of Celmisia daisies; the ubiquitous, scaly-leaved Hebe shrubs; Sophora bean trees with showy yellow flowers; and two lineages of southern beeches (Nothofagus). Basically, anyplace in New Zealand with lots of native plants is home to many taxa on this list of long-distance colonists.”
― Alan de Queiroz, The Monkey's Voyage: How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life