New Zealand Fungarium – Te Kohinga Hekaheka o Aotearoa

The New Zealand Fungarium (Fungarium PDD – Plant Disease Division) is the world's foremost collection of New Zealand fungi, and is one of the few sizeable collections of fungi in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the primary source of information on the fungi of New Zealand and Pacific countries.

The Fungarium is a unique, primary source of information on the fungi of New Zealand. Located in Auckland, it contains all the major groups of fungi, with emphasis on the plant pathogenic microfungi and wood decay basidiomycetes. Indigenous fungi are well represented, and approximately 1400 type specimens of New Zealand fungi are held. Specimens collected during surveys of plant diseases in the South Pacific are deposited in this collection. A database of all specimens is available online via our NZFungi website. An extensive library associated with the fungarium concentrates on taxonomic mycology and plant pathology, with many separates.

The key functions are to acquire, preserve and maintain a collection of New Zealand fungi, and therefore to:

Maintain and provide a comprehensive record of all fungal species in New Zealand
Provide accurate identifications, authoritative names, and geographic range information
Be a repository for specimens that substantiate records of fungi in New Zealand and, especially, plant disease records for New Zealand and for South Pacific Island countries
Support taxonomic and systematics research
Support biosecurity risk assessments for parasitic and ‘weed’ fungi and assist with issues relating to trade in agriculture commodities
Support conservation (biodiversity) and environmental restoration
Provide specialist training for government personnel from within New Zealand and throughout the South Pacific and SE Asia