Colobanthus

[Mick McLoughlin]

This plant is grown from the seed exchange as Colbanthus muelleri.
Doesn't seem to match images from google. Can anybody confirm identity please?

[Maggi Young]

Nice chubby plant, Mick. I might incline to Colobanthus apetalus but the NZers will surely tell us.

[Mick McLoughlin]

Looks like its just you and me on this one Maggi. apetalus looks more likely than muelleri so I'll go with that if there are no other suggestions.

[Maggi Young]

I've just emailed some of the NZers/ Tasmans, Mick... they may have just missed this page.

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Maggi,
I'm afraid I can't help with this one. But if you sent the same message to David Lyttle and Dave Toole, they are more likely to know for sure if it's one of ours. There are 13 listed in the Flora as well as many synonyms. I know some people think they are great little plants but they don't do much for me.

[Maggi Young]

I did indeed send it to the Daves, Lesley, so we'll hope to hear from them sometime.

[Lesley Cox]

Having said that, there are line drawings of the various species' inflorescences (open capsules within persistent calyces). In Mick's pic above, the shape is that of apetalus definitely. Muelleri has a much wider head, in relation to its height.

[Lesley Cox]

In the wild they would all be growing as little tight buns, even quite hard, not loose like Mick's.

[rob krejzl]

Have to agree with Lesley - it certainly resembles apetalus/curtisiae (unlikely to be the latter which is a rare Tassie endemic but intergrades with the first) as shown by the line drawings I've got. Try the key below.

http://www.utas.edu.au/dicotkey/DicotKey/CARYOPH/gColobanthus.htm

[David Lyttle]

I would confirm Maggi's id of Colobanthus apetalus,

The relevant parts of the key taken from Mark and Adams New Zealand Alpine Plants is

G  Sepals broad and blunt-tipped, much shorter than the capsule = C. affinis
GG Sepals narrow and sharp-tipped, at least as long as the capsule H
H Sepals about same length as capsule, leaves with short pointed tips = C. apetalus
HH Sepals longer than capsule: leaves with long hair tips = C. strictus

All three species are illustrated by line drawings in Wild Plants of Mt Cook National Park by Hugh Wilson.
The form of Mick's plant would be typical of the species- It is a very good photo and was easy to key. As a rule I do not find identifying Colobanthus species easy.
Colobanthus muelleri is a small un-prepossessing coastal species that looks quite different.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Friends, for your help!

[Mick McLoughlin]

Thanks for the help everyone.I'll check the key out when I get home from work tonight. I'll have to work on the tight little buns Lesley  .