NZ field trips February 2007

[Maggi Young]

He's a great photographer, isn't he?

He sure is!
Seems that all the NZers I know called David or Dave are all (david) Baileys!

[David Lyttle]

Thank you for the kind comments everyone. I am very fortunate in that I am able to undertake these trips and hope you all can share some of the enjoyment I get from them.

Last postings from this particular excursion.

Mt Buster gold workings showing gravel enscarpments left by sluicing.

Raoulia hectori showing a large cushion and a closeup of the flowers. This is the most common alpine cushionfield Raoulia.

The tiny eyebright Euphrasia zelandica growing in a cushion of Celmisia sessiliflora. This species is an annual and is partially parasitic on the roots of other plants - in this case one assumes that the Celmisia is serving as the host.

Celmisia sessiliflora. There were literally acres of these cushions growing amongst the tussocks in moderately boggy ground. Most had finished flowering but I found a plant growing up against a snow tussock that still had a couple of flowers remaining.

Pentachondra pumila in fruit. The superficially similar Cyathodes pumila was also present but I did not photograph the first plant I saw anticipating I would find another one. I did not.

Gentiana bellidifolia growing in a damp boggy area. If you look closely a the picture you can also see Kelleria paludosa and Celmisia alpina which has flowered and set seed.

Final picture is of a Celmisia hybrid. One parent was Celmisia sessiliflora and the other was probably Celmisia lyalli. We also found hybrids between Celmisia sessiliflora and Celmisia alpina that were similar but much smaller than the hybrid pictured.

[David Nicholson]

David, is all the gold exhausted now or if I hitch up my mule and dig out my pan would I make a fortune? The Gentiana bellidifolia is my favourite from this batch. If you keep taking 'em we will keep looking at 'em, absolutely marvellous!

[Lesley Cox]

I'm for the Pentachondra David. Many years ago I had in my mind to make an alpine lawn of berry-bearing plants only: Pentachondra pumila, Myrsine nummularia, assorted Gaultheria/Pernettya species, Vacciniums, Coprosmas etc etc not necessarily natives. I can't think of any with a yellow berry but there is every other colour imaginable including several shades of blue. It would have been a lovely thing to behold in the late summer and autumn when the fruit was ripe. But there it is, still in my mind and no closer to being on or in the ground.

[David Lyttle]

David,

If you mean gold in the literal sense there is still the odd bit around. There was someone working a claim in the Kyeburn with a small dredge. As for a fortune you might stand more chance buying a lottery ticket.

In the figurative sense I found two undescribed plants on the same rock outcrop. Botanical gold!

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

Greatly enjoyed, again fabuously enjoyable to view the photographs, transporting us to the southern hemisphere.

Many thanks, Paddy