alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

I create a new topic, which the alpine and subalpine deals with the spectacular world of New Zealanders.
I hope there are many more people like these magnificent plants and look forward to your contributions, information and pictures ...

Hello David,

this Raoulia I bought as Raoulia lutescens. I have copies and have compared them. They really differ in color. The shown has a green / blue (turquoise) leaves and is very dense. All other R. lutescens with me are just green.

Maybe is after all a different style or a hybrid.

If you know a different name, I would be very happy.

Thanks and Regards
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

here's a photo

[Leucogenes]

... And so see the other R. lutescens with me all out.

[Philippe]

What a great thread-idea!

I was just thinking to myself recently: most of the plants look now terribly awful: himalayan plants, Europe, north american plants, Caucasus....The rockbeds are definitely over now. Well it's fall, and all the plants just want to have their winter rest, with dry/yellow or brown leaves and stems, old seedpods...
There's just one bed, one single one, which is stil magnificient all around, or almost at least: the one with NZ alpine plants. Tidy plants, no yellow or brown, no dry leaves. I mean it still looks like high summer for the general aspect!

I grow 2 so called R.lutescens. One has really tiny tiny green-grey leaves with clearly yellow flowers ( rather similar to your second picture I guess, in foliage at least), and the other one looks rather like a condensed R.australis ( the first picture), not as tight as the first one, and foliage more grey.
And to confuse everything a little bit more, R.lutescens and R.australis are synonyms...
Needless to say I don't know now which one or if one of them at all is the true species.
May be that these are natural variations?

Here a link to identification key for Raoulia if you manage such things :

http://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Taxon.aspx?id=_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38&fileName=Flora%201.xml#_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38

I should also take time to have a closer look on it for the different raoulias species which are doubtful.

And to stay in the spirit of the thread just one picture:



Aciphylla subflabellata together with young Carex ( comans or dallii, both selfseed in the bed), and Raoulia subsericea in the foreground. Picture taken in early august, and still looking similar right now!

[Leucogenes]

Hello Philippe,

I completely agree with you. The NZ plants look all year fantastic. And almost all are endemic, makes them particularly attractive to me.

I love the pictures of your wonderful garden. I know you're a big fan of the flora of the southern hemisphere, and I look forward to our correspondence.

Here are two photos of my absolute favorites (Detail)

Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Philippe,

the combination of Aciphylla subflabellata and Carex buchananii like it very much. I also have two types in my little collection ... A. monroi and A. hectori. But they are still very small and not as nice as your copy.

Did you grown from seed?

[Leucogenes]

... And here are two photos of Gaultheria macrostigma ... something unique, there is only in the south.   :-)

[David Lyttle]

Hello Thomas, Philippe,

Good to see your postings of NZ plants. Both your collections are grown very well. Philippe is correct R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.

I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.

[Philippe]

Hello Thomas, Philippe,

R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.

I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.

Good to know David, thanks for telling!

Aciphyllas are terrible plants, in every sense Both in their awesome look and their sometimes dangerous leaves.
Grown from seeds for me, and it takes quite a long time!
Some years ago, before beginning with that, I expected the genus not to be that happy here, for any reason, but had a try though.
I must say today that the species I could have seeds of thrive very well.
I can't wait to see Aciphylla subflabellata and pinnatifida flower next year, maybe, if everything's ok untill then, and if the plants are mature enough of course.
Another NZ Graal for me is Ranunculus lyallii. Just as Rheum nobile for the Himalaya: it's something like "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die "

We can see many other beautiful things on your Gaultheria pictures Looking forward to see the rest in next posts.



Gentianella serotina, flowering now, once Gentianella corymbifera is over
COmbination of pure white flowers, dark leaves and brown stems. Even as a dried herbarium specimen, it remains very beautiful to look at with that particular colour features.

[Leucogenes]

Hello Thomas, Philippe,

Good to see your postings of NZ plants. Both your collections are grown very well. Philippe is correct R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.

I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.

Hello David,

I am looking forward to your photos and am very happy about our passion both on NZ alpine.
Of course in the world beautiful mountain plants ... as Patagonia (my second great love) ... but the NZ Nativ are unique for me.

Another question about Myosotis "Mt Hamilton" ... 1. which is a breeding and 2. it has all year this beautiful brown color? I love it

pictures of Helichrysum depressum and Argyrotegion nitidulum

If errors... I appreciate any correction.

greetings
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Good to know David, thanks for telling!

Aciphyllas are terrible plants, in every sense Both in their awesome look and their sometimes dangerous leaves.
Grown from seeds for me, and it takes quite a long time!
Some years ago, before beginning with that, I expected the genus not to be that happy here, for any reason, but had a try though.
I must say today that the species I could have seeds of thrive very well.
I can't wait to see Aciphylla subflabellata and pinnatifida flower next year, maybe, if everything's ok untill then, and if the plants are mature enough of course.
Another NZ Graal for me is Ranunculus lyallii. Just as Rheum nobile for the Himalaya: it's something like "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die "

We can see many other beautiful things on your Gaultheria pictures Looking forward to see the rest in next posts.

(Attachment Link)

Gentianella serotina, flowering now, once Gentianella corymbifera is over
COmbination of pure white flowers, dark leaves and brown stems. Even as a dried herbarium specimen, it remains very beautiful to look at with that particular colour features.

Hello Philippe,

my first NZ Alpine was Hebe pauciramosa var masonae.. (Photo 1 & 2)
She's still gorgeous and I had two seedlings for you. (Photo 3)
In photo 4 one sees, there is not only in the water beads ... Coprosma petriei with its beautiful metallic fruits.

The Gentianella is an absolute dream ... this way I do not know yet. If it makes seed ... secure.

Subject: "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die;)"

For me there are in NZ the fabled Raoulia mammillaris, eximia, rubra, etc.
But each continent has a true plant.

Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Hello,

i found  a photo of this spring...Pygmaea pulvinaris  (syn. Chionohebe pulvinaris).

Thomas

[Leucogenes]

The second flower in this year ... Acrothamnus colensoi (formerly Leucopogon suaveolens), South Island 

[GordonT]

I have two Hebe species growing beautifully in the garden here, and would like to find some other cold hardy ones that might survive. Hebe pinguifolia var pagei, and Hebe odora nana are both thriving, in spite of some very cold winters. What other species/hybrids might be worth testing here? The winter before last was the coldest since moving back to Nova Scotia in 2009. We had a few nights where the mercury didn't go above -23C, and the daily high stayed around -15C for about a week. I am drawn to the whipcord species like Hebe ochracea, but will have to track down seeds or mail order nurseries that ship to Canada. I have only seen the above two species supplied in local nurseries.

[Leucogenes]

I have two Hebe species growing beautifully in the garden here, and would like to find some other cold hardy ones that might survive. Hebe pinguifolia var pagei, and Hebe odora nana are both thriving, in spite of some very cold winters. What other species/hybrids might be worth testing here? The winter before last was the coldest since moving back to Nova Scotia in 2009. We had a few nights where the mercury didn't go above -23C, and the daily high stayed around -15C for about a week. I am drawn to the whipcord species like Hebe ochracea, but will have to track down seeds or mail order nurseries that ship to Canada. I have only seen the above two species supplied in local nurseries.

Hello Gordon,

I have 11 different Hebe in my garden. 10 botanical forms and 1 breeding (H. pimeleoides "Quicksilver").
For me it is not as cold as Canada, but -10 ° Celsius we also sometimes. I cover everything with a fleece. I've never had any losses with the Hebe.

From the following I can send you fresh seeds ...