alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

Hello Ross,... welcome.

I agree to David in all points.

With me the following kinds stand partially in the full sun. R. australis, R. tenuicaulis, glabra, subseriaca and R. haastii. Indeed, here we do not have so extreme temperatures. Maximum 37 ° this year. For only few days. Maybe you can put the plants to something in the shade. With big stones you can construct in the midday some shades. Too much water with extreme heat is not also well... after my experience. Since then the alpine plants are properly cooked in the warm humid earth. Unfortunately, with the especially spectacular highly alpine kinds I also have no experience... Since I know this only from pictures. Unfortunately.

 Reports please further about your project.

 David... I always thought the highest trees stand in California... Sequoia sempervirens?

Thomas

[Ross McLeod]

Thank you David and Thomas. Yes Eucalyptus regnans is the tallest flowering plant in the world and the second tallest tree, the Sequoia being the tallest. Impressive beasts, but terrible. Allelopathic, discharge monstrous limbs without warning, shallow rooted and a near constant stream of debris not to mention up to 8% volatile oil and in this increasingly inflammable climate that makes them absolutely hideous to live and garden amongst. Fortunately our place has them at a respectable distance, but as we are at only 300m elevation, I'm thinking it would be a bit of a stretch to put Raoulia on the list. R.hookeri might get a look in, I notice it is available for sale in Tasmania, but our recent bouts of humidity and the micro climate I can offer may not be to it's liking.

The search goes on...

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Ross,
ask Craig ( a transplant from NZ ) at Gentiana Nursery in Olinda - he used to have a few raoulias.
The FCHS Spring Show is on this weekend and they sometimes have them on the plant stall,
cheers
fermi

[Ross McLeod]

Hi Fermi. Yes Craig will be my guide. I'm yet to annoy him over my new found passion for all things botanically tiny, thought I'd bone up here first so I don't appear as ill informed as I am. Big fan of Gentiana - my favourite nursery and New Zealanders in general....still feel like apologising over the Trevor Chapell underarm affair. They're like us, but nicer, funnier, smarter and the buggers live in paradise. Hardly fair really.

 

[Jan Tholhuijsen]

I am very impressed with this topic about plants from New Zealand. Especially about the knowledge of David Lyttle. Thank you for this. But also the others who have contributed. I learned a lot.
I recently trying to cusionplanten from New Zealand.
  I have a trough for these plants. This stands against the house, south / east. He is 30 cm deep and made of 5 cm Extruded polystyrene or XPS. This gives some cooling to the roots.
Very permeable soil mix. During winter, a shelter, for the wet winters in the Netherlands.
  Photo 1 Raoulia australis I have 4 years now. The others of this spring.
Photo of the trough this spring a month after planting. (May)

[Leucogenes]

Hello Jan,

you show very nice pictures.

Particularly your Myosotis pulvinaris impresses me. I know this plant only with a lot of more compact growth. With your M. pulvinaris the foliage is opened very far. Thus I have never seen it. I find this form very interesting and nice.

The knowledge of David is really very impressive. He should write in my opinion over a book. I would buy immediately a copy. 😊

Thomas

[Jan Tholhuijsen]

Hello Jan,

you show very nice pictures.

Particularly your Myosotis pulvinaris impresses me. I know this plant only with a lot of more compact growth. With your M. pulvinaris the foliage is opened very far. Thus I have never seen it. I find this form very interesting and nice.

The knowledge of David is really very impressive. He should write in my opinion over a book. I would buy immediately a copy. 😊

Thomas

Thank you Thomas, my experience with these plants from New Zealand is not that big. To learn so much for me.
The M. Pulvinaris stands between two slightly higher slopes. So some wind goes through. This should suppress the mold / rotting. He is also a bit further back so the rain which is less affected.
  I already had a M. Pulvinaris but this one is just not dead yet. This had more plush leaves. The photo is 2 years old. I give a shelter every year. But the location is less good.

[ranunculus]

I have enjoyed the absolute pleasure of hiking with David Lyttle, Steve Newall, Doug Logan, Dave Toole and Joe and Ann Cartman - among others - in the mountains of New Zealand and their combined knowledge, good humour, expertise and sociability is second to none ...

[Leucogenes]

I have enjoyed the absolute pleasure of hiking with David Lyttle, Steve Newall, Doug Logan, Dave Toole and Joe and Ann Cartmann - among others - in the mountains of New Zealand and their combined knowledge, good humour, expertise and sociability is second to none ...

I envy you this experience, Cliff. I suppose this was an unforgettably nice trip. Maybe I can come true this dream also sometime. I work on it.

[David Lyttle]

I am very impressed with this topic about plants from New Zealand. Especially about the knowledge of David Lyttle. Thank you for this. But also the others who have contributed. I learned a lot.
I recently trying to cusionplanten from New Zealand.
  I have a trough for these plants. This stands against the house, south / east. He is 30 cm deep and made of 5 cm Extruded polystyrene or XPS. This gives some cooling to the roots.
Very permeable soil mix. During winter, a shelter, for the wet winters in the Netherlands.
  Photo 1 Raoulia australis I have 4 years now. The others of this spring.
Photo of the trough this spring a month after planting. (May)

Hello Jan,

You have an excellent collection of New Zealand plants very well grown and displayed in your trough. I am not sure about your Myosotis pulvinaris. Myosotis is a very difficult genus taxonomically and it is presently undergoing revision. A number of new species have been described and the number will certainly increase when more field work is  completed. One New Zealand Myosotis species circulating in the nursery trade in Europe was a species called Myosotis glabrescens. It is almost unknown in the wild here. However I am not quite sure what you have and would need to refer it to our Myosotis taxonomist for a positive ID.

Myosotis pulvinaris is a plant of the high alpine cushionfields here in Otago (> 1500 m). It generally is found on the most exposed windswept sites hence its tight cushion form. I will post some examples so you can see its flowers and foliage.
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in full flower, Old Man Range



Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in partial flower with foliage still visible, Old Man Range



Myosotis pulvinaris very hairy form growing as hard cushion, Lake Mackay, Pisa Range



Myosotis pulvinaris growing in exposed alpine herbfield, 1940 m, Head of Wye Creek, Remarkables. This is not quite as hairy as the previous form but is growing at a higher elevation



Your two photos would appear to be of different species but for a proper identification you would need high resolution photos of the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves and of the flowers and calyxces.

[Jan Tholhuijsen]

Hello Jan,

You have an excellent collection of New Zealand plants very well grown and displayed in your trough. I am not sure about your Myosotis pulvinaris. Myosotis is a very difficult genus taxonomically and it is presently undergoing revision. A number of new species have been described and the number will certainly increase when more field work is  completed. One New Zealand Myosotis species circulating in the nursery trade in Europe was a species called Myosotis glabrescens. It is almost unknown in the wild here. However I am not quite sure what you have and would need to refer it to our Myosotis taxonomist for a positive ID.

Myosotis pulvinaris is a plant of the high alpine cushionfields here in Otago (> 1500 m). It generally is found on the most exposed windswept sites hence its tight cushion form. I will post some examples so you can see its flowers and foliage.
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in full flower, Old Man Range

(Attachment Link)

Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in partial flower with foliage still visible, Old Man Range

(Attachment Link)

Myosotis pulvinaris very hairy form growing as hard cushion, Lake Mackay, Pisa Range

(Attachment Link)

Myosotis pulvinaris growing in exposed alpine herbfield, 1940 m, Head of Wye Creek, Remarkables. This is not quite as hairy as the previous form but is growing at a higher elevation

(Attachment Link)

Your two photos would appear to be of different species but for a proper identification you would need high resolution photos of the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves and of the flowers and calyxces.

Hi David,

I have some pictures of the M puvinaris here. Also detailed picture, as far as I could.
You'll see little hair on the first one. Can you say something about this?
I took the photos an hour ago.
Bloom is one or two per year.
It seems different species

With best regards Jan

[Leucogenes]

Hello David,

as usual, you show very nice pictures.

The first photo in full blossom is really the insanity. Such a thing is to be seen in free nature presumably an absolute piece of luck... or? Since I think this the blossoms not long hold. I can also show three photos on this subject. My plants are supposed from Eyre Mts. However, I can report nothing else in addition. I like this type really very much. Unfortunately, I have still found no recipe to set up these plants permanently in the Alpinum. I do not know what I wrong makes. With me they very often die after two years. Either too drily or too humid. Maybe you can give me some advice in addition. But I have bought only two weeks ago four new seedlings. Photo 3

Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Jan... I keeps to it. The first shown plant looks fantastic. A very interesting growth and a great silver colour. I am curious very much on the forthcoming blossom. 

Thomas

[Leucogenes]

One more remark, David...What has always struck me with yours fantastically to nice Photo ... on small area so many different plants are and partially with each other are connected. Wonderfully. For example, the photo from today... very hairy form from Pisa Range. Just brilliantly how from the upholsterer on the left something else grows.

The nature is the best designer.

I scan every photo of you with my eyes... and discover every time what the new.  This is great.

Thomas

[David Lyttle]

Hello Thomas, Jan,

Thomas, Your Myosotis pulvinaris plant is Myosotis glabrescens. I believe the seed was originally collected from the Eyre Mountains but the collector did not realise the plant was not Myosotis pulvinaris but Myosotis glabrescens. I have never seen this species in the wild and would really like to find it. If you look at the flowers you can set the stamens are exserted out beyond the corolla scales. In Myosotis pulvinaris the stamens are not exserted out beyond the corolla scales. You should be able to see this feature in my pictures.

Jan , I think you second plant is Myosotis glabrescens as well as it looks very similar to Thomas's plants. I do not know what your first plant is. Do you know where it was originally collected from?