alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

Thanks for the confirmation, David. Finally again a plant with correct name with me.

It is amazing, however, that you can get no information about this little beauty on the Internet. I like this Leptinella very much ... especially because of its strong hairiness and because it does not spread so fast.
In your picture, of course, she looks much more beautiful ... as always.

Thomas

[Philippe]

Hi Thomas, here are hoperfully 2 useful links to NZ plants ( inclusive description and other informations):

http://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/taxon/Leptinella-albida.html

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=561

I guess this can be very interesting if you can use identification keys in english.

[Leucogenes]

Of course Philippe... I knows both sides and has them even with my favorites. I had simply forgotten it. Over again thanks for the tip. David is already irritated certainly by my questions. 

Enclosed one more picture from today... Clematis marmoraria... from Potterton Nursery. Thanks Rob.

[Philippe]

Clematis marmoraria, that little pest....
I had it in a pot for years and years and years. It  didn't grow, but didn't want to die either.
Once I decided to give it its freedom in the rockbed, it choose to die the winter right after, although it had already 3 or 4 winters behind. In pot...
Tried it again more recently, and it just perished in its pot in no time.

[Leucogenes]

I had also sometimes three pieces in the Alpinum... of it one more lives. However, looks also very bad. The plant of Rob is a good copy and has 13 blossoms. I'll leave them in the pot now.

[David Lyttle]

Clematis marmoraria, that little pest....
I had it in a pot for years and years and years. It  didn't grow, but didn't want to die either.
Once I decided to give it its freedom in the rockbed, it choose to die the winter right after, although it had already 3 or 4 winters behind. In pot...
Tried it again more recently, and it just perished in its pot in no time.

Hello Philippe, Thomas,

Clematis marmoraria grows naturally in crevices in marble outcrops on one mountain in Nelson. I had a plant but lost it because I put it in a warm tunnel house and it got too dry. I would suggest that you pot it in a large clay pot in a coarse mix with large pieces of broken limestone so it can get its roots well down. The roots need to be kept cool and damp but not too wet.

[Leucogenes]

Hello David,

I will treat the Clematis marmoraria after the flowering exactly as you say. Thanks for this note.

There is not much limestone in New Zealand ... or? Are there other endemic alpine plants in this mountain range? If yes ... then report times. I am very interested ... as always. 

best regards
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Just flowers Coprosma perpusilla and Coprosma acerosa ... hopefully many beautiful berries in autumn. 

[Leucogenes]

With this Hebe began my passion for alpine NZ ... Hebe pauciramosa var. masonae. It blooms every year reliably.

[Leucogenes]

So it looks when one at Geranium brevicaule the flowers not removed ... hundreds of seedlings.

[Leucogenes]

Raoulia haastii
Hebe raoullii
Myosotis decora

[Leucogenes]

Gaultheria macrostigma
Gaultheria crassa
Leucopogon fraseri

[David Lyttle]

Just flowers Coprosma perpusilla and Coprosma acerosa ... hopefully many beautiful berries in autumn. 

Hello Thomas,

You have been given the wrong names for your Coprosmas; they are either Coprosma petriei or Coprosma atropurpurea, They both have tiny hairs on the upper surface of the leaves which is diagnostic for these two species. Your Coprosma perpusilla is a female plant and your Coprosma acerosa is a male plant. Coprosma perpusilla has flowers with (3) - 4 styles and orange berries and no hairs on the leaves.




Coprosma niphophila the other species that it is frequently confused with also has orange berries but the flowers have 2 styles.

[David Lyttle]

Continuing on; your plant is perhaps Coprosma petriei The flowers have 2 styles and the berries are blue.





The other possibility is Coprosma atropurpurea which also has hairs on the surface of its leaves and wine-coloured berries.



Coprosma petriei is a dryland plant and Coprosma atropurpurea generally grows in bogs.

[David Lyttle]

The most recent pictures you have posted are very nice your plants are growing well; Myosotis decora is a synonym for Myosotis colensoi. Myosotis colensoi is the preferred name for this species. It is a limestone endemic and not particularly common in the wild. The anthers lie below the corolla scales so your plant is correctly named. I grow Myosotis saxosa which is similar in appearance but the anthers are exserted beyond the corolla scales.

Geranium brevicaule spreads through my rockery too; it likes dry stony soil.