alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

Hello Thomas,

The screes on which the plants are found are very large and the plants occur in pockets. They are not always easy to spot especially from a distance but once you find one you usually find a few more.

... for the sight of such wonderful and archaic plants one undertakes certainly with pleasure some strain. In which sea level do these Must Have Plants grow? And which insects provide for the development of seed?

The symmetrically arranged and serrated sheets are really great.

[Maggi Young]

This wonderful photo from "jandals"  Steve Newall,  who is  botanising  with our own Julia Corden in New Zealand, shows that one can be VERY lucky in some instances, with a bit of "roadside botanising"!!


 Penwiper in flower by the roadside

[Leucogenes]

Fantastically... Maggi. To find such a thing in the way. A first prize. Especially interesting I think that one gets an idea in this picture, how big (or small 😊) this wonderful kind becomes. I would have thought she is smaller. But I know them only from photos. Unfortunately.

Again many thanks for this nice perspective.

Thomas

[t00lie]

Lovely to see the 'penwipers' in action. It looks like it's going to be a wonderful flowering year.

Took a day off work and spent yesterday morning down at Bluff walking the coastal Foveaux track searching for native Orchids.



Myosotis rakiura beside the track.



It was a relief to get out of the sun and heat ,(mid 20Cs), into the forest. Rata in flower and a view across the strait to Stewart Island partially in cloud.

[Lesley Cox]

This wonderful photo from "jandals"  Steve Newall,  who is  botanising  with our own Julia Corden in New Zealand, shows that one can be VERY lucky in some instances, with a bit of "roadside botanising"!!

(Attachment Link)
 Penwiper in flower by the roadside

Like finding Daphne jasminea in the Delphi rubbish dump, in 1993!

[Leucogenes]

Very nice photos... Dave. As usual. I like particularly the first picture. It is very pleasant certainly to go on this hollow way. I believe on the left side just Hebe blossoms. Or?

Thomas

[t00lie]

Thanks Thomas ,yes well spotted, Hebe elliptica.

Just after climbing these steps



the first of the various greenhood Orchids can be found. Pterostylis sps .







On the way home I stopped off at Awarua Bay to view hundreds of sun Orchids in flower enjoying the more open positions. Thelymitra pulchella .



Cheers Dave. 

[Leucogenes]

... very nice plants, Dave. And the weather is also okay. It looks to us up here a little bit different. One sees this on the photo from today morning. 😊

Cheers Thomas

[Julia]

David,
Thanks for showing those beautiful sun orchids - i’ll have to visit again sometime so I can see them in flower!

[t00lie]

David,
Thanks for showing those beautiful sun orchids - i’ll have to visit again sometime so I can see them in flower!

Yes you would be most welcome again anytime Julia.
 It was probably the only instance during your visit that timing was an issue    .

Cheers .

[Julia]

  Mr Toole

[t00lie]

Spent yesterday in the company of David Lyttle and his friend Mo up Gorge Creek , Eyre Mountains.

Snow had been forecast to fall overnight to about 1800 mtrs so it was no surprise to see a little of the white stuff as we set off.



Climbing away from Gorge Creek up a side stream through the bush



with numerous stops to inspect plants as we gained height .My two companions with David having a closer look.



Celmisia densiflora .



Easy to identify with it's sticky ,wavy edged leaves that are white underneath.



More to come when time allows.

Cheers.

[Leucogenes]

Hello, Dave.

As usual, very nice pictures. On the third photo I see a small plant with white blossoms. Before the Aciphylla. What is that?

Cheers Thomas

[Lesley Cox]

I wasn't there of course Thomas, but from the perspective of my favourite chair, it looks as if it may be Wahlenbergia albomarginata, a plant we tend to overlook as it is common in all the high country areas we visit and is quite easy to grow. We should perhaps value it more for that very reason and although it is usually almost white, sometimes we find quite good blue forms which are very nice. Of course it may be something else altogether.

[t00lie]

Hello, Dave.

As usual, very nice pictures. On the third photo I see a small plant with white blossoms. Before the Aciphylla. What is that?

Cheers Thomas

I wasn't there of course Thomas, but from the perspective of my favourite chair, it looks as if it may be Wahlenbergia albomarginata, a plant we tend to overlook as it is common in all the high country areas we visit and is quite easy to grow. We should perhaps value it more for that very reason and although it is usually almost white, sometimes we find quite good blue forms which are very nice. Of course it may be something else altogether.

Thanks Thomas

Lesley is correct it is one of the forms of Wahlenbergia albomarginata .

Here's a pic I took later in the day .



Cheers.