alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[johnw]

Thomas

Perhaps Pernettya 'Pearls', one of Barry Starling's creations, is worth considering.

john

[Leucogenes]

Hello John

Thanks for the tip... but it's a little complicated with me.

When I started to be enthusiastic about alpine plants, I set myself the personal goal to cultivate exclusively pure botanical forms and to refrain from breeding. I admit it...this is a very ambitious motto. I try to remain disciplined in this respect.
But there are few exceptions...who can escape the fascination of Gentiana, Saxifraga and Sempervivum?

But otherwise I have remained steadfast so far. With this I don't want to evaluate the countless horticultural breeds negatively.

It's just a little quirk of mine. 😁

Thanks again
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Looking at the beautiful plants from the show in Newcastle I noticed the following. My plant originally identified as Celmisia semicordata is probably a Celmisia monroi. At least the great specimen of Alan Furness and my plant look very similar.

I am very grateful for any confirmation or correction.

Since I don't have much experience with this treasure yet, my plant was sunk in the sand yesterday for safety. I hope that I will be able to bring it safely into the next spring with an additional glass cover.

Thomas

[David Lyttle]

Hi Thomas,

Your Celmisia is likely to be a hybrid between C. semicordata and C. verbascifolia. The hybrids are frequently seen in the wild where both species occur and can be recognised by the very tomentose upper leaf surface.  In C. semicordata the upper leaf surface is covered by a thin membranous pellicle. The upper surface of C. verbascifolia is tomentose but not to the same extent as your plant (and the hybrids). The hybrids turn up in gardens from time to time and from seed from cultivated plants. I am attaching a picture of a hybrid between C. semicordata subsp aurigans and C. verbascifolia. You can see plants of C. verbascifolia and also C. densiflora as well.

[Leucogenes]

Hello David

Many thanks for the fast service. Now I have certainty.

The photo is overwhelming...as always.

Thanks and greetings
Thomas

[David Lyttle]

I went on a field trip last Monday and climbed Foggy Peak (1700 m) in the Torlesse Range. You can access it from Porters Pass on the main highway to the West Coast. It was a bit early to see any of the alpine plants flowering and there was still a lot of snow on the ridge crests. Here is some scenery         
Lake Lyndon from the summit of Foggy Peak



Castle Hill Basin with the Craigieburn Range in the distance. The road to the West Coast goes through this basin and continues on through Arthurs Pass  where it crosses the Main Divide.



Next view is into the heart of the Torlesse Range. Shingle is eroding of the mountains into the Kowai River which drains Mt Torlesse which is stickin out above the cloud bank in the centre of the photo



The next photo is a telephoto shot looking into the head of the Kowai River. Mt Torlesse is on the right but is not visible in the photo



The next photo is of Castle Hill Peak which is the next peak along the ridge from Foggy Peak. It is 200 metres higher than Foggy Peak and still carrying a lot of snow.

[David Lyttle]

There was not a lot in flower but I found some buttercups lower down. I have identified them as Ranunculus insignis though they are one of the smaller forms of this species.



I also found some Colobanthus acicularis which I was quite interested in photographing as it is uncommon in Otago and I don't see it very often.



Also Hebe epacridea which is widespread on screes throughout the South Island



Next Raoulia eximia. If you wish to grow this species in your crevice garden here it is thriving in its natural habitat; shattered rock outcrops.



There was another even better one close by. There were many more further down the hill on the screes but I resisted the temptation to go down and look at them which was probably just as well as my thigh muscles started to give up on me going back down the hill.

[ranunculus]

Hi David, lovely photos and best regards from Sue and I.

May I raise the question of the Ranunculus that you have beautifully photographed?  I am struggling to reconcile those tiny plants to any of the R. insignis that I have ever seen or grown here in the UK ... and, to be honest, the image appears to show two different species ... or are they simply mature and juvenile examples of the same species?  Your thoughts would be very welcome?

[David Lyttle]

Hi Cliff,
Pleased you enjoyed the photos; my regards to you and Sue.

As for the Ranunuculus it is not the typical form of Ranunculus insignis that you would expect. It was not immediately obvious that it was R. insignis. However R. insignis was once considered to be three species R. insignis, R. monroi and R. lobulatus. So it is quite a variable species. Here are my comments when I posted the picture on the iNaturalistNZ website "I am picking this as one of the insignis/monroi/lobulatus aggregate. Note shape of leaves, copious brown hairs and slight indentations on upper margin" So far no one has disagreed. R insignis is quite a variable species and this form is from the dryer mountains east of the main divide. Some taxonomists could well consider splitting it off as a separate species but in the last revision of the NZ alpine Ranunculus species many taxa were aggregated ( see Fisher, F. J. F.,  The Alpine Ranunculi of New Zealand 1965). Hope that answers your question.

best wishes, David

[ranunculus]

Hi David,
Many thanks for such a succinct reply.  Your mention of R. monroi immediately struck a chord and then I could see the connection ... I hadn't realised that the three species had been combined.  I still can't understand that aggregation, but I am simply a grower and enthusiast and certainly not a botanist!!!  Very best regards and thanks once again.

[Carolyn]

David,
Thanks for mentioning the iNaturalistNZ website - that looks really useful. I will have a good look at it before my next visit!

edit to add link : https://inaturalist.nz/

[Leucogenes]

Hi Cliff...

Ranuculus insignis is one of my few newcomers this autumn. I planted the small young plant last weekend in semi-shade. I hope that I can avoid success in the coming year...so wish me luck. ☺
 
Thomas

[Leucogenes]

Next Raoulia eximia. If you wish to grow this species in your crevice garden here it is thriving in its natural habitat; shattered rock outcrops.

David... with that remark, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 Seeing Raoulia eximia in a European rock garden is probably a dream of all of us here "above". It's probably easier to find the Holy Grail... or fresh strawberries in the snow. 😆

Thomas

[Gabriela]

I went on a field trip last Monday and climbed Foggy Peak (1700 m) in the Torlesse Range. You can access it from Porters Pass on the main highway to the West Coast. It was a bit early to see any of the alpine plants flowering and there was still a lot of snow on the ridge crests. Here is some scenery         
Lake Lyndon from the summit of Foggy Peak

Fantastic pictures David! Beautiful mountains you have out there in NZ!

[Leucogenes]

Last summer I had the crazy idea to plant the lovely Veronica densifolia directly into a larger stone (#107). I drilled some 25 mm holes in the stone. The initial scepticism about the heat development on the stone fortunately proved to be unfounded. The plants have developed very well that year...

I would say...the experiment was successful. 

Cheers
Thomas