alpine and subalpine Plants from New Zealand

[Leucogenes]

Hi Dave
Many thanks for the great report from the hike with David and Brian. It looks like you had a nice day with sunshine and lots of interesting plants. The foliage of Myosotis rakiura is especially great.

Short time after I read your article this morning, David also showed some photos from the trip to Bluff on the platform of
inaturalist.nz
I am there a silent observer of the many pictures of David...full of admiration.

One of the few native NZ, which is very reliable with me, shows first signs of flowering... Raoulia haastii.

Cheers
Thomas

[t00lie]

Dave,
Amazing seedheads on Lobelia angulata. I think it's one I have seen in flower in your summer, but I didn't realise it had such colourful seedheads later on. Thanks for showing!

Yes there are colourful aren't they Carolyn. There were also still a few white flowers elsewhere on the large patch.

Cheers Dave.

[t00lie]

Hi Dave
Many thanks for the great report from the hike with David and Brian. It looks like you had a nice day with sunshine and lots of interesting plants. The foliage of Myosotis rakiura is especially great.

Short time after I read your article this morning, David also showed some photos from the trip to Bluff on the platform of
inaturalist.nz
I am there a silent observer of the many pictures of David...full of admiration.

One of the few native NZ, which is very reliable with me, shows first signs of flowering... Raoulia haastii.

Cheers
Thomas

Thanks Thomas I will have a quick look at Davids posting on Inaturalist NZ .

Your Raoulia haasti is a species I currently don't have ,yours looks a sizable patch ...

Cheers Dave.

[David Lyttle]

I had a very enjoyable stay in Invercargill. Dave had invited me down to give a talk to the Southland AGS and I was able to spend the morning with them at Bluff. The coastal walk is very interesting and you can see some of the plants that were once common round the southern coasts but are now very rare due to grazing and competition from exotics.

In January I visited the other end of the South Island, the Paparoa Range on the northern part of the West Coast. It is an area that I have always wanted to visit and was not disappointed. We walked up an old miners road called the Croesus Track. It runs from Blackball over the crest of the range to Barrytown on the coast. It is well graded and apart from being infested with mountain bikers is very pleasant.

A colony of sundews, Drosera spatulata growing on impoverished soils derived from coal measures.


A fern Schizaea australis growing along side the sundews


This little plant growing on the side of the track is Jovellana repens


A small climbing rata Metrosideros diffusa


Growing in the open clearings along the track Chionochloa conspicua, the largest species of Chionochloa. It grows in the forest along streams rather than in montane or alpine grassland.

[David Lyttle]

continuing; Ferns beside the track


This clearing was the site of a hotel. You can see the crest of the range from it


Another view from the clearing. You can see the arching stems of Chionochloa conspicua.  The tall divaricating shrub with weeping branches in the centre of the photo is Myrsine divaricata


Further up the track but still in the forest we found Ourisia macrophylla subsp lactea


Up near treeline Dracophyllum traversii became common. You can see it here with its massive inflorescences terminating the branches.

[David Lyttle]

The forest transitions into a shrub zone. The treeline is depressed because of burning in the gold mining era so there is quite a large shrub zone above the forest proper. Here you find Brachyglottis eleagnifolia


Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae This one is a red-fruited form rather than the usual white.


Rubus parvus which is a forest species but here it is found in the scrub zone


A large celmisia Celmisia semicordata subsp semicordata growing in mixed shrubland/tussock/herbfield


and a second celmisia Celmisia armstrongii which has stiff erect leaves with a prominent orange midrib.

[David Lyttle]

Now we are getting some interesting plants; the curious Aciphylla hookeri. First a non-flowering rosette


and a female seed head


Epilobium pernitens tucked between some rocks


and Euphrasia cockayneana It is easily identifiable by its yellow flowers and was very common.


last but not least a curious weka. He was a bit wet because it had rained earlier and was trying to shake the water off his feathers so looks a bit dishevelled.

[Leucogenes]

Fantastic pictures and explanations... David. The waiting was worth it.😉

Greetings
Thomas

[Maggi Young]

Super  photos!  That Aciphylla hookeri  must  be  in the  running for  most  armoured plant!

[David Lyttle]

Super  photos!  That Aciphylla hookeri  must  be  in the  running for  most  armoured plant!

It needed to protect itself from hungry moas. The other interesting thing is the pattern of orange pigmentation on the leaf segments which one of my scientific colleagues would say is another adaptation to deter being eaten. He suggested a similar pigmentation pattern on the leaves of the toothed lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox) served a similar purpose. I cant remember the precise details of the story. I should show him these pictures and see if he has an opinion on them. It is quite restricted in its occurrence more or less to the northern part of the West Coast.

[Maggi Young]

It needed to protect itself from hungry moas. The other interesting thing is the pattern of orange pigmentation on the leaf segments which one of my scientific colleagues would say is another adaptation to deter being eaten. He suggested a similar pigmentation pattern on the leaves of the toothed lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox) served a similar purpose. I cant remember the precise details of the story. I should show him these pictures and see if he has an opinion on them. It is quite restricted in its occurrence more or less to the northern part of the West Coast.

Oh, that is  interesting - perhaps  to  make the  plant  look past  it's  best  - fascinating how these things work!

[David Lyttle]

When you are camped up high you get a nice view first thing in the morning.

Sunrise on the Paparoa Range


Looking across the tussock-covered slopes to Croesus Knob


Looking back over the Grey Valley eastwards to the Southern Alps. The valley is full of mist. The hut was full of teenage girls so we choose to camp a few hundred metres further away. Much more peaceful!


Most of the area is a bog so it is not easy finding level, dry spots for a tent. However you can find lots of plants.
Donatia novae-zelandiae.


Drosera arcturi back lit by thee early morning sun.

[David Lyttle]

Bogs are great hunting grounds for alpine flowers.
Celmisia alpina -very different from the forms that are found further south in Otago. This one is a turf with tiny leaves and flowers.


A small Craspedia that probably does not have a name


A tiny creeping Euphrasia, Euprasia disperma with a very long funnel-shaped corolla.


and Forster mackayi. This replaces Forstera sedifolia in the north-western part of the South Island

[David Lyttle]

Staying in the bog
Herpelirion novae-zelandiae


Pentachondra pumila flowers


and fruit


Phyllachne colensoi


Shrubs are interspersed all through the area. Here is  manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) in flower. It can tolerate poor soils and does not mind being dry or damp.

[David Lyttle]

Another Aciphylla, Aciphylla horrida. it was a bit of a struggle getting into position to take this photo as the plant was growing in a pile of boulders surrounded by other vegetation.


Celmisia armstrongii positioned nicely beside the track.


Celmisia discolor perhaps the most common species in the area


and close up showing flowers


Celmisia semicordata subsp semicordata and for Thomas a clump of Leucogenes in the background)
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