NZ Field Trips 2009

[cohan]

thanks, gerd--
i will soon start some threads with my local flowers--the locals, are of course, not alpines, but i get the feeling some folks here will still like them; then a couple of short field trips to nearby mountains and southern drylands..
unfortunately, our local flora does not have the exoticism nor tremendous endemism of some of these other great spots! most of our flowers occur over vast areas--that happens when you are in the middle of a wide open continent...lol..still some charmers, though
cohan

[Gerdk]

i will soon start some threads with my local flowers--the locals, are of course, not alpines, but i get the feeling some folks here will still like them; then a couple of short field trips to nearby mountains and southern drylands..

Please, these kind of contributions make this Forum so lively!

unfortunately, our local flora does not have the exoticism nor tremendous endemism of some of these other great spots! most of our flowers occur over vast areas--that happens when you are in the middle of a wide open continent...lol..still some charmers, though

Please consider that exoticism is a term which depends on the place where you live - for instance your native flora might be very exotic for gardeners from the other side of the pond.
I am sure we'll appreciate your following threads!

Gerd
 

 

 

[cohan]

Please consider that exoticism is a term which depends on the place where you live - for instance your native flora might be very exotic for gardeners from the other side of the pond.
I am sure we'll appreciate your following threads!
Gerd
 

hopefully there will be some things 'exotic' to some readers, but many of my locals are the 'circumboreal' types, that will be quite familiar to northern europeans--maybe old favourites though

[David Lyttle]

Hi everyone,

I found out the name of the Epilobium - it is Epilobium vernicosum and is relatively rare. There is always the chance if it was brought into cultivation it would not become a weed like most Epilobiums do.

Here are some more pictures from the Matiri Range

!,2,3 Celmisia bellidiodes. This species usually grows by streams but here it is growing in crevices in the rock.
4,5  Parahebe linifolia  Again it is growing in rock crevices
6, 7 Gentiana sp This small gentian was growing everywhere but none were actually flowering. Eventually I found one that was flowering.
8  A rare cress Cheesemania latisiliqua now Pachycladon latisiliqua.
9  Schizeilema haastii var cyanopetalum
10 Myosotis sp A small Myosotis that is possibly a local endemic Unfortunately it is not in flowering.

[David Lyttle]

Some more plants

1 Celmisia monroi This species is very similar to Celmisia semicordata and more or less replaces this species in Nelson and Marlbourough
2 Celmisia petriei It grows in Nelson a well as the southern part of the South Island
3 Celmisia armstrongii This is the same species as Johan posted. It is recognizable by the orange midrib and stiff relative narrow leaves
4 A Celmisia flower. I think it was from Celmisia petriei but they are very similar to those of Celmisia armstrongii
5 Aciphylla colensoi This species has a conspicuous orange midrib. The Celmisia is Celmisia petriei.
6 Ranunculus insignis growing at the entrance of a cave. The cave went down a long way
7 Oxalis magellanica. The leaves of the Oxalis may be seen on the bottom right. There is an Acaena a little Galium and a Celmisia in the picture.
8 Myosotis macrantha The shadow is from a large plastic bag I was using as a diffuser.
9 Wahlenbergia sp  This possibly Wahlenbergia albomarginata.
10 Pratia angulata This a very common widespread plant and grows very well in a garden. It is easier to grow than Pratia (Lobelia ) macrodon which is solely an alpine species.

[ranunculus]

Many thanks yet again, David.
Did that little Schizeilema haastii var cyanopetalum used to be called something else ... it looks very familiar?
Super images as usual.

[Maggi Young]

I was enjoying David's latest pictures very much....until I came to Oxalis magellanica...... I'm faint with horror..... we spend too many hours here trying to eradicate that ghastly weed for me to be able to look at a photo of that, even growing happily in the wild, without a shudder    That oxalis is one little plant with a HUGE capacity to be a ruddy pest.   I suspect it might even survive, with the cockroaches, Armageddon   

[Lvandelft]

You never stop to surprise me David!
This time, seeing Pratia angulata growing like this, I would never take it in culture.
I mean comparing to Doug's P. macrodon last week.
Thanks for showing.

[Lesley Cox]

A note for Dave T and David L - there are some Forumists interested in seed of Pentachondra pumila (see that thread). I haven't been to the hills this summer at all but if either of you could collect some fruits I would be happy to clean them and send them along, if you didn't want to bother. It would be a small repayment for the great seed generosity shown to me.

[Cephalotus]

That was really a terrific trip to NZ, the one I cannot afford to make real for today. My blood pleasure increased wile watching all those magnificent plants and places. I only can wish, that one day I will be allowed to see a bit of that heaven in reality. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Best wishes,
Krzysztof Ciesielski

[David Lyttle]

Hi everyone,

Time I finished this posting - I spent last weekend out in the field with trips to the Garvies and Mt Bee in Northern Southland.

Maggi, I am sorry I caused you pain by showing the picture of Oxalis magellanica. IT does not seem to be a great problem here as there is a double variety that is available from time to time but like many other Southern Hemisphere plants it must thrive in Aberdeen.

Cliff, Schizeilema haastii var cyanopetalum has not had a recent name change. It is a bit like a Hydrocotyle and may remind you of that.

First pictures (1-5) are general shots taken from the head of Larrrikin Creek. The scenery is rather spectacular with the creek dropping away into a canyon flanked by huge limestone bluffs.

Picture 6 is looking down on the Larrikin creek hut through an opening in the forest. There is a large clump of Dracophyllum traversii in the foreground. The smaller shrub in front of this is another Dracophyllum, Dracophyllum longifolium.

Picture 7 shows the flowers of Phormium cookianum.

Picture 8 shows a damsel fly entrapped by Drosera arcturi.

Picture 9 shows a large dragon fly. These insects were plentiful but were not easy to photograph.

Picture 10 shows a small copper butterfly of the genus Lycaena. There are several undescribed specie of these butterflies so I would not presume to identify to to species level.
The host plant for these butterflies is Muehlenbeckia; In this instance it would be the little creeping species Muehlenbeckia axillaris. The adult is feeding on the flowers of Hebe topiaria.

[Gerdk]

A breathtaking finish - really enjoyed all your Field trips!

Gerd

[David Lyttle]

Hi Gerd,

Pleased you enjoyed the postings; I had a rather busy summer. I still have not posted the trip I did with Dave Toole to the Remarkables in early January nor the trip across the Heaphy Track in North -west Nelson later in the month.

Last weekend I went to Northern Southland to the Garvie Mountains and to Mt Bee. While I was in the Garvies Dave was on Mt Bee so I missed him by a day. I bought myself a new carbon fibre tripod so I took it for a walk. Whether the results justify carrying the thing around I will leave for other forumists to judge.

1 We camped at 1500 metres beside this little tarn.
2 Camp on Mt Tennyson - there is a 4WD track to the top
3 The Hector Range is separated from the Garvie Mountains by the Nevis Valley.
4 This view is looking approx north east down the Nevis valley towards the Remarkables which are in the cloud.
5 View across the head of the Dome Burn into the heart of the Garvie Mountains.
6, 7, 8 Views of the extensive wetlands at the head of the Dome Burn.
9 Rock bluffs below the summit of Mt Tennyson.
10 A view looking back to Mt Tennyson from a ridge on the other side of the Dome Burn. Mt Tennyson is the ridge on the right of the picture with the long flat summit. The hill on the left is East Dome. The extensive wetlands can be seen on the shelf above the creek.

I will post some plant pictures next time. There were some spectacular Celmisias growing here

[Gerdk]

David,
What a landscape! Thanks a lot for this wonderful encore!

Gerd

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

Simply brilliant. Paddy