NZ Field Trips 2009

[Armin]

David,
just felt 10.000 years back seeing your pictures from the wild.
And saw in my power of imagination a troup of mammoths meekly grazing...

[Lesley Cox]

I don't think we ever had mammoths Armin and would a mammoth be meek anyway?

[David Lyttle]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments.

Armin,
Here is a story for you that may make up for the absence of mammoths. Once the Nevis River flowed south into the Nokomai ( which in turn flows into the Mataura). It now flows north into the Kawarau ( which flows into the Clutha). The little galaxid fish that live in the Nevis River today are more closely related to the ones in the Nokomai and are not related to the ones that live in the nearby creeks flowing into the Kawarau River. These mountains have been rising due to tectonic uplift causing the rivers to change direction and cut new gorges.

Although it is late in the season there are still a lot of plants in flower especially on the higher south -facing sites. The gentians wre in full flower but they are the last alpines to flower anyway.

1 Aciphylla hectori
2 Celmisia semicordata ssp aurigans showing the golden tomentum that is characteristic of this form.
3. Gentiana bellidifolia - this plant has pale stems
4. Gentiana bellidifolia - this plant has dark stems
5, 6  Gnaphalium mackayi
7.  A little Myosotis. Every mountain in this part of the world seems to have its own undescribed species of Myosotis.
8. Neopaxia australasica
9  Raoulia subulata This is an alpine species found in snowbanks.
10 Scleranthus uniflorus with a small plant of Leptinella pectinata  growing in the cushion.

[David Lyttle]

Here are some daisies

1 Brachyglottis revolutus
2. Celmisia semicordata ssp aurigans en masse.
3. Late flowering plant of Celmisia semicordata
4. Foliage variants of Celmisia semicordata.  On the left is a grey-geen form, centre and right is typical ssp aurigans. There are three plants with silvery foliage on the right at the rear of the clump. The small plants in the foreground are Celmisia densiflora.
5. Celmisia verbascifolia. This form has a purple midrib and was formerly known as Celmisia petiolata. This is perhaps the eastern most part of its range.
6. Celmisia verbascifolia and a mystery Celmisa. If this is not Celmisia verbascifolia then what is it?
7. The fabulous woolly mystery Celmisia close up.
8. Celmisia haastii a late snowbank species.
9. Celmisa glandulosa  A small species usually found in bogs. I have tried to grow this one but without success,
10. Celmisia alpina  Perhaps the smallest species ; confined to bogs

[t00lie]

Gee Mr Lyttle You do get about . .

Wonderful Daisy pics.

Particularly the 2nd shot of Celmisia semicordata ssp aurigans enmass.The absence of most of the larger type tussock grasses show the plants off very well.

Celmisia grandulosa has clumped up well for me in a trough where it receives about 2 hours of sun mid summer---Unfortunately i don't find the foliage all that attractive and it doesn't flower consistently from one year to another.

Might have to cross the valley when i'm next up that way in a couple of weeks and have a stroll around Mt Tennyson. Looks a very interesting area David.

Cheers Dave

[Maggi Young]

Oh, David, I'm enjoying those Celmisia pix! That  mystery furry number is very smart .

[Paddy Tobin]

Couldn't disagree on the celmesias, Maggi, and that mystery plant is outstanding; however, it is the aciphyllas which I most admire and desire. Perhaps, they reflect my personality best.

Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Is the furry one a hybrid David? It is VERY handsome. The "en masse" group with landscape background is a very special picture.

[Ross Graham]

Hi David,
wow you do get about!
I have seen that mystery Celmisia plant in many places and I thought about its identity for a long time. My conclusion is that maybe its a hybrid or a random "freak" that comes out every so often. I figured this out from seed I have sown and also seed I sold to Lester Davey from Matai Nurseries. We both sow large amounts of seed of Celmisia semicordata and we both noticed that a small percentage of the large species (such as semicordata) come out all furry. They are superb plants. I havent figured out yet what happens to the next generation of seed weather its viable or breeds true. I dont really know what causes the furryness but its not a new species.

[Armin]

I don't think we ever had mammoths Armin and would a mammoth be meek anyway?

Hi Lesley,
I don't know at all if there were meek mammoths 
But please allow me to keep my fantasy

[Armin]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments.

Armin,
Here is a story for you that may make up for the absence of mammoths. Once the Nevis River flowed south into the Nokomai ( which in turn flows into the Mataura). It now flows north into the Kawarau ( which flows into the Clutha). The little galaxid fish that live in the Nevis River today are more closely related to the ones in the Nokomai and are not related to the ones that live in the nearby creeks flowing into the Kawarau River. These mountains have been rising due to tectonic uplift causing the rivers to change direction and cut new gorges.

David,
very interesting story. Thanks.
I also would like to come to NZ for trout fly-fishing in one of the phantastic wild rivers and lakes.
Your pictures are excellent.
 

[Maggi Young]

David,
very interesting story. Thanks.
I also would like to come to NZ for trout fly-fishing in one of the phantastic wild rivers and lakes.
Your pictures are excellent.
 

Armin, our WebMaster Fred Admin is expected back in Scotland soon after his trip to New Zealand to go fishing...... I hope he will be telling us how he enjoyed himself...

[Ross Graham]

Just To show that you dont need to be called David to enjoy the mountains of NZ here are some selected highlights of my trip last week.

I visited some low hills near Mossburn where Celmisia spedenii grows on ultramafic soils amounst manuka scrub. the first photo shows spedenii growing normally out in the open The secound photo shows it growing under shade by manuka its looks much more attractive like this almost like a hawaian silversword. There is also variation in colour from dark grey almost black leaves to very silver coloured leaves.
The 3rd photo is of a nice chocalate coloued myosotis not sure if it has a name but hokonui alpines sold it incorectaly named chessmanii for years.

I also visited Leaning Rock on the Dunsten Range it was a fun trip as Steve N came with me (he may not want his name popping up in google searches)
 This area is private land so you need to ask the landowner.
The 4 th photo shows Myosotis albosericea an extremly local species with yellow flowers.
The 5th photo shows Celmisia sessilflora which was still flowering in the shade of leaning rock
The 6th photo shows Steves car for scale against Leaning rock
The 7th photo shows the landscape on the otherside of leaning rock Im sure heards of Moa (if not mammoths) marched across these areas.
The last photo shows the landscape on the river side of leaning rock looking towards Clyde damn in the distance.

[Ross Graham]

Here are some more photos of last weeks trip to the hills
sorry for the lack of pretty flowers but it is late in the season and Im mainly interested in foliage any ways.

I also visited the area next to the DoC reserve on the Pisa Range. Again you need permission to cross farmers land.
The first photo is of Raoulia species L This has a name these days but I havent got around to finding out what it is yet. Its quite a nice thing looking like a missing link between mat forming Raoulia and the vegetable sheep. It grows on the Remarkables too in very short vegetation of cushion and fell field type places.
2nd photo : Raoulia youngii growing in late snow banks, some plants were still flowering, as Feb. was not very summery this year. In Queenstown they had 5 days of no sunshine hours at all.
Myosotis cheesmanii grows around rocks.  2 metres away from the rock this plant was growing  there were no cheesmanii what so ever. Mysotis pulvinaris grows in the hummocks near by and also in late snow banks, photo number 4 shows a hybrid between the two.
Photo 5 shows a nice mosaic of Kellaria croizatii Abrotenella inconspicua and Phyllachne colensoii. Photo 6 is a different view of the same sought of thing.
Photo 7 is of Raoulia apicenigra and Raoulia subsericea
Photo 8 is just a landscape shot showing where you have to walk to see the cool plants.
Photo 9 is just a shot of why Im always glad to get back from the mountains recently.

[Lesley Cox]

I still have the little brown Myosotis with cheesemannii, on the label so I'd like to know what it really is. A lovely shot of your littler lady Ross.