Author Topic: NZ field trips March 2007 (Read 12153 times)

t00lie · « **on:** March 04, 2007, 07:38:48 AM »

A few pics from yesterdays trip into Fiordland .Part one.

Tarns showing the effects of our current dry spell.I've never seen the water levels so low.

Gentiana montana .

I love the way the flowers of Donatia novae zealandiae seem to sit on top of the cushion.

Aciphylla congesta flower head.

Ourisia sessilifolia --hairy mat.

I think this one with the touch of purple is O. confertifolia?.

Cheers Dave.

t00lie · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2007, 08:35:06 AM »

Part two--

Brachyglottis bellidoides

Anisotome capillifolia --and one plant with pink tinge to the flower stalk.

I found small groupings of the following snow marguerites--

Dolichoglottis lyallii

D. scorzoneriodes

and their hybrid.

Then botanising a bit further east to where i normally poke around i came across this wonderful sight.In a small stream bed hundreds of D scorzoneriodes in full bloom

.A terrific end to a great day.

Cheers Dave

David Nicholson · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2007, 10:20:01 AM »

Dave, great stuff, keep 'em coming

hadacekf · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2007, 10:30:53 AM »

Dave,
Wonderful plants and photos. I am happy to see them.

Maggi Young · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2007, 06:18:03 PM »

Wonderful Dave, it is a pleasure to "walk" with you!

Lesley Cox · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2007, 08:31:19 PM »

The pink anisotome and Ourisia confertifolia are both new to me Dave. Are they confined to the wetter parts of Fiordland or what? The ourisia isn't mentioned in the Flora (H.H.Allan, 1961) at all.

John Forrest · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2007, 11:34:03 AM »

Dave, another super jaunt through the NZ mountains. I especially love the Ourisias. Thanks for the show and keep on trekking (used to be keep on trukking in the old days!)

t00lie · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:27:14 PM »

Thanks for the encouragement folks --David Lyttle , John Fitzgerald and i are away again in a couple of weekends up into the 'hills',so there will more pics. to follow from the three musketeers .

A follow up to the posting above on water levels in the tarns--Our daily newspaper has as it's main front page feature the following----"Rain forecast-bring it on.Parched Southland on verge of drought ''.

We woke this morning to steady rain here on the coast with Fiordland forecast to receive over 100 mm in the next few hours so it seems all's back to normal.

Lesley i have seen the Anisotome with the pink flowering stem before and presume as they come in male or female forms that is the difference.I don't know which sex it is however,maybe David can comment.

Ourisia confertifolia is described in 'Mark and Adams '--found along the main divide from South Westland to Fiordland .Was previously identified as a form of O.sessilifolia.

Cheers Dave.

Lesley Cox · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2007, 11:35:25 PM »

Judging from the portrait at the left of your post Dave, the pink one is probably the male.

We are having steady and very cold rain here this morning too. Thankfully. But those in the north needn't take too seriously the possibility of drought in Southland. It's well known that people who go to church pray for rain in Southland following 3 days of dry.

(I owed you that one Dave!)

David Lyttle · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2007, 09:22:09 AM »

Dave,
Im a little puzzled by your Ourisia confertifolia. I have been trying to key it out from your picture and have not been able to get an entirely satisfactory identification. It certainly is not Ourisia sessilifolia and I have not seen it before. Your plant has a purple corolla throat, O. confertifolia has a corolla throat entirely yellow or yellowish green according to Alan Mark's key. All this leaves me in a quandry - while I have some doubts about your identification I cannot offer a better one.

It certainly is a most attractive plant - well seen.

fermi de Sousa · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2007, 06:00:44 AM »

Dave
great pics!
As for the questionable Ourisia, perhaps a new species: O.tooliei ssp lycra?
cheers
fermi

Lesley Cox · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2007, 07:46:06 AM »

Oh yes, that's very good Fermi.

t00lie · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2007, 09:15:28 AM »

David thanks for your comments.

Ive just sent a pic of the Ourisia to a Dept. of Conservation Botanist.He informs me he knows of a woman further up the country who's currently completing a study of Ourisia sps. so hopefully we will have a name soon,unless you have already spoken to the 'man himself' (Alan Mark).

Fermi--(sigh )--if only!!!!.

Doreen Mear · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2007, 10:34:12 AM »

Trying my hand at posting some pics of our trip up to Mt Cheeseman, an hour and a half's drive west of Christchurch, the weekend before last. About 18 of us, blessed with sunshine and stupendous views, and some super plants in good condition. It was my first field trip with the NZAGS, and it made a huge difference to be with a crowd of people who could put names to all these green buns and white daisies, instead of struggling alone with a picture book or a flora!

Walked up to the ridge on Saturday morning, so first off is the view looking back down at the ski lodge in the morning mist. Spotted some nice clumps of Gnaphalium mackaui and Celmisia argentea among sheets of Celmisia viscosa, then on top of the ridge lots of Leptinella dendyi and Haastia recurva.

Doreen Mear · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2007, 11:08:14 AM »

Pretty nearly the whole group - some age 80 plus - made it to the ridge. Hope any of you coming over for the Study Weekend next January are already in training! Heading down into a damp hollow where the snow would lie late, we found Phyllachne colensoi and Neopaxia sp. On the rocky outcrops cushions of Raoulia grandiflora, Leucogenes grandiceps,Raoulia subsericea and Raoulia mammillaris, whilst very common all day was the beautifully fragrant Pratia macrodon.