New Zealand field trips April 2010

[David Lyttle]

These plants are not exactly alpines as they all are found at sea level.  However if you visit the south eastern part of Otago where they were photographed sometimes it does not require much imagination to believe you are in an alpine environment.

The first set are dune plants now becoming increasingly rare

1,2 Mazus arenarius Fruiting plants growing in a dune slack It can become quite damp where they are growing.

3, 4 Pimelea urvilleana  Flowering and fruiting branches from the same plant. Note I have mis-identified this species as I was working off an old species list. The white-fruited hairy leaved species in my photos is Pimelea lyallii. Distribution is the southern coast of the South Island and Stewart Island. It is becoming uncommon in modified coast habitats.

5, 6 Lobelia arenaria (formerly Pratia arenaria) It took me a while to figure out what exactly this plant was but I think I have made the correct identification. The leave are large compared to other New Zealand Lobelia species and quite fleshy.

7.8 Gentianella saxosa  It too me a while to find plants that were flowering and accessible - this species grows on steep eroding cliffs. There is only so much I will do for a good picture.

9, 10 Celmisia lindsayii this has similar habitat preferences to the preceeding species. There were a few late flowers about but none I could photograph.

[Ian Y]

Thanks David they might not be growing in the mountains but they are in the same harsh environment and I am pleased to see all plants.

I love that Celmisia lindsayii especially the cliff habitat - great pictures.

[David Lyttle]

Thanks Ian for the kind words.  When the forest returned following the last glacial maximum, Celmisia lindsayi  retreated and now is found only on the cold exposed sea cliffs     where trees cannot grow.

[ruweiss]

David, thank you for showing us these plants growing in such
unusual conditions.

[t00lie]

Lucky you David that you have managed to get out .

Interesting to read your habitat comments on G .saxosa and to see it still in bloom --i would have expected blooming to be well over and down this end on the coast it is found on sea gravel just above the high tide mark.

Rained all day here Thursday --after a brief respite for a few hours yesterday it's bucketing down again this morning.
Sun is forecast for Monday   so i might be able to get out in the hills and start collecting a little seed however i'm half way through planting out about 900 native shrubs at the local airport and with work backing up might need to go there instead....Decisions decisions   
 

Celmisia lindsayi does really well in the garden here even liking cool half shaded spots --it's only drawback is that the clumps tend to get a bit scruffy after awhile --i've just demolished a wide patch ,(to make room for more Trilliums   ), but kept/started some cuttings ....

Cheers Dave
 

[David Lyttle]

Hi Dave,

It fine here though overcast. It is meant to rain later today. I thought that most of the G saxosa was finished and the plants were looking pretty battered but I found a few plants still flowering.

It was all buzzing at Cannibal Bay and Surat Beach yesterday. Quad bikes zooming up and down the beach; people watching sea lions and sea lions watching people. We had planned a family excursion to the Catlins several weeks ago but on the day we had originally planned to go there was a tsunami warning because of the Chilean earthquake so we went elsewhere. I managed to snatch some time for a little bit of quiet botanising and take a few photos.

I have grown Celmisia lindsayi before but lost it. Probably not wet enough here.

[Lesley Cox]

We had good rain late yesterday (Saturday) and through the night. Haven't been out to measure how much but a decent fall anyway.

I bought a Mazus from a local garden centre (Red Barn) just a week ago mainly because the flowers (smallish, bright purple) looked like those of M. reptans which I've previously lost. This one was just labelled Mazus Matapouri Bay so I wonder if it is arenarius? Where is Matapouri Bay? The leaves are the same shape as on your pics David. The flowers are finished with the rain, but I hope there might be some fruit. They also had Mazus radicans but labelled M. reptans. They all came from the native nursery near Waimate.

[David Lyttle]

Hi Lesley,

New Zealand has several species of Mazus; Mazus arenarius (coastal Otago and Southland, quite rare and probably not in cultivation), Mazus novae-zelandiae ( two subspecies one found in Otago also uncommon), Mazus pumilo (an Australian species that has been recorded from one locality in Northland which has lilac flowers) and Mazus radicans which is a common widespread species. Mazus reptans is an exotic species originally from the Himalayas. Matapouri Bay is in Northland.

Lesley,  you of all people should know you cannot trust any names on plants in garden shops ( a plant gets misnamed and the error is perpetuated for ever) but your plant from the Red Barn could conceivably be Mazus pumilo.

[Lesley Cox]

I do indeed know David, about garden centre names, many of which are coined simply to make the plant easier to sell. So, for now, I'll go with M. pumilio, possibly collected at Matapouri Bay. I'll take a photo when it flowers again, probably not till next summer though.

[David Lyttle]

I visited the Red Barn yesterday to get some lettuce plants and I saw the Mazus ' Matapouri Bay' plants while I was there. I am inclined to agree with you that it is Mazus pumilio. The inflorescence of Mazus pumilio in New Zealand is described a lateral with up to six flowers. The plants in Red Barn had multiple-flowered inflorescences. Mazus pumilio is known in New Zealand from a single population from Whananaki, Northland which is about 20 km north of Matapouri Bay. (see Heenan and Forester(1997) NZ Journal of Botany 35437-440)

On the subject of mis-labelled plants I picked up a pot supposedly of Astelia nervosa that contained a flourishing specimen of a weedy little Carex (well they are both monocots). At least the manager threw it out when I drew it to his attention.

[t00lie]

Managed a trip into Northern Southland yesterday.

Although the weather forecast was for temps to reach 20c with minimal wind there was a heavy frost earlier on so it was bitterly cold as i rode up the slope on my poor mans four wheel drive,(aka motor bike )  .No good for the chest cold i have and no good later on as i began to over heat and started to drip ,(sweat), far more so than i normally do  ......


My visit was primarily to collect seed ,luckily i had my camera on board as there were a number of gems still in bloom.

Pentachondra pumila forms large purplish coloured patches ---it is fairly wide spread in this area and can be found in cushion bogs as well and around rock out crops where the soil is thin.Has very small seeds in an over inflated pod/berry.

Leptinella pusilla again forms extensive mats ,this time in cool late snow bank areas .It has a delicious honey dew scent picked up when you drop to your knees --If the chemists could bottle it, it would be a winner.....

Lycopodium fastigiatum (i think this has had a name change .....)
Interestingly while weeding around the plant (housekeeping for a pic), I brushed one of the upright cones and noticed a lot of spore material being released.

Cheers Dave.

[t00lie]

Continuing...

Raoulia subulata forms moss like growths which one tends to overlook until it comes into bloom.Found on late snow banks .
I'm wondering if these  plants have a long blooming period as I'm certain i photographed them over a month ago during a previous visit.Might have to have a look at my picture library .

*Gentiana amabilis loves a wet spot .Here it is in sphagnum moss.

Coprosma perpusilla growing through a cushion --a common scene.

A Colobanthus Sp's.

Finally a number of *Gentiana shots--one with a background of the first of the autumn snows.

*Another name change ? .

Rightio that's it from me --maybe a couple of seed trips into other areas before the end of the month then i can hang my boots up for another season.

Cheers Dave.

[Lesley Cox]

A really good day Dave. I hope the chest cold hasn't developed further into something worse.

My favourite among all those pics is the delicious Coprosma perpusilla. They are so perky and glossy - almost edible-looking - there.

[David Lyttle]

Continuing...
Finally a number of *Gentiana shots--one with a background of the first of the autumn snows.

*Another name change ? .

Rightio that's it from me --maybe a couple of seed trips into other areas before the end of the month then i can hang my boots up for another season.

Cheers Dave.

Afraid so Dave. You had better change all your gentian picture captions to Gentianella or someone will pull you up on it when you give your talk in Scotland .

I am very envious of you getting out this weekend in such nice weather. Seeing your pictures I wish I had been there as well - I tried to persuade JF to go on a trip to the Lammermoors last Thursday but he had to work. Went up to Christchurch this weekend for a family birthday. If anyone is ever tempted, never ever go to the Speights Alehouse in Bealy Avenue for a function. The service is dismal. However I managed to catch up with a few friends which made the trip worthwhile and compensated for a party that was less than enjoyable!

[Lesley Cox]

Speights' Alehouse in Dunedin do a very good plate of lambs fry and bacon with mashed potatoes and gravy. But Roger's advice would be avoid Speights altogether and go with Emersons or Kilkenny. I'll stick with the vino.