NZ field trips - October 2010

[t00lie]

Looking forward to catching the flight home tomorrow night David and Doug--i've been homesick the last few days and viewing your pics hasn't helped.

The 4 days in London have been great.Despite all the warnings we have found people approachable,most helpful and friendly in the big smoke --(i had a 5 pound note apparently fall out of my pocket yesterday which was picked up and returned to me).

Can't wait to try out my new Canon 500d SLR and macro 60mm lens on some mountain flowers.

Cheers Dave.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful images David and Doug !!
Glourious views and special plants from the other side of the world, what more do we want on a windy, rainy, cold afternoon up here... 
Thanks so much for posting !

[ranunculus]

Just back from Mallorca ... to those MAGNIFICENT R. crithmifolious ... so many thanks!!!   

[kiwi]

Just got home from Lake Tennyson with Clint, had an amazing two days.

Raoulia bryoides
Helichrysum intermedium
Haastia pulvinaris
Clint enjoying a break with this increadible cushion
One of many penwipers (Notothlaspi rosulatum) we came across.
Another Haastia.

[kiwi]

Ranunculus insignis heaven......

A beautiful Hebe I have yet to be identified.

[fermi de Sousa]

Doug,
with all these superb buttercups Cliff will be falling over himself!
Thanks for sharing.
cheers
fermi

[ranunculus]

Doug,
with all these superb buttercups Cliff will be falling over himself!
Thanks for sharing.
cheers
fermi

Just standing up again Fermi!!!!      Magnificent images Doug.  I grow R. insignis reasonably well, but they NEVER look like that. 

[Lesley Cox]

Stunning buttercups all right!
The hebe looks like what I know as H. raoulii. Is that likely?

[kiwi]

Lesley, just been looking through my books and I would say you are correct with Hebe raoulii.
Stunner of a plant, growing massed over a few rocky outcrops.

[t00lie]

Just got home from Lake Tennyson with Clint, had an amazing two days.

Haastia pulvinaris
Clint enjoying a break with this incredible cushion

Another one to tick off Doug ---you might need to redo your list  

Clint has the look of a well seasoned 'rock hound '  

Parts of the Southern Alps didn't seem to have too much heavy snow on them as we flew home along their eastern flanks late this afternoon --could be an early flowering year.

Stunning pics mate.Thanks for posting.

Cheers dave.

[kiwi]

Clint left for home today, gonna miss having another keen plant hunter around home.
A few shots of the areas (and plants) he visited during the last few weeks. (I hope it isn't too long before your next visit mate, the Celmisia's and I will be waiting!)

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Amazing pictures Doug !!! 

[ruweiss]

Thanks for these wonderful photos. I only wished, that the NZ mountain plants would be easier
to cultivate in our climate.

[David Lyttle]

Here are some pictures I took over a week ago on a trip to Central Otago on our Labour Day holiday. The original purpose of the trip was to collect some hens but we visited a reserve called Flat Top Hill just outside the town of Alexandra. The reserve is as close to desert as you can get in New Zealand and has a suite of plants typical of these very dry areas. It also has a lot of weedy exotics that seem to very much at home.

1 Thymus vulgaris  This plant covers the hillsides and does very well as nothing eats it. My shoes and clothing smelt of thyme for days afterwards.

2 Dry hillside covered in thyme. The natives Aciphylla aurea and Pimelea aridula are also present. The schist tors are very much a feature of this landscape.

 Pimelea aridula  Entire shrub (3,4) and close ups of male(5) and female(6) flowers.

7 Oxalis exilis (I think as I am not sure what else it could be)

[Gerdk]

Here are some pictures I took over a week ago on a trip to Central Otago on our Labour Day holiday. The original purpose of the trip was to collect some hens but we visited a reserve called Flat Top Hill just outside the town of Alexandra.

David - interesting report, as usual!

Would you please tell me what kind of ' hens ' you were looking for?

Gerd