NZ Field Trips January 2011

[t00lie]

Just spent the last two days in Fiordland --would have been 3 days however we were 'rained off' late last night and the forcast is not flash with very heavy rain predicted.

Managed to pop into see David Lyttle and other members of the Botanical Society for an hour or so on Tuesday night.They have been in that area for a week so i'm sure David will have plenty of pics to share .

In the meantime here are a few ...

Track ?.
Ranunculus sericophyllus.
Aciphylla with a view .

Cheers dave    

[TheOnionMan]

Enjoying the views there Dave, keep em coming!

[David Lyttle]

It was nice to catch up with Dave on Tuesday even though I was not in a fit state to hold a coherent conversation with anybody as I had just arrive back in camp from the Boyd Creek tops at 8.45 pm. I was not even sure I wanted to eat the dinner that my Bot Soc friends had kindly kept for me.

A sample of the sights;

1 Gertrude Valley on the slabs above Black Lake.

2 View from Key Summit with Mt Christina on the left.

3 Dracophyllum menziesii on the Livingstone Range (we recorded six different species of Dracophyllum that day)

4 Hebe macrantha on the Livingstone Range

5 Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides, Mt Burns

6 Astelia nivicola, Mt Burns (this is the first time I have seen it fruiting)

7 Ranunculus buchananii, Mt Burns

8 Ranunculus buchananii , Mt Burns

[Paddy Tobin]

As ever, wonderful to view photographs of your outings.

Many thanks, Paddy

[ranunculus]

Splendid as ever David.  I enjoy your trips nearly as much as you do!!!   

[cohan]

beautiful!
astelia looks quite interesting!

[ichristie]

Thanks so much for the fantastic pictures we are looking forward to a visit from Steve Newall in Feb have warned him to bring warm clothes and BOOTS we had minus 9c today with a little bit of snow it was Baltic. cheers Ian the Christie kind

[ranunculus]

Get plenty of single malt in stock, Ian ... and please pass on my best wishes when he arrives!

[David Lyttle]

Greetings All and happy New Year.

Paddy, Thank you for your kind comments.

Cliff, I am not quite sure what to say. You must have OD ed on NZ buttercups by now. However the Ranunculus buchananii was magnificent on Mt Burns this year and seeing it flowering gave me and my friends much enjoyment.

Cohan, Astelia nivicola was one of the several species of Astelia I saw on the day. The others were A. nervosa, A. petriei and A. linearis. The latter is a small plant that forms extensive turfs in bogs. I find there is simply not enough time to photograph everything.

Ian, It is a pity you were not able to get to Mt Burns on your visit. The flowering of the small Aciphyllas  (Aciphylla crosby-smithii  especially) is exceptional this year.

Here are a few bits and pieces

1 The curious Dracophyllum fiordense

2 Aciphylla ' lomondii ' and Dracophyllum longifolium

3 Anisotome capillifolia

4 Anisotome pilifera

5 Mazus radicans

6,7 Thelymire cyanea found in bogs

8 A small orchid Microtis oligantha

9 Stellaria roughii from the screes at the head if Boyd Creek

10 Celmisia semicordata from the Gertrude Valley

[cohan]

thanks, david, i still have to look up Astelia, having never heard of the genus!
the Anisotome are also cool, though nothing is cooler than that Stellaria, love it every time i see it! it will have to wait till i build that alpine house!

[kiwi]

David, amazing scenery shots, stunning plants, cheers mate. Key Summit is going on the top of my TO DO list!

Dave, gotta love that R.sericophyllus, I guess it may have to wait one more season!
Going to have a look up in the Otaira this week so you never know your luck.

[t00lie]

Some nice pics David ----the scenery especially in the Aciphylla lomondii/Draco longifolium shot looks interesting ... Boyd Creek??.

Best of luck this weekend Doug --i was in the company of a couple of Scottish visitors for the last two days--managed to visit a couple of Ranges and show them a few 'weeds'.

Cheers Dave.

[David Lyttle]

Just home from another two days exploration this time to Central Otago and the St Bathans Range. Not the richest or most diverse location for alpines but a few interesting finds none the less.

1. Evening light , Hawkdun Range

2. Boundary Creek Hut, West Manuherikia (this morning)

3, Thelymitra longifolia, St Bathans Range

4. Ranunculus crithmiflolius, St Bathans Range. This very cryptic buttercup was abundant on the screes and is almost impossible to see unless you get down on your hands and knees to look.

5. Aciphylla dobsonii growing in the stone fields at the crest of the St Bathans Range. The screes are very dry and hold virtually no moisture so there is very little growing there.

[Hoy]

The flora and landscape of New Zealand is markable! Thanks for showing us. But my body itches - I want to experience it all myself.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm happy to see the Thelymitra David. That species comes up in various places in the garden, mainly where there's old pine bark, but never opens the flowers though it sets cleistogamic seed.