NZ Field Trips January 2011

[ichristie]

Dear all, yet another great set of pictures what I liked when we were over and it shows in your pictures were the fantastic rocks they were so interesting with all the lichen.  I am pleased to see David and Stella they look relaxed and enjoying the sun we have another 4 inches of the white stuff this morning and it is very slippery with ice underneath.  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[Hoy]

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

I would prefere akevitt, please! (That is the equivalent stuff here)

[t00lie]

Dear all, yet another great set of pictures what I liked when we were over and it shows in your pictures were the fantastic rocks they were so interesting with all the lichen.  I am pleased to see David and Stella they look relaxed and enjoying the sun we have another 4 inches of the white stuff this morning and it is very slippery with ice underneath.  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

David and Stella will be in the white stuff soon as well Ian --i heard from them this morning .They are heading up the West Coast to visit the glaciers tomorrow.

A few more plants i showed them .....

The wonderful silver mats of Raoulia youngii .

Doug posted a pic in NZ field trips dec 2010 ,(reply 38),of a Celmisia hybrid just coming into bloom --here it is a few weeks on --a magnificent sight   .
In viewing it again i believe it has some C.densifolia blood --the only other Celmisia sps growing close by was C. haastii--- i'll leave it to the experts to sort it out .....

An imposing Celmisia holosericea.

It has been a season so far for interesting finds --while normally the two Dolichoglottis sps and their hybrid have green foliage and flowering stalks, i have come across a few plants where the stalks only are red/black but never where the both stalks and leaves are near black .......

While climbing over some large rocks i disturbed a NZ rock wren --xenicus gilviventris --difficult to photograph well as it has the curious habit of bobbing up and down on the spot before hopping /jumping to the next rock .

Cheers Dave.  

[ichristie]

Dave, yet again you have made my day, I have been clearing up the dreaded white stuff with ice as well a little bit of a thaw. thanks for posting such fantastic pictures, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[David Lyttle]

The scenery especially in the Aciphylla lomondii/Draco longifolium shot looks interesting ... Boyd Creek??.

Dave, I have neglected to respond to your question as well as several others in this thread. It was Boyd Creek and here are some views for any prospective visitor.

1. Half way up the bush opens out to this large bog.

2 Looking approx west along the Countess Range with Hebe odora in the foreground.

3. There are several tarns and quite extensive wetlands in the Top Basin

4. Looking back across the Top Basin

5. Climbing out of the Top Basin up towards the screes of the Countess Range.

6. Hebe odora growing amongst the snow tussock (Chionochloa rigida)

7. Brachyglottis revolutus

8. Subalpine vegetation, Boyd Creek You can see Hebe hectori, Celmisia semicordata var stricta and another Celmisia in full flower that is possibly Celmisia brevifolia.

9. An undescribed species of Myosotis.

10 A second smaller species of Myosotis( possibly Myosotis lyalli/elderi or not)

[David Lyttle]

It has been interesting botanising various locations over a period of about 2 weeks. The gertrude valley in the west is very wet compared to Boyd Creek which is by comparision very dry. In the west Aciphylla horrida is the dominant speargrass At Boyd Creek the predominant speargrss is Axiphylla 'lomondii' which is even more formidable.

1 Aciphyla lomondii (male plant)

2. A small bittercress Cardamine 'Scree Race ' ( the genus is current under revision with many new species recognised)

3,4 Celmisia semicordata var stricta Very beautiful with stunning silver-grey foliage

5 Gingidia decipiens (can be mistaken for an Anisotome)

6. Hebe petriei I found a plant with a few flowers

7,8 Schizeilema haastii

9 Stellaria roughii growing in the screes. It was very abundant more so than any other place that I have seen it growing.

10 Close up of Stellaria roughii showing it is just another chickweed

[Hoy]

David,

Although Stellaria roughii is a chickweed it is a beautiful one - especially the leaves. Wouldn't mind growing that among my rocks

When I first became aware of Aciphylla many many years ago I only knew of a couple of species. Now I have gotten my eyes opened to the plethora of species in that genus but I have not counted them. How many species of Aciphylla are recognized in NZ

I could say the same of almost all plants you and the others show us from NZ

[David Lyttle]

Hoy,

There are about 40 species of Aciphylla recognised in New Zealand. There are a number like Aciphylla aff horrida ' lomondii ' that seem to be distinct species but have yet to be formally named and described. It has been a good flowering year for Aciphyllas and I am considering posting a set of pictures.

[David Lyttle]

A couple more plant picture and some scenery.

1,2 Epilobium pycnostachyum. Very commmon on the screes along with a second species of Epilobium thatI did not get a photo of.

3  Clumps of Anisotome pilifera growing up in a rock crevices out of reach of hares. There was a large fat one sitting just below this particular outcrop.

4 Peaks of the Darran Mountains to the west towards Milford Sound.

5 Looking back down on Lake Te Anau. You can see the Milford Road and Eglinton River entering the lake.

6 Looking down into the Upukerora River past a curious eroded rock formation on the ridge.

7 Countess Peak above the Boyd Creek Basin.

8. The country that one has to traverse to get the pictures for posting on this forum. Blue dots show approximate route taken with red X denoting highest point attained. Photos of Stelleria roughii were taken half way up the screes as were photos of Celmisia semicordata. Other photos were taken on the vegetated patches on the way up to the ridge. The photos of the Cardamine, Anisotome pilifera and Hebe petriei were taken on the crest of the ridge where the plants wer growing on rock outcrops.The scree is very mobile and it is difficult to sustain upward progress but descending is not too bad.

[ichristie]

Hi Dave it looks like you are really enjoying all these fantastic mountain areas thanks for showing the pictures,  cheers Ian the Christie kind

[Hoy]

Hoy,

There are about 40 species of Aciphylla recognised in New Zealand. There are a number like Aciphylla aff horrida ' lomondii ' that seem to be distinct species but have yet to be formally named and described. It has been a good flowering year for Aciphyllas and I am considering posting a set of pictures.

Thanks David!

Then I know what to aim for: Collecting Aciphyllas and trying to get as many as possible to grow in my garden So please, do not consider for a long time before you start posting

Epilobium pycnostachyum seems to be a nice plant - something to grow in the rock garden
By the way, can anybody tell me why all the Epilobiums in my garden are weeds and all the nice ones grow all other places

[David Lyttle]

Hi Ian,

I gather the weather back in the UK has not been all that flash. It has been a fantastic flowering year here and good to get out. Even so you only see a fraction of what is here and it is not possible to visit every mountain range in the lower South Island.

Hello Hoy,

The big Aciphyllas are very formidable garden subjects. They are not particularly difficult to grow but present a health and safety issue for the gardener. I suspect all Epilobiums are weeds when they become garden subjects. One of the most irritating weeds in my garden is a small creeping Epilobium It seeds freely and forms large patches. The stems break making it difficult to remove the plant.

Some pictures from my last trip a week ago to the Rock and Pillar Range near Dunedin.

1, View of the Loganburn Reservoir

2. Celmisia argentea which is an Eastern Otago endemic. People continue to identify small forms of Celmisia sessiliflora from other places as Celmisia argentea but the two species are quite distinct.

3 Celmisia argentea flowers

4. Clemisia sessiliflora below and Celmisia argentea above.

5 Celmisia sessiliflora

6 Pentachondra pumila

[Hoy]

Hello Hoy,

The big Aciphyllas are very formidable garden subjects. They are not particularly difficult to grow but present a health and safety issue for the gardener.

Then I can plant a hedge to keep the neighbor's cats out

[Magnar]

Thanks a lot for sharing these wonderful pics. I enjoy each and every one of them 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Somehow I missed this thread so far !
Just spent a great time, catching up !

Gorgeous pictures David and Dave !
Thanks so much for posting !