NZ - Gunnera hamiltonii revisited

[jandals]

A few months ago Toolie and jandals went looking for Gunnera hamiltonii on the dunes of the south coast . They did not find it . Then Toolie disgruntled with jandals went back by himself and did not find it  .

So they borrowed someone who knew what they were doing and finally found it .

On their first attempt they had been 50m to the right and the second attempt 50 m to the left .

There are only 7 plants at the site which made it a little more difficult .

So here we go with todays adventure


Clematis paniculata

 



Gunnera hamiltonii ( the brown patch on the left side ) with Stewart Island in the background...



...and here lies Gunnera hamiltonii's biggest problem .
The 7 plants at this site are all female and the boys live across Foveaux Strait on Stewart Island . There are no girls on Stewart Island .
A slight evolutionary hiccup .

Gunnera hamiltonii growing amongst Raoulia hookeri 'Coastal'

 



Pimelea lyallii

 



Brian and Dave . Toolie has that 'has he got that thing turned on ?' look



and looking along the south coast of the South Island towards Fiordland

[Hoy]

A few months ago Toolie and jandals went looking for Gunnera hamiltonii on the dunes of the south coast . They did not find it . Then Toolie disgruntled with jandals went back by himself and did not find it  .

So they borrowed someone who knew what they were doing and finally found it .

On their first attempt they had been 50m to the right and the second attempt 50 m to the left .

There are only 7 plants at the site which made it a little more difficult .

So here we go with todays adventure


Clematis paniculata

Gunnera hamiltonii ( the brown patch on the left side ) with Stewart Island in the background...

...and here lies Gunnera hamiltonii's biggest problem .
The 7 plants at this site are all female and the boys live across Foveaux Strait on Stewart Island . There are no girls on Stewart Island .
A slight evolutionary hiccup .

Gunnera hamiltonii growing amongst Raoulia hookeri 'Coastal'

Pimelea lyallii

Brian and Dave . Toolie has that 'has he got that thing turned on ?' look

and looking along the south coast of the South Island towards Fiordland

Can't somebody help the poor guys? (I am thinking of the plants )
Or is it forbidden to mix the populations?

By the way - my sausages are made by Fjordland

[jandals]

Trond - Apparently some girls have gone to Stewart Island and have settled in with the lads . Some lads have gone the South Island but they have not survived . Some of both went to Invercargill where some seed was produced

[Hoy]

Trond - Apparently some girls have gone to Stewart Island and have settled in with the lads . Some lads have gone the South Island but they have not survived . Some of both went to Invercargill where some seed was produced

Glad to hear that some take care! Old man Gunnerus would have liked that although he was a bishop. He was a scientist too!

A very pretty Clematis!

[kiwi]

Well done lads, Jandals, do I sense a 4th member to be initiated into the S.P.A.T. society?
Looking forward to an adventure this season....melt snow damn it, melt.....
Cheers,
Doug.

[Lesley Cox]

I heard the Gunnera tale at first hand. Jandals has just had a cuppa with me.  He saw a couple of plants of interest to him and not even natives!

[Hoy]

I heard the Gunnera tale at first hand. Jandals has just had a cuppa with me.  He saw a couple of plants of interest to him and not even natives!

So somebody has to change this soon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnera_hamiltonii

Immigrants can be nice!

[jandals]

Jandals, do I sense a 4th member to be initiated into the S.P.A.T. society?

Howdy Doug . Yes , Brian has successfully passed the first test . He has two important attributes . 1-He knows what all the plants are . 2-He can keep up with Toolie , which means we don't have to worry about him getting lonely way up front .

Sounds like ( and looks like) you had a great weekend . I have also heard rumours of a fantastic garden about to be built near Rangiora somewhere .
I think next S.P.A.T. meeting mid - Nov at Ferintosh Station , Mt.Cook . Will let you know and GO the mighty All Blacks .

[Susan]

Sounds a bit like Brokeback Mountain

[t00lie]

I heard the Gunnera tale at first hand. Jandals has just had a cuppa with me.  He saw a couple of plants of interest to him and not even natives!

That's very interesting ....
Because during yesterdays expedition while i was photographing Senecio elegans, i overheard Steve mention he wasn't interested in any foreigners.....and yet as you can see he's clearly enjoying being in the company of the numerous bright yellow patches.

Senecio elegans .

Steve and Brian x 2.

Some of the patches of Raoulia hookerii var hookeri had a green colouring.

Typical growth pattern of Gunnera hamiltonii with it's old foliage --creeping along the stable sand dunes ..

Amongst the Gunnera almost hidden the tiny Myosotis pygmea

In more shady moist conditions another Myosotis sps ,greener in growth with a larger flower--name unknown.

Finally, Brian and i arranged for a few of the local insect population to be on hand to greet the 'shorted' one --avoid this last pic if you are squeamish and easily offended by pornographic images  

Cheers Dave.






 
 
  

[kiwi]

Man that last shot makes me crawl.....
Whats up with the umbrella? Is Jandals getting a bit soft?

Went for a look in a local Canterbury Kanuka reserve today with Samantha. Unfortunately no Aciphylla or Pterostylis tristis to be found as noted on the plant list. Had a nice look around though.

Hi Steve, sounds good for S.P.A.T. Mid Nov. Give me a yell - cheers mate.

[David Lyttle]

Steve,

Nice pictures of Pimelea lyallii - I presume you have it identified correctly as Brian was with you. I have tried to work out the taxonomy of the coastal Pimeleas after the most recent revision but still am confused. Pimelea prostrata subsp. ventosa and Pimelea prostrata subsp prostrata have beeen recorded from rhe shores of Foveaux Strait as well.

Dave,

"In more shady moist conditions another Myosotis sps ,greener in growth with a larger flower--name unknown. "  

A Myosotis with no name :)with all the botanical expertise available I would have expected better than that from newest iteration of  S.P.A.T. By the way have you told Brian you need to cripple yourself in the field to be initiated into S.P.A.T.

[jandals]

By the way have you told Brian you need to cripple yourself in the field to be initiated into S.P.A.T.

No Dave . Haven't broken the news to him yet .

Doug - I guess I am getting soft in my old age but another question is "How did you manage to go there on the one calm day of the year"

[Lesley Cox]

That's very interesting ....
Because during yesterdays expedition while i was photographing Senecio elegans, i overheard Steve mention he wasn't interested in any foreigners.....and yet as you can see he's clearly enjoying being in the company of the numerous bright yellow patches.

One was a Gaultheria probably Sth American but packed with ripening fruit so maybe there's a commercial interest and the other was a Salvia for birds in the winter.