New Zealand Field Trips February 2008

[David Lyttle]

Now March has arrived I had better post these pictures before February is totally forgotten. I took these pictures on a trip to the Blue Mountains last weekend. The Blue Mountains are just over 1000 metres high and have extensive areas of cushion bog on the top. There are numerous small tarns on top. Picture 1 shows the cushion bog with a small tarn.

Picture 2 shows  a view of the cushion bog with tussocks of Chionochloa rigida and shrubs of Dracophyllum longifolium in the background.

Picture 3 shows another view of the cushion bog with the lichen Thamnolia vermicularis and  numerous plants of Gentiana bellidifolia in flower.

Picture 4 shows the epacrid Cyathodes pumila growing out over a cushion of Donatia novae-zelandiae with the moss Racomitrium.

Picture 5 shows a large cushion of Donati novae-zelandiae.

Picture 6 shows the flowers of Donatia novae-zelandiae

Picture 7 shows the little epacrid Pentachondra pumila in fruit.

Picture 8 shows a flowering plant of Gentiana bellidifolia.

Picture 9 shows the eyebright Euphrasia dyeri. This plan was very prolific and in full flower It is found growing on very wet seeps Euphrasia zelandica was also present and flowering but tende to fovour dryer sites.

Picture 10 shows Euphrasia dyeri en masse

[Lvandelft]

Wow, beautiful pictures David.
Such weird plants growing down(under) there, pict. 2 and 3
And then such Pentachondra and Donatia... great plants.
And these Euphrasia and and and and and............taking my breath! Thank you!

[David Lyttle]

Thanks Luit for your kind comments,  here are a few more pictures to finish this post.

This plant has had a few name changes but I am calling it Brachyglottis buchananii, It has thick leathery leaves and is very wind resistant.

Picture 2 is a close up of the same showing the infloresence.

Picture 3 is the snowberry, Gautheria depressa var novae-zelandiae fruiting. The fruits of this plant are edible.

Picture 4 is Celmisia semicordata var aurigans showing the golden tomentum on the leaves from whence it gets its name. This form is common in east Otago whereas further west most plants have silvery/grey tomentum. The pale carpet surrounding it is the moss Racomitrium pruinosum.

Picture 5 is the large speargrass Aciphylla scott-thomsonii a very formidable plant. It produces huge quantities of seed but one has to be careful collecting it.

[Maggi Young]

Oh, David, what super photos! I'm bowled over by the eyebrights... so gorgeous.... I don't know if anyone grows them over here but they are great!
 With my passion for all things ericaeous, I am, naturally, pleased to see one of my favourite garden plants, Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae enjoying life "at home"...... I am pleased to report that it likes life in Aberdeen, too!

[Peter Korn, Sweden]

Amazing pictures of amazing plants. Thanks for showing them.

[David Lyttle]

Maggi, Peter,

Glad you liked the pictures - alpine bogs are interesting places and have their own specialised flora.. The little Euphrasia is a charming little plant especially with mauve flowers. I believe they are annuals and they are also parasitic on the roots of other plants, usually grasses, though I dont know if there is much hard information about this association. I have not heard of anyone growing them successfully. I believe professional botanists here have tried to germinate seed but without any success. So there is a challenge for someone. I am pleased that Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae finds life in Aberdeen  agreeable. We tend to overlook it as a garden subject because it is such a common widespread plant. There is another variety, Gaultheria depressa var depressa that has bristly hairs fringing the leaves. It rows round dunedin but i have not encountered it in recent times - I need to look out for it. And there is my favourite Gautheria nubicola, again a very widspread species but almost never seen in gardens. Here is a picture of one growing in a cushion of Phyllachne colensoi.

[art600]

Maggi

Does your favourite Gaultheria set seeds?  If it does could you possibly put some aside for me.

[Maggi Young]

Arthur, it is a struggle to get to the fruits before the birds but I will try.... or maybe a cutting in better weather ?

[Maggi Young]

David.... G. nubicola is a lovely little thing..... if you were to find some seed, I'd love to try that here, too.
May even have a suitable Phyllachne to keep it company!

[art600]

Arthur, it is a struggle to get to the fruits before the birds but I will try.... or maybe a cutting in better weather ?

I hope you get better weather soon.  I would really appreciate a cutting - better still if you could keep it until I return from the latest mad trip around some of the world's danger spots, it might root.

[Katherine J]

Really beautiful plants (and pictures!
That Pentachondra pumila with flowers and berries at the same time is a little jewel.

[Lesley Cox]

Obviously a good day David. That's a really good patch on the Pentachondra and nice to see a pink-flushed Gaultheria. Mostly I've seen just plain white, or a very rare red.

I did have seed germinate once 20 years ago of one of the little white Euphrasias, but they all dies within a month.