Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: Ian Y on February 18, 2008, 08:31:33 PM
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Well I have finally got around to posting some of my pictures I took on my wonderful trip to New Zealand.
My First trip was in the company of David Lyttle, Dave Toole and John Fitzgerald when we climbed Mount Burns.
My first Celmisia was C. semi cordata and it came in many striking leaf variations, unfortunately I just missed out on most of the flowers which were over.
I was shown several hybrid forms of Celmisia some were very good looking plants that I would love to have in my garden.
Helichrysum bellidioides is another plant that I am familiar with as we grow it but this is the first one I saw in it's home land.
I have also grown Raoulia grandiflora in the past and I would like to get it back again after seeing so much of it growing on my trips around NZ.
I had great fun with my companions and when we were not looking at the flowers going AHHH we were nearly always laughing or occasionaly gasping for breath as we headed up to the summit.
More will follow in the next days and weeks.
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More please. 8) That Raoulia grandiflora is fantastic. Is it in cultivation in Scotia?
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Beautiful pictures Ian!
Despite most of all these NZ plant I'll never be able to grow in our soil,
I'm happy you show them here!
Show us as much as you like!
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Knees up Mother Brown competition?
The R. grandiflora is the best I've ever seen. Usually it is more spreadout and dead-looking in between the rosettes. Yours is a fine specimen Ian. I'm looking forward to many more on this thread. Oh yes, two puffins flew in yesterday. So welcome, many thanks.
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Your countrymen seem very keen to get their knees out, Lesley....my neice had shorts on too, in her photo... must be a local habit.......very few daft enough to get their legs out in the open in Aberdeen..... frostbite and such, you know. :-\
Glad the puffins have flown in... hope you had laid in some sand eeels for them, they must be ravenous ;)
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I am more and more convinced that New Zealand is a great place. 8) I hope I will see it some day.
Thanks for the pics Ian, and everybody who posted. Waiting for next chapters! ;)
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No drooling smiley available - if there were, I would have used it !
;D
Very promising start of a hopefully verrrrrrrrrrrrry long series Ian - we can't get enough ! :D
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Hi Ian,
Great to see your long anticipated posting and look forward to more as you were fairly busy with your camera.
Oh Celmisias! Picture 2 is Celmisia coriacea with its characteristic orange midrib: Picture 4 is a bronze form of the same. Picture 5 has Celmisia coriacea on the left and Celmisia holosericea on the right. Your first picture of Celmisia semicordata is the non-descript grey form common on Mt Burns but the second is a much more attractive silver form. It is interesting that Celmisia semicordata shows a range of forms from silver to bronze (var aurigans) and that the same sort of bronze forms are appearing in Celmisia coriacea. And then there is verbascifolia /traversii/petiolata but I dont want to go there (not on this forum).
Maggi, I can assure you our knees were not naked two days later on the Old Man Range.
Raoulia grandiflora grows very well in cultivation - it increases rapidly and flourishes and then the whole plant dies. I am on my third plant at this stage.
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Thanks to all for your encouragment to go on posting.
David I will be relying on you to keep me correct on the names.
Here are the next ten pictures.
Firts a series of the smaller Aciphylla species, congesta formed some good clumps and pinnatifida was always growing in very wet areas.
ALook carefully in picture 5 and you will see the leaves of Celmisia viscosa on the right , sessiliflora towards the front and a hybrid between the two is in flower.
The tiny mats of Celmisia sessiliflora has long been a favourite of mine but now I have fallen for this hybrid we found.
The tiny flowers of the Euphrasia need close study and the single flowers of geum uniflora shelter under a rock.
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Another shot of the delightful Euphrasia growing throgh C. sessiliflora.
I think this is Dolichoglottis with a magnificient view behind.
Then a very fine Ourisia growing in the rock scree.
My first sight of the famous Ranunculus layallii in the field.
Then I found a hybrid between Ranunculus layallii and buchananii.
Then my fist sight of Ranunculus buchananii wow.
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The next series of pictures is all of Ranunculus buchananii growing both by the burn and all the way up the rock scree.
Just feast your eyes it is magnificient it has to be one of the best sights in the world of plants.
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Stunning Ian - simply stunning :o
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Those series of pictures of Ranunculus buchananii are beautiful
I hope this is going to be a long thread.
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I will keep going - here is the last for today as I must write the Bulb Log among other things.
A few more of the little gardens that I find fascinating plus more of the Ranunculus buchananii and lyallii.
Sorry for the mis spelling of R. Lyallii
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The next series of pictures is all of Ranunculus buchananii growing both by the burn and all the way up the rock scree.
Ian, that's marvellous!
You just show the things I'm always curious about.
From where to where are plants gowing on mountains.
Super pictures!
I read somewhere you brought appr. 1000 pictures home? 8) 8) 8) :D
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All the photographs are wonderfull, but that last Ranunculus lyallii in splendid isolation is just stunning!
NZ has always been on my travel-wants list - still there!!
Chloë
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Sensational stuff Mr Y.......Many thanks.....now that is what I would call White Fever!!!
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Great pictures Ian, what a lovely Country and what lovely plants. I could live there.
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what a lovely Country and what lovely plants. I could live there.
Do you know, that is exactly what I thought. And I haven't thought that since Berlin and Tripoli!
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Well Maggi, you can both be sure you'll be MOST welcome, if you decide to take the plunge and join us permanently. You too David.
The buttercups are superb, real treasure. I can imagine your feelings of elation Ian, when you first saw them.
Thought that buttercup man would be nearby. You'd better get an air ticket too Mr B.
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Ian.
I enjoy your pictures. They remind me on my trip in this beautiful country. Thanks
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Ian
Wonderful pics my friend.
Coincidently i took the opportunity to give myself a day off work today,(being self employed helps),and headed back up there,(Mt Burns), looking for seed which was plentiful.
Can't wait to see your following shots.
Cheers dave.
PS i've just downloaded the latest version ,(2008),of Google Earth which by use of the tilt buttons can give a wonderful detailed 3D image of where we botanized last month during Ians visit .If anyone is interested let me know and i'll 'load' the co-ordinates.
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PS i've just downloaded the latest version ,(2008),of Google Earth which by use of the tilt buttons can give a wonderful detailed 3D image of where we botanized last month during Ians visit .If anyone is interested let me know and i'll 'load' the co-ordinates.
Interested? Is a ten stone possum fat?...... ::)
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Another few pictures before I move on from Mnt Burns.
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Though I says so as shouldn't :-[.... this week's Bulb Log starts with a really super photo from NZ... I think it is ACE! 8) http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2008/200208/log.html
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If you hadn't said it Maggi......I would!
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Thanks, Cliff.... couldn't help myself because that opening shot is a corker! 8)
I tell you, that lad has learned everything he knows about photography from me............I have taught him by example... I find it very hard to hold the camera steady, he doesn't. I don't take enough care with framing the shot, he does..... and so it goes on... :-X
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Nice boots Dave ::) (In Fa'kirk ye'd say 'buts' but that maybe misinterpreted?
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(In Fa'kirk ye'd say 'buts' but that maybe misinterpreted ?
We wouldn't want that, of course... ::)
You've a finely turned calf, there, Dave.... do you and Hilda trip the light fantastic?
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Hi All,
I am having a hard time keeping up on these postings due to my miserable internet connection. ( not broadband needless to say)
I have already posted this picture but I will add it in here. Ian busy photographing and a second on the top of Mt Burns.
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I suspect Mt. Burns would be a good place to spot the (introduced) Haggis? :)
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Only on the lower slopes Anthony, which are heavily bush (forest) clad.
Did you enjoy Wednesday's cricket? 682 runs in one day has to be good.
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Only on the lower slopes Anthony, which are heavily bush (forest) clad.
Did you enjoy Wednesday's cricket? 682 runs in one day has to be good.
Not bad, but you'd think after putting up a score like that they'd bowl better!? ::)
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Well that applies to both teams of course and I think the English did bowl better over all but it was - always is - a batter's wicket in Napier and with quite short boundries.....
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So everything I have shown so far was on my first day on Mount Burns. The next day was very wet and cold with the clouds sitting on the ground so we decided that it was not worth attempting any field trips.
Boy was I glad as my knees had taken some pounding on the long descent from the summit of Mnt. Burns and were in need of a rest.
We spent a very enjoyable day firstly over a long breakfast then an even longer lunch discussing all the problems of the world.
Our subjects ranged from the finer points of DNA and Phylogeny to world politics and we had a lot of laughs.
We eventually made our way up to the Hut at the start of the Nevis Valley road where we were to spend the night.
It was cold very windy and wet and while the hut provided some shelter it was still cold inside. I lit a fire in a somewhat dilapidated old stove half expecting to smoke us out as there were holes everywhere in the stove and the lum - however the strong wing outside drew most of the smoke out and we were soon all cosy inside and continued on our discussions.
Next morning the weather had changed and it was a fine day.
There was a small cludgie separate from the hut which, what can I say, was not the most fresh smelling place I have been in.
Dave found a way to clear the air and enjoy the view!!
We started off early on the rough track through the Nevis Valley that would take us through almost 30 fords.
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I forget how far we travelled through the Nevis valley but it was quite some distance.
All along the valley there were masses of Aciphylla aurea.
It took us through an old gold mining area and the remains of some of the workings could still be seen in the landscape as well as some of the ruins.
We kept stopping to look at the matt forming raoulias and there was much discussion as to whether we were looking at one variable species or a number of species. I was interested to see that they favoured wet ground near the river and burns as well as at the road side.
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Ah --the Nevis 'Hilton' Ian---I remember it well.
Maybe a half star ranking at the very best and a cludgie as you call it that had a tantilizing aroma all of it's own.
Earlier quote "You've a finely turned calf, there, Dave.... do you and Hilda trip the light fantastic?"
No Maggie i can't dance at all --two left feet .Ian will be able to confirm that to you for sure.Smile.
PS--Given up on trying to load the Google earth co-ordinates as promised previously as i'm ending up getting different co-ordinate figures when i go to save the details.??.
Cheers dave.
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Ahh Dancing Dave, I almost forgot to say that Morris Dancing occupied much of our time in the Nevis Hilton - more of this later...........
Having driven down the Nevis Valley we then headed for The Old Man Range which sits high above the plain where they grow the pinot noir grapes for wine. It was very hot in the valley but a gale was blowing on the top. Luckily you can drive all the way up to a radio mast where we put on all the layers we have.
I was nearly blown away by the strength of the gale and all my three companions could do was shelter behind the obelisk laughing and taking pictures of me which have appeared in another NZ thread.
I was fascinated at who many of the rock outcrops looked like giant heads with faces.
Looking one way there is a magnificient view over the mountain ranges 6 and the other an equally impressive view over the valley of the grapes 7.
Taking photographs up there was extrememly difficult as it was almost impossible to hold the camera steady never mind the flowers blowing in the wind - despite my human shields' best efforts.
The tiny colonies of plants were well adapted to these conditions.
On the leaward edge I found Celmisia viscosa.
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A few more plants from the very top of Old Man Range before we move down to the shelterd side of the slope.
Wind blasted gentian
Shelter of the rock.jpg
Craspedia lanata
Craspedia lanata 2
Myosotis pulvinaris. =Chionohebe thomsonii
Myosotis pulvinaris =Chionohebe thomsonii
Myosotis pulvinaris =Chionohebe thomsonii
Tight cushion edit = Phyllachne rubra
Raoulia hectori
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Awesome photos, Ian!
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Ian,
I was fascinated of the Old Mann Range with the rock outcrops also. The wind was terrible. Super pics! Thanks
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Wonderful pictures Ian. A great achievment to have plenty laughs discussing plant DNA and phylogeny and world politics. ;D
Franz, who is the other old man - in the picture?
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Ian,
You must have seen too many plants in too short a time. Your Myosotis pulvinaris is Chionohebe thomsonii.
The tight cushion is Phyllachne rubra and the Raoulia on the Old Man Range is Raoulia hectori. I have a few more identification corrections for you but they can wait. However dont feel bad about it. There are few of us who are not caught out from time to time. I was on the Blue Mountains today. Both Celmisia prorepens and Celmisa densiflora are present there and are all mixed up. Last time we were there Dave T and John argued which was what until we got off the mountain.
There were two main species of Raoulia in the Nevis Valley, Raoulia tenuicaulis in the wetter sites in the streambeds and Raoulia australis on the dryer stony ground. Raoulia tenuicaulis is quite soft wheras Raoulia australis is a hard cushion.
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David
How right you are - so many plants - so many mountains - so many people - so short a time- it was wonderful.
My memory card is full!!
I should spend more time checking the names before I post but that will take me months - so I will just rely on you to keep me correct.
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I should spend more time checking the names before I post but that will take me months - so I will just rely on you to keep me correct.
Lazy devil! Just as well he has you local experts to fall back on!
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I am enjoying this thread Ian - it is interesting to see things through someone elses eyes. You should have seen the Aciphylla scott-thomsonii on the Blue Mountains today. It makes Aciphylla aurea look a bit stunted.
Your picture of Raoulia eximia colonising the rocky ridge on your last Bulb Log was superb.
If you call your wind-blasted gentian Gentiana ( Gentianella) bellidifolia I dont think you would find too many people who would argue the point.
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A soon as we dropped off the OLD MAN summit plateau and especially in the wee burns there were lots more interesting plants.
plants growing by burn
Plants growing on step banks
Ourisia by burn
Celmisia sp by burn.
Celmisia sp by burn 2
Wee streams
Celmisia viscosa
Ranunculus pachyrrhizus 1.
Ranunculus pachyrrhizus 2.
Ranunculus pachyrrhizus 3.
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Wow! I do love Celmisias and it is wonderful to see them in their native habitat. Thanks Ian we have only second hand enjoyment of your trip ... but it is wonderful :o
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Would you look at the size of the flowers on that Ourisia.... big and fab isn't in it! Love 'em!
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Beautiful an interesting pictures,Ian.
This Ranunculus pachyrrhizus is a real stunner, but looks like as difficult in culture
as our alpine Ran. glacialis?
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Franz, who is the other old man - in the picture?
Lesley, I myself!
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Franz, who is the other old man - in the picture?
Lesley, I myself!
Franz, you have been everywhere! When did you make a trip to New Zealand ? (I apologise if you may have said this before and I have forgotten.)
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Maggi,
In the year 1997 was I and my son 5 weeks in New Zealand. One of my most beautiful trips.
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Ian,
More names
3 Ourisia by the burn = Ourisia glandulosa
4 Celmisia sp = Celmisia haastii as is 5
7 is Celmisia haastii not Celmisia viscosa
Celmisia haastii is a late snowbank plant and is found by the wee burns which are filled up with snow until early December. Celmisia viscosa is found mainly in the herb/cushionfield which is more exposed and does not retain snow cover . Celmisia viscosa covers extensive areas on the Old Man Range and othe Central Otago ranges It is by far the most common Celmisia there. Other species present there were Celmisia prorepens, Celmisia brevifolia and Celmisia ramulosa
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Thanks, David! 8)
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I don't believe Ran. pachyrrhizus is exceptionally difficult Luit. It is listed regularly by one of our local nurseries, Hokonui Alpines. They do a good seed list so it might be worth an enquiry.
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Thank you Lesley.
I'll have a look there.
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Just a last few pictures before I move on from the Old Man Range.
I was impossible to cross the hillside without standing on Celmisia viscosa and even in the strong wind I could smell the scent given off by its leaves and flower stems.
The flowers were over - it must have been a lovely sight in flower.
Late snow banks kept some of the gullies very moist and lush.
Celmisia viscosa everywhere.jpg
Well flowered celmisia.jpg
Aciphylla and celmisia.jpg
Gentian.jpg
Natures garden tapestry.jpg
Late snow bank.jpg
Wet area fed by snow melt.jpg
Ourisia in snow melt.jpg
Ferns in the rocks.jpg
Epilobium.jpg
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At Mount Hutt - Joe Cartman gives us our instructions and tells us when to meet up for lunch.
Then we head off in different directions to look for plants.
Then we have lunch.
Joe Cartman gives instructions.
Dave looks on.
Finn Haugli, Robyn Freeth and Kate
Dave Toole and Kate Barnard.
Fermi comes to help
Otto and Fermi
Jean Wyllie
Jean comes a cropper
Lunch time.
Luch time 1.
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Now for some plants.
I saw my first Raoulia eximia and leucogynes grandiceps in flower.
The epilobiums were spectacular.
First sight of Raoulia eximia
Leucogynes grandiceps
Leucogynes flowers
Dolichoglottis white
Dolichoglottis
Nature the best garden designer.jpg
Green Epilobium.
Celmisia and epilobium
Epilobiums
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Magnificent Ian....keep them coming please.
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Dear Ian,many thanks for showing us the pictures of this floral paradise!
They give me sweet memories of our time we spent there during the Southern Alpines
Conference1996.
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I have just finished cleaning three batches of Celmisia seed I collected last weekend. I am not particularly enamoured about the genus Celmisia at the moment!
Some further names for the last Old Man Range posting
2 well-flowered Celmisia = Celmisia brevifolia
3 Aciphylla kirkii
4 Gentiana bellidifolia
8 Ourisia glandulosa
9 Polystichnum cytostegia
Ian, I have yet to see a mass flowering of Celmisia viscosa. Most years the plants flower sporadically ie a few plants here and there but not all at once. However here is a picture taken at the same locality on the Old Man Range showing Celmisia brevifolia flowering en masse.
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Quote "have just finished cleaning three batches of Celmisia seed I collected last weekend. I am not particularly enamoured about the genus Celmisia at the moment!"
Ahh ---the responsibility of being a seed director David.
Sorry to mention this but more Celmisia seed ,(+ others),currently on it's way up to you.
Hope that doesn't tip you over the edge mate.Smile.
Cheers dave.
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Celmisia brevifolia flowering en masse
wow! They sure are! Lovely show.
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Some more pictures from Mount Hutt.
Plenty of Gentiana divisa and one of my favourite plants Leptinella atrata;
We used to grow and show it way back a long time ago.
View from Mnt Hutt.jpg
Jean Wyllie beside the gentians
Gentians on Mt Hutt
Gentian Mt Hutt.
Mt Hutt Gentian.
Leptinella atrata 1
Leptinella atrata 2.
Leptinella atrata 3
Leptinella atrata 4
Leptinella atrata 5
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I was taken by the epilobiums but I am not sure that I would want them in the garden unless they promised to behave.
Another Gentian.
Then the vegetable sheep.
Raoulia eximia, and buchananii. mammilaris
Haastia recurva I think it may be sinclairii, David L. will tell us.
Henge
Epilobium 1.
Epilobium 2.
View to plains below
Gentiana corymbifera
Haastia recurva
Raoulia on rocks
Vegetable sheep on scree
Flock of vegetable sheep
Raoulia mammilaris
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I have just realised that I was signed in as Maggi for the last two posts :-[
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I don't know... you nip out for a while and look what happens :o I've heard about the rising incidence of identity theft.... ;)
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Hello Ian, I just find your pictures breathtaking, we visited N.Z in 2oo3 and to see all those superb pictures is fantastic thank you, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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I think that Haastia may be H. recurva Ian. Great pictures. In reply 66, the view to the plains beyond the gentian, the braided river, (the Rakaia) is said to be the inspiration for Beth Chatto's dry bed gardens. I think I mentioned this elsewhere, on a S.H. thread.
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Hello Ian,
I have just picked a weevil that had strayed from of a batch of Celmisia seed out of my computer keyboard.
Gentians preceeding, surrounding Jean and following Jean are Gentiana divisa.
Another gentian = Gentiana corymbifera. This is a larger species than divisa. It is monocarpic and I have tried to grow to flowering without success.
The Haastia, as Lesley has correctly pointed out, is Haastia recurva. I was a bit unsure of it myself but have checked it out.
Epilobiums - you are on your own. Perhaps Lesley can help out.
As for Raoulias if you have Raoulia buchananii either it or you have strayed. Roulia eximia was the most common species there. The last Raoulia picture is perhaps Raoulia mammillaris. The distiguishing feature for this species are distinct bract scales surrounding the heads ie the flower would look somewhat like those of Raoulia grandiflora. I cannot tell from your photo. It is a lovely plant.
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I think the pics above of epilobiums are probably E. pycnostachyum. It is quite tufted, individuals are non-spreading, and the foliage is heavily dentate. It is the pick of them, horticulturally speaking, but I've found it very difficult in garden conditions. A sand bed with large grit may be the answer as it's a scree dweller. I've not tried seed of it and in any case, the way epilobiums seed about simply terrifies me. Look at E. angustifolium for instance :o :o and a few others which are already in my garden and in ever increasing numbers yearly.
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Very good Lesley, I will leave the Epilobiums to you. Epilobium nummularifolium flourishes in my garden_ a magnificent ground cover if you have a lot of ground to cover!
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I have finally got around to posting some more pictures from New Zealand.
There are plenty more to come when I get time.
1 Joe Cartman on the scree.
2 Mountain view with haastia, can you spot it?
3 Haastia
4 Ranunculus haastii
5 Ranunculus haastii
6 Lobellia roughii
7 Craspedia incana
8 Aciphylla
9 Tussock grasses on the scree
10 Spot the plant
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Now for one of the legendery sites for Raoulia eximia.
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Vegetable sheep indeed. Really marvellous. 8)
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Ian, you are certainly promoting the New Zealand flora to the world. I am hoping to see further pictures.
I saw a good assemblage of Raoulia eximia on the Ida Range earlier in the week. This species reaches its southern limit there. They like a good solid rocky outcrop to anchor themselves to despite appearing to grow in amongst scree. This area is also the stronghold of Raoulia petriensis another strange and curious plant.
According to the geologists screes do not form on the schistose mountains of Central Otago and the transition from graywacke typical of the Canterbury mountains to schist occurs in North Otago. Ian's pictures from Mt Hutt show well developed graywacke screes typical of the main Southern Alps. The screes have there own suite of specialised plants that are by and large absent from the Central Otago mountain ranges such as the Old Man Range