Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: Leucogenes on September 23, 2016, 09:39:07 PM
-
I create a new topic, which the alpine and subalpine deals with the spectacular world of New Zealanders.
I hope there are many more people like these magnificent plants and look forward to your contributions, information and pictures ...
Hello David,
this Raoulia I bought as Raoulia lutescens. I have copies and have compared them. They really differ in color. The shown has a green / blue (turquoise) leaves and is very dense. All other R. lutescens with me are just green.
Maybe is after all a different style or a hybrid.
If you know a different name, I would be very happy.
Thanks and Regards
Thomas
-
here's a photo
-
... And so see the other R. lutescens with me all out.
-
What a great thread-idea!
I was just thinking to myself recently: most of the plants look now terribly awful: himalayan plants, Europe, north american plants, Caucasus....The rockbeds are definitely over now. Well it's fall, and all the plants just want to have their winter rest, with dry/yellow or brown leaves and stems, old seedpods...
There's just one bed, one single one, which is stil magnificient all around, or almost at least: the one with NZ alpine plants. Tidy plants, no yellow or brown, no dry leaves. I mean it still looks like high summer for the general aspect!
I grow 2 so called R.lutescens. One has really tiny tiny green-grey leaves with clearly yellow flowers ( rather similar to your second picture I guess, in foliage at least), and the other one looks rather like a condensed R.australis ( the first picture), not as tight as the first one, and foliage more grey.
And to confuse everything a little bit more, R.lutescens and R.australis are synonyms...
Needless to say I don't know now which one or if one of them at all is the true species.
May be that these are natural variations?
Here a link to identification key for Raoulia if you manage such things :
http://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Taxon.aspx?id=_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38&fileName=Flora%201.xml#_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38 (http://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Taxon.aspx?id=_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38&fileName=Flora%201.xml#_51089911-3c09-4c02-ba41-a9b03d8bff38)
I should also take time to have a closer look on it for the different raoulias species which are doubtful.
And to stay in the spirit of the thread just one picture:
[attachimg=1]
Aciphylla subflabellata together with young Carex ( comans or dallii, both selfseed in the bed), and Raoulia subsericea in the foreground. Picture taken in early august, and still looking similar right now!
-
Hello Philippe,
I completely agree with you. The NZ plants look all year fantastic. And almost all are endemic, makes them particularly attractive to me.
I love the pictures of your wonderful garden. I know you're a big fan of the flora of the southern hemisphere, and I look forward to our correspondence.
Here are two photos of my absolute favorites (Detail)
Thomas
-
Philippe,
the combination of Aciphylla subflabellata and Carex buchananii like it very much. I also have two types in my little collection ... A. monroi and A. hectori. But they are still very small and not as nice as your copy.
Did you grown from seed?
-
... And here are two photos of Gaultheria macrostigma ... something unique, there is only in the south. :-)
-
Hello Thomas, Philippe,
Good to see your postings of NZ plants. Both your collections are grown very well. Philippe is correct R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.
I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.
-
Hello Thomas, Philippe,
R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.
I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.
Good to know David, thanks for telling!
Aciphyllas are terrible plants, in every sense ;) Both in their awesome look and their sometimes dangerous leaves.
Grown from seeds for me, and it takes quite a long time!
Some years ago, before beginning with that, I expected the genus not to be that happy here, for any reason, but had a try though.
I must say today that the species I could have seeds of thrive very well.
I can't wait to see Aciphylla subflabellata and pinnatifida flower next year, maybe, if everything's ok untill then, and if the plants are mature enough of course.
Another NZ Graal for me is Ranunculus lyallii. Just as Rheum nobile for the Himalaya: it's something like "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die ;) "
We can see many other beautiful things on your Gaultheria pictures ;) Looking forward to see the rest in next posts.
[attachimg=1]
Gentianella serotina, flowering now, once Gentianella corymbifera is over
COmbination of pure white flowers, dark leaves and brown stems. Even as a dried herbarium specimen, it remains very beautiful to look at with that particular colour features.
-
Hello Thomas, Philippe,
Good to see your postings of NZ plants. Both your collections are grown very well. Philippe is correct R. lutescens and R. australis are synonyms. R australis is the preferred name and is used by New Zealand botanists. The key and treatment that Philippe refers to comes from Vol 1 of the Flora of New Zealand and dates from 1961. It is no longer particularly useful as it does not include all the taxa the are presently recognised. There are a number of taxonomic issues in the genus that still have not been resolved.
I will post some pictures that will show the diversity of the genus but will need to review my photos first.
Hello David,
I am looking forward to your photos and am very happy about our passion both on NZ alpine.
Of course in the world beautiful mountain plants ... as Patagonia (my second great love) ... but the NZ Nativ are unique for me.
Another question about Myosotis "Mt Hamilton" ... 1. which is a breeding and 2. it has all year this beautiful brown color? I love it
pictures of Helichrysum depressum and Argyrotegion nitidulum
If errors... I appreciate any correction.
greetings
Thomas
-
Good to know David, thanks for telling!
Aciphyllas are terrible plants, in every sense ;) Both in their awesome look and their sometimes dangerous leaves.
Grown from seeds for me, and it takes quite a long time!
Some years ago, before beginning with that, I expected the genus not to be that happy here, for any reason, but had a try though.
I must say today that the species I could have seeds of thrive very well.
I can't wait to see Aciphylla subflabellata and pinnatifida flower next year, maybe, if everything's ok untill then, and if the plants are mature enough of course.
Another NZ Graal for me is Ranunculus lyallii. Just as Rheum nobile for the Himalaya: it's something like "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die ;) "
We can see many other beautiful things on your Gaultheria pictures ;) Looking forward to see the rest in next posts.
(Attachment Link)
Gentianella serotina, flowering now, once Gentianella corymbifera is over
COmbination of pure white flowers, dark leaves and brown stems. Even as a dried herbarium specimen, it remains very beautiful to look at with that particular colour features.
Hello Philippe,
my first NZ Alpine was Hebe pauciramosa var masonae.. (Photo 1 & 2)
She's still gorgeous and I had two seedlings for you. (Photo 3)
In photo 4 one sees, there is not only in the water beads ;) ... Coprosma petriei with its beautiful metallic fruits.
The Gentianella is an absolute dream ... this way I do not know yet. If it makes seed ... secure. ;)
Subject: "I have to get it to flowering stage, then I could die;)"
For me there are in NZ the fabled Raoulia mammillaris, eximia, rubra, etc.
But each continent has a true plant.
Thomas
-
Hello,
i found a photo of this spring...Pygmaea pulvinaris (syn. Chionohebe pulvinaris).
Thomas
-
The second flower in this year ;D ;D ... Acrothamnus colensoi (formerly Leucopogon suaveolens), South Island
-
I have two Hebe species growing beautifully in the garden here, and would like to find some other cold hardy ones that might survive. Hebe pinguifolia var pagei, and Hebe odora nana are both thriving, in spite of some very cold winters. What other species/hybrids might be worth testing here? The winter before last was the coldest since moving back to Nova Scotia in 2009. We had a few nights where the mercury didn't go above -23C, and the daily high stayed around -15C for about a week. I am drawn to the whipcord species like Hebe ochracea, but will have to track down seeds or mail order nurseries that ship to Canada. I have only seen the above two species supplied in local nurseries.
-
I have two Hebe species growing beautifully in the garden here, and would like to find some other cold hardy ones that might survive. Hebe pinguifolia var pagei, and Hebe odora nana are both thriving, in spite of some very cold winters. What other species/hybrids might be worth testing here? The winter before last was the coldest since moving back to Nova Scotia in 2009. We had a few nights where the mercury didn't go above -23C, and the daily high stayed around -15C for about a week. I am drawn to the whipcord species like Hebe ochracea, but will have to track down seeds or mail order nurseries that ship to Canada. I have only seen the above two species supplied in local nurseries.
Hello Gordon,
I have 11 different Hebe in my garden. 10 botanical forms and 1 breeding (H. pimeleoides "Quicksilver").
For me it is not as cold as Canada, but -10 ° Celsius we also sometimes. I cover everything with a fleece. I've never had any losses with the Hebe.
From the following I can send you fresh seeds ...
-
From the following I can send you fresh seeds ...
Thank you so much for the offer of seeds. Hebes are very uncommon in Nova Scotia. I will send you a pm.
-
I have two Hebe species growing beautifully in the garden here, and would like to find some other cold hardy ones that might survive. Hebe pinguifolia var pagei, and Hebe odora nana are both thriving, in spite of some very cold winters. What other species/hybrids might be worth testing here? The winter before last was the coldest since moving back to Nova Scotia in 2009. We had a few nights where the mercury didn't go above -23C, and the daily high stayed around -15C for about a week. I am drawn to the whipcord species like Hebe ochracea, but will have to track down seeds or mail order nurseries that ship to Canada. I have only seen the above two species supplied in local nurseries.
Hello Gordon,
Some suggestions are Hebe hectorii, Hebe annulata, Hebe imbricata (all whipcords but with numerous forms and varieties), Hebe epacridea, Hebe haastii, Hebe petriei, Hebe pinguifolia, Hebe buchananii, Hebe dilatata. All are small subalpine shrubs growing on screes etc. There are numerous other species that could be suitable but the are restricted in distribution and not easy to get hold of. Temperatures in New Zealand subalpine regions do not get as low as those in Canada (I am guessing -10 C but I should be able to locate some better data)
-
I have one question for you David, just following your answer to Gordon about plant hardiness.
I always think of NZ true alpine plants as quite "tender" plants, because of course much of them are covered with snow during winter. This might just be a wrong idea from me however, but I imagine our european alpine species enduring much better occasional fierce frost without snow than any NZ alpine plant.
But when we see some high altitude Raoulias ( for example) growing in their natural environment on pictures, that's just bare landscape, exposed to winds, and probably with very little or perhaps even no snowcover at all sometimes. I mean, are these plants the equivalent of our european high altitude Androsace growing vertically on cliffs, being able to endure very very low temperatures without too much damage?
We don't have much experience here with generas such as Celmisias. I often read they grow better in temperate and rather moist climates, but again, there must be really high altitude species confined to harsh environments in NZ?
That means they would really be totaly hardy.
Or is the coldness, even on moutain tops, not that cold in NZ winter? It can easily get as low as -20°c in the Alps here in 2000m height in winter.
-
Hello Phillipe/Gordon
Very wet day here so thought I'd locate some facts .
Here's a record ,(not by me), of air temperatures during winter in a couple of different areas of the high alpine zone of the South Island NZ during a period of at least 5 years back in the 1960's.
Figures are the best as I can read from the small graphs......…...
Craigieburn Range Canterbury1829 m, (6000 ft).
JULY
mean daily max +2 c
mean daily, (not shown—see below)*
mean daily min -7c
extreme max -15c .
* ( June was -1c /August was -4c)
.
Old Man Range Otago –1590 m ,(5220 ft).
JULY
mean daily max -3c
mean daily -6c
mean daily min -8c
extreme max -18c ,(in September).
These are old stats so maybe David has more recent data.
Hope this is of some help.
Cheers Dave.
-
Dave - These temps jive with our Hebe experience here on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia & by friends in easternmost Newfoundland. A brief -15c no problem but the breaking point was -18c unless under decent snowcover. Very gritty soil with sharp drainage was imperative.
"Hebe hectorii, Hebe epacridea, Hebe pinguifolia," were okay at those temps along with the toughest of all H. rakaiensis which came from Denmark labelled hardiest Hebe grown in Sweden.
1. H. pinguifolia
2. & 3. H. hectorii - trust the name is correct.
and lastly
4. another hardy golden-leafed Hebe I got from Ethel Lohbrunner which maybe you can identify.
john
-
Hello John
David Lyttle will have a better idea of your Hebe's .He has a wealth of knowledge and such a better 'eye' at identification , I'm younger than him and still learning ..... ;) ;D ;D
-
Hello Phillipe/Gordon
Very wet day here so thought I'd locate some facts .
Here's a record ,(not by me), of air temperatures during winter in a couple of different areas of the high alpine zone of the South Island NZ during a period of at least 5 years back in the 1960's.
Figures are the best as I can read from the small graphs......…...
Craigieburn Range Canterbury1829 m, (6000 ft).
JULY
mean daily max +2 c
mean daily, (not shown—see below)*
mean daily min -7c
extreme max -15c .
* ( June was -1c /August was -4c)
.
Old Man Range Otago –1590 m ,(5220 ft).
JULY
mean daily max -3c
mean daily -6c
mean daily min -8c
extreme max -18c ,(in September).
These are old stats so maybe David has more recent data.
Hope this is of some help.
Cheers Dave.
Thanks for these datas.
It seems that the Old Man Range, though lower in altitude, was significantly colder during these 5 years in winter than the Pilatus for example ( long term datas for that place). Pilatus is about 2000m high, in the central part of the swiss Alps ( north side of the range, that means not the warmest).
One would actually expect NZ alpine plants are just as hardy or even more than our european alpine plants ::)
Another aspect is naturally the duration and importance of snowcover. Because of its location and climate, the south of NZ is perhaps likely to be regularly much more supplied with long lasting snowcover during winter ? ( apart from local variations due to the relief itself)
-
Hello Philippe,
I will deal with the points you have raised first. Dave's temperature data is much as I would have expected and is quite accurate. Snow cover is another matter. It is variable and depends more on aspect than elevation. This has significant effects on the vegetation. On the tops of the Central Otago Ranges (Rock and Pillar Ra, Old Man Ra, Pisa Ra, Hawkdun Ra) the tops are relatively flat and subject to very strong winds. This tends to clear snow off them during the winter (snow persisting for 90 to 120 days). The snow accumulates in hollows and gullies forming snowbanks which depending on the time they melt are classified as early (November 160 days) or late (December 200 days). The vegetation on the summit of these mountains is cushionfield (Dracophyllum muscoides, Raoulia hectorii, Kelleria childii, Phyllachne colensoi, Phyllachne rubra, Celmisia viscosa, Chionohebe pulvinaris, Myosotis pulvinaris). Snowbank vegetation is different again as the plants are protected from extreme temperatures by the covering of snow. Plants include Celmisia haastii, Caltha obtusa, Ranunculus pachyrrhizus. So the answer to your question is that the conditions on the tops of these mountains are severe with low temperatures and freezing winds (very like arctic tundra).
Many Raoulias grow on rock outcrops which in winter would either be free of snow or encased in frozen wind-driven snow; again they would be subject to strong winds and low temperatures. The different Celmisia species are adapted to different conditions; some grow in the subalpine tussock grasland/shrubland which is relatively benign while others are found in the high alpine fellfields and cushionfield where the conditions are much more severe.
The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature in new Zealand occurred 108 years ago, at Ranfurly in Central Otago, in 1903: -25.6°C so temperature below -20 are very infrequent.
-
Hello John,
To identify Hebes it is useful to have close up photos of the leaf buds as the presence or absence of a sinus in the bud is one of the key taxonomic features. Hebe pinguifolia is variable and your plant would certainly fit within the species. Hebe hectorii is also an extremely variable species and can be distinguished from Hebe lycopodioides and Hebe imbricata (=H.poppelwellii) by the absence of visible veins on the scale leaves. I think your plant is most likely Hebe hectorii.
Your Hebe 'Lohbrunner' is perhaps Hebe odora; a very widespread shrubby species which some taxonomists think comprises several distinct entities. I cant be sure of this as your photo does not show enough detail.
It is interesting that H. rakaiensis is considered the the toughest of all Hebes. It is widespread here in Otago but does not extent into the subalpine zone. It can be a beautiful floriferous plant but is not grown much here.
-
Hello Philippe,
I will deal with the points you have raised first. Dave's temperature data is much as I would have expected and is quite accurate. Snow cover is another matter. It is variable and depends more on aspect than elevation. This has significant effects on the vegetation. On the tops of the Central Otago Ranges (Rock and Pillar Ra, Old Man Ra, Pisa Ra, Hawkdun Ra) the tops are relatively flat and subject to very strong winds. This tends to clear snow off them during the winter (snow persisting for 90 to 120 days). The snow accumulates in hollows and gullies forming snowbanks which depending on the time they melt are classified as early (November 160 days) or late (December 200 days). The vegetation on the summit of these mountains is cushionfield (Dracophyllum muscoides, Raoulia hectorii, Kelleria childii, Phyllachne colensoi, Phyllachne rubra, Celmisia viscosa, Chionohebe pulvinaris, Myosotis pulvinaris). Snowbank vegetation is different again as the plants are protected from extreme temperatures by the covering of snow. Plants include Celmisia haastii, Caltha obtusa, Ranunculus pachyrrhizus. So the answer to your question is that the conditions on the tops of these mountains are severe with low temperatures and freezing winds (very like arctic tundra).
Many Raoulias grow on rock outcrops which in winter would either be free of snow or encased in frozen wind-driven snow; again they would be subject to strong winds and low temperatures. The different Celmisia species are adapted to different conditions; some grow in the subalpine tussock grasland/shrubland which is relatively benign while others are found in the high alpine fellfields and cushionfield where the conditions are much more severe.
The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature in new Zealand occurred 108 years ago, at Ranfurly in Central Otago, in 1903: -25.6°C so temperature below -20 are very infrequent.
Hello Dave,
Thank you for good information.
For me in the Ore Mountains the winters are wet and maximum -10 to -15 ° Celsius. With a thermal fleece I have here (about 450 m N.N.) very good experiences made and never lost a NZ plant.
And the special Raoulia does not exist here in Europe ... also no seeds. That's why I'm always looking forward to your photos. So I can continue to dream of it.
Thomas
-
Thank you very much for these high interesting informations David. This gives useful hints on how to try to cultivate some of the species you named.
Hello Philippe,
I will deal with the points you have raised first. Dave's temperature data is much as I would have expected and is quite accurate. Snow cover is another matter. It is variable and depends more on aspect than elevation. This has significant effects on the vegetation. On the tops of the Central Otago Ranges (Rock and Pillar Ra, Old Man Ra, Pisa Ra, Hawkdun Ra) the tops are relatively flat and subject to very strong winds. This tends to clear snow off them during the winter (snow persisting for 90 to 120 days). The snow accumulates in hollows and gullies forming snowbanks which depending on the time they melt are classified as early (November 160 days) or late (December 200 days). The vegetation on the summit of these mountains is cushionfield (Dracophyllum muscoides, Raoulia hectorii, Kelleria childii, Phyllachne colensoi, Phyllachne rubra, Celmisia viscosa, Chionohebe pulvinaris, Myosotis pulvinaris). Snowbank vegetation is different again as the plants are protected from extreme temperatures by the covering of snow. Plants include Celmisia haastii, Caltha obtusa, Ranunculus pachyrrhizus. So the answer to your question is that the conditions on the tops of these mountains are severe with low temperatures and freezing winds (very like arctic tundra).
Many Raoulias grow on rock outcrops which in winter would either be free of snow or encased in frozen wind-driven snow; again they would be subject to strong winds and low temperatures. The different Celmisia species are adapted to different conditions; some grow in the subalpine tussock grasland/shrubland which is relatively benign while others are found in the high alpine fellfields and cushionfield where the conditions are much more severe.
The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature in new Zealand occurred 108 years ago, at Ranfurly in Central Otago, in 1903: -25.6°C so temperature below -20 are very infrequent.
-
David - Thanks so very much.
On arrival Hebe rakaiensis certainly did not look like a Hebe with any potential hardiness. Here it was quite loose growing and one felt it lacked the rigid structure of a species that came from a "rigorous" climate.
john
-
Thank you everyone, for the detailed information. I now have a working list of plants/cuttings/seeds to track down. Hebe pinguifolia pagei, and Hebe odora nana (bought as Hebe buxifolia) have been growing beautifully in the garden. I am looking forward to adding more to the mix! (Will update with photos once the camera with the pics I took comes back from away).
-
Here are a few New Zealand alpine plants that are flowering in my garden at the moment;
Celmisia prorepens
[attach=1]
Gaultheria crassa
[attach=2]
Geranium brevicaule bronze form; it tends to seed around prolifically
[attach=3]
Myosotis saxosa. This plant is putting on a magnificent show
-
Here are a few New Zealand alpine plants that are flowering in my garden at the moment;
Celmisia prorepens
(Attachment Link)
Gaultheria crassa
(Attachment Link)
Geranium brevicaule bronze form; it tends to seed around prolifically
(Attachment Link)
Myosotis saxosa. This plant is putting on a magnificent show
Hello David,
I am very happy about your photos. What beautiful plants. Particularly interesting for me is Celmisia prorepens. She also has a very nice foliage. Do you import ripe seeds? At Celmisia this is always a problem.
To get Celmisia here in Germany is almost impossible. :'( What are the plants behind the beautiful C. prorepens?
Myosotis saxosa is also spectacular. I've never seen it like that.
Now to the pictures of Raoulia parkii. The plant on the first picture I have also. At least she looks the same. But I got it as Argyrotegion nitidulum (formerly Raoulia pseudoraoulia). Or Leucoraoulia. But as you said, there are many forms.
I would appreciate more photos of your NZ collection and information. Even if they just do not bloom. For me the NZ Alpinen are nice all year.
Cheers Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
The plants behind Celmisia prorepens are top left to right:Celmisia allanii, Ranunculus insignis, Anaphalioides hybrid and directly to the left Bulbinella rossii. The Celmisia prorepens has a few more flowers open but it has been raining most of the day so I have not had a chance to take more pictures of it.
I have added two more photos of Celmisia prorepens taken last summer on the Lammerlaw/Lammermor mountains near Dunedin. In the second photo you can see the habitat in which it grows. It tends to get covered in snow during the winter though in recent years there has not been as much snow cover.
-
Hello Thomas,
The plants behind Celmisia prorepens are top left to right:Celmisia allanii, Ranunculus insignis, Anaphalioides hybrid and directly to the left Bulbinella rossii. The Celmisia prorepens has a few more flowers open but it has been raining most of the day so I have not had a chance to take more pictures of it.
I have added two more photos of Celmisia prorepens taken last summer on the Lammerlaw/Lammermor mountains near Dunedin. In the second photo you can see the habitat in which it grows. It tends to get covered in snow during the winter though in recent years there has not been as much snow cover.
Hello David
The photos from last year are wonderful. What an impressive landscape. If they are there again and they find mature seeds, then please think of me. The foliage is also beautiful.
How are your experiences with the seed maturity of a Celmisia ?? With me and my friends are almost always "dead" seeds. Is that with you so?
Celmisia allanii is one of my favorites at the Celmisia. Unfortunately you can not buy them here. Also no seeds. I know C. allanii only from the Internet. She has a beautiful silver foliage.
I did not know Bulbinella rossii yet. I just looked at pictures on the Internet and am very
impressed. It has a very nice inflorescence and a very nice color.
Thomas
-
Collecting and cleaning Celmisia seed is a frustrating task; the seed is heavily predated by insects and a lot is shrunken and non-viable. If you do get a good collection fresh seed germinates quite well. I do not usually grow Celmisias from seed but semi-woody one grow easily from cuttings. They hybridise freely and you find a lot of different hybrids in the field.
-
Collecting and cleaning Celmisia seed is a frustrating task; the seed is heavily predated by insects and a lot is shrunken and non-viable. If you do get a good collection fresh seed germinates quite well. I do not usually grow Celmisias from seed but semi-woody one grow easily from cuttings. They hybridise freely and you find a lot of different hybrids in the field.
Thank you for the informations. I think however this in Europe no one of a Celmisia cuttings cut off. They are too valuable for that. ;D ;D The only species that is sometimes found here in Germany on stock exchanges is C. argentea.
There are so many unique alpine and subalpine with you. Have you ever seen on your tours Stellaria rougii, Erwartia and the beautiful Haastia? If so, please show some pictures. I love these little treasures.
thank you
Thomas
-
Today I received some seeds of Ranunculus crithmifolius. ;D Has anyone of you experienced sowing this precious thing? I do not want to do anything wrong. ???
-
The cryptic buttercup - almost impossible to see unless it is in flower. I have never grown it but I would imagine it would be happy in a gritty sandy mix. Should not be too difficult.
-
The cryptic buttercup - almost impossible to see unless it is in flower. I have never grown it but I would imagine it would be happy in a gritty sandy mix. Should not be too difficult.
Thanks David, for the quick reply. I will sow the seeds tomorrow.
A wonderful photo of this fantastic plant. What a brilliant combination ... Brown foliage and these yellow flowers.
My heart will remain the same.
-
Here are a few plants observed on a trip to the Lammermoor Range west of Dunedin. It is rolling tussock grassland with Chionochloa rigida on the dryer sites and Chinochloa rubra cuprea on the wetter sites. There are numerous bogs and wetlands which support a diverse and interesting flora. Most is about 1000 to 1100 m elevation and can be covered with snow in winter but with climate warming in recent years snowfall is not as heavy as in the past.
Abrotanella caespitosa This is a tiny daisy that grows in bogs.
[attachimg=1]
Anisotome imbricata This species is common in bogs in Central Otago mountains. It is different from Anisotome imbricata var imbricata which is also common in Otago.
[attach=2]
Celmisia prorepens. Very common in the snow tussock grassland.
[attach=3]
Celmisia alpina. A common species in bogs.
[attach=4]
Chaerophyllum aff colensoi. Another bog species. The NZ Chaerophyllum species need revision.
[attach=5]
-
Here are a few plants observed on a trip to the Lammermoor Range west of Dunedin. It is rolling tussock grassland with Chionochloa rigida on the dryer sites and Chinochloa rubra cuprea on the wetter sites. There are numerous bogs and wetlands which support a diverse and interesting flora. Most is about 1000 to 1100 m elevation and can be covered with snow in winter but with climate warming in recent years snowfall is not as heavy as in the past.
Abrotanella caespitosa This is a tiny daisy that grows in bogs.
(Attachment Link)
Anisotome imbricata This species is common in bogs in Central Otago mountains. It is different from Anisotome imbricata var imbricata which is also common in Otago.
(Attachment Link)
Celmisia prorepens. Very common in the snow tussock grassland.
(Attachment Link)
Celmisia alpina. A common species in bogs.
(Attachment Link)
Chaerophyllum aff colensoi. Another bog species. The NZ Chaerophyllum species need revision.
(Attachment Link)
As always fantastic pictures David.
On the last photo (at Chaerophyllum aff. Colensoi) you can see another plant with an interesting shape and a great silver color. What's this?
-
Here are a couple of plants that may interest forumists. Both are cushions and both grow in alpine bogs.
Centrolepis ciliata
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
and Gaimardia setacea
[attach=3]
[attach=4]
[attach=5]
Hopefully the photos are clear enough to show the flower structure of both species
-
A belated reply to your enquiry Thomas; the white plant in the Chaerophyllum photo is Euchiton traversii.
Here are some more pictures;
Coprosma perpusilla subsp perpusilla growing in cushion bog with Donatia novae-zelandiae
[attach=1]
Donatia novae-zelandiae, a common species in the cushion bog
[attach=2]
Dracophyllum prostratum, growing over Donatia novae-zelandiae in cushion bog
[attach=3]
Gaultheria nubicola a common snowbank species.
[attach=4]
Gaultheria nubicola x depressa var novae-zelandiae, growing in damp snowbank area. Acute pointed leaves with small teeth suggest this plant is a hybrid between these two species. G. depressa var novae-zelandiae is a very common species found in a variety of habitats especially snow tussock grassland and herbfield.
[attach=5]
-
Here is the plant my Australian friend who was with me was interested in. Each time he comes over we tend to go on a mission to some out of the way place to hunt for some obscure plant. This time it was Herpelirion novae-zelandiae. Initially we did not have much luck finding it but at the last place we stopped there it was growing in a bog with red tussock (Chionochloa rubra cuprea)
-
A final few photos
Phyllachne colensoi cushion, This was common in a snowbank area. It can be confused with Donatia novae-zelandiae but generally prefers drier sites.
[attach=1]
Ranunculus enysii, common in Chinonchloa rigida tussock grassland that dominates the drier sites. Not a very good photo I afraid as all the plants I found were tucked under tussocks and I did not make any particular effort to get a clear photo as it is a very common species and I have plenty of pictures of it.
[attach=2]
Raoulia grandiflora growing in damp snowbank area with Gaultheria nubicola and Celmisia argentea
[attach=3]
The bladderwort, Urticularia dichotoma, growing in bog dominated by Chionochloa rubra cuprea. This was near the Herpelirion and about 200 metres lower than where most of the other shots were taken. It is almost impossible to get the correct exposure to show the colour of this little flower for some reason.
[attach=4]
-
Dear David,
I am as always speechless about these beauties.
Coprosma perpusilla I have also for 2 years in my small collection. It is still very small and has not yet flourished. A fantastic picture.
Dracophyllum prostratum I have been in the stock for several years and last year it blossomed with me for the first time. I've been very happy about it.
From New Zealand Gaultheria I have three other species in the Alpinum. The G. nubicola is very nice. It is particularly noticeable to me that the individual flowers are framed by leaves. Brilliant.
And finally Phyllanchne colensoi and Raoulia grandiflora ... what can be more beautiful? 😊
These are the plants that I dream of.
Best thanks for showing and I look forward to more pictures. With us in the Ore Mountains is finally really winter. We currently have about 20 cm of snow.
Greetings Thomas
-
I was thrilled this morning to discover that not only has my little Leucogenes leontopodium survived the worst of the summer but it's actually growing! New shoots! The x Leucoraoulia loganii is also alive and well.
-
I was thrilled this morning to discover that not only has my little Leucogenes leontopodium survived the worst of the summer but it's actually growing! New shoots! The x Leucoraoulia loganii is also alive and well.
Hello Jamus,
It is good to see that these plants go well. L. leontopodium is the largest of the four species and blooms with me relatively reliably. So ... never let it dry out and with some patience you will be rewarded.
Your Leucoraoulia x loganii looks fantastic. The shape of the rosettes is very nice and the compact growth I like very much. I am looking for this kind for a very long time. Please report a little more about this. Did you get it from seed or as a young plant.? And where do you get such treasures?
The second picture shows a similar shape.
Although we live thousands of miles apart, one might think we are going into the same quarry. Crazy... right? ;D
-
Beautiful stone Leucogenes! You've inspired me for the new rock garden expansion I'm planning. :)
Otto Fauser grows the Leucogenes and the Leucoraoulia and he was kind enough to give me a little plant of each. He has friends in NZ so I'm guessing he sourced some seed from them and began his parent material in that way. Mine are cuttings he made from his plants. I am going to try some seed myself this winter; yes winter, here in South Australia we sow seed in the autumn and things germinate right through the mild winter and into spring.
-
With the increase by seeds at Leucogenes, I had not yet succeeded. I have sown in the summer and also this winter. Maybe this year it works. But the proliferation by cuttings works very well with L. leontopodium and L. grandiceps. Only L. neglecta is still too small to make cuttings.
I also buy new copies every year. I can not get enough of it.
-
Today much rain ... no matter ... Laughing is healthy. ;D ;D
-
A Celmisia hybrid from last weeks walk in the 'hills' of Fiordland.
Yummy C. sessiliflora x viscosa .
-
Another hybrid growing in a patch of Celmisia sessiliflora .
I was unable to identify the other potential parent so at this stage I'll call it C.sessiliflora x
-
Two extraordinarily beautiful plants, Dave. The first really has a very interesting foliage. The second has a nice height ... not too high and a nice hairy stems.
This place you should remember and visit again. Thank you for showing me. I look forward to more photos.
Greetings Thomas
-
Thanks Thomas
The Celmisia sessiliflora x above that I photographed in bloom is similar to C. x linearis,(C.gracilenta x sessiliflora), however I couldn't locate any C.gracilenta in the vicinity to be certain of a full identification.
Here's a couple of pics of C. x linearis I grow in various beds at home.
Cheers Dave.
-
Another hybrid growing in a patch of Celmisia sessiliflora .
I was unable to identify the other potential parent so at this stage I'll call it C.sessiliflora x
I am not precisely sure where your mystery tour took place but I am guessing your hybrid is either C. sessiliflora x ----- petriei???? or perhaps more likely C. sessiliflora x haastii.
-
And here are three examples that brown does not always mean autumn or dead.
Podocarpus nivalis "bronze form" from Mt. Cook area
Myrsine nummularia from Mt.Terko area (both clones are of the same mother plant ... but show different colors)
... I love these colors.
-
Thanks for your possible IDs David .
Cheers Dave.
Nice colourings in the shrubs Thomas --I think I have only photographed the Myrsine on one occasion and that was in the wild.
-
... after many desperate attempts, some seedlings appear for the first time from Aciphylla aurea. :D :D
Sown 12.01.17
-
Thomas,
... desperation is a word I would use only if I were stranded in a thicket of them.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hi David,
So different are the views ... I would pay maximum prices for fresh seeds from NZ and you photographed with a safe distance. This is funny.
Probably running a Sherpa in the Himalayas via Gentina urnula ... ;D ;D
The photo looks very nice again ... also with the shadow of the clouds in the valley. Great
Greetings Thomas
-
... the flower is only a few millimeters , but still beautiful.
Leucopogon suaveolens from the South Island.
-
... the flower is only a few millimeters , but still beautiful.
Leucopogon suaveolens from the South Island.
Now known as Acrothamnus colensoi. It looks good with berries on as well.
-
We found this unusual Acaena on a field trip to Mt Benger last Saturday;
Acaena tesca - the seed heads are really distinctive and unlikely to be mistaken for anything else. The plant is not well known and is found only in the Central Otago Ranges.
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
[attach=3]
There were gentians everywhere. The local species is Gentianella serotina
[attach=4]
Finally in the bogs we found Montitega dealbata (formerly known as Cyathodes pumila) and often confused with Pentachondra pumila which it superficially resembles.
[attach=5]
-
Now known as Acrothamnus colensoi. It looks good with berries on as well.
This is the first picture of Acrothamnus colensoi with berries, which I see. Great. I am already glad about the few flowers on my specimen. Probably a pollinator is missing for these tiny flowers, but they only show their true beauty when they are enlarged.
The mother plant in the Arctic Alpine Garden in Chemnitz has never blossomed. So feel good with me and show a second flower in autumn. :)
-
Thomas,
... desperation is a word I would use only if I were stranded in a thicket of them.
(Attachment Link)
David, I saw today a large specimen of Aciphylla aurea. It is in the botanical garden of Adorf.
I can understand you now ... very sharp ... but still nice.
Thomas
-
... the Montitega dealbata shown I find particularly beautiful. From Pentachondra pumila I also have three small plants. But they have not yet blossomed ... it can take a few more years. But also she likes me and I have time. :)
-
Hello Thomas,
The Aciphylla in the Adorf botanical garden is more likely to be Aciphylla subflabellata, an uncommon, tussock grassland species that does not reach the alpine zone. I have attached some pictures of this species for comparison.
-
Hello David,
Thanks for the correction. Unfortunately, there are some false signs in botanical gardens. I would not have known it ... I have no comparison.
It's good to know a specialist ... :)
-
Yes, a lot of plants in botanical collections are mis-identified especially outside the country of origin. Frequently plants in collections are hybrids of garden origin which can make positive identification more difficult.
Here is the real Aciphylla aurea
[attachimg=1]
-
If i compare both Aciphylla images, i can see a difference. A. aurea has slightly wider leaves ... or? Both types I find beautiful. Philippe also showed on the first page a beautiful picture of A.subflabellata. I had until last year a small A. aurea ... unfortunately died. :'(
My favorites are the small Aciphylla species. For example, A. monroi, A. simplex, A. spedenii, and A. congesta. I know them but only from pictures ... only A. monroi I have in the Alpinum ... but still small.
Another picture of today ... Chionohebe densiflora
Thomas
-
Hello David,
Since my A. aurea unfortunately died last year, I have no current photo. I would be interested if it really was this kind. I have unfortunately only two photos found in the archive ... once totally and at Gentianella saxosa bottom left.
Maybe you can identify it ... is only for my protocol. :)
Thanks and greetings
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
The plant you have shown in your photo does not look like Aciphylla aurea to me. It is perhaps Aciphylla scott-thomsonii, a larger species with glaucous leaves. Aciphylla aurea is generally quite golden hence its name. There are several large Aciphylla species in southern New Zealand. The ones I encounter most frequently are Aciphylla aurea, Aciphylla scott-thomsonii, Aciphylla glaucescens, Aciphylla horrida, Aciphylla aff horrida "lomondii". They are all very large plants and the inflorescence of the largest species (Aciphylla scott-thomsonii) can be up to 3 metres in height. They are not really suitable for rock gardens. The larger species are found in lower altitude tussock grassland and shrubland where they are conspicuous element of the vegetation. The smaller high alpine species are very attractive and make good rock garden plants. A. monroi is the smallest species. Many of the small species are quite localised in their distribution and are sometimes hard to identify in the field. A. simplex and A. dobsonii are both species found at high altitude here in Otago. These two can form cushions up to 1 metre across and grow on very exposed boulder fields on the tops of some of the mountain ranges.
I am posting another photo of A. aurea which shows the leaves in more detail.
Also a picture of Chionohebe densiflora (now called Veronica densiflora). You have done well to get this plant to flower. I have found I can grow it but you need to keep taking fresh cuttings as it seems to die back rather than continue growing.
-
Hello David,
Now I am not so sad that I lost this Acyphilla. She was very nice, but probably too big. Again, it shows that much is offered wrong here. However, it was the only time that I could ever buy an Acyphilla in Germany and I was very happy about it. I thank you for the correction and the helpful information. I hope that my A. monroi survive.
My Veronica densiflora is now 7 or 8 years old and it is a back and forth with this plant. Sometimes she looks like dead and a few weeks later she recuperates. But I will make a few cuttings today. In your photo (breathtakingly beautiful) I am surprised by the great red color of the foliage. I just knew the green version so far. But I have heard that this species also occurs in Australia. Maybe my clone is from there. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Best regards
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
Here is a picture of Aciphylla scott-thomsonii with one of my botanical friends beside it for comparison. As you can see it is not a rock garden plant. It is a very striking plant but not a good garden subject because of its spines which can inflict painful wounds.
-
Hello David,
The Aciphylla scott-thomsonii looks really dangerous. Ideal as a fence around a prison.
A new correction or confirmation ...
The following Leptinella I got with the name Leptinella albida. I can find under this name but nothing on the Internet.
It looks like a L. pectinata ... but much smaller and very strongly hairy. I hope you can identify them.
Thank you
Thomas
-
The following Leptinella I got with the name Leptinella albida. I can find under this name but nothing on the Internet.
It looks like a L. pectinata ... but much smaller and very strongly hairy. I hope you can identify them.
Thank you
Thomas
Yes, it is Leptinella albida. Here is the plant growing in the wild.
-
Thanks for the confirmation, David. Finally again a plant with correct name with me. ;)
It is amazing, however, that you can get no information about this little beauty on the Internet. I like this Leptinella very much ... especially because of its strong hairiness and because it does not spread so fast.
In your picture, of course, she looks much more beautiful ... as always.
Thomas
-
Hi Thomas, here are hoperfully 2 useful links to NZ plants ( inclusive description and other informations):
http://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/taxon/Leptinella-albida.html (http://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/taxon/Leptinella-albida.html)
http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=561 (http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=561)
I guess this can be very interesting if you can use identification keys in english.
-
Of course Philippe... I knows both sides and has them even with my favorites. I had simply forgotten it. Over again thanks for the tip. David is already irritated certainly by my questions. ;D
Enclosed one more picture from today... Clematis marmoraria... from Potterton Nursery. Thanks Rob.
-
Clematis marmoraria, that little pest....
I had it in a pot for years and years and years. It didn't grow, but didn't want to die either.
Once I decided to give it its freedom in the rockbed, it choose to die the winter right after, although it had already 3 or 4 winters behind. In pot...
Tried it again more recently, and it just perished in its pot in no time.
-
I had also sometimes three pieces in the Alpinum... of it one more lives. However, looks also very bad. The plant of Rob is a good copy and has 13 blossoms. I'll leave them in the pot now.
-
Clematis marmoraria, that little pest....
I had it in a pot for years and years and years. It didn't grow, but didn't want to die either.
Once I decided to give it its freedom in the rockbed, it choose to die the winter right after, although it had already 3 or 4 winters behind. In pot...
Tried it again more recently, and it just perished in its pot in no time.
Hello Philippe, Thomas,
Clematis marmoraria grows naturally in crevices in marble outcrops on one mountain in Nelson. I had a plant but lost it because I put it in a warm tunnel house and it got too dry. I would suggest that you pot it in a large clay pot in a coarse mix with large pieces of broken limestone so it can get its roots well down. The roots need to be kept cool and damp but not too wet.
-
Hello David,
I will treat the Clematis marmoraria after the flowering exactly as you say. Thanks for this note.
There is not much limestone in New Zealand ... or? Are there other endemic alpine plants in this mountain range? If yes ... then report times. I am very interested ... as always. :)
best regards
Thomas
-
Just flowers Coprosma perpusilla and Coprosma acerosa ... hopefully many beautiful berries in autumn. :)
-
With this Hebe began my passion for alpine NZ ... Hebe pauciramosa var. masonae. It blooms every year reliably.
-
So it looks when one at Geranium brevicaule the flowers not removed ... hundreds of seedlings. ???
-
Raoulia haastii
Hebe raoullii
Myosotis decora
-
Gaultheria macrostigma
Gaultheria crassa
Leucopogon fraseri
-
Just flowers Coprosma perpusilla and Coprosma acerosa ... hopefully many beautiful berries in autumn. :)
Hello Thomas,
You have been given the wrong names for your Coprosmas; they are either Coprosma petriei or Coprosma atropurpurea, They both have tiny hairs on the upper surface of the leaves which is diagnostic for these two species. Your Coprosma perpusilla is a female plant and your Coprosma acerosa is a male plant. Coprosma perpusilla has flowers with (3) - 4 styles and orange berries and no hairs on the leaves.
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
Coprosma niphophila the other species that it is frequently confused with also has orange berries but the flowers have 2 styles.
[attach=3]
-
Continuing on; your plant is perhaps Coprosma petriei The flowers have 2 styles and the berries are blue.
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
The other possibility is Coprosma atropurpurea which also has hairs on the surface of its leaves and wine-coloured berries.
[attach=3]
Coprosma petriei is a dryland plant and Coprosma atropurpurea generally grows in bogs.
-
The most recent pictures you have posted are very nice your plants are growing well; Myosotis decora is a synonym for Myosotis colensoi. Myosotis colensoi is the preferred name for this species. It is a limestone endemic and not particularly common in the wild. The anthers lie below the corolla scales so your plant is correctly named. I grow Myosotis saxosa which is similar in appearance but the anthers are exserted beyond the corolla scales.
Geranium brevicaule spreads through my rockery too; it likes dry stony soil.
-
Hi David,
Best thanks for correcting the names. If berries are present in the autumn we can determine this coprosma again. I got these plants from private individuals ... Now I buy almost only in UK ... ;) ;)
I also have Coprosma petriei ... she's also just blooming. In reply number 10 you see the fruits of last year. I hope this time everything is correct. ;D
A question ... is it possible that the different types of Coprosma fertilize?
Thomas
-
Today in my New Zealand bed ...
Epilobium crassum
Gaultheria parvula
Dracophyllum prostatum
-
... and I am especially pleased ... after five years have waited my two specimens of Leucogenes grandiceps buds. I had almost no more hope ...
L. leontopodium blooms every year. The other two species also develop very well. :)
-
Hebe buchananii var. minor
Hebe amstrongii
Geranium brevicaule
Luzula ulophylla
-
Hello, David,
I has once again a question to you.
I have an Acaena and am not sure whether it A. saccaticula is. The foliage looks thus. The plant would be found by my friends with an excursion in 2000... The Remarkables, to the east of a parking bay, 1650 metres about sea level. However, the plant has very long desires / branches... much longer than with A. saccaticupala and A. caesiiglauca. Is able to do it also a form from A. inermis HOOK.?
I would be glad very much about a correction or confirmation of you.
Many thanks and the best greetings
Thomas
-
Hello, David,
I has once again a question to you.
I have an Acaena and am not sure whether it A. saccaticula is. The foliage looks thus. The plant would be found by my friends with an excursion in 2000... The Remarkables, to the east of a parking bay, 1650 metres about sea level. However, the plant has very long desires / branches... much longer than with A. saccaticupala and A. caesiiglauca. Is able to do it also a form from A. inermis HOOK.?
I would be glad very much about a correction or confirmation of you.
Many thanks and the best greetings
Thomas
Hello Thomas,
Yes, your plant is Acaena saccaticupula. The fruiting heads have barbed spines and will stick to your clothing. It is common in the alpine zone and I would expect to find it on the Remarkables. A. inermis usually does not have spines. Here are two examples one from the Mavora Lakes and the other from the Old Man Range where it is growing with Wahlenbergia albomarginata.
-
Hi Thomas
Beautiful plants as usual ;)
How do you consider Luzula ulophylla? I'm still not sure if it is really frost-resistant, short lived or if I just don't give it the right conditions. I must always think about renewing the plants I have by sowing them constantly every year.
I'm trying different locations in the rockbed, but let's say that from 10 adult flowering plants during one summer, I probably only manage to keep one or two for the following season.
-
Hello, David,
many thanks for the confirmation. This picture of Wahlenbergia albomarginata is especially nice. I get to know always new plants by your photos.
Thanks for it.
Greeting Thomas
-
Hello, Philippe,
Luzulla ulophylla is absolutely sure about frost with me. I plant straight also between Raoulia and Scleranthus uniflorus... around an interesting natural structuralisation to achieve. I may grow into one another it if the mats. So nicely as on the photos of David it is not. But I leave some areas to himself. Picture 1. The nature is the best designer. The other photos show some examples of L. ulophylla... Maybe it may if it is a little more humid.
I will collect anyway seed for you.
-
Even grass-like plants are beautiful within cushions and other carpeting species in NZ ;)
I have sown quite a lot of Luzula ulophylla last fall. It's sprouting very nicely right now. I can now go on with my dispatching task around the rockbed.
-
I have an Acaena The plant would be found by my friends with an excursion in 2000... The Remarkables, to the east of a parking bay, 1650 metres about sea level.
Thomas
You certainly grew the NZ alpines well Thomas.
Thought you might be interested in this 'average ' picture I took a few years back of large patches of Acaena growing northeast below one of the parking bays on the Remarkables. I took the photo looking up as so to avoid including the numerous vehicles a few metres away on the flat area just above.
-
Hello, Dave,
it pleases me very much to see this nice photo. Maybe this is even the mothers plant of my copy. I am always enthusiastically from the great photos and am glad about other pictures. I hope I can experience this nice scenery once live... in five years I become 50 years old and would like to give myself a trip on the south island. This is my biggest wish. :)
Thomas
-
Today I was once again in the Arctic alpine garden in Chemnitz... has been worthwhile. ;D
Celmisia spedenii
Helichrysum bellidioides
-
Hello Thomas,
It is good to see NZ plants growing so well so far from home.
An update on a name Helichrysum bellidioides is now known as Anaphalioides bellidioides
-
Hello, David,
we are to be set up anxiously these brilliant plants in the garden. But as nicely as on your photo they are not. The nature is always the number one. Maybe are fulfilled my dream and I can see this nice scenery once.
Many thanks for the new name. I will say it my friends of the Arctic alpine garden.
Thomas
-
David,
I need your help again ... sorry ;). I have a Raoulia which I received as R. tenuicaulis (Fig. 1 & 2). She looks completely different from my other R. tenuicaulis. (Bild 3) ... can you help?
Thank you
Thomas
-
Here a photo of Leucogenes grandiceps ... definitely the highlight in my little New Zealand this year. This plant has three flowers ... in another I have counted thirteen buds. But this still lasts a bit. More pictures will follow.
-
An attempt directly on stone ... Leucogenes tarahaoa and Veronica densifolia. Let's see how it develops.
-
Interesting. Do the roots have access to cool crevices in the rock, in order to withstand summer heat?
-
David,
I need your help again ... sorry ;). I have a Raoulia which I received as R. tenuicaulis (Fig. 1 & 2). She looks completely different from my other R. tenuicaulis. (Bild 3) ... can you help?
Thank you
Thomas
Hello Thomas, I think your plant is Raoulia tenuicaulis but the cushion seems very loose for this species. It is variable in the wild as you can see from the following photos;
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
-
Interesting. Do the roots have access to cool crevices in the rock, in order to withstand summer heat?
An important aspect, Ashley. In it I had not thought at all. But the roots go by the stone till the earth. And this area has light shade from midday. I will see whether it functioned. It is only one experiment... I hardly have place.
-
Best wishes for your experiment Thomas. I don't know where in Germany you are gardening, but presume it's relatively low altitude and a continental rather than maritime climate. Therefore it's very interesting to see how NZ alpines perform under those conditions.
-
Best wishes for your experiment Thomas. I don't know where in Germany you are gardening, but presume it's relatively low altitude and a continental rather than maritime climate. Therefore it's very interesting to see how NZ alpines perform under those conditions.
My garden lies in 450 metres about the sea level. So not very high. On the north side of the Erzgebirge. Thereby we have regular precipitation. In my garden is a little bit humid micro-climate. The location for the alpine NZ is shaded from midday by a big tree. It functions quite well. I pour only on the week-end. Of course there are also losses... In last winter I have lost almost everybody of few Celmisia. But today I got a new one. Today I have birthday and my brother procured for me a Celmisia spectabilis ssp. magnifica and one more copy of L. grandiceps. I have been glad very much about it.
Thomas
-
Thomas, you're lucky! There's nowhere around here I can 'procure' choice alpines like those. I'm on my own growing from seed! I have sown L. grandiceps seed this winter, seed given to me by Hamish Brown in NZ. I hope it grows. Do you have any pictures of just germinated seedlings so I know what to look out for?
-
Hello, Jamus,
my 6 copies of Leucogenes grandiceps I got everybody of my friends from the Arctic alpine garden in Chemnitz. Officially none is sold. A privilege such valuables is to be owned. They increase Leucogenes only by cuttings... Because her plants have never blossomed. With me there blossom this year 2 plants ;D ;D... after five years wait. The increase of Leucogenes by seed is a complete luck thing. Also with L. leontopoides it does not function with me. Till present also Philippe still achieved no success. Cuttings are better. But maybe you have luck and it functions with you... the mothers plant of my friends it was pulled by seed of her excursion in 2000. The seeds must be fresh. But I also try it of course. I have dusted 3 blossoms during the last 4 days daily. Tonight Australia plays football... against Germany the better one may win. ;)
-
An attempt directly on stone ... Leucogenes tarahaoa and Veronica densifolia. Let's see how it develops.
Hello Thomas
I hope it develops well for you.
I also like to experiment ...... ;D
Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid seedlings I planted out about 6 months ago in a remodeled concrete wash tub continue to put on good growth .Not quite planted on rock.... rather in a tight crevice with concrete gravel /pumice mix as the planting medium.
[attach=1]
Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid established in a sand bed that needs the moss removed again and topped up.
[attach=2]
Cheers Dave
-
Also in the mossy sand bed Aciphylla simplex .....
[attach=1]
In a new sand bed finished about 3 months ago ,Aciphylla aurea seedling which will get too large for this area when mature.
[attach=2]
[attach=3]
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Dave,
I am very much enthusiastically from the Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid ones. I suppose there a large part of Celmisia spedenii is present. I find them very nice. Where do you have this interesting plant here? And the Aciphylla simplex is for me the most attractive Aciphylla. I still lack it in my small collection ;D. I achieved no success with the seeds. Have you moved from seed or does one get with you something like that as a plant to shop?
Thomas
-
... or it is a hybrid of Celmisia sessiliflora x Celmisia gracilenta. In any case, she looks very interesting. Maybe David can say a little bit in addition.
-
Hello Thomas
I'm awaiting flowering of the seedling Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid before trying to work out what the other parent maybe. The pinkish tones on the basal leaves I find interesting.
As for the established Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid, it may have some C.gracilenta blood however it has never flowered here so again I'm unsure....
My observations are that if you find a patch of C.sessiliflora in the wild and there are other C. sps nearby there is a high probability of finding hybrids.
Celmisia spedenii is only found in a small geographical area in Northern Southland in a different part of the province to where I found the plants above.
Hokonui Alpines list a few NZ alpines however they don't ship overseas.A quick look at their website and it appears they no longer have a seed list....
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi Dave,
I am curious very much if these interesting Celmisia with you blossoms. Then you must show pictures. Hokonui of alpine I know. They have very nice alpine NZ in the sales. I do understand this the plants overseas are sent. The way is too wide. Pity. There is also in UK a market garden them no online order makes. There are the most great things, but one cannot order them from Germany... This is very frustrating. ??? :'(
-
I am very much enthusiastically from the Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid ones. I suppose there a large part of Celmisia spedenii is present.
Thomas
Hello Thomas
Your comment above reminded me that I have a photo ,(which I've just located), of another Celmisia sessiliflora hybrid growing in the wild in close proximity to C.spedenii.Short silvery green foliage with a wonderful display of large flowers.
Whether it has some C.spedenii blood I'm unsure.
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Dave,
a beautiful picture. The flowers are very large. Brilliant. In your place, I would go again to this place of discovery next year and reap seeds. Very nice, I also find the background with the Carex.
Thanks for this post ... I already know what I will dream this night ... ;D ;D
Cheers Thomas
-
Hello Dave,
a beautiful picture. The flowers are very large. Brilliant. In your place, I would go again to this place of discovery next year and reap seeds. Very nice, I also find the background with the Carex.
Thanks for this post ... I already know what I will dream this night ... ;D ;D
Cheers Thomas
Thanks Thomas.
Although it's only 12 kms travel to the end of the access road then about 60 mins climbing from there to reach this plant and other different Celmisia hybrids unfortunately the road initially travels through an exotic pine plantation which I understand has resulted in the forest owners now restricting access because of Health and Safety Regulations .No travel during the week and only by foot Saturday afternoon and Sundays ...... Not sure I want to be carrying in gear for an overnight stay :-\ ....... especially when in previous times I could ride my motor bike to the end of the road.
I'm exploring approaching from across the valley floor via farm land , a far shorter route ,however it would mean fording a river :-\ ,( I'm unsure how braided the flow is in that area), as well as obtaining the farmers permission ........
Something to 'work on' over winter . :)
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Dave,
this sounds quite adventurously... cross of a river. There is the motto "the way is the aim" ... or you jump out of a helicopter and land with the parachute. ;D ;D
But I think that it is worth this effort to visit this beautiful Celmisia hybrid again. Who already has natural hybrids of Celmisia in his collection. ;) I would be glad if a normal Celmisia would bloom with me.
You can be, in any case, gladly about the fact that there are with you still sceneries which are not to be reached so easily. There is this here in Central Europe hardly.
Thomas
-
Here over again two topical pictures of Leucogenes grandiceps... In the enlargement one could think that the blossoms from candy floss are. ;D
-
I located these photos taken several years ago of a Celmisia hybrid (Clemisia viscosa x sessiliflora) from Mt Burns. There is a cushion of Celmisa sessiliflora in flower with Celmisia viscosa on the right. The hybrid is intermediate between the two parents. When a find a hybrid plant I look around and photograph the parents as well. Usually they are growing close by as in this instance where I was able to get everything in the same frame. It would probably make a nice garden plant.
-
Two very beautiful pictures, David. These would be really ideal plants for the garden. I have three specimens of C. sessiliflora ... but they have unfortunately never bloomed.
I think if I would go with to you in the mountains, then we would not get far. I would stop at the first plant and admire her for hours. ;D
Thomas
-
I think if I would go with to you in the mountains, then we would not get far. I would stop at the first plant and admire her for hours. ;D
Thomas
Hello Thomas,
I have a friend who is interested in lichens. I can leave her at a rock and come back 3 hours later and she is still there. On the other hand when you stop to take a photograph Mr Toole is about 3 ridges away by the time you look up -------
-
Hello Thomas,
I have a friend who is interested in lichens. I can leave her at a rock and come back 3 hours later and she is still there. On the other hand when you stop to take a photograph Mr Toole is about 3 ridges away by the time you look up -------
Now now Mr Lyttle ! ;)
You know my mantra ..' too many species not enough time '.
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello David,
I needs once again your competent consultation... 😉
I have two copies of Raoulia glabra itself in the form of the inflorescences something make a distinction. The first both pictures are from a copy which I already have some years with myself. It grows very well and every year blossoms reliably. The third photo shows a plant which I have set up only last year in new New Zealand - area. Does it concern the same kind? They are very nice both, but I do not suppose with a copy the name is right. Or are there also with this Raoulia different variations?
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas ,
Your second plant is Raoulia subsericea. It has the papery floral bracts which look like petals. In this respect it is different from Raoulia glabra. I am attaching a picture of Raoulia subsericea
-
Hello David ,
what I would be only, without your help.
I had the same supposition... But now I have the confirmation of you. Very nicely... again a new Raoulia in my small collection. They differ really only with the blossom. I like the fresh green with some Raoulia very much. But the Raoulias are all fantastic plants.
Again the best thanks and a nice day.
Thomas
-
Today ... Gentianella saxosa. :)
-
Hello Thomas,
You grow NZ plants very well much better than we do in our gardens. You might like to see a photo of Gentianella saxosa in the wild. It was taken on the coast down near Invercargill where Dave Toole lives. Most of these coastal plants are now gone except in a few places and on Stewart Island.
-
Hello David,
many thanks. I try my best. Most alpine NZ grow in my garden really very well.
But I also sometimes have losses. From Gentianella saxosa I had 2 years ago still a nice continuance. (see picture # 69 on the page 5). Then the complete plant was dug out at a night by an animal and was destroyed. At that time I was very sad. Last year I found two small seedlings on a plant stock exchange... now I hope I these Species again in my small New Zealand - area can set up. I like them very much. Two weeks ago I got some seeds of Gentianella Montana. NZAGS Seed Exchange. I am curious whether I with it success has. To get New Zealand or Australian Gentianella-seed is nearly impossible here. All the more is glad about these seeds. nevertheless, 😊
With you would have to grow the alpine NZ much better in own garden, than with me? You have, nevertheless, certainly much better conditions than me... and always supplies before the front door 😉😉.
The photo is very impressive, as usual, David. I will change my arrangement sometime something and extend.
Thomas
-
Hi Thomas,
Hope you are successful with your Gentianella montana seed. I once managed to germinate some Gentianella corymbifera (a larger plant) but was unable to grow the plants to maturity and flowering. Gentianella montana is monocarpic so if you do manage to flower them the plant will then die.
Here are two more pictures of gentians which I have identified as Gentianella divisa but they may be Gentianella montana - they are difficult to identify at times.
-
Hi David,
what for two breathtaking photos of my darling - Gentianella. G. divisia is for me one of the nicest kinds (which I know till present 😊). I got some seeds of it last year. Up to now, unfortunately, I still achieved no success with the germination. I will not decontaminate the pot, however, yet. Maybe the seeds still need the second winter for the germination. However, it can also be the seeds were already too old. I do not give up hope yet. Maybe I get sometime over again seed of this really attractive beauty. 😉😉 Especially nicely I also find the foliage. I think this plant the complete season looks very nice. Have you tried it already with yourself in the garden??
Are there only white Gentianella in NZ? Or is there not also a yellow kind?
... nicely are they, in any case, everybody.
Thomas
-
... I got, by the way, in last winter seed from the botanical garden of Phillipe. Gentianella corymbifera and Gentianella serotina. Sowing on the 10.03.17... Till present still nothing is to be seen of course. But Philippe explained to me, I should have some patience with seed NZ. He leaves some pots up to 4 years. I was always too impatient during the last years and have presumably said goodbye too early to the pots.
I idiot. 😭
How are your experiences with the sowing of various NZ alpine?
Thomas
-
Hi David,
here is the proof... you were right retime absolutely. Nevertheless, from me as a Coprosma perpusilla bought plant is Coprosma petriei. I love the blue metallic colour of the berries. However, I would also have been glad very much, if it C. perpusilla would have been... I still have no Coprosma with red berries. But I am also glad about this sight of C. petriei.
Again many thanks for the regulation. Only on the basis of a small photo... my respect. There one sees the real specialist. ;D
Thomas
-
Hi Thomas,
Your Coprosma petriei is a lovely plant. I think it is perhaps the best of the turfy Coprosmas with its blue berries. Clearly you have mastered the art of growing them and you are fortunate to have both male and female plants. I have a male C. petriei growing in my crevice garden which will never produce berries. I do have a batch of seedlings and hopefully I will get a female plant from it. I also have a female Coprosma atropurpurea. These little Coprosma are easy to propagate just by dividing the plants as the stems root freely.
-
Hello David,
this is an interesting subject. I have put this question already once to you. Maybe you have not read (answer # 90 on the page 7) it. 😉
My friends of the Arctic alpine garden and I have the following supposition... it is possibly this the male plant of C. acerosa the female plant of C. petrei fertilises?? Since we have only female plants of C. petriei. And a male C. acerosa. Differently we are able to do to us the blue berries with C. petriei do not explain. Maybe you have an explanation to this phenomenon.
Now I do not have two females... if the way to you so far would be, I would send you with pleasure a copy. But I believe the plant if the long trip did not survive. Or?
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
In answer to your question (a) it is possible for Coprosma species to be fertilised by another Coprosma species creating a hybrid. These are frequently encountered in nature and I have seen a a Coprosme petriei x propinqua plant. and
(b) Female Coprosma plants can also produce fruit without fertilisation (apomixis).
-
Hi David... many thanks for your skilled consultation and answer.
Now, finally, the riddle is solved. Now also explains itself why my older female Coprosma petriei during some years fruits had, although the male Coprosma acerosa have not blossomed. I like this type really very much. Till present my older copy still shows no fruits this year. Maybe they still come. But also so I am fascinated by this plant. She has developed with me to a nice upholsterer. And the thick foliage looks very nice the whole year. I like the other kinds which you have described also very well. But one never gets that here to shop. I is to be owned quite gladly these two kinds. 😊
It is really impressive that you cultivate these nice local plants in your garden.
Bye... your apprentice Thomas 😁
-
Hello Thomas,
I found these photos and thought you might like to see them
Coprosma petriei
[attach=1]
Coprosma petriei filling a rock crevice
[attach=2]
Coprosma petriei x Coprosma propinqua. Coprosma propinqua is a widespread shrubby species
[attach=3]
[attach=4]
-
Coprosma petriei filling a rock crevice
And doing so very efficiently. How neat. :)
-
Hi David,
the best thanks for the new Coprosma pictures. Very interesting.
Today I was retime by my botanical friends of the Arctic alpine garden. There appear just the berries of Coprosma atropurpurea. (Picture 1) I hopes it is the right kind. This plant was pulled from wild seeds. Site of the discovery... Mt. Cook, Tasman Valley, 1020 m.
Now need my friends please retime your help. The second picture also shows a Coprosma, 1.80 m high and has just a little bit egg-shaped bluish grey berries. Unfortunately, my friends have no exact names and ask for confirmation or correction. They suppose Coprosma rugosa is. However, they are not sure. What you say in addition?... as a professional 😉
the best thanks
Thomas
-
There appear just the berries of Coprosma atropurpurea. (Picture 1) I hopes it is the right kind. This plant was pulled from wild seeds. Site of the discovery... Mt. Cook, Tasman Valley, 1020 m.
Now need my friends please retime your help. The second picture also shows a Coprosma, 1.80 m high and has just a little bit egg-shaped bluish grey berries. Unfortunately, my friends have no exact names and ask for confirmation or correction. They suppose Coprosma rugosa is. However, they are not sure. What you say in addition?... as a professional 😉
the best thanks
Thomas
Hello Thomas,
The first picture is correctly identified as Coprosma atropurpurea. The berries are wine-red and the leaves are covered with small hairs. The plant usually grows as a tight mat in nature - yours is more loose than perhaps due to the cultivation conditions.
The second picture is possibly Coprosma rugosa. Coprosma rugosa is an erect, rather untidy shrub and tends to spread by suckering. The berries are blue when they are ripe (they are edible and taste sweet as they are full of sugar). However there are several other Coprosma species with narrow linear leaves that I cannot exclude. Coprosma brunnea is a prostrate sprawling species of inland river beds. Coprosma acerosa is similar but is found on coastal sand dunes. Coprosma elatirioides is a species of oligotrophic wetlands and bogs. Coprosma intertexta is a shrubby species of dry intermontane basins where it usually grows in the shrublands characteristic of these areas.
However it is likely that your plant is Coprosma rugosa so I am attaching two pictures for comparison (1) close up with unripe fruit and (2) showing plant
-
And doing so very efficiently. How neat. :)
Hi Maggi,
It is the ideal rock garden plant compact, neat (especially if you have hares in your garden to keep it trimmed) and with attractive blue berries. Not much in the way of flowers though.
-
Hi David,
many thanks for the confirmation. Also in the name of my friends. They confirm your statement... them the Coprosma atropurpurea have with her botanical excursion in 2000 also with very thick foliage in recollection. Unfortunately, the location for New Zealand is a patch in this garden a little bit too much in the shade. I have also told my friends this are very sweet the berries of Coprosma rugosa. I said them them next year of it jam should make... or a schnapps would be even better. 🥃 😉
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
You grow NZ plants very well much better than we do in our gardens. You might like to see a photo of Gentianella saxosa in the wild. It was taken on the coast down near Invercargill where Dave Toole lives. Most of these coastal plants are now gone except in a few places and on Stewart Island.
Thomas
As David's photo shows G.saxosa can be seen in great numbers on coastal turf-lands .
It can also be found nearby on sand dunes and along the southern coast in other spots just a few metres above the high tide mark where it can form sizable growths.
Another habitat is in forest/shrub where it grows on open rock outcrops where there is less competition from other vegetation .
Cheers Dave.
-
Dave's last photo of Gentianella saxosa shows Epilobium komarovianum and Colobanthus muellerii in the foreground. It is intriguing that the Gentianella and the Colobanthus are both coastal species but the Epilobium can be found up to 1600 metres ( high alpine in New Zealand).
-
Very beautiful pictures showing G. saxosa in its habitat!
-
Hi folks, just a note to let you know that large pots of G. saxosa (in full bounteous flower) were on sale at a local garden centre for £1.60 just the other day. I purchased two and split each pot into two ... what a bargain.
-
Hi folks, just a note to let you know that large pots of G. saxosa (in full bounteous flower) were on sale at a local garden centre for £1.60 just the other day. I purchased two and split each pot into two ... what a bargain.
Well you would not have found it in a local garden centre in New Zealand; even our friends at Hokonui Alpines do not seem to have it listed. Apart from a few specialist growers I doubt if any one has heard of it here.
-
Very beautiful pictures showing G. saxosa in its habitat!
Thanks Gabriela . :)
Well you would not have found it in a local garden centre in New Zealand; even our friends at Hokonui Alpines do not seem to have it listed. Apart from a few specialist growers I doubt if any one has heard of it here.
;D ;D
-
On occasions though we can manage to grow our own alpines; Celmisia philocremna flowering in my garden at present.
-
On occasions though we can manage to grow our own alpines; Celmisia philocremna flowering in my garden at present.
Very nice Mr Lyttle . :D
A cutting from the 'original' plant ?.
Hokonui had some yummy natives for sale when I visited this afternoon David.
I'll try and put up photos tomorrow of a couple of purchases , namely ....... Leucogenes 'Nevis Hybrid' ,(L.grandiceps x Helichrysum bellidioides) and Raoulia eximia x Leucogenes grandiceps.
Cheers Dave.
-
Yes, that plant has history as you know---
I still hope to get down to Hokonui fairly soon. There is a lot of space in my crevice garden.
-
Hello, you three...
@Cliff... congratulations to this bargain. Also in Germany I have never seen such a thing in a normal market garden. A lot of luck and fun with it 😁
@David... your copy of Celmisia philocremna is an absolute dream. Especially brilliantly I find the relatively thick stalk. A nice proportion all together. I hope this you in a visit in the market garden Hokonui alpine many nice plants can also shop... I would still have a lot of place for such treasures. 😉, By the way, I got some weeks ago of a New Zealand traveller and plant expert some seeds of C. philocremna. I am absolutely happy. This is first sometimes relatively fresh I the seed from New Zealand has agreed. I have sowed a part of the seeds. The rest I become in winter would see.
@Dave... many thanks for your pictures of Gentianella saxosa in this fantastic scenery. I have been glad very much. I can hardly expect to see the other plants of Hokonui alpine. It sounds very interesting. I envy you a little to buy such great hybrid. The complete torture.😉😉
So I am glad always tremendously about the great pictures of you both.
Thanks Thomas
-
Dave... many thanks for your pictures of Gentianella saxosa in this fantastic scenery. I have been glad very much. I can hardly expect to see the other plants of Hokonui alpine. It sounds very interesting. I envy you a little to buy such great hybrid. The complete torture.😉😉.
Thanks Thomas
Here are the two Hokonui purchases planted out today.
Leucogenes 'Nevis Hybrid' ,(L.grandiceps x Helichrysum bellidioides), followed by ....
Raoulia eximia x Leucogenes grandiceps .I suspect it will need a 'hat' during prolonged wet weather so I placed a couple of stones either side on which to put a piece of clear polycarbonate.
-
Hi Dave...
really two very nice and interesting plants. Indeed, has struck me a little bit. I can ascertain with the form of the foliage with the hybrid Raoulia exima x L. grandiceps anyhow no resemblance by the round form with L. grandiceps. I can also wander of course. I know the foliage with L. grandiceps only in the form like in picture 1 and 2. Should blood of Leucogenes really exist, then maybe from L. tarahaoa or L. neglecta. Anyway these are two very nice plants and I would have them of course also very much with pleasure. 😉
I am curious on the further development very much.
Thomas
-
You are very observant Thomas ;D
I'm not 'up to play' with the collection details or any other information regarding the Raoulia hybrid so I'll pass on your comments next time I'm in contact with the nursery unless Mr Lyttle beats me to it as I understand he has a visit planned in the near future.........
By the way your Leucogenes photos are lovely. :-* ;)
Cheers Dave.
-
Hokonui Alpines have listed Gentianella saxosa quite recently as I bought it there maybe 18 months ago. Listed at $8NZ which is approx 3GBP depending on the exchange rate.
-
Hello Thomas,
Hybridisation in New Zealand Gnaphalieae gets a bit complex so rather than a complete discussion I can show a couple of examples. I will start off by showing two forms of Anaphalioides bellidiodes (formerly Helichrysum bellidioides).
Local form growing in my crevice garden
[attach=1]
Form with silver hairs on leaves growing on the Lammermoor Range in Chionochloa rigida tussock grassland.
[attach=2]
Hybrid between Anaphalioides bellidioides and Leucogenes grandiceps from Mt Burns showing the flowers. It is the same cross as the plant Dave got from Hokonui Nursery. It is more a curiosity than a good horticultural plant.
[attach=3]
-
Continuing on; a series of pictures of Leucogenes grandiceps showing part of the natural variation one finds in the field.
Shepherds Creek, Eyre Creek
[attach=1]
subalpine cushion field, 1400 m, Mt Burns
[attach=2]
morainic debris, Otira Valley
[attach=3]
South Hector Mountains
[attach=4]
Leucogenes grandiceps x Raoulia buchananii hybrid growing in Raoulia buchananii cushion, Mt Bee, Eyre Mountains
[attach=5]
I have had very little success growing any of the more interesting hybrids and I have not been able to keep L. grandiceps in cultivation. It is quite easy to grow from cuttings but does not last long in cultivation. In Otago and Southland it usually grows in crevices on rocky outcrops. However the plant from Canterbury (Otira Valley) is growing on glacial moraine.
-
Oh my God...
what for breathtaking nice plants, David. Everybody is unique.
It is really very interesting to see the different variations of Leucogenes grandiceps. I envy you to see such great plants in free nature. It is a pity that you have made till present still no success with the cultivation of these spectacular variations in your garden. Also with me some copies have died during the last weeks of L. grandiceps 😭. However, I do not know why. Now I have only two plants. Should you find sometime retime with your wanderings fresh seeds, I would be glad about a small taste very much. Maybe I achieve more success. 😉
Especially nicely I find the photo with the Raoulia buchananii. She counts for me to the top 5 with the Raoulias. Followed by R. exima, R. rubra, R. bryoides and R. grandiflora. These five kinds count for me to the nicest plants on this planet. They are inaccessible of course for me... like the holy Sangraal. Therefore, I am very grateful about these nice pictures and the helpful information... I did not know, for example that there are so different forms of Leucogenes grandiceps. Thanks.
Thomas
-
I found this in my photo collection. It is a hybrid that arose spontaneously in my garden. I think it is a hybrid between Anaphalioides hookeri and Anaphalioides bellidioides though I cannot be sure. It is quite a nice plant though no one seems to be particularly interested in it.
-
Hello, David,
a really nice plant. The colour and form of the foliage is great. And the full blossoms are brilliant. I know somebody who is interested in this beauty... I. 😊
Also the contrast between the silver colour of the plant and the great colour of the stones is exactly my taste. We presumably have many common characteristics. I also regret the missing interest in such plants. I believe myself here like Robinson Crusoe. 😉 I find really very good that you cultivate the home flora in your garden.
I hope you can admire this nice hybrid still long in your garden.
Thomas
-
One more question to you, David.
Almost all photos of the especially spectacular Raoulias are from above. How high do the single tubes become real?? For example, with nicest for me... Raoulia buchananii...and the others of my Top 5. I have seen these plants, unfortunately, never "live". But my interest in the growth of these kinds is very big.
Thanks Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
I have three photos of Raoulia buchananii
(1) plants growing on rock outcrops with Dracophyllum rosmarinifolium, Gaultheria crassa, Celmisia semicordata subsp stricta and Chionochloa rigida from Mt Bee, Eyre Mountains
[attach=1]
(2) Flowering cushion from, Hummock Peak , Eyre Mountains.
[attach=2]
(3) Details of flowers and cushion
[attach=3]
They form large cushions which are very compact and hard. The other ones that form large cushions are Raoulia eximia, Raoulia rubra, Raoulia mammillaris, Raoulia bryoides and Raoulia goyenii. They are sometimes known as vegetable sheep because from a distance the large cushions look like sheep resting on a scree. Raoulia rubra is a North island species and Raoulia goyenii is found only on Stewart Island.
-
Hello, David,
what for spectacular pictures. To the first photo there is a small history...
I know this picture already since some time. I found it sometime on the Internet. At that time I have myself immediately in the breathtaking scenery in the Mt. Bee falls in love. For me this photo is the symbol for the alpine flora of New Zealand. What has created the nature here is unique... for me. I see this photo since then every day... then is the start picture on my mobile PC. I did not know you this picture has taken photos.
I hope, I have your consent.
The best thanks also for the other information about the other big Raoulia kinds. I did not know the R. rubra a north island Species is. And R. goyenii I did not know at all. On the Internet there are of it great pictures... this kind has a very nice colour.
From a compatriot of you I got not only seed of C. philocremna, but also some seeds of Raoulia mammillaris given. I am curious whether I with it success will have. I do not have such spectacular photos like you of course... today only one picture of Arthropodium candidum "Purpureum".
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
I do not think it is one of my photos; it certainly is the same place. It may be one of Dave Toole's photos. We often take pictures of the same plants when we are out together.
Here is a picture of Raoulia buchananii growing on a rock outcrop at Mt Bee with Celmisia philocremna growing above it.
[attach=1]
Here is a picture of Raoulia mammillaris from Mt Hutt. I discovered I had wrongly identified it as Raoulia eximia not realising it was a different species at the time.
[attach=2]
-
Hello, David,
again two very impressive pictures. What must be for happy moments to see such plants on site? These Raoulia mammillaris sees really fantastically from... particularly in the combination with the very nice colouring of the rock. These copies are presumably already very old. I think this these kinds (top 5) especially slowly grow... or?
I also suppose that these kinds are not to be cultivated in own garden. It is presumably impossible to create the conditions on it... and this is good in such a way. Such unique creatures belong in the nature. Isolates some ripe seeds infer, however, feels tempted still okay... I hope nobody this plant to dig out. They presumably stand also under nature conservation... I hope.
However, I would be glad personally, nevertheless if I have with the seeds of Raoulia mammillaris success. However, I still have no experiences with the increase of Raoulia by seed.
Hope dies at last. ;)
-
Hello Thomas,
I do not think it is one of my photos; it certainly is the same place. It may be one of Dave Toole's photos. We often take pictures of the same plants when we are out together.
Yes it is my photo David taken in December 2010 ...
Thomas you are free to do whatever you like with my photo/s as I accept that once posted on any social media platform /internet 'it is out there'. I have no interest in trying to restrict usage in any way ..... :)
Here are some more images of Raoulia buchananii on the Eyre Mountains .
Mt Bee ridge line
and nearby in a cooler position a couple of cushions showing the green colouring.
-
This time on another day at a higher altitude on the western edge of the Eyres.
Raoulia buchananii giving an impression of lava cascading out of and down rock.
Close up possibly accentuating the lava effect ......
-
Finally in the next valley north of Mt Bee in rather dry looking country.The nearest water being quite some distance down in the stream bed to the right of the ridge line we were negotiating ...and already one of the party was low on liquid ... :o
X marks Raoulia buchananii and view
and a further10 minute walk onto bluffs to photograph hundreds of Celmisia philocremna.
Water at last ! ;D.......
-
Wow... I lack the words. Even more such pictures... and I thinks about an emigration. 😆 I ask myself like old these gigantic Raoulias are. The different colour of the rock is interesting also. And the picture in the water is delightful. 😂
Thomas
-
Fabulous thread this. Extraordinary pics and very inspirational. I'm in the process of building a rock/crevice garden and keen to get my head around just what the planting can consist of. Will Raoulia likely survive some blistering +40 C summer heat and humidity here in southern Oz? Relatively cool and benign for most of the year.
-
Hello Ross,
Raoulias are plants that grow on stony riverbeds and rock outcrops. The large cushion species we have been discussing on this thread are alpine species (1200-1500 metres) and are adapted to strong, cold winds and high evapo-transpiration rates that are characteristic of these environments. They would not be easy to grow in South Melbourne where I believe the natural vegetation is Eucalyptus regnans forest (the tallest tree in the world?). If you were embarking on a mission to grow Raoulias or any other high alpine species it would be essential to give them plenty of air circulation and light and make sure the roots stayed cool all the time.
-
Hello Ross,... welcome.
I agree to David in all points.
With me the following kinds stand partially in the full sun. R. australis, R. tenuicaulis, glabra, subseriaca and R. haastii. Indeed, here we do not have so extreme temperatures. Maximum 37 ° this year. For only few days. Maybe you can put the plants to something in the shade. With big stones you can construct in the midday some shades. Too much water with extreme heat is not also well... after my experience. Since then the alpine plants are properly cooked in the warm humid earth. Unfortunately, with the especially spectacular highly alpine kinds I also have no experience... Since I know this only from pictures. Unfortunately.
Reports please further about your project.
David... I always thought the highest trees stand in California... Sequoia sempervirens?
Thomas
-
Thank you David and Thomas. Yes Eucalyptus regnans is the tallest flowering plant in the world and the second tallest tree, the Sequoia being the tallest. Impressive beasts, but terrible. Allelopathic, discharge monstrous limbs without warning, shallow rooted and a near constant stream of debris not to mention up to 8% volatile oil and in this increasingly inflammable climate that makes them absolutely hideous to live and garden amongst. Fortunately our place has them at a respectable distance, but as we are at only 300m elevation, I'm thinking it would be a bit of a stretch to put Raoulia on the list. R.hookeri might get a look in, I notice it is available for sale in Tasmania, but our recent bouts of humidity and the micro climate I can offer may not be to it's liking.
The search goes on... :)
-
Hi Ross,
ask Craig ( a transplant from NZ ;D ) at Gentiana Nursery in Olinda - he used to have a few raoulias.
The FCHS Spring Show is on this weekend and they sometimes have them on the plant stall,
cheers
fermi
-
Hi Fermi. Yes Craig will be my guide. I'm yet to annoy him over my new found passion for all things botanically tiny, thought I'd bone up here first so I don't appear as ill informed as I am. Big fan of Gentiana - my favourite nursery and New Zealanders in general....still feel like apologising over the Trevor Chapell underarm affair. They're like us, but nicer, funnier, smarter and the buggers live in paradise. Hardly fair really.
:)
-
I am very impressed with this topic about plants from New Zealand. Especially about the knowledge of David Lyttle. Thank you for this. But also the others who have contributed. I learned a lot.
I recently trying to cusionplanten from New Zealand.
I have a trough for these plants. This stands against the house, south / east. He is 30 cm deep and made of 5 cm Extruded polystyrene or XPS. This gives some cooling to the roots.
Very permeable soil mix. During winter, a shelter, for the wet winters in the Netherlands.
Photo 1 Raoulia australis I have 4 years now. The others of this spring.
Photo of the trough this spring a month after planting. (May)
-
Hello Jan,
you show very nice pictures.
Particularly your Myosotis pulvinaris impresses me. I know this plant only with a lot of more compact growth. With your M. pulvinaris the foliage is opened very far. Thus I have never seen it. I find this form very interesting and nice.
The knowledge of David is really very impressive. He should write in my opinion over a book. I would buy immediately a copy. 😊
Thomas
-
Hello Jan,
you show very nice pictures.
Particularly your Myosotis pulvinaris impresses me. I know this plant only with a lot of more compact growth. With your M. pulvinaris the foliage is opened very far. Thus I have never seen it. I find this form very interesting and nice.
The knowledge of David is really very impressive. He should write in my opinion over a book. I would buy immediately a copy. 😊
Thomas
Thank you Thomas, my experience with these plants from New Zealand is not that big. To learn so much for me.
The M. Pulvinaris stands between two slightly higher slopes. So some wind goes through. This should suppress the mold / rotting. He is also a bit further back so the rain which is less affected.
I already had a M. Pulvinaris but this one is just not dead yet. This had more plush leaves. The photo is 2 years old. I give a shelter every year. But the location is less good.
-
I have enjoyed the absolute pleasure of hiking with David Lyttle, Steve Newall, Doug Logan, Dave Toole and Joe and Ann Cartman - among others - in the mountains of New Zealand and their combined knowledge, good humour, expertise and sociability is second to none ...
-
I have enjoyed the absolute pleasure of hiking with David Lyttle, Steve Newall, Doug Logan, Dave Toole and Joe and Ann Cartmann - among others - in the mountains of New Zealand and their combined knowledge, good humour, expertise and sociability is second to none ...
I envy you this experience, Cliff. I suppose this was an unforgettably nice trip. Maybe I can come true this dream also sometime. I work on it.
-
I am very impressed with this topic about plants from New Zealand. Especially about the knowledge of David Lyttle. Thank you for this. But also the others who have contributed. I learned a lot.
I recently trying to cusionplanten from New Zealand.
I have a trough for these plants. This stands against the house, south / east. He is 30 cm deep and made of 5 cm Extruded polystyrene or XPS. This gives some cooling to the roots.
Very permeable soil mix. During winter, a shelter, for the wet winters in the Netherlands.
Photo 1 Raoulia australis I have 4 years now. The others of this spring.
Photo of the trough this spring a month after planting. (May)
Hello Jan,
You have an excellent collection of New Zealand plants very well grown and displayed in your trough. I am not sure about your Myosotis pulvinaris. Myosotis is a very difficult genus taxonomically and it is presently undergoing revision. A number of new species have been described and the number will certainly increase when more field work is completed. One New Zealand Myosotis species circulating in the nursery trade in Europe was a species called Myosotis glabrescens. It is almost unknown in the wild here. However I am not quite sure what you have and would need to refer it to our Myosotis taxonomist for a positive ID.
Myosotis pulvinaris is a plant of the high alpine cushionfields here in Otago (> 1500 m). It generally is found on the most exposed windswept sites hence its tight cushion form. I will post some examples so you can see its flowers and foliage.
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in full flower, Old Man Range
[attach=1]
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in partial flower with foliage still visible, Old Man Range
[attach=2]
Myosotis pulvinaris very hairy form growing as hard cushion, Lake Mackay, Pisa Range
[attach=3]
Myosotis pulvinaris growing in exposed alpine herbfield, 1940 m, Head of Wye Creek, Remarkables. This is not quite as hairy as the previous form but is growing at a higher elevation
[attach=4]
Your two photos would appear to be of different species but for a proper identification you would need high resolution photos of the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves and of the flowers and calyxces.
-
Hello Jan,
You have an excellent collection of New Zealand plants very well grown and displayed in your trough. I am not sure about your Myosotis pulvinaris. Myosotis is a very difficult genus taxonomically and it is presently undergoing revision. A number of new species have been described and the number will certainly increase when more field work is completed. One New Zealand Myosotis species circulating in the nursery trade in Europe was a species called Myosotis glabrescens. It is almost unknown in the wild here. However I am not quite sure what you have and would need to refer it to our Myosotis taxonomist for a positive ID.
Myosotis pulvinaris is a plant of the high alpine cushionfields here in Otago (> 1500 m). It generally is found on the most exposed windswept sites hence its tight cushion form. I will post some examples so you can see its flowers and foliage.
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in full flower, Old Man Range
(Attachment Link)
Myosotis pulvinaris cushion in partial flower with foliage still visible, Old Man Range
(Attachment Link)
Myosotis pulvinaris very hairy form growing as hard cushion, Lake Mackay, Pisa Range
(Attachment Link)
Myosotis pulvinaris growing in exposed alpine herbfield, 1940 m, Head of Wye Creek, Remarkables. This is not quite as hairy as the previous form but is growing at a higher elevation
(Attachment Link)
Your two photos would appear to be of different species but for a proper identification you would need high resolution photos of the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves and of the flowers and calyxces.
Hi David,
I have some pictures of the M puvinaris here. Also detailed picture, as far as I could.
You'll see little hair on the first one. Can you say something about this?
I took the photos an hour ago.
Bloom is one or two per year.
It seems different species
With best regards Jan
-
Hello David,
as usual, you show very nice pictures.
The first photo in full blossom is really the insanity. Such a thing is to be seen in free nature presumably an absolute piece of luck... or? Since I think this the blossoms not long hold. I can also show three photos on this subject. My plants are supposed from Eyre Mts. However, I can report nothing else in addition. I like this type really very much. Unfortunately, I have still found no recipe to set up these plants permanently in the Alpinum. I do not know what I wrong makes. With me they very often die after two years. Either too drily or too humid. Maybe you can give me some advice in addition. But I have bought only two weeks ago four new seedlings. Photo 3
Thomas
-
Jan... I keeps to it. The first shown plant looks fantastic. A very interesting growth and a great silver colour. I am curious very much on the forthcoming blossom. ;)
Thomas
-
One more remark, David...What has always struck me with yours fantastically to nice Photo ... on small area so many different plants are and partially with each other are connected. Wonderfully. For example, the photo from today... very hairy form from Pisa Range. Just brilliantly how from the upholsterer on the left something else grows.
The nature is the best designer.
I scan every photo of you with my eyes... and discover every time what the new. This is great.
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas, Jan,
Thomas, Your Myosotis pulvinaris plant is Myosotis glabrescens. I believe the seed was originally collected from the Eyre Mountains but the collector did not realise the plant was not Myosotis pulvinaris but Myosotis glabrescens. I have never seen this species in the wild and would really like to find it. If you look at the flowers you can set the stamens are exserted out beyond the corolla scales. In Myosotis pulvinaris the stamens are not exserted out beyond the corolla scales. You should be able to see this feature in my pictures.
Jan , I think you second plant is Myosotis glabrescens as well as it looks very similar to Thomas's plants. I do not know what your first plant is. Do you know where it was originally collected from?
-
Today the difference has already struck me with stamens. With work on / compress of the photos one sometimes sees better than in the nature. I have already had the supposition that I do not have the real M. pulvinaris. Pity. But this kind is also okay. Many thanks for the ID.
The origin and source of supply of the first plant of Jan would interest me also very much. 😉
-
Thomas and David,
My second picture, same as Thomas, I bought in spring 2013 from a Dutch company Philip van Hilst. He is always on the spring sale of the NRV (Dutch Rock Plants Association). He is a commercial grower who grows plants in potting soil / peat. (fast and large) So hard to switch them to my poor permeable ground. I bought 2 with a diameter of 7-8 cm. One died and this survives. First year he grew bigger, second year I thought they both die, but one survived.
The first 'unknown' myosotis. I always write in my Dbase where and when I buy plants and not at this. But I suspect who it is and I have already sent the grower an email. I'll wait until tomorrow.
And thank you David for the correct name to M glabrescens, I'm going to change that.
-
Hello Thomas, Jan,
Thomas, Your Myosotis pulvinaris plant is Myosotis glabrescens. I believe the seed was originally collected from the Eyre Mountains but the collector did not realise the plant was not Myosotis pulvinaris but Myosotis glabrescens. I have never seen this species in the wild and would really like to find it. If you look at the flowers you can set the stamens are exserted out beyond the corolla scales. In Myosotis pulvinaris the stamens are not exserted out beyond the corolla scales. You should be able to see this feature in my pictures.
Jan , I think you second plant is Myosotis glabrescens as well as it looks very similar to Thomas's plants. I do not know what your first plant is. Do you know where it was originally collected from?
I found the grower. He says, not from seed.
All cuttings of plants, there are several types on circulation. No further data.
I'll wait for what's going to happen next year, maybe he'll bloom. Then I'll make photos again.
-
I found the grower. He says, not from seed.
All cuttings of plants, there are several types on circulation. No further data.
I'll wait for what's going to happen next year, maybe he'll bloom. Then I'll make photos again.
...and of course also cuttings... 😆
-
nothing special..., however, always nicely in this season. Gaultheria parvula and Gaultheria macrostigma.
-
Hello Thomas /Jan
Sorry I'm a bit late to the conversations about Myosotis .... ::)
Here's a photo I took on a dark ,very soggy day back in 2010 on the western edge of the Eyre Mountains of what I suspect is Myosotis glabrescens .
David L. and I have recently discussed the possibility of a field trip in a few months time..... so we may have an update ;D
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Dave,
to hear nice retime from you. A really very nice photo. This copy looks great.
On the left you can see an Acyphilla ... or ?? Especially nicely I find the sombre and foggy mood on your photo... even if this do not walk maybe is so easy. A wonderful contrast with the plant. I love such pictures.
I hope David and you will have an interesting excursion. Besides, in my thought I am... every time.😉
Cheers Thomas
-
Dave... How are the climatic conditions in this location? I suppose this the precipitation relatively a lot is... or? Since I lose regularly some copies in summer. 😭 I will probably more often have to pour in next summer this segment.
Thomas
-
Thomas
Although the Eyre Mountains are away from the coast in Northern Southland and drier they are just a short distance from Fiordland where rainfall can measure in metres pa. :o
Fog plays a part in many mountainous regions of NZ so that moisture is freely available for alpines even on the apparently desiccated slopes east of the main divide further up the South Island .I understand in this respect this is unlike many mountain regions abroad where droughts in summer are common ......
-
Hello Thomas /Jan
Sorry I'm a bit late to the conversations about Myosotis .... ::)
Here's a photo I took on a dark ,very soggy day back in 2010 on the western edge of the Eyre Mountains of what I suspect is Myosotis glabrescens .
David L. and I have recently discussed the possibility of a field trip in a few months time..... so we may have an update ;D
Cheers Dave.
Beautiful picture, Dave. With me in the garden no more than 1 flower. This photo is from 2014. No flowers left, but the plant is still there. The new one is very different and is in a trough, picture2, waiting for what this is going to be.
-
Dave... the best thanks for interesting explanations to the climatic conditions in the New Zealand mountains. The fog presumably explains also the partly strong hairs of some plants. Maybe I can improve the irrigation in single areas in my small New Zealand - area in summer.
But most NZ with me are presumably none highly alpine... and grow very well.
Thomas
-
... and here one more novice in my small collection. Drapetes dieffenbachii (formerly Kelleria dieffenbachii). A plant about which I particularly am glad. I hope I can hold this plant in the life. Please, keeps to me the fingers crossed.
-
... and here one more novice in my small collection. Drapetes dieffenbachii (formerly Kelleria dieffenbachii). A plant about which I particularly am glad. I hope I can hold this plant in the life. Please, keeps to me the fingers crossed.
I'm curious, Thomas. Let's hear how it goes.
-
Today was a good day. I could buy many nice alpine again. It are natural also some from NZ, besides... once again Veronica densifolia and Clematis marmoraria.
And I am glad about this novice particularly... 2 x Celmisia
bellidioides. 😁
-
Today was a good day. I could buy many nice alpine again. It are natural also some from NZ, besides... once again Veronica densifolia and Clematis marmoraria.
And I am glad about this novice particularly... 2 x Celmisia
bellidioides. 😁
Hi Thomas,
Congratulations on your nice purchases.
I have the mamoraria now from spring 2014. This year for the first time a few flowers. (actually you must have two plants I thought man and woman, I do not know well)
However, you must protect him a little bit during the frost, I do that with bubble plastic.
So far, it has not been necessary, I think they can have a bit of frost. With me he's a bit out of the wind in a corner. (outside)
-
An entry in our local Alpine Garden Group show last Friday was this lovely narrow leafed Celmisia hybrid. :o I'd grow it for the foliage alone :P ;D .
[attachimg=1]
-
An entry in our local Alpine Garden Group show last Friday was this lovely narrow leafed Celmisia hybrid. :o I'd grow it for the foliage alone :P ;D .
(Attachment Link)
wonderful
-
;Dave...
What wonderful plant. The narrow form and the colour are breathtaking. With most NZ it is for me anyway about the whole disposition. Who are the parents of this hybrid? Are there even other photos of the show with native NZ?
I stand on the strong hairs..., however, only with plants! 😜
Thomas
-
Went into Central Otago last weekend and visited Flat Top Hill and Pisa Flats. These are dryland sites and are home to some unique plants. First Pimelea aridula from Flat Top Hill. This shrub species grows on dry sunny sites and is a spectacular sight when flowering.
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
Next Myosotis uniflora at Pisa Flats. The Myosotis grows on dry gravel outwash terraces above the Clutha River. The Pisa Flats population has bright yellow flowers. In most of the other populations the flowers are lemon -yellow fading to white.
[attach=3]
[attach=4]
[attach=5]
-
Thanks David - it is always interesting to see pictures with NZ native plants and their habitats!
This is my first 'encounter' with a Pimelea which is on the same time beautiful and intriguing; had to google for the family, the flowers seemed a bit Daphne- like looking but one can never be sure with such different flora.
-
Thanks David - it is always interesting to see pictures with NZ native plants and their habitats!
This is my first 'encounter' with a Pimelea which is on the same time beautiful and intriguing; had to google for the family, the flowers seemed a bit Daphne- like looking but one can never be sure with such different flora.
Hi Gabriela,
Pimelea is in the Daphne Family (Thymelaeaceae). There are a number of species in New Zealand as well as many in Australia. Some of the Western Australian ones look really strange.
-
Myosotis uniflora at Pisa Flats. The Myosotis grows on dry gravel outwash terraces above the Clutha River. The Pisa Flats population has bright yellow flowers.
Wow, David,
have you been able to introduce this form into cultivation?
cheers
fermi
-
Went into Central Otago last weekend and visited Flat Top Hill and Pisa Flats. These are dryland sites and are home to some unique plants. First Pimelea aridula from Flat Top Hill. This shrub species grows on dry sunny sites and is a spectacular sight when flowering.
Next Myosotis uniflora at Pisa Flats. The Myosotis grows on dry gravel outwash terraces above the Clutha River. The Pisa Flats population has bright yellow flowers. In most of the other populations the flowers are lemon -yellow fading to white.
Thank you David, learned something again/
-
Hello, David
Once again you show plants me very much arouse enthusiasm. I find the type Pimelea also very interesting. I have at the moment only P. coarctata and P. traversii in my small collection. I like P. traversii particularly. Because she almost looks like a Hebe . Unfortunately, she is almost dead. But I will try to get a new one.
And the yellow Myosotis is the hammer. The colour is magnificent. But even more interesting is the form of the blossom. A nice cushion with blossoms without stalk. An absolute dream. They you really should try to set up in your garden.
Thomas
-
Wow, David,
have you been able to introduce this form into cultivation?
cheers
fermi
No I cant really collect seed; the site is a Department of Conservation Scientific Reserve
-
No I cant really collect seed; the site is a Department of Conservation Scientific Reserve
It really requires a lot of discipline to collect no seeds from such nice plants. I find this very impressive. Here one sees the true friend and keeper of the local flora. My absolute respect. I do not know whether I so much self-control would have... if I am honest. It is well this something so still gives.
-
Yes, thank you David. Is it fragrant as well?
I did my homework and read about it on the NZ Plant Conservation Network, but they don't mention about scent.
A good link I think for Thomas to browse when he cannot sleep thinking at NZ plants ;D
http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1119 (http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1119)
-
Yes, thank you David. Is it fragrant as well?
I did my homework and read about it on the NZ Plant Conservation Network, but they don't mention about scent.
A good link I think for Thomas to browse when he cannot sleep thinking at NZ plants ;D
http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1119 (http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1119)
Not noticeably fragrant.
The NZPCN (New Zealand Plant Conservation Network) site is a very authoritative site. It is pretty much up to date with taxonomy and naming. I use it a lot. However you need to join the NZPCN to get access to the high resolution photos. It has a forum where you can submit plant photos for ID purposes
-
Hello, Gabriela.
I know this side. Of course. She really has very good information. One finds very nice pictures also here... [url=http://www.naturewatch.org.nz A lot of pictures are photographed by David. Wonderfully!
By the way... I can sleep very well. However, I very often dream of alpine plants. Really. Indeed, not only from New Zealand plants. Also by your North American native country I walk.
Sometimes I ask myself whether I am crazy. 😆
Thomas
-
No, Thomas ... you aren't any more crazy than most of us ... we all dream of plants, habitats and winning Farrer and Forrest Medals ... it's called addiction. ;)
-
No, Thomas ... you aren't any more crazy than most of us ... we all dream of plants, habitats and winning Farrer and Forrest Medals ... it's called addiction. ;)
... Then I am calmed, Cliff.
However, I do not dream of medals. There are not these shows and competitions with us in Germany. I think this is a speciality on the island. But this is another subject.
In any case, I am not gladly I the only one am which thinks nearly 24 hours of plants. So my woman sometimes has foam before the mouth. 😅
-
Quote: "However, I do not dream of medallions. There are not these shows and competitions with us in Germany. I think this is a speciality on the island".
... But you might if you lived and gardened in the UK and had these magnificent shows on your doorstep ...then your lady could accompany you to the shows and even, perhaps, become involved. :D :D :D
-
Today I have discovered, that my copy of H. pauciramosa var. masonae has increased several times by seed. I have this plant already some years, but she has never increased. In the picture one sees a seedling between Lepidothamnus laxifolius... the presumably smallest Konifere of the world. 😊
-
Last Saturday I bought at a rock plant nursery, this Raoulia haastii.
My questions to David are.
Is it the correct name for this plant. My experience with NZ pillow plants is still in its infancy.
I would like to plant him in one of my troughs. The soil mix is 1/3 grit 2-6 mm coarse river sand 1/3 and 1/3 clay - peat mix.
During the wet winter in the Netherlands I give a shelter to all the NZ plants.
Are the pictures good enough?
[attach=3]
[attach=2]
[attach=1]
-
Hello Jan,
I allows to answer to me your questions.
This is the right name. You will take big pleasure with this Raoulia haastii. It is a miraculous Raoulia. She is very hard and firm. In winter she becomes brown and looks as deadly. A fantastic feeling is to be seen if it awakes in the spring again. I protect my NZ alpine in winter with a Thermo - fleece. My substrate exists of 1/3 sour earth (for Rodos), 1/3 coarse sand and 1/3 fine grits. With native NZ I renounce a big drainage. Thus the earth remains longer humid.
However, these Raoulia haastii can grow with ideal conditions relatively fast. My two plants have developed very well. You should consider this maybe if you want to use a trough. Perhaps, a place is better in the Alpinum.
I think David still better information for you / to us has.
Thomas
-
Hello Jan,
I allows to answer to me your questions.
This is the right name. You will take big pleasure with this Raoulia haastii. It is a miraculous Raoulia. She is very hard and firm. In winter she becomes brown and looks as deadly. A fantastic feeling is to be seen if it awakes in the spring again. I protect my NZ alpine in winter with a Thermo - fleece. My substrate exists of 1/3 sour earth (for Rodos), 1/3 coarse sand and 1/3 fine grits. With native NZ I renounce a big drainage. Thus the earth remains longer humid.
However, these Raoulia haastii can grow with ideal conditions relatively fast. My two plants have developed very well. You should consider this maybe if you want to use a trough. Perhaps, a place is better in the Alpinum.
I think David still better information for you / to us has.
Thomas
Thanks thomas
I will consider putting him in the crevice. Like my australis.
[attach=1]
-
Lovely to see Raoulia haastii doing well in cultivation .
In the wild the growths can be quite substantial .....Tasman Valley . Aoraki /Mt Cook National Park.
Cheers Dave.
[attachimg=1]
-
Lovely to see Raoulia haastii doing well in cultivation .
In the wild the growths can be quite substantial .....Tasman Valley . Aoraki /Mt Cook National Park.
Cheers Dave.
(Attachment Link)
Wow, thanks Dave.
Beautiful picture.
-
A photo like a piece of art... Dave.
In front the nice R. haastii and in the background this breathtaking mountain landscape. How the sky on earth. I do not hope this my R. haastii so largely becomes. Then I still have place for R. exima, R. grandiflora, Haastia singclairii and Haastia pulvinaris.
At least in my dreams. 😂😂
Many thanks for the great photo... Dave
Thomas
-
What a superbe view: Raoulia and mountains.
-
I do not have any Raoulia haastii pictures to post so I will post this instead; Anisotome pilifera just beginning to flower in my garden.
[attachimg=1]
-
And again a plant which I do not know yet... David. Very interesting.
Particularly I like the form of the foliage very well. In which area of life does this plant seem? Does this plant become even bigger or does remain they so nicely small?
The blossom looks a little bit similar, how to the type Acillea... fantastically.
Thomas
-
Hello, David, Hello, Dave.
I got the last week fresh seeds of Carmichaelia rivularis. However, I find no further information about this kind on the Internet. I would become me very much about infos and pictures of C. rivularis are glad. There is with the type Carmichaela also very big kinds. Therefore, would become me particularly the maximum size of C. rivularis interest. Since, unfortunately, I do not have endlessly a lot of place. 😊
many thanks and the best greetings...
Thomas
-
Thomas, search for info on Carmichaelia rivulata and you may have more success.
-
Hello, Maggi.
Many thanks for correction. I will try to investigate some infos about this plant. This is sometimes a problem if one gets seed with false name. however, 😉
I think that the most reliable information of our New Zealand specialists comes. Their botanical knowledge is really very impressive for me.
Over again many thanks.
Thomas
-
You are quite right, Thomas, the wealth of information we can be given from our NZ members is a terrific resource.
-
I have been able to have a little private boast to myself that I've a nice plant in flower of Aciphylla congesta, a male plant and since no lady is in the offing I'll not get any seed but as I grew the plant from seed, I'm quite pleased with myself. The seed was from OAGG's seed list when we had a native section, and may well have been from David L himself. I think it was about 10 years ago or perhaps a bit less. Unfortunately I have no available picture but did show it over a couple of weeks on Facebook (sorry Maggi) so the proof is there. It started like a whitish blob in the centre of the rosette, gradually enlarging to look like a small head of cauliflower until finally opening wide like the fully extended flower of a carrot or parsnip - not surprisingly. I've cut off the flower stem now in hope this will encourage one or more rosettes to grow.
-
I have been able to have a little private boast to myself that I've a nice plant in flower of Aciphylla congesta, a male plant and since no lady is in the offing I'll not get any seed but as I grew the plant from seed, I'm quite pleased with myself. The seed was from OAGG's seed list when we had a native section, and may well have been from David L himself. I think it was about 10 years ago or perhaps a bit less. Unfortunately I have no available picture but did show it over a couple of weeks on Facebook (sorry Maggi) so the proof is there. It started like a whitish blob in the centre of the rosette, gradually enlarging to look like a small head of cauliflower until finally opening wide like the fully extended flower of a carrot or parsnip - not surprisingly. I've cut off the flower stem now in hope this will encourage one or more rosettes to grow.
Lesley
Hope you don't mind ---I downloaded your FB photo and have posted it here.
-
Thanks Jan ,Thomas and Gerrit on your kind comments regarding my Raoulia haastii photo.
I do not have any Raoulia haastii pictures to post so I will post this instead; Anisotome pilifera just beginning to flower in my garden.
Very nice David.
Thomas
The NZ brooms are such a wonderful genera ranging from trees to prostrate species.Our local municipal park has some beautiful tree like ,weeping specimens however in our current garden we don't have room for the larger ones so I have to be content with plants such as this purchase last year.
Even though a number flower sparsely here in our shady conditions I wouldn't be without their yummy foliated forms . :P
Rightio enough from me ,the weather has cleared so I'm away down the coast trying to locate native orchids which i understand are just coming into flower .
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello, David, Hello, Dave.
I got the last week fresh seeds of Carmichaelia rivularis. However, I find no further information about this kind on the Internet. I would become me very much about infos and pictures of C. rivularis are glad. There is with the type Carmichaela also very big kinds. Therefore, would become me particularly the maximum size of C. rivularis interest. Since, unfortunately, I do not have endlessly a lot of place. 😊
many thanks and the best greetings...
Thomas
Hello Thomas,
As Maggi suggested the name should be Carmichaelia rivulata. It is now no longer considered a species but is a form of Carmichaelia australis. The description of C. rivulata is " Shrub up to 1m tall, branchlets spreading, stiff 2-3mm wide " So it is a shrub and not one of the more desirable dwarf Carmichaelia species. I have several dwarf Carmichaelia species growing in pots; C.nana, C. corrugata, C. astonii, C. monroi and C. vexillata. I have just purchased the same hybrid as Dave has shown in his most recent post. I am not sure if it will be a good plant or an untidy mass of sticks. All the dwarf Carmichaelias are lovely plants and grow and flower well in pots. I will post a few pictures later.
David
-
One calls this probably telepathy, Dave. ;D Yesterday I was sad the first one sometimes that I am no member in Facebook (... and this also remains thus). And shortly after you put the picture of Lesley purely. Perfectly. Thank you very much.
Lesley... I can congratulate you on this wonderful A. congesta. A dream. She belongs to my favorites. I have sowed seed two years ago. If after this winter no germination occurs, I give up hope. Over again my admiration to this completely symmetrical beauty.
Thomas
-
Dave...
The hybrid looks very nice. However, she reminds me more of C. corrugata. I already had both kinds. Unfortunately, they all have died. I am very unhappy about that. 😣 My Carmichaelia ensii (C. nana) it looked absolutely different. The foliage was shorter and broader. But I like your plant really very well. I like these small plants particularly.
From the Gentiana in the left side you could have pointed more. 😆😆
Greetings Thomas
-
Hello David ... I meant exactly this. One gets such good information only with you. should Thank you very much. Give the seeds I will germinate to the plant enough place. The small kinds in your collection are exactly my favorites. Not to agree, unfortunately, here. Therefore, you would give to me a big pleasure if you show the photos. Many thanks beforehand. 😉
Thomas
-
Thank you Dave. Far from minding I am delighted that you downloaded etc. How did you do that?Maybe we can have a meaningful discussion about this on Friday/Saturday/Sunday?
-
Dave...
The hybrid looks very nice. However, she reminds me more of C. corrugata. I already had both kinds. Unfortunately, they all have died. I am very unhappy about that. 😣 My Carmichaelia ensii (C. nana) it looked absolutely different. The foliage was shorter and broader. But I like your plant really very well. I like these small plants particularly.
Greetings Thomas
Yes C. nana looks different Thomas.I would have thought that the branches were too narrow to be C.corrugata .... :-\
Hopefully it will be a good plant and not an untidy mass of sticks as David has mentioned previously and not spread too wide , like say C. appressa..... :-\
-
Dave...you are right. Here a photo of my Carmichaela corrugata. I think the foliage with your very interesting hybrid is some narrow one. The second picture shows C. enysii (nana)..., unfortunately, are dead both. 😭😭
David... I have read your list over again. Up to now Carmichaelia astonii and Carmichaela vexillata I did not know yet. The pictures on the Internet are promising. I like particularly the small kinds with relatively wide foliage. I am stretched very much on the photos by your plants. Carmichaelia vexillata I find especially nicely.
Thomas
-
In four different places in my garden I have Raoulia australis.
Photo 1 and 2 have the same color, green / gray.
Photo 3 and 4 are both gray.
They come all four of different suppliers.
Can this color differ, or we talk about different plants. The rosettes are the same. The green / gray are a bit smaller.
Can Dave or Thomas say something about it.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
-
The first both pictures point Raoulia lutescens. Both last photos would have to be Raoulia australis. Also with me the R. australis something vary in the appearance. There are presumably some subspecies? I think David and Dave more in addition can say. Your R. lutescens looks very good.
My congratulation.
Thomas
-
Hello Jan,
Your first picture is of Raoulia australis; note the tight cushion form. Your second picture perhaps is not. There is a Raoulia similar to R. australis but it forms a mat rather than a tight cushion. The final two are not Raoulia australis they are perhaps forms of Raoulia hookeri or R. beauverdii. There are a few problems with Raoulia taxonomy and I would need to see the flowers and perhaps get information on the original collection locations to sort them out for you
-
Thank you David and Thomas,
Picture 1 is from spring 2014 and picture 2 of spring 2015.
Both have flourished, with ocher yellow flowers.
Photo 3 and 4 are scheduled this spring and have not bloomed yet.
If the last two bloom, I will return with that.
This picture of my Raoulia hookeri same color but larger rosettes (picture 1-2) Picture 3 the 'australis' rosettes.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
-
Now Acrothamnus colensoi blossoms third sometimes this year. And every time these are more blossoms. Unfortunately, there is no suitable dusting. I have tried it already myself. With a tiny paintbrush. Unfortunately, without success. Thus I will further take pleasure in the small blossoms. A sign for the fact that it goes well to him.
But today for it I have discovered with my Coprosma petriei over again two berries. 😊
Thomas
-
Thomas, My Acrothamnus colensoi has yet to produce any flowers but with a few days warm weather many of the plants in my crevice garden have started to flower. Just a couple of pictures of Hebe buchananii for a start. I have several plants from different collections.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
-
Hello David,
a nice flower splendour. On the right side I recognise Helichrysum selago... correctly?? Also the yellow lichens on the stones proves a nice contrast.
Daily a photo of your garden... and my day is saved. ;D
Thomas
-
Yes, the plant in the picture is Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum (or to use its former name Helichrysum selago var tumidum)
Next picture is Anaphalioides bellidioides. This grows as a wild plant on the family farm but makes a nice plant for the rock garden.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Next three pictures of Myosotis saxosa
[attachimg=3]
close up of flowers
[attachimg=4]
(with Acrothamnus colensoi)
[attachimg=5]
-
Some more plants;
Astelia nivicola A really good rock garden plant with its lustrous foliage. Astelia nervosa is the species that is more commonly grown as there are several forms with red foliage.
[attachimg=1]
Anisotome haastii The plant is rather small as the site is not suitable for it as it is two dry
[attachimg=2]
Carmichaelia monroi (originally purchased from Hokonui Alpines). It grows well in a pot.
[attachimg=3]
Close up of flowers Note that the calyx is hairy. This is the easiest way to distinguish it from Carmichaelia vexillata which has glabrous calyces but otherwise is very similar.
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Staying with the Carmichaelia collection, Carmichaelia vexillata which has glabrous calyces. This is the common species of dwarf broom found in Otago. C. monroi does not occur in Otago but is found in the northern part of the South Island.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Close up of flowers
[attachimg=3][attachimg=4]
A rather beautiful Celmisia originally collected from the Black Birch Range in Marlbourough and propagated by Stuart Murray. It is a hybrid most likely between Celmisia sessiliflora and Celmisia insignis
[attachimg=5]
-
A glorious celmisia, David.
-
Hello, David.
I lack almost the words. What for nice plants you have in your garden. My absolute admiration. Particularly has impressed me the nice small Celmisia - hybrid. And with both Carmichaela I do not know whether I should laugh or cry. So an absolutely fantastic C. monroi I have never seen. A splendour. Violet of the blossoms shines particularly. It becomes a time that Hokonui alpine open an establishment in Europe. This would be nice for me. 😊
I had really big trouble to concentrate upon my work (carpenter), after I have seen your pictures. I always had to think of these plants.
Thanks and greetings
Thomas
-
A glorious celmisia, David.
Hello Cliff,
It is a marvellous plant; far better than any other Celmisia sessiliflora hybrids I have seen. A range of Celmisia sessiliflora hybrids are frequently encountered in the wild and usually are identified under the epithet C. x linearis. Most are hybrids with C. lyallii but I have one here that is about to flower that is a hybrid with C. spedenii. I am hoping it does not die after flowering as cultivated celmisias sometimes do.
-
Hello Thomas,
Carmichaelias are very good plants to grow in pots. However you need to be careful to water them as they do not wilt if they dry out and can be dead before you are aware there is a problem.
Continuing with the Celmisias
Celmisia bellidioides. This grows near mountain streams often in running water so in needs a cool damp spot in the garden.
[attachimg=1]
Celmisia prorepens This is a snowbank plant very common in Otago. It is closely related to C. densiflora which has tomentose undersurfaces to it leaves The leaves of C. prorepens are glabrous and slightly sticky.
[attachimg=2]
A Celmisia hybrid from Hokonui Alpines. Probably a C. gracilenta hybrid
[attachimg=3]
Now something different Gaultheria crassa.
[attachimg=4]
-
A close up of the flowers of Gaultheria crassa
[attachimg=1]
Ranunculus insignis 'monroi' This is a form of R. insignis which grows on the Black Birch Range in Marlborough. It is smaller than R. insignis and has brown hairs on the leaf margins.
[attachimg=2]
The final plant I will post is not a native of New Zealand but a native of Chile, Ourisia coccinea. The flowers are red and tubular so I am assuming they are pollinated by humming birds (like N. American Aquilegias). All New Zealand species of Ourisia have white flowers. O. coccinea needs to be grown in a really damp spot as it requires constant moisture.
[attachimg=3]
-
The final plant I will post is not a native of New Zealand but a native of Chile, Ourisia coccinea. The flowers are red and tubular so I am assuming they are pollinated by humming birds (like N. American Aquilegias). All New Zealand species of Ourisia have white flowers. O. coccinea needs to be grown in a really damp spot as it requires constant moisture.
This would be suitable for planting in the 'moraine'. (I made him last year)
I have made water running through the roots. Well the full sun.
A small video https://youtu.be/-9608HYxqbI (https://youtu.be/-9608HYxqbI)
How I made them https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8wSWiwm_WABaDBzaGczZF9MYjg (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8wSWiwm_WABaDBzaGczZF9MYjg)
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello Thomas,
Carmichaelias are very good plants to grow in pots. However you need to be careful to water them as they do not wilt if they dry out and can be dead before you are aware there is a problem.
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
... I do not have the problem. Since, unfortunately, I have at the moment no Carmichaelia in my small collection. 😭 to thanks for the tip with C. bellidioides. Now I know why my only copy has died. Too drily. With C. prorepens likes me particularly the foliage. All plants feel very well with you.
I got the last week a Celmisia cracilenta. However, I do not know it whether a hybrid is. The foliage shines very metallically.
Thomas
-
Nice to see Celmisia gracilenta Thomas.
They can be quite variable and those with mottled leaves are lovely.
I used to grow a few different forms however as space over time became a premium I gave most of them away although I still have a couple left including a plant that is rhizomatous.
Leucogenes leontopodium flowering today in the newish front sand bed.
Cheers Dave.
[attachimg=1]
-
Beautiful, Dave. Best regards from the UK.
-
Beautiful, Dave. Best regards from the UK.
Thanks Cliff .Same to you and Sue.
Just sorting out some images from this afternoons visit down the coast searching for native Orchids ......
-
Fantastic Leucogenes leontopodium, Dave. Now everybody probably understands, why this is my absolute favorite plant. 😁 A dream. From the wilderness, from seed or bought?
If you have time, show your new sand bed , on the whole. It would interest me very much.
Cheers Thomas
-
Nice to see Celmisia gracilenta Thomas.
(Attachment Link)
Thanks Dave... I has sunk them as a precaution with other NZ in sand and has covered with glass. Now it is too late to plant. I hope really very much that she survives the winter. From tomorrow the first snow can fall with us. 😢
Thomas
-
Hi Dave
I hope that Leucogenes leontopodium is still in flower on Friday?
Did you find any orchids?
I found 3 near Picton yesterday
-
Hi Dave
I hope that Leucogenes leontopodium is still in flower on Friday?
Did you find any orchids?
I found 3 near Picton yesterday
Nice patch of Pterostylis Julia.
The edelweiss should be at its peak ;D.
I was a bit early for the most of the Orchids down at Waituna Wetlands and had just about given up hope of finding any in bloom when in the last patch of Manuka before arriving back at the car I came across a couple of different genera in flower.
Just started feeding the wild birds for you ...... ;)
Cheers.
-
That’s good looking forward to seeing your garden and the birds.
-
The edelweiss should be at its peak ;D.
Hello Dave
If I compare your Leucogenes leontopodium to mine, I discover low differences. With your copy the foliage goes directly up to the lower edge of the blossom. The blossoms thereby work as put on. I find this wonderful. If the climax is the blossoming, the blossoms also differ something in the size and form. I like this stubby form very well. With my copies there sit the blossoms on a short stalk (photo). There are presumably some different forms in the nature. In any case, your plant is an absolute Eyecatcher... and you should try to increase some cuttings. I love it.
Me would still interest how the state of the substrate is with you and in the nature. I have already more often belonged that it should be sandy rather a little. Is this right? With me some desires become every year grey and soft, and die shortly after. Now I have the supposition this my substrate too much humus has and the drainage should be raised. I would be glad, as usual, about some Basics of you specialists.
Thomas
-
Thomas, you have a lovely collection of New Zealanders in your box. Better than mine! :D
Julia I'll bring my own Leucogenes in its pot on Thursday night, just as table decoration. Dave's in the open garden is so much better. Over several years I've grown cuttings from my original one, maybe 100 or more, it is so easy to propagate that way. I sowed the fluff from the dead flowers two years ago and though there was nothing visible which could be called seed, 3 seedlings duly appeared after a couple of months, so worth collecting all the fluff and sowing it.
-
Thomas, you have a lovely collection of New Zealanders in your box. Better than mine! :D
Julia I'll bring my own Leucogenes in its pot on Thursday night, just as table decoration. Dave's in the open garden is so much better. Over several years I've grown cuttings from my original one, maybe 100 or more, it is so easy to propagate that way. I sowed the fluff from the dead flowers two years ago and though there was nothing visible which could be called seed, 3 seedlings duly appeared after a couple of months, so worth collecting all the fluff and sowing it.
Thanks Lesley... these are not many, but I am glad about every plant from New Zealand. 😊
It is very interesting to hear that you have increased Leucogenes successfully by seed. I achieved with it still no success. Few gardeners I know, Leucogenes increase by cuttings. I try it, however, furthermore. My friends of the Arctic Alpine Garden got many years ago once fresh seeds of L. neglecta. These germinated very well and they could thereby breed some plants. However, in the course of the years the continuance decreased more and more and now has went out. I got as a gift two small plants three years ago. What responsibility. Hopefully I can keep alive these two plants. I protect them like my eye. Maybe I experience it still and them one day will blossom.
Thomas
-
Hello Dave
If I compare your Leucogenes leontopodium to mine, I discover low differences. With your copy the foliage goes directly up to the lower edge of the blossom. The blossoms thereby work as put on. I find this wonderful. If the climax is the blossoming, the blossoms also differ something in the size and form. I like this stubby form very well. With my copies there sit the blossoms on a short stalk (photo). There are presumably some different forms in the nature. In any case, your plant is an absolute Eyecatcher... and you should try to increase some cuttings. I love it.
Me would still interest how the state of the substrate is with you and in the nature. I have already more often belonged that it should be sandy rather a little. Is this right? With me some desires become every year grey and soft, and die shortly after. Now I have the supposition this my substrate too much humus has and the drainage should be raised. I would be glad, as usual, about some Basics of you specialists.
Thomas
Hello Thomas
Sorry for the delay in replying ...I wanted to observe my Leucogenes to see if the flowering stems elongated at all and here's a picture I took today showing some movement . I'm unsure of how variable it can be as I've never seen it in the wild.
[attachimg=1]
The last couple of years I've started experimenting with a number of ,(river), sand beds ranging from about 100mm to about 200mm ? in depth to try and counter the losses because of low light levels and year round moist conditions.
[attachimg=2]
NZ natives don't seem to mind the lack of humus at those depths, so here's a small sample from this afternoon.
Bulbinella angustifolia .
[attachimg=3]
As well as Celmisia sps 'grassy leafed'.
[attachimg=4]
The above plants are probably easy natives for other folk however I should point out we garden in a woodland setting so it can be a battle to grow alpines well in these conditions.
Cheers Dave.
-
Gentianella saxosa seeding around in one of the sand beds.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello, Dave.
The Leucogenes seems to feel with you very well. It looks fantastic. I suppose this of Hokonoi Alpine Nursery is? I also like the quite green foliage. With my copies the foliage is a little bit more grey one. It is really very interesting that you experiment with sand. A challenge is to be had in this and humid area rich in wood alpine plants.
Maybe David still has some infos about different variations of Leucogenes Leontopodium.
... and if it you calmly... I have never seen it still in the wilderness. 😂, However, at the latest in five years I would like to realise my dream and go on a trip on the south island. Then we can search it together. 😉
Also the other native plants look very good.
Greetings Thomas
-
... many seedlings of Gentianella saxosa show in your sand - patch that the experiment with the sand is successful. Very well.
-
Thomas, Dave has never seen it in the wild (and nor have I} because it is the NORTH ISLAND edelweiss! ;D so if you come to New Zealand some time, you will have to do a tour of the NORTH island. There is a large and varied volcanic plateau in the North Island and Leucogenes leontopoduim comes from Mt Holdsworth in the Tararua Ranges, which have many beautiful alpines.
-
Hello, Lesley.
You are right of course completely. How could I only forget this? On the Monday evening I am always quite broken. I get up shortly after midnight to go on the work. Last night I was already 18 hours on the legs. There such a mistake can happen. Sorry. 😊
If I come sometime to NZ, a trip is planned of course also in the south of the north island. Since I would meet very much with pleasure all four kinds. If somebody controls both languages, he can join to me. My friends have no desire to botanize three or four weeks in the mountains.
Thomas
-
Have been out and about for the last week so need to catch up with this thread. However the buttercups are flowering like daisies on a lawn. More photos coming when I get a chance to catalogue and edit them
[attachimg=1]
-
Thomas, Dave has never seen it in the wild (and nor have I} because it is the NORTH ISLAND edelweiss! ;D so if you come to New Zealand some time, you will have to do a tour of the NORTH island. There is a large and varied volcanic plateau in the North Island and Leucogenes leontopoduim comes from Mt Holdsworth in the Tararua Ranges, which have many beautiful alpines.
Leucogenes leontopodium occurs in the South Island as well on the Richmond Range near Nelson City where I took this photo.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello, David.
A wonderful Ranunculus. I suppose it is Ranunculus lyallii... or? I had the luck in this spring to buy two nice copies from it. Though it has not blossomed yet, however, I hope I can show during the next years also sometimes thus a nice photo. Then in late summer he has withdrawn. I hope this is normal...or? I have up to now still no experiences with this Species.
Over again... very imposing plant.
Thomas
-
Leucogenes leontopodium occurs in the South Island as well on the Richmond Range near Nelson City where I took this photo.
(Attachment Link)
Thanks for the infos and the brilliant picture from the nature.
My information about the spreading of L. leontopodium is following...
North island:
☆ from the area of the Mt. Hikurangi (38 ° S) after the south.
South island:
☆ NW-Nelson (Richmond Range)
☆Marlborough
☆and an isolated occurence above the No Mans Creek, to the west of the spring of the Wairau River.
I hope this these coordinates are right. I got this information of my friends of the Arctic alpine garden. My admiration for this excellent photo.
Thomas
-
Thank you both Gentlemen. I didn't know this species also lived in the South Island, albeit near the top of it. It seems overall to be one of the easiest and most adaptable of all our alpines, flourishing on a long term basis in many rock gardens and pots, comforting for someone who has limited success with many of our natives. You grow them better than I do Thomas.
-
Hello, Dave.
The Leucogenes seems to feel with you very well. It looks fantastic. I suppose this of Hokonoi Alpine Nursery is?
Greetings Thomas
Hello Thomas the Leucogenes in question came from a native nursery in Canterbury.
In bloom today a nice short flowering form of Brachyglottis bellidioides. A young cutting from last season.
[attachimg=1]
-
Thank you both Gentlemen. I didn't know this species also lived in the South Island, albeit near the top of it. It seems overall to be one of the easiest and most adaptable of all our alpines, flourishing on a long term basis in many rock gardens and pots, comforting for someone who has limited success with many of our natives. You grow them better than I do Thomas.
... on the contrary, Lesley. I must thank you. For the great tip of the flora in the area of the Tararua Range. I have taken down it immediately. 😊
-
Hello Thomas the Leucogenes in question came from a native nursery in Canterbury.
In bloom today a nice short flowering form of Brachyglottis bellidioides. A young cutting from last season.
(Attachment Link)
Hello, Dave.
I am always inspired what gives to buy it for nice native alpine NZ in the market gardens with you. Why functions beamen only on the "Enterprise"? If the possibility existed, I would buy the whole assortment. 😊
The todays photo of the Brachyglottis bellidioides has impressed me retime very much. What charming small plant! The blossom is the hammer and the nice dark foliage with the great structure is a fantastic contrast.
Thank you for Sharing
Cheers Thomas
-
Leucogenes leontopodium occurs in the South Island as well on the Richmond Range near Nelson City where I took this photo.
(Attachment Link)
Hello, David.
I have had a look at your photo from yesterday certainly already hundred times. 😊 It occupies me very much. Since on looking more carefully the form of the foliage has always struck me. I know this lanceolate form only from Leucogenes neglecta. Maybe your photo shows Marlborough Edelweis. Maybe it fits with the site of the discovery together... you are the specialist. I show here sometimes some photos for comparison. The first one points L. leontopodium with the typical egg-shaped foliage. The second picture is from the Arctic Alpine Garden in Chemnitz and points L. neglecta with blossom. To the better comparison one more photo of L. neglecta from my garden. There one recognises the sharp form of the foliage even better. It resembles your admission very much. It can also be of course the variations different it of the growth form of L. leontopodium give. There you better know a lot than me. I would be glad, as usual, about a correction or confirmation of my thesis.
By the way, I am glad tremendously to her to you everybody so regularly in this thread involved. You give big pleasure with it to me. Thanks
Thomas
-
I'll not get into the L .neglecta discussion ..... ;D however here's is my plant unfortunately being swamped by the foliage of a Bulbinella .
[attachimg=1]
So for something quite different here's Ranunculus crithmifolius :-* seen in the wild earlier in the month having finally managed ,after so many years, to capture a plant in flower.
Saw some variation in the leaf colour as well. :o
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Cheers Dave.
-
Yes I can confirm the Ranunculus lyalii is flowering really well this year, I saw thousands if not millions as we flew over to Doubtful Sound this week
-
So for sometime quite different here's Ranunculus crithmifolius :-* seen in the wild earlier in the month having finally managed ,after so many years, to capture a plant in flower.
Saw some variation in the leaf colour as well. :o
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
Cheers Dave.
Dave... even more such pictures, and I need a doctor. Incredibly. I believe if I saw such a thing in the nature, you could come again after hours. I would stand at the same place. How a stone.
Nevertheless, you must get up in New Zealand every morning with a smile. Or?
Cheers Thomas
-
Had the opportunity last week to visit the Clarence and Wairau Valleys. We did a bit of a tiki tour looking for all the specialised plants found there. We found and abundance of penwiper plants( Notothlaspi rosulatum). These are confined to screes and die once they have flowered and set seed.
[attachimg=1]
The rosette before the flowers have opened
[attachimg=2]
A form with green foliage rather than the dark grey.
[attachimg=3]
Showing the scree habitat
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Hello, David.
Notothlaspi rosulatum is one of the nicest plants in the world for me. The first picture is like a painting. Fantastically. I have never seen these Species with green foliage. It looks as if this kind only in the stone grows. Very remarkably. Many thanks for these brilliant photos. It is not easy certainly to find these small beauties in mountain... or?
The best wishes
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
The screes on which the plants are found are very large and the plants occur in pockets. They are not always easy to spot especially from a distance but once you find one you usually find a few more.
-
Hello Thomas,
The screes on which the plants are found are very large and the plants occur in pockets. They are not always easy to spot especially from a distance but once you find one you usually find a few more.
... for the sight of such wonderful and archaic plants one undertakes certainly with pleasure some strain. In which sea level do these Must Have Plants grow? And which insects provide for the development of seed?
The symmetrically arranged and serrated sheets are really great.
-
This wonderful photo from "jandals" Steve Newall, who is botanising with our own Julia Corden in New Zealand (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=15828.0), shows that one can be VERY lucky in some instances, with a bit of "roadside botanising"!!
[attachimg=1]
Penwiper in flower by the roadside
-
Fantastically... Maggi. To find such a thing in the way. A first prize. Especially interesting I think that one gets an idea in this picture, how big (or small 😊) this wonderful kind becomes. I would have thought she is smaller. But I know them only from photos. Unfortunately.
Again many thanks for this nice perspective.
Thomas
-
Lovely to see the 'penwipers' in action. It looks like it's going to be a wonderful flowering year.
Took a day off work and spent yesterday morning down at Bluff walking the coastal Foveaux track searching for native Orchids.
[attachimg=1]
Myosotis rakiura beside the track.
[attachimg=2]
It was a relief to get out of the sun and heat ,(mid 20Cs), into the forest. Rata in flower and a view across the strait to Stewart Island partially in cloud.
[attachimg=3]
-
This wonderful photo from "jandals" Steve Newall, who is botanising with our own Julia Corden in New Zealand (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=15828.0), shows that one can be VERY lucky in some instances, with a bit of "roadside botanising"!!
(Attachment Link)
Penwiper in flower by the roadside
Like finding Daphne jasminea in the Delphi rubbish dump, in 1993! :)
-
Very nice photos... Dave. As usual. I like particularly the first picture. It is very pleasant certainly to go on this hollow way. I believe on the left side just Hebe blossoms. Or?
Thomas
-
Thanks Thomas ,yes well spotted, Hebe elliptica.
Just after climbing these steps
[attachimg=1]
the first of the various greenhood Orchids can be found. Pterostylis sps .
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
On the way home I stopped off at Awarua Bay to view hundreds of sun Orchids in flower enjoying the more open positions. Thelymitra pulchella .
[attachimg=5]
Cheers Dave.
-
... very nice plants, Dave. And the weather is also okay. It looks to us up here a little bit different. One sees this on the photo from today morning. 😊
Cheers Thomas
-
David,
Thanks for showing those beautiful sun orchids - i’ll have to visit again sometime so I can see them in flower!
-
David,
Thanks for showing those beautiful sun orchids - i’ll have to visit again sometime so I can see them in flower!
Yes you would be most welcome again anytime Julia. ;D
It was probably the only instance during your visit that timing was an issue ;) :D.
Cheers .
-
;D ;D Mr Toole
-
Spent yesterday in the company of David Lyttle and his friend Mo up Gorge Creek , Eyre Mountains.
Snow had been forecast to fall overnight to about 1800 mtrs so it was no surprise to see a little of the white stuff as we set off.
[attachimg=1]
Climbing away from Gorge Creek up a side stream through the bush
[attachimg=2]
with numerous stops to inspect plants as we gained height .My two companions with David having a closer look.
[attachimg=3]
Celmisia densiflora .
[attachimg=4]
Easy to identify with it's sticky ,wavy edged leaves that are white underneath.
[attachimg=5]
More to come when time allows.
Cheers.
-
Hello, Dave.
As usual, very nice pictures. On the third photo I see a small plant with white blossoms. Before the Aciphylla. What is that?
Cheers Thomas
-
I wasn't there of course Thomas, but from the perspective of my favourite chair, it looks as if it may be Wahlenbergia albomarginata, a plant we tend to overlook as it is common in all the high country areas we visit and is quite easy to grow. We should perhaps value it more for that very reason and although it is usually almost white, sometimes we find quite good blue forms which are very nice. Of course it may be something else altogether. :)
-
Hello, Dave.
As usual, very nice pictures. On the third photo I see a small plant with white blossoms. Before the Aciphylla. What is that?
Cheers Thomas
I wasn't there of course Thomas, but from the perspective of my favourite chair, it looks as if it may be Wahlenbergia albomarginata, a plant we tend to overlook as it is common in all the high country areas we visit and is quite easy to grow. We should perhaps value it more for that very reason and although it is usually almost white, sometimes we find quite good blue forms which are very nice. Of course it may be something else altogether. :)
Thanks Thomas
Lesley is correct it is one of the forms of Wahlenbergia albomarginata .
Here's a pic I took later in the day .
[attachimg=1]
Cheers.
-
As we climbed, trying to avoid the numerous Aciphyllas, the wet weather set in again for a short period and that seemed to be the pattern for most of day.
[attachimg=1]
Finally reaching the tarn below Hummock Peak we gained a clear view of the screes and cliffs we planned to study in more detail .
[attachimg=2]
Near the tarn Mo found Haastia sinclairii in bloom.
[attachimg=3]
Unfortunately we were too early for Ranunculus pilifera with most plants just coming through the scree surface.
[attachimg=4]
However numerous Stelleria roughii were in flower.
[attachimg=5]
Cheers.
-
Thanks Lesley, thanks Dave.
What wonderful tender little plant. Especially nicely I find the stage of the blossom if it still hangs down.
The third photo from yesterday is really great. These precipitous slopes, completely with stones and plants. Fantastically. And David Lyttle is also to be seen sometimes. Perfectly. 😁
Cheers Thomas
-
A few more plants
Celmisia semicordata ssp stricta .
[attachimg=1]
Foliage of the impressive Aciphylla 'Lomond' and flower.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Acaena sps .
[attachimg=4]
-
... oh my God. Haastia sinclairii and Stelleria roughii in full blossoming. Can there be something nicer? I do not believe.
-
On and around the cliffs .
[attachimg=1]
Raoulia buchananii in varying shades of silver green ,some starting to flower.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
A lovely Celmisia hybrid between semicordata and verbascifolia .
[attachimg=4]
Raoulia grandiflora just needing a bit of warmth.
[attachimg=5]
-
... oh my God. Haastia sinclairii and Stelleria roughii in full blossoming. Can there be something nicer? I do not believe.
;D ;D
One of the smaller Aciphyllas .A. lecomtei
[attachimg=1]
Celmisia sps
[attachimg=2]
In bud ,the small cryptic hairy leafed Ranunculus scrithalis which is confined to the Eyre Mountains .
[attachimg=3]
Nearby another small Ranunculus showing immediate leaf form between R.pilifera in shape and colouring and R. scrithalis in hairyness ...... :-\
[attachimg=4]
View as we slowly made our way down .
[attachimg=5]
Cheers Dave.
-
Looks to have been a rewarding trek Dave with lots of plants and great scenery, thanks for sharing it with us here.
-
Wonderful walking and botanizing country Dave. Thanks for bringing us along.
-
... I can only recur. Indescribably fantastically. And every time I get to know new plants. Ranunculus scrithalis I have never seen. What a archaic plant. I believe, I lose the mind. Also the small Aciphylla lecomtei... Insanity.
Thanks Dave ... this was a good day. 😊
Thomas
-
pictures of Helichrysum depressum and Argyrotegion nitidulum
greetings
Thomas
Had to google Argyrotegion as I'm not familiar with that genus, couldn't find it with that spelling, did find it in The Plant List spelled Argyrotegium nitidulum, and having the synonym of Gnaphalium nitidiulum, and a separate entry with Gnaphalium nitidulum. Another synonym is Euchiton nitidulus. I find it curious with two variants of the species name.
Sorry, I'm very late to this topic.
-
Had to google Argyrotegion as I'm not familiar with that genus, couldn't find it with that spelling, did find it in The Plant List spelled Argyrotegium nitidulum, and having the synonym of Gnaphalium nitidiulum, and a separate entry with Gnaphalium nitidulum. Another synonym is Euchiton nitidulus. I find it curious with two variants of the species name.
Sorry, I'm very late to this topic.
Hello, Mark.
You are right independently. The correct name is Argyrotegium nitidulum. I have taken down the name wrong in my recordings. I am to you very thankfully for the correction. So I love this forum. One can learn a lot. Particularly if one is a "greenhorn"... how I. Again many thanks. I will take down the right name immediately.
The best greetings
Thomas
-
Hello, Mark.
You are right independently. The correct name is Argyrotegium nitidulum. I have taken down the name wrong in my recordings. I am to you very thankfully for the correction. So I love this forum. One can learn a lot. Particularly if one is a "greenhorn"... how I. Again many thanks. I will take down the right name immediately.
The best greetings
Thomas
Yes, this forum is a great repository of valuable information. When I don't recognize a plant name I always look it up, often to find out that I do indeed know the plant but under a genus synonym (like Gnaphalium in this case), so hard to keep up with these name changes. I have to go back to page 2 of this topic, and pour through the rest of these pages, so many marvelous NZ plants, I've always had a fascination with the New Zealand flora, even though many will not be hardy here in northern New England, USA. I must spend less time on Facebook plant groups, and return more often to SRGC Forum. I have given up on NARGS Forum, it can often go a whole week or more without a single new post.
Thank you Thomas :)
-
Wow Toolie is that the special Ranunculus you were going into the mountains to look for before you take the researcher?
If it was you’ll be pleased you found it.
Your pictures are beautiful
Thank you for posting
-
Looks to have been a rewarding trek Dave with lots of plants and great scenery, thanks for sharing it with us here.
Wonderful walking and botanizing country Dave. Thanks for bringing us along.
... I can only recur. Indescribably fantastically. And every time I get to know new plants. Ranunculus scrithalis I have never seen. What a archaic plant. I believe, I lose the mind. Also the small Aciphylla lecomtei... Insanity.
Thanks Dave ... this was a good day. 😊
Thomas
Thanks Guys .
It was just on 11 hours when I finally returned to the vehicle ,so a longish day and the legs were 'dead' for sure the next morning..... ::) ;D
Wow Toolie is that the special Ranunculus you were going into the mountains to look for before you take the researcher?
If it was you’ll be pleased you found it.
Your pictures are beautiful
Thank you for posting
Thanks Juls
No not the Ranunculus .....Myosotis glabrescens was the plant we were targeting .Only found one plant which unfortunately wasn't in flower :'(......
Cheers Dave.
-
Oh well Toolie you still found some amazing plants !
Hopefully some new adventures coming up?
We need to see nice ppictures of plants when it’s icy in Scotland ;)
-
Oh well Toolie you still found some amazing plants !
Hopefully some new adventures coming up?
We need to see nice ppictures of plants when it’s icy in Scotland ;)
If not me I'm sure David L. will have some pics as he stayed up in the hills for another day. :)
-
After Toolie went home to rest and recover we climbed Smooth Peak on the other side of the valley. We did not reach the actual summit (1623 m) but reached a subsidary peak at 1604 m. I have taken the liberty to doctor Dave's image to show where we went.
[attachimg=1]
We had a magnificent view both to the north towards Lake Wakatipu and to the south down the Oreti and Mararoa Valleys The next image shows the head of Gorge Creek with its tarn and Jane Peak (2022 m) towering above it. As you can see there is a lot of country to botanise!
[attachimg=2]
Descending was a bit tedious as there was a lot of scree. The angle of repose is about 35 degrees which you can walk down. We had the choice of of matagouri or our old friend Aciphylla aff horrida 'lomondi' to hang on to.
[attachimg=3]
Overall a bit of a mixed trip as some of the things I wanted to photograph were not flowering but it is always good to get out. It is very steep and rugged country so you have got to keep your wits about you. It is not a place for the faint-hearted.
-
It is not a place for the faint-hearted.
Masterful understatement there!
-
Last Fridays trip onto the Remarkables Range Central Otago.
Aciphylla kirkii
[attachimg=1]
A poor season for a number of genera of the cushion field including Dracophyllum muscoides.
[attachimg=2]
Will try again later as further images at about 295kb are being rejected as being above 200kb ...... ???
-
However Raoulia grandiflora were flowering all over the slopes.
[attachimg=1]
As was Kelleria childii
[attachimg=2]
and close up.
[attachimg=3]
Coprosma perpusilla ssp perpusilla enjoying moist positions.
[attachimg=4]
-
Wide growths of Celmisia sessiliflora
[attachimg=1]
just starting .
[attachimg=2]
Hectorella caespitosa on rock
[attachimg=3]
and more open positions .
[attachimg=4]
Nearby Myosotis pulvinaris
[attachimg=5]
-
wow... Raoulia grandiflora in completion. She belongs for me to the top five with the Raoulias. Fantastic admission. Also Kelleria childii is great. Some years ago I had a small seedling of Kelleria laxa. Unfortunately, she has died. But I got nice copies of Kelleria (Drapetes) dieffenbachii this year.
Of course from Scotland 😊.
Thanks for the nice pictures... Dave...and still nice Christmas.
Cheers Thomas
-
The highlights .......
Raoulia youngii very numerous in depleted exposed spots.
[attachimg=1]
and close up of the large flowers .
[attachimg=2]
Haastia sinclairii
[attachimg=3]
and close up showing the wonderful thick tomentum in more detail .
[attachimg=4]
Grasshoppers everywhere.
[attachimg=5]
Cheers Dave.
-
wow... Raoulia grandiflora in completion. She belongs for me to the top five with the Raoulias. Fantastic admission. Also Kelleria childii is great. Some years ago I had a small seedling of Kelleria laxa. Unfortunately, she has died. But I got nice copies of Kelleria (Drapetes) dieffenbachii this year.
Of course from Scotland 😊.
Thanks for the nice pictures... Dave...and still nice Christmas.
Cheers Thomas
Thanks Thomas
The various Kelleria sps can be relied upon to flower regularly and make such a wonderful sight when in full bloom.
I hope to get out again later in the week as the weather forecast is for settled warm weather with light winds however it all depends on my knee.
Cheers Dave.
-
Absolutely incredibly... Dave. Beauty cannot end a year... or? Actually, I get no more presents at Christmas. Now, nevertheless, I have got another one... your pictures. 😁😁
Thomas
-
Thanks guys for all these wonderful images of great plants and scenery brings back fond memories of my visit.
-
Wow Toolie fantastic pictures of Raoulia youngii and Haastia sinclairii.
Thanks very much for posting
-
Seems Raoulia grandiflora is good everywhere this year. Even the plants in my little nursery, about 15 from cuttings, are in flower and making new growth like mad.
I love the Coprosma perpusilla and any of the flat, berry-bearing plants.
-
A fabulous tour. Thank you.
-
Have just been catching up with Toolie re his latest adventures since our trip to Gorge Creek. I fitted a trip in round the seasons festivities to Fiddlers Flat Conservation Area in the Upper Manuherikia Valley near St Bathans. The area is a dry river terrace above the Manuherikia River and is a fragment of the original dryland ecosystem that existed on these terraces prior to pastoral settlement, cultivation and irrigation which has removed all the indigenous vegetation.
General view of the Reserve looking upstream. Elevation is just over 500 m with Hawkdun Range in the far distance. The river is out of sight at the base of an abrupt terrace.
[attachimg=1]
View looking down river. The terrace faces on both banks are quite steep and covered with scrub The main shrub species are matagouri (Discaria toumatou) and Coprosma propinqua with a fair amount of exotic briar rose (Rosa rubiginosa).
[attachimg=2]
At the upper end of the flat the topography gets a bit more interesting with the river flowing through a steep-sided rocky gorge.The geological strata are folded and twisted in every direction.
[attachimg=3][attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Photo showing folded layers in a rock outcrop on the opposite side of the river.
[attachimg=1]
Out on the flat the terrain is a bit more gentle. Here is a large silcrete boulder covered in lichen.
[attachimg=2]
A grey saxicolous lichen that is very common on exposed stones on the edge of the terrace.
[attachimg=3]
A bright red lichen growing on a rock outcrop next to the river.
[attachimg=4]
The lichen Haematomma alpinum growing on dead branches of Melicytus alpinus.
[attachimg=5]
-
Even though the elevation is too low for true alpine plants there are a number of interesting Raoulia species present.
Raoulia beauverdii A dryland species found scattered throughout Central Otago. Not always easy to identify in the field
[attachimg=1]
Raoulia subsericea A common and very widespread species. It ranges from lowland to subalpine.
[attachimg=2]
The uncommon dryland specialist species Raoulis monroi. It is easily recognised by its unique distichous leaf arrangement but is very easy to overlook in the field as it blends in with its surroundings.
[attachimg=3] [attachimg=4]
I found and photographed one capitulum that was still intact
[attachimg=5]
-
For all Raoulia growers worldwide, the true Raoulia australis; note the tightly packed cushion and golden flowers. If your plants are not like this then it is not Raoulia australis.
[attachimg=1] [attachimg=2]
One more species, Raoulia parkii. It is not particularly common so finding it in flower was a bonus. It is rather beautiful.
[attachimg=3] [attachimg=4]
A closeup of the flowers
[attachimg=5]
-
Even though the elevation is too low for true alpine plants there are a number of interesting Raoulia species present.
Raoulia beauverdii A dryland species found scattered throughout Central Otago. ...
Raoulia subsericea A common and very widespread species. It ranges from lowland to subalpine.
The uncommon dryland specialist species Raoulis monroi....
Hi David,
some splendid pics from you and Dave!
It's exciting to see that there are dryland raoulia spp as they are more likely to survive here! Unfortunately only R. australis is on our "Allowed List" as I'll need to get onto doing a submission or two to try to get these added! I may send you a PM to get some more info ;D
cheers
fermi
-
Hello, Fermi.
Is the import permitted by Raoulia glabra and Raoulia subseriaca to Australia? If so, then it says me please. I have harvested fresh seeds.
Thomas
-
Sadly not, Thomas, :'(
I've sent you a PM referring to recent changes in Australia's import regulations,
cheers
fermi
-
I had R. monroi briefly in the 70s - it came from Jack Drake's nursery where I met Ron McBeath.
I also had a plant labelled R. parkii but it was completely different from the pictures above.
It was a cushion with pointed leaves with a golden sheen - imagine a tiny cushion of Leucogenes leontopodium in gold - any ideas what that would have been?
-
I have so many images from our lecture tour to NZ and so little time to post at the moment ... I will get around to sorting them out in the fullness of time! Just a taster for today, a roadside shot on beautiful Mt Hutt ... so many species ...
-
Absolutely incredibly... Dave. Beauty cannot end a year... or? Actually, I get no more presents at Christmas. Now, nevertheless, I have got another one... your pictures. 😁😁
Thomas
Wow Toolie fantastic pictures of Raoulia youngii and Haastia sinclairii.
Thanks very much for posting
Thanks guys for all these wonderful images of great plants and scenery brings back fond memories of my visit.
A fabulous tour. Thank you.
Thanks all
Fiddlers Flat looks an interesting area David.As you have mentioned Raoulia parkii is beautiful.
I took the poor mans 4 wheel drive up onto the Old Man Range yesterday.A warm sunny day not at all like our visit Ian Y. of a few years back.
[attachimg=1]
Quite a number of the plants in the extensive cushion fields are having a year off from flowering.
[attachimg=2]
Not so Craspedia lanata yellow form .....
[attachimg=3]
or Raoulia hectori var hectori
[attachimg=4]
and a few Hebe imbricata.
[attachimg=5]
-
Around Tors
[attachimg=1]
in cooler positions Chionohebe glabra .
[attachimg=2]
Cliff ledges Aciphylla simplex.
[attachimg=3]
Nearby Gentianella bellidifolia
[attachimg=4]
-
I also had a plant labelled R. parkii but it was completely different from the pictures above.
It was a cushion with pointed leaves with a golden sheen - imagine a tiny cushion of Leucogenes leontopodium in gold - any ideas what that would have been?
Hi Mark,
As with many other Raoulias there is some variation in the foliage colour. I looked through my image library and found the following picture not particularly golden but tending that way.
-
Around late snowbanks and moist areas.
[attachimg=1]
Phyllachne rubra
[attachimg=2]
Polystichum cystostegia not yet in full growth
[attachimg=3]
Ourisia glandulosa
[attachimg=4]
and the moss like mats of Raoulia subulata
[attachimg=5]
-
Finally
Acaena saccaticupula in full flight.
[attachimg=1]
Cheers.
-
Particularly impresses me today Gentianella bellidifolia... in a bed of Kelleria(?) A wonderful arrangement.
And the red motorcycle... great contrast. 😊
-
in cooler positions Chionohebe glabra .
It looks like you had a good day. I am surprised Hilda is letting you out of the house at the moment after some of your more recent escapades.
I used to think the Chionohebes at the base of the tors (similar to the one you have posted) were Chionohebe glabra until I found the real one growing on very wet sites in snowbank areas. It sort of keys out to Chionohebe pulvinaris which has been recorded from Otago, but it does not make a lot of sense since Chionohebe pulvinaris has a more northern distribution. The question I would pose and I don't think there is an answer to it yet is "Are these plants more similar genetically to Chionohebe thomsonii which you will find growing on the exposed cushion field a few metres away or to Chionohebe pulvinaris which is found predominantly in the northern part of the South Island"
-
Hi Mark,
As with many other Raoulias there is some variation in the foliage colour. I looked through my image library and found the following picture not particularly golden but tending that way.
hmm, although it's over 30 years ago I don't think it's that.
The leaves had a sharp point. Rather than being woolly they had the same sort of silk / satin finish I remember Leucogenes leontopodium has.
-
It looks like you had a good day. I am surprised Hilda is letting you out of the house at the moment after some of your more recent escapades.
I used to think the Chionohebes at the base of the tors (similar to the one you have posted) were Chionohebe glabra until I found the real one growing on very wet sites in snowbank areas. It sort of keys out to Chionohebe pulvinaris which has been recorded from Otago, but it does not make a lot of sense since Chionohebe pulvinaris has a more northern distribution. The question I would pose and I don't think there is an answer to it yet is "Are these plants more similar genetically to Chionohebe thomsonii which you will find growing on the exposed cushion field a few metres away or to Chionohebe pulvinaris which is found predominantly in the northern part of the South Island"
Thanks for the comments David.
Maybe we need another visit to the very wet site on the Pisa Range to make a comparison..... ;D
-
hmm, although it's over 30 years ago I don't think it's that.
The leaves had a sharp point. Rather than being woolly they had the same sort of silk / satin finish I remember Leucogenes leontopodium has.
Hi Mark ... so alike maybe?
-
in some ways - much smaller, leaves probably 3mm, noticeable point, green yellow with a silk / satin sheen. Formed a dense cushion, might have formed a mat if I hadn't killed it.
-
ok, I think I've found it..it look like this one, labelled Raoulia hectori var mollis
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Raoulia_hectori_var_mollis_1.JPG
-
Dave, I'm afraid to ask but in that photo of the bike, what is that huge patch of blood above it? Whom did you slaughter? ;D
-
ok, I think I've found it..it look like this one, labelled Raoulia hectori var mollis
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Raoulia_hectori_var_mollis_1.JPG
I have searched for Raoulia images on the web and have seen some weird and wonderful things. Sadly many of them are mis-identified. Apart from simple identification errors once plants are taken into cultivation they frequently loose their original character and become unrecognisable. I would place the image in the Wikipedia link of R. hectorii var mollis in this category. However I have retrieved this from my image library. It is provisionally labelled Raoulia hectorii var mollis but since the entire genus needs to be revised I cannot be certain it is named correctly. It comes from Mt Burns and is related to Raoulia hectorii but has a golden colouration. When I first found it I tag named it Raoulia hectori "Golden'
[attachimg=1]
-
hi, yes, that looks like it. I wonder where Jack Drake's got it from? I bought a number of New Zealand plants from them I've never seen elsewhere - from memory it was Aciphylla simplex, Phyllacne colensoi, Pygmea tetragona, Raoulia monroi, Dracophyllum lyalli and many more.
-
Fantastic landscapes and plants :o
-
Jack Drake specialised (among others) in NZ plants that is where we got our enthusiasm for them way back in the early 1970's - he used to get seed sent from NZ.
Many of the special plants Inschriach propagated and sold started to disappear from circulation when John Lawson, who took over the nursery, retired.
-
Ian...
It is really a great pity ones that there is no respectable successor in this special area. I would pay a property... for good seeds from NZ. 😭😭
Thomas
-
I used to get seed from the New Zealand alpine garden society - don't they do that any more?
-
I used to get seed from the New Zealand alpine garden society - don't they do that any more?
yes..... http://www.nzags.com/ (http://www.nzags.com/) - their seed ex for 2017 is over now, though.
-
hmm..seems they don't have as much in the native section as I remember - but then that was along time ago.
-
... I am also a member with NZAGS. I also got various seeds of the seed exchange. I was very grateful for it. 😊, However, some of the shown plants of David and Dave there also is not there. Logically.
Please, excuse my desire. These are the symptoms of the passion. I refuse the addiction prevention. 😂😂😂
Thomas
-
This newcomer is still very small... but for me it is already one of the most valuable NZ in my small collection..... Raoulia eximia x petriensis. I got two little pieces... they're huge to me. ;D
-
As far back as the mid 1960s I and others sent seed of our natives - and small plants too - to Jack Drake and also to a few other people. I remember the great Roy Elliott telling me in 1961, the year I joined the AGS, that he would give his soul for Raoulia eximia. I had a relative at that time managing the sheep station of Mt Nimrod in South Canterbury at that time and was able to send Roy tiny plants as well as seed. I don't recall receiving his soul in exchange but then I wouldn't have known what to do with it anyway. ;D In 1965 when I married, he did send me plants of Calceolaria uniflora, Corydalis cashmiriana (the size of half my little finger nail) and several other precious things. In those wondrous times we could import almost at will.
Bunty Roi of Christchurch (but English I think) managed the NZAGS (then called CAGS, Canterbury AGS) seed exchange for many years and was always on the lookout for donors of native alpine seed. Jack Drake also had a lot of seed from Brian Halliwell, as did others. I in my 20s and 30s was a lot fitter than I am now and regularly joined the field trips and sometimes went privately to collect seed, especially in South Canterbury where I lived and on places like the Rock and Pillar and the Old Man Range in Otago. Them were the days! :) You are right Mark in that the NZAGS native list is much smaller than in those times. Our Otago Alpine Garden Group has few if any natives listed now in the seed exchange. There are various reasons. One contributor withdrew a few years ago and while a couple try, the opportunities to collect are not now as many as many places are forbidden to collectors. Then too, commercial collectors have taken over the role of the gardener who walks and tramps a bit. I think we used to send seed overseas just because we could, as a way perhaps of exchanging seed with northern gardeners who sent their seed to us of desirable European, American or Asian plants but then our restrictions were brought in and there are so many plants we would love to try from seed but may not.
Tony Hall at Kew told me a few years ago that he believed he had lived through a "golden age" of alpine gardening, when anyone could grow anything they wished from anywhere in the world and new material was available to anyone who went looking for it. The governments of the world are now aware of the value of their native floras and even the great botanic gardens must have the written permission of those governments before they collect seed or plants for scientific collections, let alone for the obscure rock gardener who just wants to grow something new and beautiful as balm to her/his soul.
-
Dear Lesley,
Thank you very much for the interesting remarks from the past. After all, there are still some very good native NZ seeds at the NZAGS seed exchange. We are grateful for every grain and can only guess how much work it does. Thanks.
The issue of strict restrictions on the import of seeds is a complicated one.
In times of globalization, perhaps it is only in this way that one can try to preserve the unique nature with you.
Unfortunately, there are enough negative examples of the destruction of unique wonders of nature.
However, it is very sad for responsible gardeners and botanists in New Zealand. It's probably only the illegal way...
... the import of "tea" will increase. ;)
Best greetings and wishes from me
... By the way... for seeds of Raoulia eximia (and many other things) I would also sell my soul. ;D ;D
-
I remember Roy from the 70s - he was always kind to me - most were, I was a novelty, a teen with a passion for alpines.
I remember the name Bunty Roi too although I never met her.
I possibly grew R. eximea from seed from one of the first AGS seed exchanges I took part in. I grew about 6 seedlings - I took them to Joe Elliott's place - there was a group of people in his shed, Joe, probably Ralph Heywood and some others. When I asked if I'd got R. eximea from seed they laughed. When I showed them what I had it all went VERY quiet. I think the seedlings were actually a mixture, there were some silvery things with pointed leaves but there were a couple that were clearly eximea or at least a member of that little group. I kept them something like 18 moths - 2 years but it was just too hot I think for them in my tiny greenhouse.
I feel in the UK we are still in a good period, I used to read wistfully about buying shortias by the square foot, but things tend to come and go, I remember the invasion of the Dionysias and various other waves. Mind you being a Cyclamen enthusiast I probably have a particularly rosy perspective.
-
Fiordland yesterday
Tarns in morning light .
[attachimg=1]
Drosera arcturi enjoying moist positions
[attachimg=2]
as well as Aciphylla pinnatifida.
[attachimg=3]
Nearby a couple of Celmisias.
C. holosericea
[attachimg=4]
and C. coriacea.
[attachimg=5]
-
Climbing higher in cloud to the next set of tarns
[attachimg=1]
Donatia novae zealandiae is having a very good year .
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Nearby Celmisia verbascifolia.
[attachimg=5]
-
Hi Dave,
a particularly beautiful and mysterious atmosphere in the clouds. Fantastic. This makes the flowers shine even more brightly.
I especially like the Donatia novae zealandiae. I love these mats. Even without flowers they would be beautiful for me.
Thanks
Thomas
-
Thanks Thomas
It was an enjoyable trip and outcome as I was able to travel downhill without any pain in both knees ,(especially my right one), after a fall a few weeks back.It's great to know I'm not going to be restricted to flat country. ;) ;D ;D
Donatia n.z can also be found at sea level in bogs a few miles along the coast from our home.
I have few more images to post later.
Cheers Dave.
-
Reaching the uppermost tarns the weather started to clear .....
[attachimg=1]
and close at hand on the slopes in short turf can be found a number of yummy foliated forms of smaller Celmisia hybrids, involving sessiliflora and or viscosa .
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
As well as a Veronica which I think is V. hectori .(Seems so strange to using Veronica after being so used to Hebe .... sigh . :( ).
[attachimg=5]
-
More tomorrow. ::) ;D
-
Always a treat to enjoy the great landscapes and see plants from the NZ mountains :) I hope your knees will serve you well for many years to come Dave.
The Donatia cushion is really impressive - one more new species for me!
-
Thank you for those kind words Gabriela. :)
More of the short turf community ... some of the plants can be quite cryptic such as this Astelia .
[attachimg=1]
Lovely low form of Gentianella bellidifolia .
[attachimg=2]
Numerous Brachyglottis bellidioides.
[attachimg=3]
Cushions of Phyllachne colensoi starting to bloom.
[attachimg=4]
Then working my way up onto fellfield and cliffs searching for buttercups.
[attachimg=5]
-
Unfortunately most of the Ranunculus had flowered and were in seed . I located 3 plants still in bloom including this hybrid of R. lyallii x buchananii,
[attachimg=1]
R .buchananii
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
Nearby Ourisia remotifolia , front
[attachimg=4]
and back.
[attachimg=5]
-
Another Ourisia sps.
[attachimg=1]
Reaching the ridge line, Aciphylla crosby-smithii.
[attachimg=2]
View and a bit of leg porn ;D ;D.
[attachimg=3]
View in the opposite direction across the valley.
[attachimg=4]
Not a particularly good flowering year down this end of the South island with many genera having a year off ...... :'(
Completely by chance I managed to 'bump' into this fellow on the way down as Mr Newall and his daughter Fiona were making their way up .
Steve Newall.
[attachimg=5]
Cheers.
-
Hi Dave....
my best wishes for your knees. Mine is similar... but durable and irreparable. :(
The low shape of Gentianella bellidifolia is fantastic. Also the picture of Phyllanche colensoi is the madness... so many different species in a small space. Ingenious.
And there's not much to say about Aciphylla crosby-smithii... a dream.
Cheers
Thomas
... by the way, even though it is not botanically correct, my friends and I continue to use the term Hebe. Hebe is New Zealand... Veronica the rest of the world. ;D ;D
-
Nice to see you are still able to walk up hills, Mr Toole :)
-
Not a particularly good flowering year down this end of the South island with many genera having a year off
Looks pretty good from here though, t00lie!
Good to see your knees are still in some sort of working order - don't overdo it.
Must say I still find it hard to see your legs without their purple woolly tights, even after all these years - I'm never sure it's really you!
-
Hi Dave....
my best wishes for your knees. Mine is similar... but durable and irreparable. :(
The low shape of Gentianella bellidifolia is fantastic. Also the picture of Phyllanche colensoi is the madness... so many different species in a small space. Ingenious.
And there's not much to say about Aciphylla crosby-smithii... a dream.
Cheers
Thomas
... by the way, even though it is not botanically correct, my friends and I continue to use the term Hebe. Hebe is New Zealand... Veronica the rest of the world. ;D ;D
They will probably go back to Hebe at some stage Thomas ..... ;)
Nice to see you are still able to walk up hills, Mr Toole :)
;D
Looks pretty good from here though, t00lie!
Good to see your knees are still in some sort of working order - don't overdo it.
Must say I still find it hard to see your legs without their purple woolly tights, even after all these years - I'm never sure it's really you!
;D ;D
Rather too warm here for tights Mrs Young 8) .I understand it got down to a balmy 12c overnight when Steve camped out in the 'hills' recently. Highs of 32c on the coast here the last couple of days ..Yuk !. Seems I picked the wrong week to start back at work Maggi..... ::) ;D
-
Last week I joined Heidi Meudt and Antony Kusabs from Te Papa in Wellington for a few days botanical field work in North Otago and South Canterbury. A number of other people joined the party at different stages including Hugh Wood who some of you know.The others were longstanding friends and colleagues, all expert field botanists so it was really nice to get out in the field with them again. Dave Toole had been on an earlier excursion to Hummock Peak with them but he did not come to North Otago. Heidi and Ant were collecting Myosotis species. The first site we wished to visit was Mt Ida where Donald Petrie had originally collected Myosotis oreophila. We headed up the Hawkdun Range on the 4WD track where we left the vehicles at 1600 m and headed across a series of high ridges and saddles to Mt Ida.
Chionochloa macra tussock grassland and screes of the Hawkdun Range
[attachimg=1]
Looking south watching the weather
[attachimg=2]
Heading across to Mt Ida
[attachimg=3]
Looking north east Mt Ida on right
[attachimg=4]
Another view of Mt Ida; No one reached the summit but several members of the party got to the crest of the long ridge centre of the picture. Too much botanising.
[attachimg=5]
-
Raoulia eximia was plentiful on the screes and rock outcrops
A flock of vegetable sheep in the distance browsing on stones
[attachimg=1]
Coming closer
[attachimg=2][attachimg=3]
A rather nice specimen
[attachimg=4]
Close up showing dark red flowers
[attachimg=5]
-
We have plenty of Raoulias
Raoulia hectorii var hectorii which is very common on these high alpine exposed sites.
[attachimg=1]
and much less common Raoulia petriensis
[attachimg=2][attachimg=3]
closeup
[attachimg=4][attachimg=5]
-
A nice specimen of Hebe epacridea
[attachimg=1]
And growing in the rock outcrops Leucogenes grandiceps ( specially photographed for you, Thomas)
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Now we come to one of the more spectacular finds of the day; several hybrids betwen Raoulia eximia and Leucogenes grandiceps. These bigeneric hybrids are infrequently found in the wild but a few have found their way into cultivation most notably Raoulia loganii which is a hybrid between Raoulia rubra and Leucogenes leontopodium.
First the hybrid and Raoulia eximia growing side by side
[attachimg=1]
Two examples of the hybrid
[attachimg=2][attachimg=3]
Close up of the cushion showing flowers
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Hello, David,
I am almost speechless with enthusiasm. What a pleasure these pictures are to me. There is no need for any further remarks about the individual images. They're all equally beautiful. Thank you very much for these breathtaking photos.
Now it's a beautiful day for me. ;D
Thomas
-
Same like Thomas - now it's a beautiful evening for me :)
These Raoulia are pretty incredible plants!
-
Nice images David .
Of particular interest is R.petriensis which Ive never seen in the wild.
Thanks for posting.
-
Hi everyone,
Pleased you liked the images. Still have a lot more to catalogue and database.
Dave, we saw R. petriei at two places; Hawkdun Range and Awakino (over the other side of the saddle). The other thing that may be of interest to you is that we found Montigena on the Hawkdun Range. It has certainly been recorded from there in the past but now I know where it is
-
Not only interesting for Dave... Montigena novae-zelandiae I also find very beautiful. ;D
I'm looking forward to the upcoming pictures, David.
Thomas
-
David, it is great to see the Raoulia and hybrids, there seems to be a lot of flower, is this a particularly good year for their flowers?
-
Hi everyone,
Pleased you liked the images. Still have a lot more to catalogue and database.
Dave, we saw R. petriei at two places; Hawkdun Range and Awakino (over the other side of the saddle). The other thing that may be of interest to you is that we found Montigena on the Hawkdun Range. It has certainly been recorded from there in the past but now I know where it is
Great you came across the Montigena David, if I remember correctly at one stage many years ago we talked about trying locate it in that area however not long after that discussion Doug Logan and I located plants in flower near Lake Lyndon ,Canterbury so it got 'put on the back burner' ......... ;)
I have another image somewhere in my image library of it's stunning inflated seed pods looking like some of the North American Astragalus .
[attachimg=1]
-
David, it is great to see the Raoulia and hybrids, there seems to be a lot of flower, is this a particularly good year for their flowers?
Ian, it is not a great year for flowering perhaps with the exception of the Raoulias which seem to be doing fine. Aciphyllas are not flowering this year and Celmisia flowering is very sparse.
-
Dave... what a beautiful picture. What fascinates me absolutely every time is that on the photos of you in the background always the next beautiful plant (in this case a hebe ? ) is to be seen. Are these botanical hot spots, or is it normal that so many different species grow in such a small space?
Impressive... as always. :)
David... what are you leading this year's sometimes sparse flowering of some species? Do you think it's connected to the heat?
Greetings to you both
Thomas
-
Dave... what a beautiful picture. What fascinates me absolutely every time is that on the photos of you in the background always the next beautiful plant (in this case a hebe ? ) is to be seen. Are these botanical hot spots, or is it normal that so many different species grow in such a small space?
Impressive... as always. :)
David... what are you leading this year's sometimes sparse flowering of some species? Do you think it's connected to the heat?
Greetings to you both
Thomas
Sorry for the delay in replying Thomas as it's been rather busy here with our oldest daughters wedding. :)
It's not unusual to find a wealth of different genera growing close together Thomas .On the other hand large areas of scree tend to be quite bare , their specialized inhabitants seemingly to prefer lack of competition ,just the right aspect ,moisture and soil like fine material .......
Cheers Dave.
-
This batch of pictures is from the St Marys Range on the day after we visited Mt Ida.
Looking north east across the Waitaki Valley from the crest of the St Marys Range
[attachimg=1]
Kohurau, the highest point on the St Marys Range (2015 metres)
[attachimg=2]
St Marys Range; two views
[attachimg=3][attachimg=4]
Looking south west to Mt Ida more or less where we had been the previous day. Mt Ida is the bump on the end of the far skyline ridge. The ridge which runs to the right is the Hawkdun Range. Behind that on the very far right is Mt St Bathans which is difficult to make out on this sized image.
[attachimg=5]
-
@Dave
Ohh... my very best congratulations to the newly married couple. Thank you for your information. :)
@David
... a dreamlike scenery. I especially like the first picture of Waitaki Valley. Fantastic play of light and shadow on the folds of the mountains. I envy you for this brilliant panorama.
Thanks
Thomas
-
@Dave
Ohh... my very best congratulations to the newly married couple. Thank you for your information. :)
Thomas
:)
-
I thought I might show a few plants from Awakino
First a little stream that supports a rich vegetation in contrast to all the screes.
[attachimg=1]
Epilobium macropus grows where there lots of water available. The flowers of this species are quite large and very prolific.
[attachimg=2]
Out on the scree you find Epilobium porphyrium
[attachimg=3]
and close up of the brilliant red capsules
[attachimg=4]
Brachyglottis haastii. Hugh Wood showed me this plant and told me it is the only one he has ever found at Awakino. However it is relatively common elsewhere.
[attachimg=5]
-
Moving further out on to the screes you find the real scree specialists.
Epilobium pycnostachyum
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
The photographers nemesis (if you have ever tried to photograph it on a bright sunny day) Leptinella atrata subsp atrata
[attachimg=3]
Lobelia roughii
[attachimg=4]
Myosotis traversii var cantabrica which blends into the surrounding scree.
[attachimg=5]
-
Hello David
Very nice to see these specialists for the scree heaps. I find Myosotis traversii var cantabrica and this fabulous Brachyglottis haastii especially fantastic.
I can only say the following about Leptinella atrata subsp atrata. I've been looking for it all my life. But I can't find anyone who has seeds from this beautiful plant. :'( I love these bordeaux-coloured flowers very much.
I only have to show Leptinella dendyi... but from 2016.
Thank you very much for the beautiful pictures... David.
Thomas
-
Hi David
I have just looked at the few pictures on the internet that exist of Myosotis traversii var cantabrica. A really impressive little plant. Beautiful foliage with great hair.
-
Hi Thomas,
I saw more Myosotis traversii the following day. There was a very good clump in flower which I will post. The screes are a feature of this part of the South island and have their own specialised plant flora.The underlying geology of the mountains is graywacke rock which fragments into screes. The schist rock of Central Otago does not form screes so the vegetation is very different. Many of the plants I have been showing you are at their southern limit.
-
Hi David
I find that there are especially beautiful species of alpine flora in these barren screes. Worldwide. Also in Patagonia or in some alpine semi-deserts in Asia I find the flora extremely brilliant.
I would therefore be very happy to receive more pictures and information from these specialists from your home country.
Thomas
-
Today I made some cuttings... most of them are of course New Zealanders. Please wish me luck they're rooting..😁
-
Helllo Thomas, your cuttings get any bottom heat to accelerate root formation? Do you just place them outside in your sheltered plunge? ....meanwhile I definitely wish you all the possible success!
-
Hi Arturo
The cuttings do not receive separate heat from below. They now stand in a generally heated room at the window and additionally receive some artificial light and a glass cover. This increases the humidity.
Thomas
-
[attachimg=1]
Hello David and Dave
After a long time once again a question to you specialists...
Yesterday I received a small copy of Selleria radicans as a gift from a friend from an alpine gardener. He knows my preference for NZ plants. However, he had no further information. After a short research in the internet I saw some pictures of very large areas with this ground cover.
Therefore my question...Is it advisable to establish this plant in the New Zealand part of the Alpinum? Unfortunately, my place is not infinite and I also want to cultivate other species.
I thank you in advance and hope you had a good time and are in good health.
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas
Selleria radicans grows further down the coast from our residence and forms large growths so for that reason I have never introduced it into our garden.
Gentianella saxosa seems to cope well with the competition and seeds away merrily so maybe the Sellaria is a suitable ground cover however seeing how well you grow NZ plants I suspect in your conditions it might take off . :-\
-
Hi Dave
So I had the right premonition.
I don't think I'll be establishing this plant in my alpinum to be on the safe side. However, I would like to continue to observe them out of botanical interest. So a large pot becomes the new home for this plant.
As always, the pictures are magnificent.
cheers
Thomas
-
...as always, I looked at the photos in detail. I noticed a partial similarity of the flower shape with Mazus radicans. At least the petals also point forward. The word "radicans" has not left me alone. Can either of you tell me if there's a connection? I can't find a botanical definition for the word "radicans".
I also noticed that the shape of the flower of Gentianella saxosa differs significantly from my clone. My G. saxosa has narrower flowers on short stems. The picture from nature shows much thicker flowers that almost sit on. An absolute splendour. To kneel down on. Are there different growth forms also with this species?
Please excuse my curiosity...but my botanical interest multiplies almost daily. My wife says I'm ready for the madhouse. 😂😂
Thomas
-
"radicans" means that the plant has rooting stems.
This website - http://www.plantlives.com (http://www.plantlives.com) is one that includes a useful set of botanical definitions
-
Hi Maggi ...
Yes, of course. Thank you for the advice. I've been thinking about it all morning. In the end, I had a little hunch in that direction. Because I was thinking Cotoneaster radicans. This has also a very large urge to the surface covering growth... exactly like the two species specified here. Thank you for your profound knowledge.
I learn something new here every day... wonderful.
Thomas
-
Veronika densifolia (Chionohebe densifolia) of today. But hibernated under glass...so a little earlier. The specimens in the Alpinum are not yet ready...but they have survived this winter very well. :)
-
Hello Thomas,
Your V. densifolia looks very good. You have done very well to keep it alive and get it to flower. I have flowered it but is does not thrive in cultivation and I usually end up losing my plants.
Last weekend I went on a trip to the Rock and Pillar Range inland and to the north west of Dunedin. I was conducting a workshop on photographing alpine plants. The day was clear with a southerly wind and bitterly cold. However we found a sheltered spot and went ahead anyway. At this stage of the year there is not much in flower but still plenty of subjects to photograph.
Looking west from McPhees Rock (1300 m) across the Loganburn reservoir to the high tussock covered plateau of the Lammermoor/Lammerlaw Ranges.
[attachimg=1]
Looking north across the valley of the Taieri River where it it takes a bend around the northern end of the Rock and Pillar Range. The mountains in the distance (from left to right) are Mt St Bathans, Hawkdun Range, Ida Range and Kakanui Mountains.
[attachimg=2]
Looking south back towards Dunedin and the coast.
[attachimg=3]
Some of the massive boulders formed by weathering of the schist outcrops.
[attachimg=4][attachimg=5]
-
There is a big open basin 100 m below the ridge crest witha network of subalpine bogs along the course of the creek draining it. The slopes above the basin would have originally been covered with Chionochloa tussock grassland but most of this is now gone and has been replaced by a smaller tussock Poa colensoi.
Looking back to the crest of the hill showing the different vegetation types. The shrubland middle distance is almost all Veronica (Hebe) odora with a large boggy area in the foreground.
[attachimg=1]
Veronica odora form these lovely hemispherical mounds. The Celmisia in the foreground is Celmisia prorepens
[attachimg=2]
The bogs are drained by little creeks
[attachimg=3]
The cushion bogs are dominated by Dracophyllum muscoides
[attachimg=4]
Lichens and mosses (Racomitrium sp) are abundant as well. This cushion of Dracophyllum muscoides has conspicuous cover of the lichen Thamnolia vermicularis
[attachimg=5]
-
More cushion-forming species, the red berries belong to Montitega dealbata (syn Cyathodes pumila) often confused with Pentachondra pumila and the silvery cushions are Celmisia argentea.
[attachimg=1]
-
A cushion of Celmisia argentea with Veronica odora in the background.
[attachimg=1]
and another cushion of Celmisia argentea with a single flower.
[attachimg=2]
A lawn of Gaultheris parvula covered in fruit in a sphagnum bog. This species is very much at home in these these damp bogs.
[attachimg=3]
On a much drier site a single plant of Gentianella bellidifolia in flower. There is a diverse assemblage of other species here including Phyllachne colensoi, Raoulia grandiflora, Celmisia prorepens, Coprosma perpusilla, Argyrotegium mackayi, Poa colensoi + a few more.
[attachimg=4]
Last a close up of Gentianella bellidifolia.
[attachimg=5]
-
Hi David
What a pleasure to hear from you again.
These pictures...indescribable. Fantastic vegetation and impressive rock formations. I will spare you my enthusiasm for the individual photos. But I think you know how happy these pictures make me.
The workshop for the photography of alpine plants sounds very interesting. Please tell me more about it. Is this organized by the NZAGS? How many participants were there? Please excuse my curiosity.
As always I am looking forward to more pictures and information from the country of my dreams. 😊
Best regards
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
I organised the photography workshop for the Botanical Society of Otago, a group I belong to. We hold an annual photographic competition and produce a calendar. The workshop was aimed a improving members photographic skills. There were 8 people in addition to myself on the day. NZAGS is based in Christchurch. I am not a member.
-
We hold an annual photographic competition and produce a calendar. The workshop was aimed a improving members photographic skills...
Hi David,
a botanical calendar? Can you post a link to where it can be bought or is it only sold locally?
When will the next calendar be produced?
cheers
fermi
-
Hi David
It was certainly a very nice event...even if it was cold. The number of interesting motifs is probably infinite. I'd have to improve my photographic skills, too.
I just checked the website of the bso again. An interesting organization. You offer a lot of events. Enviable.
I looked at your photos again... as always. If you have a big imagination, you can see two faces in the middle of the rocks in the third photo. A fat man and a skinny man...
Of course I would also be interested in the next calendar. If it's available, you can let me know...you should be the first to know...Mr. Chairman. 😊
Thomas
-
Hi David,
a botanical calendar? Can you post a link to where it can be bought or is it only sold locally?
When will the next calendar be produced?
cheers
fermi
Hi Fermi,
The 2019 calendar will be available about September. Link to the Botanical Society of Otago website is https://www.otago.ac.nz/botany/bso/ (https://www.otago.ac.nz/botany/bso/) Price is $NZ 20.00 + postage. Overseas postage adds a significant amount to the initial price as it does not qualify for letter rate.
It is a high quality product and compares very favourably with anything that is available commercially. Our compiler has a very good eye for images and our contributors are very accomplished photographers.
-
Hi Thomas,
Here is an image of mine that was selected for August 2015. I thought in view of you efforts in cultivating Veronica densifolia you might like to see it.
[attachimg=1]
The printed version looks a lot better than it does here. The 200 kb size limit on the Forum means that a lot of resolution and detail of the original images has been sacrificed in the resizing process.
-
Hi David
Thank you very much for this wonderful photography. I think I saw a similar recording of V. densifolia last year. Even then I noticed the completely different color of the leaves. My specimens are coloured in a strong green. Your picture shows some brownish foliage. I read somewhere once that this great plant is also found in the southeast of Australia. Is that true?
I love the structure of the leaves especially...and the situation just before the flowers open... In the photo a copy outside... (Alpinum)
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas,
There is a wide range of variation in V. densifolia in the wild. Usually it forms rather loose mats but can form cushions at times. The leaves may be entire or sometimes three-lobed. You are correct; it is also found in Australia. Here is a photo of a green form; no flowers this time.
-
Hi David
I'm not 100% sure...but I think I remember that my V. densifolia clones are originally from Australia. Personally, I like the red-brown variety with the open growth of your photograph best.
The shape of the foliage is wonderful in all variants shown.
I will try to get a copy of the next calendar from the BSO.
Thomas
-
Hi David
As it is much too warm for the time of year, nature is making great progress. That's why Myosotis glabrescens is a little early. But it looks promising. So it could work this year with seeds for you.
I am particularly happy about the third photo...to my great joy Gentianella corymbifera germinates. I got the seeds from Philippe from France.
Best regards
Thomas
-
Last weekend I went on a trip to the Rock and Pillar Range inland and to the north west of Dunedin. I was conducting a workshop on photographing alpine plants. The day was clear with a southerly wind and bitterly cold. However we found a sheltered spot and went ahead anyway. At this stage of the year there is not much in flower but still plenty of subjects to photograph.
More than beautiful mountains scenery, indescribable like Thomas says :)
-
Thomas you are lucky to grow all these incredible New Zealand plants. They won't survive our winter. Geranium sessiliflorum is the only one I grow.
-
Hello Kris
Cultivating native NZ is not easy in my garden either. I have painful losses to report this winter too. Species such as Leucogenes neglecta, some of which are definitely unrecoverable, are also included. That's doubly painful. But I don't want to complain...the micro-climate in my garden gets most of the NZ pretty good.
It is much more difficult to obtain plants and seeds from this breathtaking region. Squaring the circle is probably easier. But I will try to gather more species. Some Celmisias have been sown for a year...not yet germinated.
Wish me luck. 😊
Thomas
-
wishing you all the luck in the world ;D
-
Thomas you are lucky to grow all these incredible New Zealand plants. They won't survive our winter. Geranium sessiliflorum is the only one I grow.
I spent three years in Saskatoon; Not many NZ plants would survive -350C. I did not see many NZ plants during my time there though Cordyline australis was a popular patio plant. Unless brought indoors they would not survive the first frost. It was always nice to retreat to the Saskatoon Civic Conservatory in the middle of winter, a little bit of a haven in the middle of the city when everything was covered in snow and ice.
-
I spent three years in Saskatoon; Not many NZ plants would survive -350C. I did not see many NZ plants during my time there though Cordyline australis was a popular patio plant. Unless brought indoors they would not survive the first frost. It was always nice to retreat to the Saskatoon Civic Conservatory in the middle of winter, a little bit of a haven in the middle of the city when everything was covered in snow and ice.
Hi David it is nice to know that someone knows about the existence of Saskatoon in Canada.
When I moved here from USA 20 years ago I was amazed to find out that some Torontonians did not know about this place. ::)
Yes Saskatoon is really cold but I don't mind it . I am more concerned about the long winter. There are some amazing New Zealand plants but unfortunately I can't grow them
-
At the moment Drapetes dieffenbachii is blooming. I like this little delicate plant.
Thomas
-
To my great surprise and joy, I discovered today the very first flowering approach at Aciphylla monroi. I've lost a lot of things... that makes up for something.
Thomas
-
I lost most of my Leucopogon fraseri stock in winter. The plants were at least 8 years old. But what is still there shows, as every year, these beautiful jug flowers. I like this form of growth very much.
Thomas
-
Do you also get the round, orange fruit on your leucopogon Thomas, following the flowers? They are very attractive especially in quantity.
-
Do you also get the round, orange fruit on your leucopogon Thomas, following the flowers? They are very attractive especially in quantity.
Yes, the fruits in autumn are very pretty, Lesley. Unfortunately I couldn't find a better photo of it in the archive...
-
...but the very sight of the foliage makes my heart beat faster. 😊
Thomas
-
Not much is blooming in my little New Zealand at the moment...Hebe buchanananii var. minor, however, for the first time. I hope it's the correct name.
And Gaultheria parvula shows her best side.
Thomas
-
This year again, only L. grandiceps of the four existing species of the genus Leucogenes will flower.
Thomas
-
Helichrysum selago var. tumidum seems to be indestructible. 😊
-
I assume Thomas, that you have a plant/s of Leucogenes leontopodium? I wonder why that one doesn't flower? For me it's by far the easiest to grow, flower and propagate from either cuttings or seed. I find L. grandiceps very tricky indeed and have lost it several times, so I envy you for your nice plant and good photo of it.
Getting cold here now. Yesterday morning our outside temperature guage was -7C and this morning was -8C. That's quite severe for here.
-
Hi Lesley
I am currently still in the lucky position of having all four species of this genus in my small collection. I have several copies of Leucogenes leontopodium. The last time, however, it flowered was in 2016. I don't know why.
From L. grandiceps I only have the one already shown and another small one. Last year two plants of L. grandiceps blossomed...However time-shifted. Last year and also this week I tried to pollinate the flowers with a brush. I was able to harvest some seeds, but I suspect that several flowering plants are needed to obtain germinable seeds. I've sown the seeds and I'll wait.
My specimen of Leucogene's grandiceps has relatively long shoots. I am very grateful for the flowers...but the different growth forms in Reply # 165 by David Lyttle are a thousand times more beautiful.
I have often tried to propagate this plant with cuttings. I haven't succeeded either.
Leucogenes neglecta and Leucogenes tarahaoa ( Only one copy at a time 😭) have never flowered... but the flowers are just a bonus to me anyway. I am fascinated by the whole habitus and every day I am grateful to admire a small part of the New Zealand plants in my garden.
By the way...it is very warm here at the moment (32°C yesterday) and there are strong local thunderstorms every evening. Overall, May was much too dry.
Thomas
-
These seedlings give me a headache...David and Dave . They were purchased seeds from the legendary Notothlaspi rosulatum. Since I understandably have no experience with this plant, I wonder whether I have actually succeeded in germinating this precious plant. The slightly serrated shape of the leaves could be an indication.
Maybe you have experience with this treasure and can give me an ID?
Sowing on 12.01.2017
I thank in advance
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas
I haven't had Notothlaspi rosulatum for a while but I did manage to show it at the 2009 Malvern AGS show. There is a photo' and brief write up on the AGS website. Go to AGS Groups/Group websites/Wiltshire Group/News. Although the group folded last December the site is still available. The seed was SRGC wild collected sown in December 2007. It is a very difficult plant to keep remotely in character; this was my best ever effort.
Regards
Paul
-
Direct link to see the picture Paul (Dionysia) mentions here : http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/groups/Wiltshire/news/ (http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/groups/Wiltshire/news/)
-
Maggi...thank you very much for the great service. Same as always. Paul already sent me the link. We have been writing each other for some time and I am very grateful and happy about this correspondence. A true master of his trade.
By the way...it is a "shame" that this extraordinary jewel of botany can be seen in this contribution of the AGS in the middle part. That belongs at the top. 😁😁
Thomas
-
These seedlings give me a headache...David and Dave . They were purchased seeds from the legendary Notothlaspi rosulatum. Since I understandably have no experience with this plant, I wonder whether I have actually succeeded in germinating this precious plant. The slightly serrated shape of the leaves could be an indication.
Maybe you have experience with this treasure and can give me an ID?
Sowing on 12.01.2017
I thank in advance
Thomas
Hello Thomas
I have no experience of germinating or growing Notothlaspi rosulatum however Ger van den Beuken posted an image on FB back in early May of his penwiper seedlings ,(which look similar to yours),so you may be in luck..... ;D .
Best wishes for a successful outcome.
I haven't had Notothlaspi rosulatum for a while but I did manage to show it at the 2009 Malvern AGS show. There is a photo' and brief write up on the AGS website. Go to AGS Groups/Group websites/Wiltshire Group/News. Although the group folded last December the site is still available. The seed was SRGC wild collected sown in December 2007. It is a very difficult plant to keep remotely in character; this was my best ever effort.
Regards
Paul
Congratulations Paul yours is a wonderful effort as N.R. can vary a little in the wild as shown in the following photo's.
My shots of Doug Logan 'sneaking up ' on a good sized plant and close up .
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
An image from Doug of a couple of plants.
[attachimg=3]
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi Dave
I'm so happy to hear from you again. It's been a while. I hope you had a nice summer and autumn and are in the best of health.
Your testimony gives me great hope. Perhaps I am very lucky and it is indeed Notothlaspi rosulatum.
It would be the culmination of my modest efforts to cultivate a small part of the alpine flora of New Zealand.
Your pictures are gorgeously beautiful. Especially Doug Logan's sneaking up on me is very successful. I hope you've observed the wind direction... like any great hunter. 😂😂
So I will be patient and try to keep this botanical treasure alive...if it really is Notothlaspi rosulatum. For me it is like "the Holy Grail" and further cultivation is almost squaring the circle. 😁
Hope is the last to die...In the appendix again a somewhat better photo .
All the best
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas
Yes all well here thanks .Been very busy finishing off work for clients before winter bites which it has this week with heavy frosts and cold daytime temps ....... :o
Here's a couple more images ;D
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
The scaling ? where the hairs grow ,(sorry i don't know the correct botanical description) on the leaves in your closeup photograph convinces me that you have the 'real deal'. :P.
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Thomas
Yes all well here thanks .Been very busy finishing off work for clients before winter bites which it has this week with heavy frosts and cold daytime temps ....... :o
Here's a couple more images ;D
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)
The scaling ? where the hairs grow ,(sorry i don't know the correct botanical description) on the leaves in your closeup photograph convinces me that you have the 'real deal'. :P.
Cheers Dave.
That's fantastic news for me... Dave. I have a smile on my face all day long about it. 😊
Animated by the confirmation I immediately decided to plant the young plants in special high pots. The roots were very long. I have noticed that I have a steady hand in this delicate matter today. So I potted some more botanical treasures.
Thanks again for the beautiful pictures and explanations.
cheers
Thomas
-
Two years ago I lost Carmichaelia corrugata...Now I have three new young plants. 😆
-
I find the appearance of Carex berggrenii and Carex petriei particularly beautiful. It looks partly necrotic...I find that quite appealing. This year there are many seeds... ;D
-
I find the appearance of Carex berggrenii and Carex petriei particularly beautiful. It looks partly necrotic...I find that quite appealing. This year there are many seeds... ;D
Lovely to see you are growing Carex petriei Thomas.
In the wild it is a most attractive smaller growing sedge .Here's a couple of images from Northern Southland where I located it in a sunny damp position near the edge of a tarn in the company of Viola cunninghamii and the equally attractive Rumex flexuosus ,(NZ Dock).
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi Dave and David
today I show you some new additions, which I got from Alasdair (Ardfearn Nursery).
The first picture shows a fantastic Celmisia semicordata. She is completely white and very hairy. An absolute dream. The plant comes from Alasdair's father's garden. What a great honor for me.
The next two photos show two Celmisias I need your help with. Names are missing. They could also be hybrids. Maybe you can identify them.
To create a worthy background for the last photo, I took off my T-shirt at short notice...I do what i can. ;D ;D ;D
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas
Your Celmisia semicordata is lovely .The silver foliated forms of ssps stricta I generally see in the wild in Northern Southland aren't as hairy as your plant.They can over time become large clumps as found on Mt Bee ,Northern Southland .....The woolly flower as it develops belongs in an alien movie .... ;D
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Sorry Thomas I've had to moderate my post as the system won't allow me to load another image... ::)
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Thomas
Your first unknown Celmisia is C.angustifolia where on Mt Dobson ,South Canterbury various coloured leaf forms can be found growing in mass.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
I think your last unknown Celmisia is either C.discolor or C.allanii .
I'll not make any comment on your choice of T.shirt /underer :o ;)
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi Dave
Thank you for the fantastic pictures and the helpful identification.
The photos of the Celmisia semicordata are breathtaking. Especially the half open flower is fabulous. The brown down and the white interior form a beautiful combination.
I think the fact that I photographed yesterday without a T-shirt belongs more in a horror film. 😂😂
There's a third Celmisia for identification. I forgot to take a detailed photo yesterday. I'll pass it along tonight.
I hope I can keep these botanical treasures alive. Perhaps you have heard of this year's heat and drought in the north. In some regions it is the driest year since the beginning of weather data records. I've already suffered some painful losses...so wish me luck.
cheers
Thomas
-
Thomas, you are a very lucky boy, these plants are practically not available in our country
by the nursery trade. I tried several times to raise Celmisias and other gems from NZ from
seeds, but the hot and dry weather (besides my lack of experience) stopped further succes.
Good luck with these goodies!
-
...here is the third Celmisia that Alasdair gave me. Maybe you can identify her. When editing the photo, I noticed the tiny points on the edges of the leaves...perhaps this is characteristic of a certain species?
cheers
Thomas
-
Thomas, you are a very lucky boy, these plants are practically not available in our country
by the nursery trade. I tried several times to raise Celmisias and other gems from NZ from
seeds, but the hot and dry weather (besides my lack of experience) stopped further succes.
Good luck with these goodies!
Hi Rudi
I'm very glad we have the same passion. It's almost impossible to get such botanical jewels. I am grateful for every donation. I have to admit that my previous attempts to cultivate some native NZ from seed have been unsuccessful. But I'll keep trying.
The breathtaking photos of David and Dave encourage me again and again. Even if it is not very easy at the moment...the current weather is sub-optimal.
If I can come to the meeting in Tübingen this autumn, I will try to introduce myself to you personally.
regards
Thomas
-
Today I went to a plant market in Erfurt. I was able to buy some interesting things again.
My friends from the Arctic - Alpine - Garden were also there. You have succeeded in reproducing a particularly small clone of Leucopogon fraseri. It was collected by a friend in the area of Mt. Peel. It differs clearly in its form of growth. All parts are much smaller and more compact than with the plants of this kind known to me.
I really like this species and I am very happy about this tiny one, which is only a few centimetres high.
Cheers
Thomas
-
Autumn 2018... ;D
-
Thomas, do you grow Pernettya mucronata? It's slightly larger and is a typical forest underground species particularly found in very cold positions, where large vertical cliffs generate cold pockets in valley bottoms. It grows in southern exposure in clearings next to dense and dark Nothofagus dombeyii forests. It is found associated with Empetrum rubrum and the fern Blechnum penna marina.
-
Thomas, do you grow Pernettya mucronata? It's slightly larger and is a typical forest underground species particularly found in very cold positions, where large vertical cliffs generate cold pockets in valley bottoms. It grows in southern exposure in clearings next to dense and dark Nothofagus dombeyii forests. It is found associated with Empetrum rubrum and the fern Blechnum penna marina.
Hello Arturo
I don't have Pernettya mucronata in my little collection. So far the size of the plant has deterred me. I prefer the small plants.
But maybe I have more space after the demolition and renovation of the Alpinum. Today I started with it.
I currently have four different Gaultheria species...3 from New Zealand and one from the Himalayas. I find the Ericaceae family generally very interesting. Most of them look very attractive all year round.
I also like Empetrum. In the appendix you can see a representative...Empetrum eamesii from Newfoundland.
...I'll get back to you in the coming week. It is already again much too long ago. 😊
Thomas
-
Thomas
Perhaps Pernettya 'Pearls', one of Barry Starling's creations, is worth considering.
john
-
Hello John
Thanks for the tip... but it's a little complicated with me.
When I started to be enthusiastic about alpine plants, I set myself the personal goal to cultivate exclusively pure botanical forms and to refrain from breeding. I admit it...this is a very ambitious motto. I try to remain disciplined in this respect.
But there are few exceptions...who can escape the fascination of Gentiana, Saxifraga and Sempervivum?
But otherwise I have remained steadfast so far. With this I don't want to evaluate the countless horticultural breeds negatively.
It's just a little quirk of mine. 😁
Thanks again
Thomas
-
Looking at the beautiful plants from the show in Newcastle I noticed the following. My plant originally identified as Celmisia semicordata is probably a Celmisia monroi. At least the great specimen of Alan Furness and my plant look very similar.
I am very grateful for any confirmation or correction.
Since I don't have much experience with this treasure yet, my plant was sunk in the sand yesterday for safety. I hope that I will be able to bring it safely into the next spring with an additional glass cover.
Thomas
-
Hi Thomas,
Your Celmisia is likely to be a hybrid between C. semicordata and C. verbascifolia. The hybrids are frequently seen in the wild where both species occur and can be recognised by the very tomentose upper leaf surface. In C. semicordata the upper leaf surface is covered by a thin membranous pellicle. The upper surface of C. verbascifolia is tomentose but not to the same extent as your plant (and the hybrids). The hybrids turn up in gardens from time to time and from seed from cultivated plants. I am attaching a picture of a hybrid between C. semicordata subsp aurigans and C. verbascifolia. You can see plants of C. verbascifolia and also C. densiflora as well.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello David
Many thanks for the fast service. Now I have certainty.
The photo is overwhelming...as always.
Thanks and greetings
Thomas
-
I went on a field trip last Monday and climbed Foggy Peak (1700 m) in the Torlesse Range. You can access it from Porters Pass on the main highway to the West Coast. It was a bit early to see any of the alpine plants flowering and there was still a lot of snow on the ridge crests. Here is some scenery
Lake Lyndon from the summit of Foggy Peak
[attachimg=1]
Castle Hill Basin with the Craigieburn Range in the distance. The road to the West Coast goes through this basin and continues on through Arthurs Pass where it crosses the Main Divide.
[attachimg=2]
Next view is into the heart of the Torlesse Range. Shingle is eroding of the mountains into the Kowai River which drains Mt Torlesse which is stickin out above the cloud bank in the centre of the photo
[attachimg=3]
The next photo is a telephoto shot looking into the head of the Kowai River. Mt Torlesse is on the right but is not visible in the photo
[attachimg=4]
The next photo is of Castle Hill Peak which is the next peak along the ridge from Foggy Peak. It is 200 metres higher than Foggy Peak and still carrying a lot of snow.
[attachimg=5]
-
There was not a lot in flower but I found some buttercups lower down. I have identified them as Ranunculus insignis though they are one of the smaller forms of this species.
[attachimg=1]
I also found some Colobanthus acicularis which I was quite interested in photographing as it is uncommon in Otago and I don't see it very often.
[attachimg=2]
Also Hebe epacridea which is widespread on screes throughout the South Island
[attachimg=3]
Next Raoulia eximia. If you wish to grow this species in your crevice garden here it is thriving in its natural habitat; shattered rock outcrops.
[attachimg=4]
There was another even better one close by. There were many more further down the hill on the screes but I resisted the temptation to go down and look at them which was probably just as well as my thigh muscles started to give up on me going back down the hill.
[attachimg=5]
-
Hi David, lovely photos and best regards from Sue and I.
May I raise the question of the Ranunculus that you have beautifully photographed? I am struggling to reconcile those tiny plants to any of the R. insignis that I have ever seen or grown here in the UK ... and, to be honest, the image appears to show two different species ... or are they simply mature and juvenile examples of the same species? Your thoughts would be very welcome?
-
Hi Cliff,
Pleased you enjoyed the photos; my regards to you and Sue.
As for the Ranunuculus it is not the typical form of Ranunculus insignis that you would expect. It was not immediately obvious that it was R. insignis. However R. insignis was once considered to be three species R. insignis, R. monroi and R. lobulatus. So it is quite a variable species. Here are my comments when I posted the picture on the iNaturalistNZ website "I am picking this as one of the insignis/monroi/lobulatus aggregate. Note shape of leaves, copious brown hairs and slight indentations on upper margin" So far no one has disagreed. R insignis is quite a variable species and this form is from the dryer mountains east of the main divide. Some taxonomists could well consider splitting it off as a separate species but in the last revision of the NZ alpine Ranunculus species many taxa were aggregated ( see Fisher, F. J. F., The Alpine Ranunculi of New Zealand 1965). Hope that answers your question.
best wishes, David
-
Hi David,
Many thanks for such a succinct reply. Your mention of R. monroi immediately struck a chord and then I could see the connection ... I hadn't realised that the three species had been combined. I still can't understand that aggregation, but I am simply a grower and enthusiast and certainly not a botanist!!! Very best regards and thanks once again.
-
David,
Thanks for mentioning the iNaturalistNZ website - that looks really useful. I will have a good look at it before my next visit!
edit to add link : https://inaturalist.nz/
-
Hi Cliff...
Ranuculus insignis is one of my few newcomers this autumn. I planted the small young plant last weekend in semi-shade. I hope that I can avoid success in the coming year...so wish me luck. ☺
Thomas
-
Next Raoulia eximia. If you wish to grow this species in your crevice garden here it is thriving in its natural habitat; shattered rock outcrops.
David... with that remark, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing Raoulia eximia in a European rock garden is probably a dream of all of us here "above". It's probably easier to find the Holy Grail... or fresh strawberries in the snow. 😆
Thomas
-
I went on a field trip last Monday and climbed Foggy Peak (1700 m) in the Torlesse Range. You can access it from Porters Pass on the main highway to the West Coast. It was a bit early to see any of the alpine plants flowering and there was still a lot of snow on the ridge crests. Here is some scenery
Lake Lyndon from the summit of Foggy Peak
Fantastic pictures David! Beautiful mountains you have out there in NZ!
-
Last summer I had the crazy idea to plant the lovely Veronica densifolia directly into a larger stone (#107). I drilled some 25 mm holes in the stone. The initial scepticism about the heat development on the stone fortunately proved to be unfounded. The plants have developed very well that year...
I would say...the experiment was successful. ;D
Cheers
Thomas
-
Wow, it looks great! (I do love an experiment!)
Kelly
-
As always David's photos are superb and show mountains in these pictures which I myself saw today but how different they were. I'm sorry I have no photos though. I had been in Nelson for the NZ Trillium Group's annual weekend away. I had flown up to Nelson, almost the length of the South Island and over the two or three days before, there had been very bad weather including extensive new snowfall in the South Island mountains, so flying back to Christchurch this morning at just 16,000 metres I had a magnificent clear day view of the mountains of the Inward Kaikoura Ranges and then the Torlesse Range and other Canterbury mountains as we flew up the centre of the island. I had never seen these mountains so snowy or perfectly covered, especially during what is springtime, well advanced by now. They were quite glorious.
-
Fantastic pictures David! Beautiful mountains you have out there in NZ!
Hi Gabriela,
The Canterbury mountains are not my favourite mountains mainly because they are composed of graywacke which is a type of sandstone that weathers and fractures into shingle giving rise to the massive screes you see in the photos. Very tiring to climb They do have a suite of specialised scree plants but the flora is not as abundant or as diverse as in Otago/Southland or north-west Nelson which are the leading areas for alpine diversity in New Zealand.
I am posting a geological map of the South Island ( borrowed from GNS) showing where graywacke is found. As you can see it covers most of the eastern side of the South Island so all the mountains in that zone are characterised by lots of loose rock and shingle. The Craigieburn Range is a good place to see scree plants as there are several ski-field access roads that take you up into the high basins.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello David
Very interesting coverage about the geological formations of the South Island. An enrichment.
You say the biodiversity on these screes is not as high as on the other botanical hotspots...but the few species that occur in this habitat are all the more breathtaking. Your last photos prove this impressively. Personally, I'm especially enthusiastic about the pictures of you and Dave from this almost hostile landscape.
Thomas
-
Hi David,
Yes, thanks for showing the map. As Thomas says, 'an enrichment' :)
True that the flora doesn't look as rich as in the other mountains you showed pictures from; nevertheless, their beauty is enhanced somehow by the harsh habitat they survive in.
It is awful to climb, and to come down on that sort of scree!
-
Myosotis pulvinaris x 'Hokonui', blue flowered Myosotis pulvinaris cultivar bred by Hokonui Alpines.
-
Extremely interesting and extraordinary... David. I've never seen it in blue before. Since when has this breed existed...has it been on the market for a long time?
-
Even prettier than M. capitata, David!
-
I totally agree... Cliff. Especially the foliage...unsurpassed. A beautiful color contrast.
Thomas
-
Myosotis pulvinaris x 'Hokonui', blue flowered Myosotis pulvinaris cultivar bred by Hokonui Alpines.
Very nice, David!
Do Peter and Louise know what the other parent is? Or is just a colour break?
cheers
fermi
-
Very nice, David!
Do Peter and Louise know what the other parent is? Or is just a colour break?
cheers
fermi
You would have to ask Louise what the parents were. There will be some M. capitata in the lineage somewhere. She is quite an enthusiastic hybridiser.
-
So far as I remember from the Hokonui Alpines catalogue, Myosotis 'Hokonui' is pulvinaris x capitata, hence the colour but retaining the tight cushion habit of pulvinaris. I'll check with Louise though in case I have the parents reversed. In a Facebook photo just yesterday, Dave Toole showed the same seedling but it appeared to be alost pink, just slightly lilac colour and while this could have been, as he said, his camera settings, it could also be that as with many Boriginaceae, the fresher flowers are frequently pink or pinkish, aging to blue. My own plant usually starts lilac or light purple then blues after a few days.
Thomas it is a recent hybrid, first listed perhaps 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, one which Louise has called 'Purple Mat' has been listed and it stays with the lilac shade, but closer to violet, deeper than lilac.
-
Some plants flowering in my garden at the moment.
Gaultheria crassa
[attachimg=1]
Hebe pauciramosa
[attachimg=2] [attachimg=3]
Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum. This is a local endemic which grows on the sea cliffs of the Otago Peninsula.
[attachimg=4]
And for Cliff, Ranunculus insignis 'monroi'. The plants were grown from seed originally collected from the Black Birch Range in Marlbourough. In cultivation it is becoming more like typical R. insignis rather than the wild parents (R. 'monroi') on the Black Birch Range.
[attachimg=5]
-
Many thanks, David ... I can certainly recognise that as a young R. insignis.
-
My alpines have started to flower
Celmisia allanii with Celmisia bellidioides behind
[attachimg=1]
Celmisia prorepens
[attachimg=2]
A really lovely Celmisia from the Takitimu Mountains. I don't know what species it is but it has grown well and flowered profusely. It is a bit battered at the moment because we have had a lot of rain (and even more today).
[attachimg=3]
and from the Subantarctic Islands, Myosotis capitata. It grows very well in my garden over the winter but struggles a bit in the summer.
[attachimg=4] [attachimg=5]
-
I will put this in on this thread even though it is an interloper from Chile, Ourisia coccinea. It is surrounded by New Zealand natives
[attachimg=1]
and Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum which I posted earlier but is now fully in flower.
[attachimg=3]
-
I will put this in on this thread even though it is an interloper from Chile, Ourisia coccinea. It is surrounded by New Zealand natives
It may be an intruder but it's very pretty, and combines very well with Celmisia.
-
Hi Gabriela,
I find it a very interesting plant; we have several Ourisia species in New Zealand most of which have large showy flowers. However they are all white (as are the majority of our native alpines) The scarlet tubular flowers of Ourisia coccinea suggest to me it is adapted for bird pollination and the pollinators are perhaps humming birds. I have seen humming birds in Canada feeding on the flowers of the scarlet runner bean and in the US feeding on Aquilegia species.
-
Yes, David, I remember you showed other NZ native Ourisia.
Indeed the tubular flowers could be pollinated by hummingbirds; there are also various long-tongue bees/moths (at least in North America) who could pollinate them.
The days are short now, no garden work necessary so I will add something more. There are various studies about/if the hummingbirds indeed prefer the red flowers colour or is it just a coincidence that the flowers with the best nectar from a certain region are mostly red. There is only one hummingbird species present in Ontario and not many individuals around my garden but this summer I had the occasion to watch by comparison what they will prefer: the red Penstemon cardinalis flowered on the same time I bought a deep blue Salvia guaranitica (grown as an annual here). Salvia was planted close to the Penstemon.
And the answer is - the blue Salvia! The concept that they prefer red is widespread; even all hummingbird feeders are coming in red :)
-
Colour might still influence preference but perhaps they sample both then concentrate on the nectar of higher sugar content, rather like honey bees.
Here the closest we have to nectar-feeding birds are hummingbird hawk moths (Macroglossum stellatarum) which visit flowers of various colours (incl. salvias) but have clear favourites. To me this suggests higher sugar content and/or higher production of nectar, but who's going to do the controlled experiments? ;D
-
Colour might still influence preference but perhaps they sample both then concentrate on the nectar of higher sugar content, rather like honey bees.
Here the closest we have to nectar-feeding birds are hummingbird hawk moths (Macroglossum stellatarum) which visit flowers of various colours (incl. salvias) but have clear favourites. To me this suggests higher sugar content and/or higher production of nectar, but who's going to do the controlled experiments? ;D
You're right Ashley, the sweetness of the nectar is important; then there is also the fact that they remember the sources of nectar so another speculation is that they prefer the familiar plants if given a choice...As you mention, regarding the 'controlled' experiments, we can only laugh at the idea ;D
Sorry David for taking over the NZ plants thread.
-
Not a problem Gabriela; these questions of flower biology and pollination are always interesting especially if we are looking at the same genus that is adapting its pollination strategy in different continents where there is a completely different set of potential pollinators.
Ashley, you would be surprised on how much ingenuity goes in to devising quantitative pollination experiments and the field work involved!
-
If you hear a bump in the night ;-)
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/23/asia/new-zealand-islands-closer-together-scli-intl/index.html
-
From the 2019 field season; (hope Mr Toole can contain himself)
Celmisia traversii
[attachimg=1]
more pictures to come
-
Even at cold nights (-12°C) some do not show any weaknesses...
-
I thought there might be some interest in a crevice sand bed for NZ alpine flora established just over a year ago which is starting to fill up with plenty of room still left for future planting.
Feb 2018 --Placement of limestone rocks and partial filling with river sand .
View today March 2019.
Leucogenes grandiceps.
Leptinella goyeni.
Celmisia angustifolia silver leafed form.
-
Close up .
Phyllachne rubra with a flower about to open.
Celmisia angustifolia.
Celmisia viscosa silver leafed form.
-
Overview.
Ranunculus crithmifolius.
Dracophyllum prostratum.
An unknown Celmisia .C. angustifolia hybrid ?.
Cheers Dave.
-
Hello Dave
It's wonderful to marvel at your bed. A fantastic work. All plants look very good. Especially I envy you Phyllachne rubra and Ranunculus crithmifolius. Both are in this year's sowing season with me...but so far I am waiting in vain for germination. I have to become more patient.
I wish you a good development of the new bed and look forward to more pictures from your garden.
Cheers
Thomas
-
Nice job Dave.
-
Dave - well done, beautiful plants perfectly situated. Wish, that these plants would also
grow at all in my hot garden.
-
Hello Dave
It's wonderful to marvel at your bed. A fantastic work. All plants look very good. Especially I envy you Phyllachne rubra and Ranunculus crithmifolius. Both are in this year's sowing season with me...but so far I am waiting in vain for germination. I have to become more patient.
I wish you a good development of the new bed and look forward to more pictures from your garden.
Cheers
Thomas
Thanks Thomas -- The plants are doing well in the sand bed although their growth is slow.I still have to figure out whether/what to feed them.
Nice job Dave.
Cheers David.
Dave - well done, beautiful plants perfectly situated. Wish, that these plants would also
grow at all in my hot garden.
Hello Rudi -- It's still warm here with temps forecast to reach the mid 20sC with a drop of about 10c overnight and starting to get very dry again.We are on limited tank water collected off the roof and I haven't been able to keep up with the watering of pots so have lost a few plants.
-
Veronica pulvinaris
-
What a nice plant.
-
I got this Celmisia without a name. I don't know if it is a pure botanical form or a hybrid. I would be very happy about an identification.
-
Thanks to Hamish Brown... he identified this Celmisia as C. angustifolia.
Maggi... thank you for giving my coordinates to Hamish some time ago. There is a small botanical correspondence since then.
Cliff... I have not photographed the Celmisia in the middle because of you...below left is Ranunculus insignis. ;D
-
Actually one shows young seedlings elsewhere...sorry...but as this is my first notable success with native NZ, I allow myself to show them here. A few days ago I discovered the first signs of life in Leucogenes grandiceps and Raoulia hectori. Both sown on 20.11.18. Source of supply is the NZAGS.
I am very happy about this partial success... :D
-
Actually one shows young seedlings elsewhere...sorry...but as this is my first notable success with native NZ, I allow myself to show them here. A few days ago I discovered the first signs of life in Leucogenes grandiceps and Raoulia hectori. Both sown on 20.11.18. Source of supply is the NZAGS.
I am very happy about this partial success... :D
Great to see your success Thomas . :o ;D
-
Great to see your success Thomas . :o ;D
Sorry for the late answer... Dave... and thank you very much.
The one you identified in # 471 as Celmisia angustifolia is also in flower. But all existing flowers never open...just like Celmisia allanii.
Nevertheless I am overjoyed about these two species. 😎
Cheers
Thomas
-
Phyllocladus aspenifolius var. alpinus belongs to the conifers...but has no needles. I took this picture yesterday with my friends from the Arctic Alpine Garden in Chemnitz. It grows very slowly in "captivity". This already very old specimen (male) currently shows its beautiful tiny cones.
-
It was with great pleasure that I noticed a few days ago that a specimen of Gentianella corymbifera (sown on 10.03.17) awakened to new life. Yay
-
Thomas, I think you're going to be very proud of me ;D Here is my Leucogenes grandiceps a little plant I obtained earlier this year from Aberconwy Nursery. The mystery is "will it still be here next year?"
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello David
I'm not only proud of you...but also very grateful for the great picture. This plant seems to feel very comfortable with you. If you have chosen a half-shady place for it, you will also have your joy in it next year.
I am very happy that you thought of me and that you show this jewel here. We Blues fans have to stick together ! 😎😎
Oh yes...Aberconwy Nursery ... every spring I see the catalogue and would like to throw myself from the roof of our house...a little joke. The fact that we can't order anything from here is a bit frustrating. But I hope that in two years I will get my chance at the international meeting. 🤞
Cheers
Thomas
-
David... I have just analyzed the photo of one of my copies... I think I see some thickening at the end of some shoots. So I can hope for some flowers as well.
-
Yes, I hope so Thomas. By the way to set the record straight I'm not a Man. City supporter. My team is Huddersfield Town (blue and white stripes) and just recently relegated from the Premier League although I don't get to see them these days. Some would say for the best! ;D
-
Yes, I hope so Thomas. By the way to set the record straight I'm not a Man. City supporter. My team is Huddersfield Town (blue and white stripes) and just recently relegated from the Premier League although I don't get to see them these days. Some would say for the best! ;D
David... where's your memory?? Some time ago we realized we had the same taste in music. I'm not talking about football. 😎😅
-
YES! I've got it now. The Blues! And there was I thinking that you had seen a picture I recently posted of my Corydalis 'Spinners' the flower of which I described as being 'Manchester City blue'.
-
Sorry for the late answer... Dave... and thank you very much.
The one you identified in # 471 as Celmisia angustifolia is also in flower. But all existing flowers never open...just like Celmisia allanii.
Nevertheless I am overjoyed about these two species. 😎
Cheers
Thomas
I'm late as well Thomas ;) ;D
Celmisia angustifolia is flowering here currently as well ???. Just about there yesterday it opened up fully this afternoon.
-
It was with great pleasure that I noticed a few days ago that a specimen of Gentianella corymbifera (sown on 10.03.17) awakened to new life. Yay
Another success Thomas ;D
Last summer I saw hundreds of G. corymbifera near the Lake Tekapo township in dry tussock grassland and while the majority had white flowers a few showed a purple variation including this yummy specimen so if your seedling is from wild collect seed it will be interesting to see what eventuates.
[attachimg=1]
Cheers Dave.
-
Two fantastic pictures... Dave.
Especially the purple Gentianella corymbifera. My little plant does not come from wild seeds... but from a botanical garden in France. I think the flowers were white. Never mind... even without flowers every native NZ gives me pleasure. ;D
-
Thomas, I think you're going to be very proud of me ;D Here is my Leucogenes grandiceps a little plant I obtained earlier this year from Aberconwy Nursery. The mystery is "will it still be here next year?"
(Attachment Link)
Very nice David . I have a 'winter hat' ,(clear poly carbonate), over mine at the moment as that seems to help in our conditions.
Cheers Dave.
-
Two fantastic pictures... Dave.
Especially the purple Gentianella corymbifera. My little plant does not come from wild seeds... but from a botanical garden in France. I think the flowers were white. Never mind... even without flowers every native NZ gives me pleasure. ;D
;D ;D
-
Carmichaelia corrugata 2019 ;D
-
Thomas I have to admit that my eyesight is not perfect these days but I think I can see perhaps 6 buds about to develop on your Leucogenes grandiceps so it will be a worthy rival to David's and FAR better than mine, which died. :'(
Also thank you for the photo of Carmichaelia corrugata. I bought one about 15 months ago from our one remaining alpine nursery (Hokonui Alpines) and it is doing well and I hope will flower this coming summer. (Coming a long way off as we are just entering winter, but we've had some really hot periods over recent months so flowering should be encouraged.) I am very fond of the tiny carmichaelias too such as enysii and monroi.
And a quick note to both of you. Just as well you were talking about music rather than football while discussing NZ plants. You must both know we are a Rugby nation and while football is quite popular among some people it will never oust the national game. But for music I'm entirely for the German team; Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.
Best wishes to you both. :)
-
Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.
That's not a bad 'three across the back' formation Lesley ;)
-
Thomas I have to admit that my eyesight is not perfect these days but I think I can see perhaps 6 buds about to develop on your Leucogenes grandiceps so it will be a worthy rival to David's and FAR better than mine, which died. :'(
Also thank you for the photo of Carmichaelia corrugata. I bought one about 15 months ago from our one remaining alpine nursery (Hokonui Alpines) and it is doing well and I hope will flower this coming summer. (Coming a long way off as we are just entering winter, but we've had some really hot periods over recent months so flowering should be encouraged.) I am very fond of the tiny carmichaelias too such as enysii and monroi.
And a quick note to both of you. Just as well you were talking about music rather than football while discussing NZ plants. You must both know we are a Rugby nation and while football is quite popular among some people it will never oust the national game. But for music I'm entirely for the German team; Bach, Beethoven, Brahms et al.
Best wishes to you both. :)
Lesley... even my eyes aren't the best anymore. I haven't counted the flower set on my larger specimen of Leucogenes grandiceps...but every single flower is a small success. I have other much smaller clones...but they didn't form any flowers. No problem...because I am fascinated by the whole appearance of most plants.
I hope that you will also have flowers with Carmichaelia corrugata in the coming season. Carmichaelia enysii and monroi are even more beautiful for me...but unfortunately they belong to the countless unattainable "Must Have" plants. I remember some beautiful pictures of David Lyttle (who unfortunately has no more time for us here) from the past.
One more remark about sports and music. With us in Germany (and certainly in the UK) football is number one. Rugby in NZ is the number one and the current world ranking also shows it. Especially important is probably that you are 10 points ahead of Australia. 😃
But also here in Europe there are excellent rugby nations...but since my infection with the "plant virus" I am no longer very interested in sports in general.
It looks completely different with music...one of the most important and beautiful things for me. With classical music, Germany has a clear advantage...but then it stops. When it comes to popular music, GB/Ireland and North America have always been the absolute world class. Fortunately nothing will change about that...I bow to so much creativity.
Best regards from the musical developing country...😂
Thomas
-
David Lyttle is about Thomas ;D He traveled down to speak to our alpine garden group last Friday and gave a wonderful presentation on 'Mountains Of The Rain Shadow' and stayed with us overnight.
After a quick tour around our garden Saturday morning we picked up Brian Rance who is a local Dept. of Conservation botanist and headed down to Bluff to walk the coastal track. I had forgotten that the famous Bluff Oyster Festival was on this weekend and as we drove through the township there were long lines of folk waiting outside the venue for the doors to open.
David with pack and Brian.You will see the margins of track have been sprayed ...more on that later.
[attachimg=1]
On the edge of the track Myosotis pygmaea easily overlooked because of its size with a healthy population of seedlings.
[attachimg=2]
Nearby a few Gentianella saxosa were in flower.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Plenty of colour from Nertera depressa.
[attachimg=5]
-
Further on the vegetation changes from coastal forest to shrub allowing a view in the sun across to Stewart Island.
[attachimg=1]
On a previous visit I came across a Myosotis rakiura in flower growing on the edge of the track however it appears weed spraying had resulted in its demise. Luckily Brian knew of a sizable population and we followed him down the steep slopes.
Myosotis rakiura and Brian.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
More colour this time from Lobelia angulata.
[attachimg=4]
-
David in his most natural pose ;) ;D with Brian looking up towards the growths of Olearia angustifolia.
[attachimg=1]
A most attractive plant even when out of flower.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
An enjoyable outing which again reminded me on how little I know ......
Cheers Dave -still learning.
-
Dave,
Amazing seedheads on Lobelia angulata. I think it's one I have seen in flower in your summer, but I didn't realise it had such colourful seedheads later on. Thanks for showing!
-
Hi Dave
Many thanks for the great report from the hike with David and Brian. It looks like you had a nice day with sunshine and lots of interesting plants. The foliage of Myosotis rakiura is especially great.
Short time after I read your article this morning, David also showed some photos from the trip to Bluff on the platform of
inaturalist.nz
I am there a silent observer of the many pictures of David...full of admiration.
One of the few native NZ, which is very reliable with me, shows first signs of flowering... Raoulia haastii.
Cheers
Thomas
-
Dave,
Amazing seedheads on Lobelia angulata. I think it's one I have seen in flower in your summer, but I didn't realise it had such colourful seedheads later on. Thanks for showing!
Yes there are colourful aren't they Carolyn. There were also still a few white flowers elsewhere on the large patch.
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi Dave
Many thanks for the great report from the hike with David and Brian. It looks like you had a nice day with sunshine and lots of interesting plants. The foliage of Myosotis rakiura is especially great.
Short time after I read your article this morning, David also showed some photos from the trip to Bluff on the platform of
inaturalist.nz
I am there a silent observer of the many pictures of David...full of admiration.
One of the few native NZ, which is very reliable with me, shows first signs of flowering... Raoulia haastii.
Cheers
Thomas
Thanks Thomas I will have a quick look at Davids posting on Inaturalist NZ .
Your Raoulia haasti is a species I currently don't have ,yours looks a sizable patch ... :)
Cheers Dave.
-
I had a very enjoyable stay in Invercargill. Dave had invited me down to give a talk to the Southland AGS and I was able to spend the morning with them at Bluff. The coastal walk is very interesting and you can see some of the plants that were once common round the southern coasts but are now very rare due to grazing and competition from exotics.
In January I visited the other end of the South Island, the Paparoa Range on the northern part of the West Coast. It is an area that I have always wanted to visit and was not disappointed. We walked up an old miners road called the Croesus Track. It runs from Blackball over the crest of the range to Barrytown on the coast. It is well graded and apart from being infested with mountain bikers is very pleasant.
A colony of sundews, Drosera spatulata growing on impoverished soils derived from coal measures.
[attachimg=1]
A fern Schizaea australis growing along side the sundews
[attachimg=2]
This little plant growing on the side of the track is Jovellana repens
[attachimg=3]
A small climbing rata Metrosideros diffusa
[attachimg=4]
Growing in the open clearings along the track Chionochloa conspicua, the largest species of Chionochloa. It grows in the forest along streams rather than in montane or alpine grassland.
[attachimg=5]
-
continuing; Ferns beside the track
[attachimg=1]
This clearing was the site of a hotel. You can see the crest of the range from it
[attachimg=2]
Another view from the clearing. You can see the arching stems of Chionochloa conspicua. The tall divaricating shrub with weeping branches in the centre of the photo is Myrsine divaricata
[attachimg=3]
Further up the track but still in the forest we found Ourisia macrophylla subsp lactea
[attachimg=4]
Up near treeline Dracophyllum traversii became common. You can see it here with its massive inflorescences terminating the branches.
[attachimg=5]
-
The forest transitions into a shrub zone. The treeline is depressed because of burning in the gold mining era so there is quite a large shrub zone above the forest proper. Here you find Brachyglottis eleagnifolia
[attachimg=1]
Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae This one is a red-fruited form rather than the usual white.
[attachimg=2]
Rubus parvus which is a forest species but here it is found in the scrub zone
[attachimg=3]
A large celmisia Celmisia semicordata subsp semicordata growing in mixed shrubland/tussock/herbfield
[attachimg=4]
and a second celmisia Celmisia armstrongii which has stiff erect leaves with a prominent orange midrib.
[attachimg=5]
-
Now we are getting some interesting plants; the curious Aciphylla hookeri. First a non-flowering rosette
[attachimg=1]
and a female seed head
[attachimg=2]
Epilobium pernitens tucked between some rocks
[attachimg=3]
and Euphrasia cockayneana It is easily identifiable by its yellow flowers and was very common.
[attachimg=4]
last but not least a curious weka. He was a bit wet because it had rained earlier and was trying to shake the water off his feathers so looks a bit dishevelled.[attachimg=5]
-
Fantastic pictures and explanations... David. The waiting was worth it.😉
Greetings
Thomas
-
Super photos! That Aciphylla hookeri must be in the running for most armoured plant!
-
Super photos! That Aciphylla hookeri must be in the running for most armoured plant!
It needed to protect itself from hungry moas. The other interesting thing is the pattern of orange pigmentation on the leaf segments which one of my scientific colleagues would say is another adaptation to deter being eaten. He suggested a similar pigmentation pattern on the leaves of the toothed lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox) served a similar purpose. I cant remember the precise details of the story. I should show him these pictures and see if he has an opinion on them. It is quite restricted in its occurrence more or less to the northern part of the West Coast.
-
It needed to protect itself from hungry moas. The other interesting thing is the pattern of orange pigmentation on the leaf segments which one of my scientific colleagues would say is another adaptation to deter being eaten. He suggested a similar pigmentation pattern on the leaves of the toothed lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox) served a similar purpose. I cant remember the precise details of the story. I should show him these pictures and see if he has an opinion on them. It is quite restricted in its occurrence more or less to the northern part of the West Coast.
Oh, that is interesting - perhaps to make the plant look past it's best - fascinating how these things work!
-
When you are camped up high you get a nice view first thing in the morning.
Sunrise on the Paparoa Range
[attachimg=1]
Looking across the tussock-covered slopes to Croesus Knob
[attachimg=2]
Looking back over the Grey Valley eastwards to the Southern Alps. The valley is full of mist. The hut was full of teenage girls so we choose to camp a few hundred metres further away. Much more peaceful!
[attachimg=3]
Most of the area is a bog so it is not easy finding level, dry spots for a tent. However you can find lots of plants.
Donatia novae-zelandiae.
[attachimg=4]
Drosera arcturi back lit by thee early morning sun.
[attachimg=5]
-
Bogs are great hunting grounds for alpine flowers.
Celmisia alpina -very different from the forms that are found further south in Otago. This one is a turf with tiny leaves and flowers.
[attachimg=1]
A small Craspedia that probably does not have a name
[attachimg=2]
A tiny creeping Euphrasia, Euprasia disperma with a very long funnel-shaped corolla.
[attachimg=3]
and Forster mackayi. This replaces Forstera sedifolia in the north-western part of the South Island
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Staying in the bog
Herpelirion novae-zelandiae
[attachimg=1]
Pentachondra pumila flowers
[attachimg=2]
and fruit
[attachimg=3]
Phyllachne colensoi
[attachimg=4]
Shrubs are interspersed all through the area. Here is manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) in flower. It can tolerate poor soils and does not mind being dry or damp.
[attachimg=5]
-
Another Aciphylla, Aciphylla horrida. it was a bit of a struggle getting into position to take this photo as the plant was growing in a pile of boulders surrounded by other vegetation.
[attachimg=1]
Celmisia armstrongii positioned nicely beside the track.
[attachimg=2]
Celmisia discolor perhaps the most common species in the area
[attachimg=3]
and close up showing flowers
[attachimg=4]
Celmisia semicordata subsp semicordata and for Thomas a clump of Leucogenes in the background)
([attachimg=5]
-
Absolutely fantastic... David. My day actually went very well, because I am piquing a lot of young plants right now. Now the day is perfect...thanks to your pictures and words.
The first three pictures belong in the magazine of the National Geographic... ;D
Thanks...
Thomas
-
David, thank you for these beautiful pictures. I also love these beautiful creatures, but my garden
is simply too hot for them. 30 years ago I was more succesful, for me another sign of climatic change.
These Raoulia plants grow quite happy in the open garden, but after the first hot days ( we had 31°C
today) they get heavily burrned. This plant was in a small pot, plunged in sand in the Alpine House. During
the years it escaped to the sand and its beauty can be enjoyed there.
-
Hello dear Rudi...
only yesterday I talked about you. I was on a visit to Dieter Zschummel. We both mentioned that we hadn't written to you for a long time. Sorry.
Your Raoulia lutescens (?) looks very good. The pictures of David animated me to take a closer look again. I discovered a few flowers at Dracophyllum pronum and the Hebe haastii. At least I got them under this name. She has been with me for three years and keeps this size...which I find very pleasant.
31°C is really too much. With us it will be probably also so hot tomorrow.
Greetings
Thomas
-
Absolutely fantastic... David. My day actually went very well, because I am piquing a lot of young plants right now. Now the day is perfect...thanks to your pictures and words.
The first three pictures belong in the magazine of the National Geographic... ;D
Thanks...
Thomas
Hello Thomas, Pleased you enjoyed the pictures. I don't think you get to see them at their best because of the low resolution for forum posts. The ones I post on iNaturalist NZ are 25% of the original which gives you a lot better detail. I do not take a lot of landscape pictures as I am usually too busy photographing plants as I was last weekend when I visited Dave Toole. There were some opportunities for some nice scenic shots but I don't spend a lot of time looking up when I am in the field.
-
David, thank you for these beautiful pictures. I also love these beautiful creatures, but my garden
is simply too hot for them. 30 years ago I was more succesful, for me another sign of climatic change.
These Raoulia plants grow quite happy in the open garden, but after the first hot days ( we had 31°C
today) they get heavily burrned. This plant was in a small pot, plunged in sand in the Alpine House. During
the years it escaped to the sand and its beauty can be enjoyed there.
Hello Rudi, Thank you for your kind comments. Your Raoulia looks like Raoulia australis which is not a true alpine but is found from the sea coast to up to about 800 m. It is grows predominantly on riverbeds and degraded grasslands so should be able to tolerate hot, dry conditions once established
-
We are still in the alpine zone with plenty more plants to come.
Forstera tenella - not as spectacular as Forstera mackayi. A more common and widespread species but difficult to photograph.
[attachimg=1]
Brachyglottis bellidioides. A little yellow groundsel. It could be called something else but I will not confuse you with the taxonomy.
[attachimg=2]
Anisotome haastii a common and widespread species but very susceptible to browsing.
[attachimg=3]
This was a new species for me Gentianella impressinervia
[attachimg=4]
A Hebe (Veronica) species. The New Zealand expert on the genus was reluctant to provide a name so I wont either.
[attachimg=5]
-
This plant was perhaps the best find of the trip. I realised it was an Abrotanella but I did not recognise the species until one of my iNaturalist colleagues suggeste Abrotanella pusilla, a North Island species. There are two other records of it in the South Island one from Fiordland and the other from Arthurs Pass. It is a very striking plant with the dark bracts around the head.
[attachimg=1]
Next we have Olearia colensoi a shrub. It is not very popular with trampers as it forms impenetrable thickets. The leaves die leaving the dried branches which tear flesh and clothing. However the flowers are quite attractive when seen up close.
[attachimg=2]
A vegetable sheep, Raoulia eximia hugging a rock outcrop on the crest of the ridge. You can see the forested ridges of the Paparoa Range below and the Grey Valley and the Southern Alps beyond.
[attachimg=3]
We found some Rubus parvus in flower This is a plant I would like to have in my garden. It would make a very attractive ground cover.
[attachimg=4]
This I think is Wahlenbergia albomarginata but it has larger flowers and shorter stems than the usual form. It may well be different but it is really hard to say as it is growing on a very infertile site..
[attachimg=5]
-
David - you may not be aware that the forum has a new system now which allows photos to be uploaded of much larger size - and resized automatically and this may both be simpler for you and also allow a better resolution of your photos. It saves you time resizing and allows a larger file than you are currently resizing to be viewed.
See this post for more details ...
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=65.msg389856#msg389856 (http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=65.msg389856#msg389856)
Cheers,
Maggi
-
There are several species of orchids found in these alpine areas. On of the more spectacular is Thelymitra cyanea which favours boggy ground.
[attachimg=1]
Next Waireia stenopetala, a single plant
[attachimg=2]
and a group
[attachimg=3]
On the ridge crests we found colonies of Leucogenes grandiceps growing on rock outcrops.
[attachimg=4]
And one plant with exceptionally large flower heads
[attachimg=5]
-
Hello David
I think I can speak here for all the others when I say that the images are good for us of quality. They show the essentials... the incomparable beauty of the diverse flora.
I also enjoy your photos at iNaturalist NZ with silent enthusiasm. I have already thought that you are focused on the essential in your work in the field. I don't know where I would look first. Probably I would stumble over my own feet permanently... or solidify into a pillar of salt with the first beautiful plant. ;D ;D
-
There is a little Celmisia in the SRGC display at Gardening Scotland which seems to be without a definite ID - can our NZ experts help? These are the best images I have at present! Plant in question is the small one in front of Celmisa semicordata.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
-
Very hard to tell from the photo as I would need to see the details of the leaves. Another issue is once Celmisias are taken into cultivation they hybridise and the progeny can look very different from forms occurring in nature. Hybrid Celmisias are very common in the field but you can usually work out the parentage by observing the species near by.
-
David, thank you for the new set of plant pictures and the good advice
about my Raoulia in the Alpine House.
-
From my photos you might think that we are always blessed with magnificent views, fine weather and a endless variety of alpine plants in flower on our botanical excursions. However it is not always thus. We decided to go up a creek called Rough Creek off the main highway an the western side of the Lewis Pass It should have given us access to the open tops above Lake Christabel which drains west into the Blue Grey River. Rough Creek is aptly named; the track rises steeply levels of a bit and rises steeply again. By the time we reached bushline it was raining quite hard and there were no suitable sites to make camp and pitch a tent. So after a fairly arduous trip up the valley we turned round and walked back down again. Our camp site that night was at the DOC campground at Marble Hill right on the alpine fault. We speculated what would happen if the fault moved during the night. We concluded that if it did we would not be getting home in a hurry. Neither would a lot of other people. The next set of photos is taken on an Olympus TG5 camera which its manufacturers claim is waterproof down to 15 m.
Forest in Rough Creek The track disappears behind the big boulder on the right and you can see an triangular orange track maker on a tree to the upper left of the boulder.
[attachimg=1]
Another view of the boulder. These tend to fall off the hills above when there is an earthquake. This one has been here for a while though possibly not all that long a the vegetation shows.
[attachimg=2]
Another view of the forest
[attachimg=3]
A small side creek
[attachimg=4]
A limpid pool which would grace any garden.
[attachimg=5]
-
Rough Creek cascading down the valley. We had to cross it further up where it was not as steep.
[attachimg=1]
Ourisia macrophylla subsp lactea. This is very common in open forest on stream margins
[attachimg=2]
A filmy fern (Hymenophyllum flabellatum)
[attachimg=3]
Large foliose lichen (Pseudocyphelleria)
[attachimg=4]
Most of the forest floor and tree trunks are covered in ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens
[attachimg=5]
-
This plant was perhaps the best find of the trip. I realised it was an Abrotanella but I did not recognise the species until one of my iNaturalist colleagues suggeste Abrotanella pusilla, a North Island species. There are two other records of it in the South Island one from Fiordland and the other from Arthurs Pass. It is a very striking plant with the dark bracts around the head.
We found some Rubus parvus in flower This is a plant I would like to have in my garden. It would make a very attractive ground cover.
Lovely images David. The Abrotanella is stunning.
This is what I have as Rubus parvus which is currently in fruit so I can start off a layered cutting for you if interested
[attachimg=1].
Cheers.
-
Wonderful photos everyone 8)
Here (on a distinctly more modest scale) is Poa buchananii, w/c via the seedex last year.
Several times I've failed with celmisia seed from the exchanges. Is my luck changing (just)?
-
Wow... Ashley. Congratulations on the successful germination of Celmisia. A good job. ;)
-
Thanks Thomas but no praise deserved ... only one seedling after several attempts, and is it really a celmisia :-\
I couldn't find photos online so hoped for an expert opinion here. Otherwise time will tell.
-
Thanks Thomas but no praise deserved ... only one seedling after several attempts, and is it really a celmisia :-\
I couldn't find photos online so hoped for an expert opinion here. Otherwise time will tell.
Hello, Ashley...
Unfortunately, I am not able to identify your seedling. Because I haven't had the pleasure of a successful germination of Celmisia yet. But there are glorious specialists here who can certainly help you. In a few weeks you may be able to see more...I keep my fingers crossed for you.
In a few days or weeks I expect my order for this year's SeedEx of the NZAGS and will continue to try it...in our region there is the saying...
"A Saxon never retreats...only when he takes a run at it." 😂😂
Thomas
-
From my photos you might think that we are always blessed with magnificent views, fine weather and a endless variety of alpine plants in flower on our botanical excursions. However it is not always thus. We decided to go up a creek called Rough Creek off the main highway an the western side of the Lewis Pass It should have given us access to the open tops above Lake Christabel which drains west into the Blue Grey River. Rough Creek is aptly named; the track rises steeply levels of a bit and rises steeply again. By the time we reached bushline it was raining quite hard and there were no suitable sites to make camp and pitch a tent. So after a fairly arduous trip up the valley we turned round and walked back down again. Our camp site that night was at the DOC campground at Marble Hill right on the alpine fault. We speculated what would happen if the fault moved during the night. We concluded that if it did we would not be getting home in a hurry. Neither would a lot of other people. The next set of photos is taken on an Olympus TG5 camera which its manufacturers claim is waterproof down to 15 m.
I thoroughly enjoy all your pictures David, no matter if sunny alpines or from the wet, shaded forest!
Lots of new species to think about all the time.
-
Hello Ashley,I am no expert about Celmisia or any other native genus but I think it would be true to say that it can't be said that your seedling is NOT a celmisia. ;D
A also think that a lot of failures in the germination of celmisia seed are due to the seed not being viable in the first place. When collecting celmisia seed in the field - and even more in the garden - it is very noticeable that much of the seed is thin and often misshapen and sometimes hosting a small weevil-type insect who has dined on the fleshy part of the seed. (This perhaps less in cultivation than in the wild but pollination in the garden seems to be chancy anyway.)I learned many years ago in my seed sowing career that some seeds such as Fritillaria, Tulipa and Celmisia among quite a lot of others, will float or flutter from one's fingers, or drop quite slowly onto a piece of paper and these are not fertile while other, fertile seeds will drop quickly straight down and meet the paper with a small click sound. Of course you know this but less experienced collectors of seed sometimes don't. We have had collected seed from celmisias donated to the seedlists and know before listing it that it won't germinate but can only list it in hope, so I wonder if you and Thomas have not been successful with celmisia seed for this reason? My own bugbear has been seed of Clematis columbiana tenuiloba 'Ilva.' I've applied for it 4 times now. Once there was nothing in the packet at all! and twice, although I sowed it I knew nothing would germinate. This year however I have sown what looks to be good, fertile seed (from SRGC of course) and am hopeful of some seedlings in the spring. :)
Like Thomas I am eagerly awaiting my seed allocation from NZAGS and hope the collectors of the natives on the list are experienced and observant.
-
Dave I'm really impressed by your photo of Rubus parvus, or rather by the fruit themselves. Have you eaten these or tried them at least? I ask because once long ago I had a plant of R. arcticus and though I think it would have liked it colder (I was in Timaru at the time) it did grow quite well for several years and I loved the raspberry pink flowers. Even more I loved the very few fruit I had. They had just a few seeds on each one, encased in scarlet pulp and with a marvellous sweet/tart taste. It would have taken hundreds to make a small pie. so I wondered if the fruit of R. parvus was tasty too. I also had R. chamaemorus, the legendary "cloudberry" but only a male form and though it flowered well couldn't produce fruit. I believe anyway that it requires a VERY cold climate to fruit, Norway or similar.
-
Hello Ashley,I am no expert about Celmisia or any other native genus but I think it would be true to say that it can't be said that your seedling is NOT a celmisia. ;D
A also think that a lot of failures in the germination of celmisia seed are due to the seed not being viable in the first place. When collecting celmisia seed in the field - and even more in the garden - it is very noticeable that much of the seed is thin and often misshapen and sometimes hosting a small weevil-type insect who has dined on the fleshy part of the seed. (This perhaps less in cultivation than in the wild but pollination in the garden seems to be chancy anyway.)I learned many years ago in my seed sowing career that some seeds such as Fritillaria, Tulipa and Celmisia among quite a lot of others, will float or flutter from one's fingers, or drop quite slowly onto a piece of paper and these are not fertile while other, fertile seeds will drop quickly straight down and meet the paper with a small click sound. Of course you know this but less experienced collectors of seed sometimes don't. We have had collected seed from celmisias donated to the seedlists and know before listing it that it won't germinate but can only list it in hope, so I wonder if you and Thomas have not been successful with celmisia seed for this reason? My own bugbear has been seed of Clematis columbiana tenuiloba 'Ilva.' I've applied for it 4 times now. Once there was nothing in the packet at all! and twice, although I sowed it I knew nothing would germinate. This year however I have sown what looks to be good, fertile seed (from SRGC of course) and am hopeful of some seedlings in the spring. :)
Like Thomas I am eagerly awaiting my seed allocation from NZAGS and hope the collectors of the natives on the list are experienced and observant.
Hello Lesley
I can't say why I haven't had any success with seeds from Celmisia and all the other species from NZ. For me personally, the problem is that the seeds from the NZAGS will logically be delivered in the Nordic summer. But I am only at home on weekends... so it is not possible to irrigate the NZAGS in very hot weather. This time I will keep the coming seeds in the refrigerator until sowing in December.
I know a few German professional gardeners who are also desperate for Celmisia.
But I do not want to complain... finally I was not completely unsuccessful. Yesterday I pricked 4 tiny seedlings of Leucogenes grandiceps and some of Raoulia hectori...what a pleasure.
I will try again and again...because I like such challenges very much...hope dies last. ;D
Greetings
Thomas
-
Hello Ashley,I am no expert about Celmisia or any other native genus but I think it would be true to say that it can't be said that your seedling is NOT a celmisia. ;D
A also think that a lot of failures in the germination of celmisia seed are due to the seed not being viable in the first place.
Thanks for that guarded endorsement Lesley ;D
Checking the pot again yesterday I found that my luck had doubled - enough now as an hors d'oeuvre for a local gastronomepod :o
Yes I read your very helpful comments on celmisia seed viability & sowing elsewhere on the forum (what a resource!). Certainly some of the seed I've had previously looked dubious but, as Thomas says, still we hope.
... Yesterday I pricked 4 tiny seedlings of Leucogenes grandiceps and some of Raoulia hectori...what a pleasure.
Well done Thomas & best of luck.
Last year I failed miserably with transplanting Leucogenes but thought I might try pure sand (if ever there's a) next time. What substrate works for you?
-
Hello, Ashley.
...thanks for the words of encouragement. I can use any support I can get. 😉
I have planted the really very tiny young plants in my standard substrate for lime fleeing alpine plants. However, I have increased the proportion of sand a little. However, I had to act quickly because many young plants of L. grandiceps have already died in the germ pot. So we don't just share the same passion... but also the same suffering. ;D
-
Several times I've failed with celmisia seed from the exchanges. Is my luck changing (just)?
A case of Robert the Bruce ? Ashley ;D as I have no doubt your seedling is a Celmisia. :)
I understand that because Celmisia species are long-lived perennials forming extensive vegetative mats, it is probable that for survival they require only an occasional successful establishment from seed. Most are free flowering with good seed production potential in some years, but the proportion of viable seed may be small ,less than 10% because of low seed set or filling and loss through insect damage.
In the wild the most damage to seed I have observed is from a small grayish larvae of which I presume is a weevil as Lesley has mentioned, numbers of which seem to vary from year to year, area to area and species to species.
Whenever collecting wild coll seed I always look for seeds that are swollen, appear healthy avoiding any seed heads that have a host and obvious fungal issues and when sent overseas and planted in light upon receipt they have germinated well so maybe fresh is best.
Cheers Dave.
-
Thanks Dave. The tricky bit for us poor sods in the NH is getting hold of fresh seed ;D
Presumably celmisias aren't self-fertile.
-
Thanks Dave. The tricky bit for us poor sods in the NH is getting hold of fresh seed ;D
Presumably celmisias aren't self-fertile.
Sorry Ashley I have no idea.
Cheers.
-
Hi Ashley & Dave
Short update... all tiny young plants of L. grandiceps and Raoulia hectori died within a few days. That was to be expected with the current heat despite shade.
No compensation for the loss... but still okay...Mazus radicans in a "sea" of Coprosma petriei
-
... all tiny young plants of L. grandiceps and Raoulia hectori died within a few days. That was to be expected with the current heat despite shade.
Very disappointing Thomas, but good to see your other plants thriving despite the heat.
-
I was happy to see some fruit (drupes?) of a photo of Coprosma petriei but now can't find them. When I opened up the topic it bounced right back to page one so maybe it was there or thereabouts. I had hoped there would be seed of this coprosma listed by NZAGS this time around but not (as such). C. atropurpurea was there listed as a synonym of C. petriei so presumably it was from the burgundy red form but I already have a good plant of that given to me by Hamish Brown. I love flat plants with fleshy fruits and have quite a nice little collection from around the world. I've seen the blue fruited C. petriei with almost colourless, transparent fruit and every graduation through jade greens to turquoise. I've often thought to make a small alpine lawn with such plants. All flat and no height, all with fruit of different colours. I'd have to resist the temptation to poke in some crocus corms. :)
-
Like Dave I don't know whether celmisias are self-fertile or not. But they certainly love to receive pollen from other nearby species. I may have mentioned this before, elsewhere but on one occasion when I sowed fresh seed from Mt Nimrod in South Canterbury, of C. lancifolia I think it was, C. lancifolia germinated but so did 5 other distinct forms, hybrids with the surrounding species. A couple were obvious, C. sessiliflora and C. angustifolia but I couldn't have sworn to the others. It was a very long time ago. These were all seedlings from a single flower head and bees and flies of various kinds were everywhere on a hot sunny late summer day.
Having come so far into winter with neither frosts not cold winds, this morning we have -7C, a shock to the system for the first one, just 2 or 3 days from the winter solstice. Quite a lot of seed is germinatindg including some old seed I found under a heap of books a couple of days ago, mainly primulas.
-
Flowering in my garden at present Celmisia philocremna. I have had this plant for several years. It seems to be quite happy growing in pot and flowers periodically.
Celmisia philocremna is an Eyre Mountains endemic. It probably evolved during the Pleistocene era when Northern Southland was heavily glaciated and is now restricted to crags in the Eyre Mts. Since the climate at the time was fairly dire it is not surprising it has the capacity to flower in mid-winter. The buds are beautifully protected by a thick coat of hairs.
-
An old acquaintance... Gentianella saxosa
-
I have just received the seeds of this year's NZAGS Seed Exchange. Even though I have had very little success with them so far, I will continue to try... so keep your fingers crossed for me...😎
-
I have two questions for the specialists from NZ...
1. Yesterday I got a beautiful pot of Gentianella bellidifolia from a botanical friend. The information on the Internet and the literature differ a bit... concerning the foliage. Can anyone make an ID from this photo?...
-
2. today I had the great pleasure to finally get five copies of Craspedia lanata... I am very happy about it.
Question... can I dare to place them a bit sunnier...or better in the semi-shade?
Thank you for any information
Cheers
Thomas
-
I have two questions for the specialists from NZ...
1. Yesterday I got a beautiful pot of Gentianella bellidifolia from a botanical friend. The information on the Internet and the literature differ a bit... concerning the foliage. Can anyone make an ID from this photo?...
Hello Thomas,
In answer to your question Gentianella bellidifolia is wide spread throughout the alpine regions of New Zealand and is quite variable. The main diagnostic feature for this species is that it is perennial and the flowers are borne on axillary shoots. Non-flowering growing shoots are always present. So here is a selection of Gentianella bellidifolia;
Dunstan Mountains, Otago A robust plant with large leaves,multiple flowers on inflorescence
[attachimg=1]
Mt Burns Southland, A smaller plant, flowering stems have one or two flowers
[attachimg=2]
Lewis Tops , Nth Canterbury Again a smaller plant, flowering stems have one or two flowers
[attachimg=3]
Altimarloch, Black Birch Ra, Marlborough. A tight clump with narrow leaves flowering stems have one or two flowers
[attachimg=4]
For the Craspedia they are probably best in an open sunny position- not too hot or dry
-
Many Thanks... David. As always, your photos make my heart beat faster...;-)
Thomas
-
Good news...;-)
-
I am looking for a bit of advice....What to do? Thanks to the seed exchange, I now have seedlings of Hebe epacridea. They are quite small at the moment, and I want to be sure I won't lose them over the winter. Should I sink the pot into the landscape, and hope for the best... or move them inside for the winter months, until they are a bit larger (plants are barely 2 cm tall). Any recommendations would be welcome!
-
Greetings All,
I would like to show a picture of a Celmisia that is flowering in my garden at present. I do not have a name for it. I collected seed and cuttings from a wild plant growing in the Takatimu Mts. It is a large Celmisa and forms a clump and has unusually large flowers. The foliage is quite aromatic which is unusual for a Celmisia. I hope it will be a good garden plant and not die unexpectedly as many Celmisias tend to when grown in gardens.
[attachimg=1]
-
David, what a lovely RG plant!. Perhaps you might be successful to save seeds and thus start a clone of garden adapted Celmisia. It would be a great addition.
Arturo
-
I am looking for a bit of advice....What to do? Thanks to the seed exchange, I now have seedlings of Hebe epacridea. They are quite small at the moment, and I want to be sure I won't lose them over the winter. Should I sink the pot into the landscape, and hope for the best... or move them inside for the winter months, until they are a bit larger (plants are barely 2 cm tall). Any recommendations would be welcome!
I think in your climate I'd have them under cover, Gordon.
-
Very smart plant, David. It surely deserves to be long-lived!
-
I am looking for a bit of advice....What to do? Thanks to the seed exchange, I now have seedlings of Hebe epacridea. They are quite small at the moment, and I want to be sure I won't lose them over the winter. Should I sink the pot into the landscape, and hope for the best... or move them inside for the winter months, until they are a bit larger (plants are barely 2 cm tall). Any recommendations would be welcome!
Ethel Lohbrunner gave us this as H. epacridea, golden form. It was hardy with friends who we gave it to, a good size and good drainage were mandatory. Never got a positive identification on it. These whipcord ones are a nightmare to id.
john
-
Hello John,
I can tell you for a start your plant is not H. epacridea It looks very much like Hebe odora (which sometimes is found circulating in the Nursery Trade as H. buxifolia). It is not strictly a whipcord species where the leaves are reduced to scales and appressed close to the branches.
I am not saying identification of whipcord Hebes is easy so here is a start. In general terms for non-whipcord species size and shape of the sinus (that is the little gap at the base of the paired leaves in the unopened bud) and the position and type of inflorescence ie lateral terminal or both provide important characters for identification purposes.
First Hebe odora - non-whipcord sinus is distinct, broad and shield-shaped; inflorescence is mainly terminal sometimes lateral as well. Sorry no pictures showing these features only foliage.
[attach=1]
Next Hebe hectorii subsp hectorii - scale leaves broad and rounded at the apex (we wont go into the other subspecies unless some one really wants to know) Inflorescence is terminal.
[attach=2]
Next Hebe lycopodioides - branches are square in cross-section scale leaves have a distinct sharp apiculus, veins visible on scale leaves. Inflorescence is terminal.
[attach=3]
Not to be confused with Hebe poppelwellii - branches round in cross-section scale leaves show veins but do not have a distinct apiculus. Inflorescence is terminal.
[attach=4]
Last Hebe propinqua - scale leaves rounded nodal joint prominent. Inflorescence is terminal.
[attach=5]
The most common whipcord species in cultivation is perhaps Hebe armstrongii which is very rare in the wild so much so that I have never seen it. With species in cultivation all the original geographic location data that is useful for identification is lost and frequently only selections of the species that are atypical are grown.
The genus Hebe has been subsumed back into Veronica so now all Hebe species are referred to as Veronica (POWO). Plant systematists make some rather arbitrary decisions at times. The term Pseudo (= false) veronica seems to be creeping back into the literature so if it was decided that now all Hebes are Veronicas it seems odd that the term Pseudoveronica has gained acceptance.
-
David, assuming that the seedlings I grew from the SRGC Seed Exchange actually are Hebe epacridea (sorry, just can't bring myself to adopt Veronica), I am wondering how to overwinter them here. The seedlings are still quite small (the tallest might be over 2.5 cm high). Temperatures here can drop to -20C overnight during the depths of winter. Should I sink the pot in the landscape, or keep it out of the elements? I don't want to lose these seedlings. We do have Hebe odora, and Hebe pinguifolia pagei growing well here. Last winter was cold and windy enough to cause some significant windburn/dieback on Hebe odora.
-
Hello Gordon,
Its a bit of a difficult question for me to answer. Moving them indoors to a cool, dry place might be the best option (as long as the potting mix does not dry out or freeze). In their natural environment Hebes are prone to cold damage so cooling them enough to promote dormancy would seem to me to be the best thing to do.
Hebe epacridea is an alpine species. It grows on coarse bouldery screes at 1400 -1500 m so would be covered with snow at times during winter but not necessarily for the entire winter.
Hebe odora is more a montane grassland species growing on damp sites (1200 m). It would receive some snow during winter but would not necessarily be completely covered.
Hebe epacridea
[attach=1]
Hebe odora
[attach=2]
-
David - Wonderful to get an identification on that Hebe. Over the past 25 years it has had many names on it but H. odora seems spot on.
While on the subject here are two others. The first is a mystery and photos 2 & 3 we labelled Hebe hectori, I think it too was identified here on the form; for years it was labelled H. lycopodioides and reached about 20-24 inches high, thankfully a friend was able to propagate it. Your thoughts on these two would be appreciated. johnw
-
Hello John,
Afraid I can not ID your fist photo with any certainty. There are many Hebe species with glaucous foliage and several cultivars. I would need to see a close up picture of the bud showing the sinus and a picture of the inflorescence to show whether it was axillary or terminal.
We can probably arrive at a definitive ID of your whipcord plant; Does the scale leaf have a prominent apiculus (point) if so look at the leaf more closely (use a lens if you have one). If you can see ridges (leaf veins) then it is Hebe lycopodioides . If the scale leaf is uniformly smooth over its surface then it is Hebe hectorii. If you look back at the pictures I posted you can see these details and compare them with your plant.
Both Hebes look well grown and very healthy. The climate where you are must suit them. Hope this is helpful . - David
-
Hello John,
We can probably arrive at a definitive ID of your whipcord plant; Does the scale leaf have a prominent apiculus (point) if so look at the leaf more closely (use a lens if you have one). If you can see ridges (leaf veins) then it is Hebe lycopodioides . If the scale leaf is uniformly smooth over its surface then it is Hebe hectorii. If you look back at the pictures I posted you can see these details and compare them with your plant.
Both Hebes look well grown and very healthy. The climate where you are must suit them. Hope this is helpful . - David
David
My friend has not been able to walk to the plant in question. Today she was able to get outdoors and says "Just looked very carefully at my Hebe and there are no ridges and there is no prominent point so I conclude it is H. hectorii." I'd bet it was you that identified the same plant years ago on this Forum. Thanks so much.
john
-
Greetings to all my SRGC Forum friends. Here is a new years special for Thomas
Leucogenes grandiceps
[attachimg=1]
and Leucogenes grandiceps growing over a rock outcrop. No flowers on the second one yet as the snowbank covering it has only recently melted
[attachimg=2]
I have a large number of images to catalogue and organise so will post a few some time in the future.
-
A good new year to you, too, David!
-
Greetings to all my SRGC Forum friends. Here is a new years special for Thomas
Leucogenes grandiceps
(Attachment Link)
and Leucogenes grandiceps growing over a rock outcrop. No flowers on the second one yet as the snowbank covering it has only recently melted
(Attachment Link)
I have a large number of images to catalogue and organise so will post a few some time in the future.
Hello, David,
what a great joy for me that you thought of me in this context.
Your photos of Leucogenes grandiceps are "food" for my obsession...;-)
My last copy died last fall... but I will try to find new plants. But there's also some good news... some of the NZ Seeds that were sown are already starting to germinate... ...mostly Celmisia.
I look forward to seeing more pictures from your field trips.
Cheers
Thomas
-
I am planning to post some photos of some of the plants I saw on a recent trip to the Old Woman Range. It is a bit off the beaten track but it is adjacent the Old Man Range on the other side of the Fraser Basin. Some of you may have visited the Old Man Range which is well known for its alpine plants and its wind.
The Old Woman range does not have any tors on its crest probably because they were removed by ice; it has almost certainly has had an icecap in the past.
Tent Camp on Old Woman Range at 1600 m. You can see a large snowbank still lying up against a schist scarp.
[attachimg=1]
View across the Fraser Basin to the top of the Old Man Range You can see the Old Man Rock and the communications tower on the top.
[attachimg=2]
The next three images form a panorama showing the crest of the Old Woman Range. There is a line of scarps just below the crest formed by glacial action. In the third photo of the panorama you are looking across to the end of the Pisa Range in the distance which follows the Clutha Valley between the towns of Cromwell and Wanaka.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
The straight ridge running from the right to centre of the next photo is a moraine. The ice came down from the left and created a shallow trough as it melted.
[attachimg=1]
This little tarn was left hanging by the retreating ice. There would have been a icefall descending into the valley beyond the tarn.
[attachimg=2]
Another view of the tarn.
[attachimg=3]
The ice would have descended into this valley and smoothed off the sides as it descended. The sides have subsequently collapsed leaving the huge piles of boulders you can see below the bluffs.
[attachimg=4]
Next photo shows view looking down from the top to where the valley abruptly descends into the basin below.
[attachimg=5]
-
Tarns and alpine wetlands on top of the Range.
[attachimg=1]
A large tarn with a spectacular view.
[attachimg=2]
Snow banks still persisting into the summer.
[attachimg=3]
Cushion field vegetation
[attachimg=4]
Cushion field vegetation dominated by Dracophyllum muscoides which you can see here in flower.
[attachimg=5]
-
Beautiful pictures showing some impressive mountain scenery David!
Is there snow lingering at this altitude all the time? In the Northern Hemisphere these would be images of late July/August, but remnant snow is not always guaranteed, especially below 2000 m.
-
Roughly what sort of height would you have been at there David? The land does bear a passing resemblance to the higher parts of Dartmoor but it's a long time since we had very much snow.
-
David, thank you so much for showing us these impressive
pictures.
-
Hello All,
I am just back from a field trip of a weeks duration in the Eyre Mountains and Fiordland with a Botanical team from Te Papa (NZ National Museum). I was not expecting to go to Fiordland but the trip got rearranged because of the weather and collecting priorities. I have a large number of images to download and catalogue. Awesome botany, awesome scenery and awesome people!
Gabriela; Its much the same situation as it would be in the northern hemisphere, the snow was lingering into summer a bit later then usual. Mostly by this time it would all be gone.
David; The pictures I showed you were at between our camp site (1600 m) and the top of the Old Woman Range at (1700 m) possibly a bit higher than Dartmoor! In winter it would be mostly covered by snow and very exposed.
-
Some plants from the Old Woman Range
Celmisia sessiliflora Here it forms large cushions
[attachimg=1]
and close up
[attachimg=2]
Veronica densifolia (=Hebejeebie densifolia) was everywhere and flowering profusely
[attachimg=3]
Raoulia grandiflora very common but I have never succeeded in growing it.
[attachimg=4]
and for a change of colour Ranunculus pachyrrhizus This is a snowbank species the flowers as it emerges from the snow.
[attachimg=5]
-
Looking forward to pictures from the newly explored mountains!
A most impressive Celmisia!
-
The glacial landscape looks very familiar. But the flora is quite different from what I am used to up here in Norway.
-
Hello Trond,
I am not surprised some of the landscapes are similar though the Central Otago landscapes are much more gentle than the Fiordland mountains further west which I will post later. Here are some more plants,
Acaena saccaticupla the large alpine bidi-bid
[attachimg=1]
Aciphylla simplex a cushion speargrass that is generally restricted to rock outcrops.
[attachimg=2]
A small alpine daisy Brachyscome montana
[attachimg=3]
and a second Brachyscome species, Brachyscome sinclairii
[attachimg=4]
Caltha obtusa very similar to the N. Hemisphere Calthas. It is a snow bank plant that emerges and flowers as the snow melts.
-
Next some Celmisias, Celmisia brevifolia
[attachimg=1]
and Celmisia ramulosa var tuberculata. This flowered last season and has no flowers this year
[attachimg=2]
Chionohebe thomsonii typically grows as a hard cushion on very exposed open sites
[attachimg=3]
Dracophyllum muscoides probably the most common plant in the cushion field. Here is one with some nice flowers.
[attachimg=4]
Euphrasia petriei These are root parasites and the different species are not always easy to identify. We have the N. Hemisphere E. nemorosa growing as a weed in scattered locations but it does not seem to get up to the high alpine
[attachimg=5]
-
Two species of Epilobium,It is very difficult to identify the different species even for a professional botanist.
Epilobium komoravianum. This species grows on the coast as well as the high alpine. It is possible the two are not the same.
[attachimg=1]
Epilobium tasmanicum A common alpine species in Central Otago. Don't ask me for seed, you already have E. brunnescens growing rampant over the British Iles.
[attachimg=2]
A little Gaultheria. This I think is a hybrid between Gaultheria nubicola and G. depressa var novae-zelandiae
[attachimg=3]
A second Gaultheria, Gaultheria parvula This is a species of alpine bogs and wetlands.
[attachimg=4]
And a white gentian, Gentianella divisa This is a monocarpic species with multiple flowering shoots. Not easy to cultivate or flower.
[attachimg=5]
-
Superb images, David ... and always such an interesting topic. The problem is that it always makes me want to return as soon as possible.
-
David,
Beautiful plants!
Hello Trond,
I am not surprised some of the landscapes are similar though the Central Otago landscapes are much more gentle than the Fiordland mountains further west which I will post later. ......
David, more similarities! It is more rugged in the west here also!
Caltha obtusa very similar to the N. Hemisphere Calthas. It is a snow bank plant that emerges and flowers as the snow melts.
I think the Caltha is more similar to species I have seen in South America than the one I am familiar with here!
-
Aren't the Euphrasia enchanting? Does anyone manage to grow them in captivity?
-
Aren't the Euphrasia enchanting? Does anyone manage to grow them in captivity?
Agree! The Euphrasia is an enchanting species. I have never tried to grow any though. But that is an idea! Being short-lived annuals or biennials (at least the native once here) I think you have to sow them close to a host and hope for the best.
This is a native one, Euphrasia stricta. The flowers are nice but the plant is a giant compared to the NZ relative.
[attachimg=1]
-
Aren't the Euphrasia enchanting? Does anyone manage to grow them in captivity?
Hi Maggi,
In answer to your query there was a student at Otago who tried to grow Euphrasia (with mixed success it seems) See https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/3981 (https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/3981) Trond's suggestion of sowing them close to the host might work.
Hi Cliff, I have not been looking a many Ranunculi lately. There was some R.scrithalis and R. piliferus in the Eyre mountains but nothing in flower. There was also a bit of R. lyallii and R. buchananii in Fiordland but the flowering was past. One of the party found some R. sericophyllus in flower high up on a scree under some bluffs but I did not get to see it.
To nights offering
Anaphalioides bellidioides very easy to grow in the alpine garden
[attachimg=1]
Chionohebe thomsonii
[attachimg=2]
Craspedia lanata or at least that is what I am calling it. There are a whole lot of undescribed species in this genus in New Zealand. So I will call it this until someone tells me otherwise.
[attachimg=3]
The little fern Cystopteris tasmanica very similar to Cystopteris fragilis from the Northern Hemisphere. There was a mass of this under a big overhanging rock.
[attachimg=4]
Drosera arcturi, the alpine bog sundew also very common.
[attachimg=5]
I am off to Invercargill for the weekend to visit Mr Toole and participate in some botanical field trips.
-
Hi Maggi,
In answer to your query there was a student at Otago who tried to grow Euphrasia (with mixed success it seems) See https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/3981 (https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/3981) Trond's suggestion of sowing them close to the host might work.
I am off to Invercargill for the weekend to visit Mr Toole and participate in some botanical field trips.
Thanks, David.
and ...Have a good trip !
-
Hello David
Finally I find the time to also thank you for the great photos of your hikes. All plants shown bring me a lot of joy. I am looking forward to more pictures from the wilderness.
By the way... after endless attempts, I finally have some successful sowings of different alpine NZ... here just a small example... different Celmisia... more will follow.
Greetings
Thomas
-
I've got celmisia seedlings germinating too - C. lyallii, wild collected for the seed exchange. Sown 19th Jan and placed outside where there has been very little frost but lots of rain. Germinated 19th Feb. Many thanks to our kiwi collectors who supplied very good seeds this season. I am hoping that the other species will soon germinate too.
-
I've got celmisia seedlings germinating too - C. lyallii, wild collected for the seed exchange. Sown 19th Jan and placed outside where there has been very little frost but lots of rain. Germinated 19th Feb. Many thanks to our kiwi collectors who supplied very good seeds this season. I am hoping that the other species will soon germinate too.
I am very pleased that the first seeds from NZ have germinated in you too. In my case you can see more seedlings... including Carmichaelia nanum and Brachyglottis haastii.
Also in the Alpinum the first new shoots can be seen...for example Gentianella corymbifera.
Apparently the much too mild winter was very good for the alpine NZ.😉
-
Despite all the bad news (Corona) today is a good day for me. While checking the sowings I discovered Aciphylla crosby smithii...
-
The flowers of Acrothamnus colonsoi are only a few millimetres "big"... but I like this dwarf shrub from NZ very much. ;)
-
Despite all the bad news (Corona) today is a good day for me. While checking the sowings I discovered Aciphylla crosby smithii...
That's great, Thomas. Looks like you had a very good strike. New Zealand is in the process of shutting down because of Covid-19. I am meant to be isolating myself and my wife is now working from home. When you pot them on don't wait too long as Aciphyllas dont like being moved.
Here is a photo of Aciphilla crosby-smithii taken last month on Mt Luxmore. All the Aciphylla species mast-flowered last season so there are no flowers or seeds this year.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello David
In fact I can hardly put my happiness about the germination of this Aciphylla into words. Other native NZs also have good germination... especially with various Celmisia.
In general the sowing is very successful this season...every week I discover many new seedlings.
Thanks for the helpful tip... I will prick the young plants in due course.
A private isolation is the best protection against this damn virus. I'll keep working... ...and I can't afford a home office.
A big thank you to all the people who keep society going... worldwide.
Cheers
Thomas 🤘
-
All the Aciphylla species mast-flowered last season so there are no flowers or seeds this year.
Ah, that explains why we didn't find any in flower when we were over in Dec! How frequently do they tend to flower, David? I notice that Thomas's seeds were sown in June and have germinated. I sowed mine in January - should I expect germination this season or next?
-
Hi Carolyn,
Aciphylla flowering tends to be a bit erratic. You may see flowering in successive years but every 4-5yrs there tends to be a heavy mast when all plants flower followed by a season when virtually no plants flower. All Aciphylla species tend to mast flower in the same year. Celmisia species tend to follow a similar pattern though it is not as marked as in Aciphylla.
Aciphylla seed does not remain viable for very long and is best sown fresh (very much like parsnips). Celmisia is the same.
-
Thank you for your answer, David. I didn't realise that celmisias can have a mast year too. We found plenty in flower up on the Paparoa track in December. Quite wonderful.
I have been out to the cold frame and counted 12 pots of wild-collected celmisia seedlings. No aciphyllas yet. It was so excitingto get such good seeds this year. Thanks, Kiwi friends!
-
Hello Carolyn
I have sown my seeds from NZ at three different times. First on receipt...on the 16.06.
Then again on 26.10. and on 24.11.
When I sowed in June there was no germination in the Celmisia's so far. But the pots from October are partly full of healthy seedlings.
Also with the four or five different Aciphylla's only A. crosby smithii has germinated so far. In any case you should not dispose of the pots hastily. I have pots from 2018...at the weekend I could actually see a timid germination in Lobelia roughii and Ranunculus crithmifolius.
I am not a specialist... but I think one should never give up hope...😉
-
Thomas,
That is interesting information about when you sowed/germinated the seeds.
I always keep pots for several years anyway. I have just found some trilliums from 2016 germinating....
-
Thomas,
That is interesting information about when you sowed/germinated the seeds.
I always keep pots for several years anyway. I have just found some trilliums from 2016 germinating....
Hi Carolyn...
We shouldn't underestimate the germination capacity of some seeds. I'm doing a little experiment on some very old seeds from a good friend of mine.
Here's another example... Marrubium supinum... the seeds were harvested in 2011.
-
Myosotis glabrescens...😉
-
Myosotis glabrescens...😉
But its not; it is Myosotis retrosa. However that is a story for another time.
-
But its not; it is Myosotis retrosa. However that is a story for another time.
Very interesting, David.
We had that topic back in... 2017... remember? In your article #194 on page 13 you identified this plant as M. glabrescens.
It is still the same plant from back then...;-)
-
Apologies for coming late to this conversation. I haven't yet worked my way through all 45 pages but I noticed discussion of Aciphyllas and Celmisias. In our Scottish garden (Kerrachar) we had a really satisfying bed featuring these two genera but with Hebes, Mysosotidium etc as well and decided it would be good to try to reproduce this in Sheffield. It was fanatastically unchanging for most of the year and really was almost better without the flowers (especially the Aciphyllas !). Both genera are hardly available in British nurseries now - 25 years ago it was much easier to source plants. I assume the problem is the difficulty of raising them from seed. Last year I had almost complete failure. This year I have had very limited germinations and although all the eight species of Celmisia I sowed have produced at least one germination, none of them has developed a proper root structure (apart from Celmisia spectabilis ssp magnifica).
Any advice on how to propagate either genera would be much appreciated. (My memory is that we bought in all the plants at Kerrachar -we had no success in raising them from seed there either.)
-
Very interesting, David.
We had that topic back in... 2017... remember? In your article #194 on page 13 you identified this plant as M. glabrescens.
It is still the same plant from back then...;-)
That is so. However botanical knowledge has moved forward since then and I will reveal all in a future posting
-
Apologies for coming late to this conversation. I haven't yet worked my way through all 45 pages but I noticed discussion of Aciphyllas and Celmisias. In our Scottish garden (Kerrachar) we had a really satisfying bed featuring these two genera but with Hebes, Mysosotidium etc as well and decided it would be good to try to reproduce this in Sheffield. It was fanatastically unchanging for most of the year and really was almost better without the flowers (especially the Aciphyllas !). Both genera are hardly available in British nurseries now - 25 years ago it was much easier to source plants. I assume the problem is the difficulty of raising them from seed. Last year I had almost complete failure. This year I have had very limited germinations and although all the eight species of Celmisia I sowed have produced at least one germination, none of them has developed a proper root structure (apart from Celmisia spectabilis ssp magnifica).
Any advice on how to propagate either genera would be much appreciated. (My memory is that we bought in all the plants at Kerrachar -we had no success in raising them from seed there either.)
Both Celmisia and Aciphylla germinate readily from fresh seed if you can obtain it. Celmisias are very easily propagated from cuttings (the woody-stemmed ones). However this past summer there was very little seed produced as both genera had masted heavily in the previous year and were not flowering. Celmisias are hard to keep in cultivation especially in warmer climates. They grow better in Scotland than they do in lowland parts of NZ. They tend to get stressed in warmer weather and are very susceptible to root rots. One species of Celmisia that grows well for me is Celmisia mackaui. It is a coastal species from Banks Peninsula near Christchurch and it seeds freely in my garden. I have grown many of the alpine species of Celmisia but tend to lose them especially after a heavy flowering. I have grown several Aciphylla species; my favourite is Aciphylla dieffenbachii from the Chatham Islands. It does not have spines. The larger species A. scott-thomsonii, A. aurea, A. horrida are easy enough to grow but a full size specimen is a very formidable garden subject.
-
Thanks for these comments, David. I think our bed at Kerrachar was so succesful because we were in a cool area (the far northwest of Scotland and the bed we used was in a cool part of the garden three or four feet from the north end of the house. I will try and hunt out a picture and post it later. It was noticeable that Myosotidium hortensia at Inverewe was really successful in a shady corner of the walled parden but then the then Head Gardener planted them throughout the garden in open sunny sited where they failed to thrive.
-
My long patience has been rewarded...😍
-
Clematis marmoraria -a young plant which has settled nicely into its crevice. It was past its best when I took this image.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49837323108_49d8b3ccf9_o_d.jpg)
-
Clematis marmoraria -a young plant which has settled nicely into its crevice. It was past its best when I took this image.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49837323108_49d8b3ccf9_o_d.jpg)
As always... Plants in absolute perfection...I didn't expect anything else from you, Steve...😉
-
Celmisia angustifolia...;-)
-
Steve as soon as I saw your clematis I googled to see whether I can grow that here in Canada. Looks like I have to enjoy through pictures only!!
-
Steve as soon as I saw your clematis I googled to see whether I can grow that here in Canada. Looks like I have to enjoy through pictures only!!
-
Kris, I constantly moan about the Scottish weather. Too wet, too windy, too cold; recently too dry, Sun too strong! ::)
The truth is that with some adjustment, little interventions (and a greenhouse) we can potentially grow a huge range of plants here. Perhaps it’s about time I started appreciating what we’ve got!
-
On the outside, the flowers look very fragile... ...but it's tough enough to endure and delights me every year... Leucopogon fraseri.
-
A purchase from Gerd Stopp quite a few years ago now that has never been a profuse flowerer and indeed hasn't shown me a flower for around three years. Yesterday I dug up the clump and potted them individually in fresh compost in the hope that they might improve and eventually will re-plant them somewhere that they might be happier.
The label is long gone so if someone could tell me what sub-species they are I would be pleased?
[attachimg=1]
-
I've forgotten almost everything I ever knew about our natives David but I think this one could be C. spectabilis. If not, someone will no doubt correct me.
I hope you are very well David and enjoying spring. Lockdown over autumn/winter has been a bit boring here though seeds are germinating and I'm getting some potting done. This last week we've had the first frosts of the winter but first snowdrops up too so good times to come. Our Alpine Garden Group in Dunedin/Otago has been stopped in its tracks by Coronavirus restrictions and it seems likely that even our annual show in late September may be at risk. But NZ's situation compared with that of many other countries is such that I can't possibly complain. I do wish you well and everyone here on the Forum.
-
Thanks for that Lesley, you could well be right. I seem to remember though, when I first got the plant from Gerd Stopp the label was difficult to read (as sometimes Gerd's labels are to English eyes) but I thought it it started, perhaps, as Celmisia a..............................
I think I will write a PM to Thomas, who I think buys quite a lot of stuff from Gerd Stopp, and see if he could anything more.
-
Thanks for that Lesley, you could well be right. I seem to remember though, when I first got the plant from Gerd Stopp the label was difficult to read (as sometimes Gerd's labels are to English eyes) but I thought it it started, perhaps, as Celmisia a..............................
I think I will write a PM to Thomas, who I think buys quite a lot of stuff from Gerd Stopp, and see if he could anything more.
Hello David
Of course I read along diligently in the background. I was very pleased with your photo. On the other hand I was a little surprised that you received this Celmisia from Gerd. It must have been some years ago...right? Because Gerd knows about my obsession for the alpine flora of New Zealand. He would definitely have offered me a copy...he's very generous to me. I live only 20 minutes away from Gerd and visit him several times a year. At my next visit, I'll ask for an ID of your plant. I have already made a screenshot of your photo. But this may not happen until August when Gerd's new list will be published. My day could have 50 hours...because I'm renovating most of my Alpinum right now. In addition, countless young plants have to be pricked...all only on weekends.
In the meantime you might get an exact ID from our New Zealand specialists here.
By the way...a general problem...Gerd has the handwriting of a pharmacist...😂😂
Cheers and best health
Thomas
-
Hello Thomas, thanks for your very prompt reply, even quicker than my PM to you ;D
I can't be exact how long it is since I bought the plant from Gerd but it is probably 5-7 years ago.
As said in my post I dug up the clump last week and re-potted them and was very pleased this morning to see a flower so I have added a picture here.
[attachimg=1]
-
Hello Thomas, thanks for your very prompt reply, even quicker than my PM to you ;D
I can't be exact how long it is since I bought the plant from Gerd but it is probably 5-7 years ago.
As said in my post I dug up the clump last week and re-potted them and was very pleased this morning to see a flower so I have added a picture here.
(Attachment Link)
Hello David
I have the answer to your riddle... Lesley was absolutely right...
it is Celmisia spectabilis. I have forwarded both your photographs to a very competent person... Hamish Brown in Christchurch. It is a fine example of how infinitely valuable and helpful this forum is.
I congratulate you for this beautiful plant and the magnificent flowering. The bright underside of the foliage is also very decorative.
Cheers
Thomas
-
As said in my post I dug up the clump last week and re-potted them and was very pleased this morning to see a flower so I have added a picture here.
(Attachment Link)
Lovely to see your Celmisia in flower David.
Here's a couple of images I took from the wild a wee while back.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Cheers Dave.
-
Many thanks for your help Thomas.
Lesley, you were spot-on ;D
Dave, thanks for the added pictures
-
Lovely to see your Celmisia in flower David.
Here's a couple of images I took from the wild a wee while back.
Cheers Dave.
Celmisia always looks so spectacular in the wild!
I've tried one from Seedex once with no success on germination. I have now a little NZ native flowering in the garden (besides the weedy Leptinella). To my best research it looks true to name but other opinions greatly appreciated.
Viola cunninghamii
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Full view
[attachimg=3]
-
Hi Gabriela,
Yes, it is Viola cunninghamii. There are another couple of NZ Viola species that tend to be creeping. Your Viola will be quite happy to set seed without forming flowers. It will die back in the winter
-
Viola cunninghamii from the wild
[attachimg=1]
and from my garden where it is growing very happily
[attachimg=2]
-
That viola is very pretty... Gabriela.
David... ...what are the names of the other little violas? ...just for personal interest.
-
Thank you very much for confirmation David, and for the lovely pictures :)
I doubt mine will ever look so happy like the ones you show. I've read about its natural distribution and tried to planted in a location where I water when it gets very hot and dry in the summer.
For those reading here: I kept the pot with this Viola (grown from seeds) for 2 years in my cold frames and only planted it in the ground one month ago. So, we still have to see about its hardiness.
Thomas: thank you. If this little beauty makes seeds I'll remember about your great passion for the NZ plants.
-
For those reading here: I kept the pot with this Viola (grown from seeds) for 2 years in my cold frames and only planted it in the ground one month ago. So, we still have to see about its hardiness.
Gabriela,
This species does not survive our winter here in NW Germany (Zone 7 b - mostly no snowcover).
I am interested very much in the experience you will make.
Gerd
-
David... ...what are the names of the other little violas? ...just for personal interest.
The other two are Viola lyallii which I don't think I have ever seen or if so have not recognised it and Viola filicaulis. The latter is more of a forest species and often seen along tracks and forest margins generally. Here is a picture where you can see its creeping form.
[attachimg=1]
-
Dave, thanks for the added pictures
Celmisia always looks so spectacular in the wild!
Cheers.
Hi Gabriela,
Yes, it is Viola cunninghamii. Your Viola will be quite happy to set seed without forming flowers.
I found V. cunninghamii to be rather a bit too adventurous in our conditions in seeding about ......however I always enjoy seeing it in the wild when up in the hills.
-
Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.
[attachimg=1]
-
Matt, is there more than one leaf shape in that pot?
-
Several, David! There are also Celmisias argentea and gracilienta along with a Leptinella and a Luzulla ulophylla or two.
-
Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.
wow!!!
-
Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.
Absolutely beautifully arranged, Matt. I'm thrilled. I had Celmisia bellidioides two years ago. ...but it went unnoticed by the ants. What's your experience with Celmisia argentea? I've never seen it bloom before.
Cheers
Thomas
-
Celmisia bellidioides is flowering well this year. There are leaves under there somewhere.
Hi Matt
A nice pot of Celmisia bellidioides and C. argentea. I have not been able to get C. argentea to grow let alone flower.
My C. bellidioides has one flower at present (today) as we are approaching winter.
[attachimg=1]
However Celmisia philocremna has two flowers and some un-opened buds
[attachimg=2]
The only other thing that has any flowers at present is Acrothamnus colensoi
[attachimg=3]
-
Absolutely beautifully arranged, Matt. I'm thrilled. I had Celmisia bellidioides two years ago. ...but it went unnoticed by the ants. What's your experience with Celmisia argentea? I've never seen it bloom before.
Cheers
Thomas
Thanks Thomas. I like arranging plants in ‘natural’ groups (or what seems natural to me at least) and letting them get in with it.
The C.argentea is growing well but I’ve not had flowers on it. It lives in this pot outside all year round on the east-facing side of the house = sun until noon’ish, protection from the worst of the winds (but not totally), and we’re coastal with a cool, moist maritime climate but no extremes of temperature.
I’ve had C.sessiliflora in the same pot and it’s flowered reliably in past years, but the last winter storm has all but killed it.
-
Hi Matt
A nice pot of Celmisia bellidioides and C. argentea. I have not been able to get C. argentea to grow let alone flower.
Thanks Dave. I can’t claim any credit, it just happens to like out climate here. Many of the Celmisia do, but not all. The cushion-forming and grassy leaved species do very well. The shrubby and leafier types can be hit by the winter winds but some come back. The more lowland C. mackaui is also doing well. New Zealand plants in general love it here on the Western Isles. We’ve been planting a shelter belt of almost exclusively NZ plants.
-
Thanks Thomas. I like arranging plants in ‘natural’ groups (or what seems natural to me at least) and letting them get in with it.
The C.argentea is growing well but I’ve not had flowers on it. It lives in this pot outside all year round on the east-facing side of the house = sun until noon’ish, protection from the worst of the winds (but not totally), and we’re coastal with a cool, moist maritime climate but no extremes of temperature.
I’ve had C.sessiliflora in the same pot and it’s flowered reliably in past years, but the last winter storm has all but killed it.
Thanks, Matt...
Here it is still a small challenge to successfully cultivate native NZ. The small Celmisia's have never bloomed in my garden. But my interest is not only in the flowers... that's why I'm also excited about the foliage. Your climate seems ideal for alpine NZ. Here the winters can sometimes be too cold for that...because the protecting snow is in short supply.
At the moment Celmisia alanii is in bloom.
David... your photos are magical... as always. 😉
-
Matt, that is a wonderful "pot" garden with its flowering and foliage plants growing beautifully. It is exactly what we would like to see in the miniature garden classes in our OAGG Annual Show - but, alas, do not ;D
-
Here I need an identification... which Pimelea it is. The leaves are narrower and smaller than Pimelea traversii.
Thanks
Thomas 😎
-
Here I need an identification... which Pimelea it is. The leaves are narrower and smaller than Pimelea traversii.
Thanks
Thomas 😎
Hi Thomas,
Identifying Pimeleas is not easy at the best of times, especially if cultivated. Do you have any information where it came from? I agree it does not look like P. traversii. It could be one of the forms of Pimelea prostrata.
-
Hi Thomas,
Identifying Pimeleas is not easy at the best of times, especially if cultivated. Do you have any information where it came from? I agree it does not look like P. traversii. It could be one of the forms of Pimelea prostrata.
Hi David
I thank you for your efforts. I'm afraid I have no more detailed information on this Pimelea. Nevertheless, I like her very much.
In the appendix, Craspedia lanata... in the pot. The small group in the Alpinum also shows some flowers in growth... but the final result will take some time... 🤞
-
Last Friday was a particularly good day for me...after years of "asking" I received two beautiful specimens of Leucogenes neglecta from my friend in the Arctic Alpine Garden. He could successfully propagate this "jewel" by cuttings.
Cheers
Thomas
-
Very beautiful specimens Thomas! I understand and join you! 8)
Arturo
-
Very beautiful specimens Thomas! I understand and join you! 8)
Arturo
Thanks Aturo...
all four subspecies of Leucogenes are like the holy grail to me. I had lost all my plants in the last two years. I hope to have better luck with Leucogenes neglecta. This subspecies is probably very rare in cultivation.
-
This link may be of interest to some https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2020/10/14/photo-essay-remote-field-work-collecting-forget-me-nots-in-the-south-island/ (https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2020/10/14/photo-essay-remote-field-work-collecting-forget-me-nots-in-the-south-island/) Heidi has lead a number of successful field trips looking at New Zealand Myosotis species which I have been fortunate to participate in. It is a great experience going out in the field with some of the best botanists in New Zealand.
-
The NZ alpines in my crevice garden are in the process of putting on their seasonal show Anaphalioides are easy plants to grow especially A. bellidioides which I picked up locally.
Anaphalioides bellidioides
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Anaphalioides hookeri is also common locally on roadside banks
[attachimg=3]
I have another form of A. bellidioides which I collected from Martyr Saddle in South Westland. It was growing on ultramafic substrate and was did not look very promising as a garden plant. On good soil it has turned out to be a brilliant plant with much larger flowers than any other form I have seen.
Anaphalioides bellidioides Martyr Saddle form
[attachimg=4]
The next plant is Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum. That is not its correct botanical name for reasons I will not go in to but it will suffice for the time being. It grows at two places on the local sea cliffs.
Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum
[attachimg=5]
-
A hybrid between Anaphalioides bellidioides and Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum is known as Helichrysum 'Graeme Patterson'. I bought my specimen from the garden shop. I am not sure that it is an improvement over either of its parents.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
A rockery plant that does well for me is Myosotis saxosa. The centre of this particular plant died back but enough survived to flower this year.
Myosotis saxosa
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
:-*
-
Celmisias are an interest of mine. There are about 60 species and the majority of them are alpines. As well as all the species numerous hybrids occur in the field. Celmisias are easy to propagate but difficult to keep in cultivation. Apparently healthy plants have a tendency to collapse without warning so it is always a challenge maintaining a collection.
Celmisia bellidioides is on of the easy ones provided it is grown in a damp spot. I have planted it beside a concrete water tank.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
This next Celmisia is proving to be a really good one. I collected it from the Takatimu Mountains and have not been able to identify it.
[attachimg=3]
The last Celmisia is one I collected last summer from Fiordland. It is probably a hybrid between Celmisia sessiliflora and Celmisia hectori and has just produced a flower.
Celmisa sessiliflora x hectori
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
-
Two last plants
Hebe buchananii 'Sir George Fenwick ' which is a dwarf, compact form of the species.
[attachimg=1]
and Carmichaelia monroii. These dwarf brooms are great in pots. I have five species, C. monroi, C. vexillata, C. astonii and C. corrugata and C. nana. In a good year the whole cushion is covered with flowers. The plant shown in the photo is in the crevice garden not a pot.
Carmichaelia monroii
[attachimg=2]
-
Great selection of plants, David - what's not to love about Celmisias? Enchanting plants - and Myosotis saxosa is a dote. Not sure if it is still alive here - hope so!
As to Helichrysum 'Graeme Patterson' - well, perhaps it's easiest to describe it a "interesting" - being sure to use quotation marks!
( I mean to cast no aspersions on Mr Patterson, merely to say that in comparison to the other beauties shown by David Lyttle, the plant named for GP pales somewhat! )
-
If I remember correctly, (and perhaps I don't), Graeme Patterson was a member of staff at Dunedin Botanic Garden for some years until moving north to Timaru where I lived at the time, and becoming Curator of the "public" rather than "botanic" garden there adding quality plant material to the bedding and other displays which were and still are the garden's main attraction. He was well liked and respected and always had a strong interest in New Zealand's native alpine plants, giving talks to plant groups in both cities. I don't know whether the hybrid which commemorates him was raised in Dunedin or Timaru or perhaps found in the wild but even though not a spectacular plant it is still sometimes listed by nurseries and is cherished for its associations.
-
Lovely to see how well your Celmisias are flowering this season Mr Lyttle :D . Some of my smaller species have also been good but admittedly not as heavy in bloom as yours :'( .
I had a recent trip onto Little Omarama Saddle, South Canterbury to try and photograph the green leaf form of Ranunculus crithmifolius I came across a couple ? of seasons ago when Julia Corden was last out in NZ. Images to follow later once i figure out how to do so from the photo library on this new laptop....
-
Hi Maggi,
Thank you for your comments. My native collection has been neglected a bit lately. No incentive to prepare plants for shows due COVID restrictions earlier in the year. Celmisias are somewhat frustrating garden subjects; sometimes you have them and sometimes you don't so you need to accept there is a turnover and keep propagating fresh material. A friend of mine volunteers at the rare plant garden at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary just out of Dunedin. They had a magnificent bed of Celmisia hookeri until the takahe got into it and tore it up. Celmisia hookeri is a species I have not had any success with not withstanding I have no takahe in my garden. It should be easy as it is relative local (North Otago) and coastal. I grow Celmisia mackaui (Banks Peninsula). It is very happy and seeds around freely. I think Celmisias as bedding plants is a great idea but progress towards realising the concept is slow.
As Leslie said Helichrysum 'Graeme Patterson' is named after Mr Graeme Paterson. It was originally collected from the wild at Cape Saunders which is one of the two locations where H. intermedium var tumidum is found. I have an idea who collected and named it but my memory is not all that good on the details so will need to check before I can confirm the information.
Hi Dave, Pleased you got to Little Omarama Saddle and look forward to seeing what you found. I have been a bit tied up here with a major construction project but hopefully it will be done by next week.
-
David
I too am totally thrilled by the splendor in your garden.
For us here "up here" it is even more difficult to cultivate Celmisia successfully. If you can even get hold of seeds or adult plants.
In my garden Celmisia allanii blooms best. With the three following specimens I need some patience and good luck for a flowering ( C. argentea, C. linearis x sessiliflora, C. semicrdata)... but even so I enjoy it every week.
Thank you for the great photos...more of them if you like.
Best regards and stay healthy and lively...
Thomas
-
David,
A very nice collection of daisies and other plants!
Contrary to some ;) I find the 'Graeme Patterson' charming!
The field blog was also interesting. Reminds me of some trips I have had.
-
David,
A very nice collection of daisies and other plants!
Contrary to some ;) I find the 'Graeme Patterson' charming!
The field blog was also interesting. Reminds me of some trips I have had.
I completely agree with you, Hoy... "Graeme Patterson" looks very interesting to me as well. I really like the bizarre appearance of this hybrid. My taste exactly.
Why can't you buy something like that here? ...a shame...;-)
-
...........
Why can't you buy something like that here? ...a shame...;-)
You said it!
-
Though not their natural habitat Thomas, I think you do exceptionally well with your celmisias and other NZ natives. Certainly better than I.
-
Though not their natural habitat Thomas, I think you do exceptionally well with your celmisias and other NZ natives.
So do I.
Little Omarama Saddle recently with a bit of snow on the higher ranges.
[attachimg=1]
Moss like growths of Scleranthus uniflorus looking more golden than plants i see on wetter ranges.
[attachimg=2]
-
It only looks like this... Lesley. When I think of all the painful losses we've suffered in recent years. You can see it in the photo of Celmisia argentea... mostly it starts to rot from the bottom.
But I am not giving up...;-)
-
Veronica densifolia having a good flowering year in this area....
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Not so for Aciphylla aurea
[attachimg=3]
or Celmisia sessiliflora x lyallii
[attachimg=4]
-
Hundreds of Ranunculus crithmifolius were in flower and it was difficult to avoid driving over some of them once we turned off the gravel road onto a side track.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=5]
The main reason for the trip was to visit a small patch of a green leaf Ranunculus which i located 3 seasons ago, unfortunately only a few were still in bloom, the best being....
[attachimg=2]
So I've included a couple of images from 2017.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
-
Magnificent gems, Dave ... I lost my specimen of five years just after the house move. Many thanks for the photos and the memories. Keep a close eye on Steve for us all please and look after yourself mate. Very best regards from a damn wet East Lancashire.
-
Super plants Dave of the ranunculus. Wonderful to see so many. You were obviously there at just at the right moment.
Cliff I believe Steve's good friends are rallying round as much as possible. Some from Christchurch spent this last weekend with him and Mandy. They are both, and the young ones too, being very courageous in the face of most difficult circumstances.
Sending you a PM.
-
Many thanks Lesley, take care. x
-
Great NZ mountain scenery and plants, thanks David and Dave. The field blog was also very enjoyable.
With our short and dark days now that the winter approaches it is particularly nice to see various species 'springing' into life and flowering.
-
Thanks Cliff and Lesley
I caught up with Steve evening meal last Friday where plans were being formulated for a trip into the Eyre Mtns early December.
-
Thanks Gabriela.
-
It only looks like this... Lesley. When I think of all the painful losses we've suffered in recent years. You can see it in the photo of Celmisia argentea... mostly it starts to rot from the bottom.
But I am not giving up...;-)
Thomas,
Do you start your plants from seed? I have tried Celmisia from seed several times but find it difficult even to germinate them!
-
.......
Little Omarama Saddle recently with a bit of snow on the higher ranges.
....................
Dave,
Looks like a nice place to visit - with beautiful plants!
-
Thomas,
Do you start your plants from seed? I have tried Celmisia from seed several times but find it difficult even to germinate them!
Celmisia seed germinates well if it is fresh (or after it is stored at -4 C). However much of the seed is non-viable as it never fills out or is damaged by insects.
-
Celmisia seed germinates well if it is fresh (or after it is stored at -4 C). However much of the seed is non-viable as it never fills out or is damaged by insects.
Thanks David.
Makes sense. I will not stop trying!
-
Thanks Trond.
-
Thomas,
Do you start your plants from seed? I have tried Celmisia from seed several times but find it difficult even to germinate them!
Hi Trond
Please excuse the late answer...there is a lot to do in the garden at the moment. The sowing is in full swing and at the same time I have to sink countless pots in the covered sand bed before winter comes.
I have also had different results with the sowing of Celmisia & Co. Some species have germinated very well, others very little and many have not germinated at all yet. I have sown at different times... immediately after receipt (in the European summer, as well as in November). Celmisia gracilenta germinated best so far. However, I have also received some species as pricked young plants or bought them from Ardfearn. My goal is to "produce" as much as possible myself... but it still remains a game of chance
Cheers
Thomas
-
Thank you for your answer, Thomas.
Seems I just have to continue trying!
Nice seedlings!
-
Lovely to see your success with germinating Celmisia Thomas. C. coriacea particularly is a smashing species when seen in the wild with its striking orange midrib.
Celmisia sps 'grassy leaved' is reliable each season with its flowers and makes good sized growths...
[attachimg=1]
while a recent gift from a friend of a cutting of C.philocremna I suspect will take time... ;)
[attachimg=2]
-
I have Mr Toole to thank for this specimen of Celmisia philocremna ----
[attachimg=1]
-
Fantastic... David. I especially like the typical thick floured stem of this species. Also Carmichaelia on the right side is very beautiful.
-
I admire all these species ungrowable on my side.
-
Hello Thomas, Yann,
I have mixed success with growing Celmisias and have lost many good plants over the years. Celmisia philocremna has survived so far and I have a second smaller plant grown from a cutting of the original. There is a huge amount of variation in some of the species and hybrids are very common. The woody shrubby ones grow easily from cuttings but the larger tufted ones (Celmisia semicordata) can not be grown this way and are much harder to propagate and keep in cultivation.
-
I also tried several times to sow it, and I concluded like Yann: even if it germinates, I do not go much further than the seedlings. it's too complicated for our climate.
but it is so beautiful :P
-
Good morning folks,
So pleased to report that I have just discovered three or four minute seedlings of Lobelia roughii (a huge favourite of mine) ... and, having previously germinated and grown on this little gem for twelve months or so, am now eager to get these to flowering size here in Lancashire, UK.
I know that they thrive in a very pebbly scree of broken stone, but any tips for cultivation and preferences re: sun and moisture levels would be much appreciated please?
-
Good morning folks,
So pleased to report that I have just discovered three or four minute seedlings of Lobelia roughii (a huge favourite of mine) ... and, having previously germinated and grown on this little gem for twelve months or so, am now eager to get these to flowering size here in Lancashire, UK.
I know that they thrive in a very pebbly scree of broken stone, but any tips for cultivation and preferences re: sun and moisture levels would be much appreciated please?
I get confused- it was Stellaria roughii that we grew - it died after flowering and we got no seed- so I'm not much help - but we did love it while we had it!
[attachimg=1]
Stellaria roughii form the Craigieburn Range
-
Another small gem from similar locations, Maggi ... and congratulations on growing such a fine example. So many very special plants from these fabulous mountains. x
-
Hello Cliff, Maggi,
[attachimg=1]
Field notes for Lobelia roughii are; occasional plants on mobile screes, 1550 m, Hawkdun Range. Beneath the top mobile layer the scree is quite silty/fine and packed quite. hard. Possibly a bit hard to replicate in a domestic garden. I would use a fairly gritty mix and grow in an open, sunny position and not let it completely dry out.
I have never seen a Stellaria roughii that looks anything like your plant, Maggii. I think you must have pampered it too much which just goes to show growing alpines so they appear in context is not a trivial matter. Stellaria roughii dies back completely during winter and regrows when the snow disappears. Field notes; Stellaria roughii, common on mobile screes,1300 m, Hummock Peak, Eyre Mountains
[attachimg=2]
-
This must be the ugliest plant I have ever bought. ( from Hokonui Alpines)
[attachimg=1]
However this year it redeemed itself by producing and amazing crop of violet flowers.
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
I am guessing it is a hybrid between Carmichaelia nana and a shrubby, wild plant growing nearby (Carmichaelia petriei?)
Compare with Carmichaelia monroi. This plant was grown from seed and still has some of its juvenile foliage. In the wild it is usually pruned down to ground level by hares so you don't see flowers very often.
[attachimg=5]
-
I have several other dwarf Carmichaelia species. This one is Carmichaelia astonii which grows on limestone.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
My Helichrysum intermedium var tumidum which I showed in a previous post is now in full flower.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
I also have another Helichrysum, Helichrysum plumeum. Quite a different plant. Its in a pot and I am a bit wary of planting it into the open garden. The branches are covered in white tomentum and the flowers are yellow rather than white.
[attachimg=5]
-
Celmisia bellidioides more or less completely covered in flowers
[attachimg=1]
An Anaphalioides hybrid that arose spontaneously in my garden.
[attachimg=2]
Mazus radicans which will possibly take over the whole bed.
[attachimg=3]
Coprosma atropurpurea which produces wine-coloured berries in flower. I just recently planted it out and it seems to be thriving.
[attachimg=4]
Last Ourisia macrocarpa. This is the first time I grown this. It grows only in Fiordland generally in high rainfall areas. Typically it produces a cluster of flowers on an elongated stem rather than the single flower in this photo.
[attachimg=5]
-
I have never seen a Stellaria roughii that looks anything like your plant, Maggii. I think you must have pampered it too much which just goes to show growing alpines so they appear in context is not a trivial matter. Stellaria roughii dies back completely during winter and regrows when the snow disappears. Field notes; Stellaria roughii, common on mobile screes,1300 m, Hummock Peak, Eyre Mountains
Hardly "pampered" here, David- surely just enjoying life under cold glass in Aberdeen, in the days when our weather was altogether colder !
-
David, many thanks for showing us these beautiful plants.
-
Good morning folks,
So pleased to report that I have just discovered three or four minute seedlings of Lobelia roughii (a huge favourite of mine) ... and, having previously germinated and grown on this little gem for twelve months or so, am now eager to get these to flowering size here in Lancashire, UK.
I know that they thrive in a very pebbly scree of broken stone, but any tips for cultivation and preferences re: sun and moisture levels would be much appreciated please?
Congratulations on the successful germination...Cliff. I hope to report the same next spring. I have a total of four pots of Lobelia roughii in the current sowing.
Sometimes it is worth waiting...as the two photos show...😎
-
Leucopogon fraseri...
-
A question for the specialists here.
I have three specimens of Celmisia semicordata.... On one of them I have been observing a foamy liquid coming out of the underside of a leaf for two to three weeks. Initially I wiped it off.... but it appears again. Does anyone know this behaviour? Is it a disease?
The other two specimens do not show this phenomenon.
I would rather the Celmisias were bubbling over with happiness...as they say here...:-)
I am grateful for any information...
Greetings
Thomas
-
A question for the specialists here.
I have three specimens of Celmisia semicordata.... On one of them I have been observing a foamy liquid coming out of the underside of a leaf for two to three weeks. Initially I wiped it off.... but it appears again. Does anyone know this behaviour? Is it a disease?
The other two specimens do not show this phenomenon.
I would rather the Celmisias were bubbling over with happiness...as they say here...:-)
I am grateful for any information...
Greetings
Thomas
bThis looks like what we call "cuckoo spit" - albeit a bad case - read more here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/beetles-and-bugs/froghopper/
-
Gentianella corymbifera flowers for the first time this year. Sown in winter 2017.
I think it was worth the wait...😏
-
Yes, Maggi is right, it is "Cuckoo spit" a disgusting foam from the froghopper insect and the information you'll get on clicking the link Maggi gave, says it all except, that the immature insect and when you are most likely to see it, is bright green, rather than brown. It is very common in NZ and perhaps in Germany and many other places but relatively harmless I think, though I did once see a whole field of maybe 20 acres or more which appeared white, there was so much of the foam. In the green stage the insect is slow-moving can easily be seen with foam and squashed but as it turns brown it hardens and moves quickly and tends to jump away if pursued. It appears in NZ from early October through summer. It is unseen after that but eggs must be present and hide somewhere through the winter, to become froghoppers in the following spring or else, where does it come from???
-
Here are a few photos from my first alpine field trip of the new season. Location was the Rock and Pillar Range inland from Dunedin The snow had all gone but there was not a lot in flower.
Caltha obtusa a classic snowbank plant that flowers as soon as the snow covering it melts
[attachimg=1]
Hebejeebie (Veronica) densifolia a lovely plant when flowering
[attachimg=2]
Montitega dealbata often confused with Pentachondra pumila
[attachimg=3]
Ranunculus gracilipes a small buttercup widespread in alpine bogs
[attachimg=4]
Ranunculus enysii another widespread alpine buttercup which can be quite variable
[attachimg=5]
-
Montitega dealbata was completely unknown to me until now... Simply enchanting, David.
Thanks for showing...
-
Hello Thomas,
I have not been out in the field much this season. It is perhaps still a bit early to see much in flower. I was in Central Otago today and there are still snowbanks on the Old Man Range so the Calthas and other snowbank plants should be emerging and flowering. I was given a nice plant of Raoulia australis and another of Raoulia beauverdii. My friend had them all potted up in planter bags and was growing them like cabbages. I will take some photos tomorrow and post them.
-
Her is a photo of the Raoulia australis I was given. It is about to flower
[attachimg=1]
I was also given a plant of Raoulia beauverdii which another Central Otago species. It is similar to Raoulia apicinigra but is a lowland plant. R. apicinigra is more a low to high alpine plant.
[attachimg=2]
I took a quick wander round the garden to see what was in flower. I am rather taken by this Leptinella. I identified it as Leptinella albida when I originally collected it with Stuart Murray on the Pisa Range. Looking at it now I am not so sure. I think it may be Leptinella pectinata subsp villosa. It is doing rather well and is quite attractive with its pinkish flowers.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
-
Here is Anaphalioides bellidioides. It has really taken over a corner of my crevice garden and is a mass of white flowers every year.
[attachimg=1]
Another consistent performer Celmisia bellidioides growing in the dampest coolest spot I could find for it.
[attachimg=2]
Carmichaelia corrugata
[attachimg=3]
and Carmichaelia astonii
[attachimg=4]
Viola cunninghamii. It is very happy to seed itself around the garden. If you are going to have weeds you need to encourage the native ones rather than the exotic ones. Those of you with sharp eyes will see Cardamine heleniae another native weed which we have gifted to the world growing up through the Viola. On the left is a fragment of Epilobium nummularifolium another NZ native weed which has become naturalised in north-western USA. There is Epilobium brunnescens in that bed as well which I believe is naturalised in parts of Britain. I have weeded most of it out so it is not in the photo.
[attachimg=5]
-
Here are three subantarctic plants which I have managed to grow
Myosotis capitata The plant grows well during the winter but tends to suffer a bit in summer.
[attachimg=1]
Azorella lyallii formerly known as Stilbocarpa lyallii. There is a little bit on Stewart Island but it tends to get eaten out by deer (and rats)
[attachimg=2]
Bulbinella rossii This has surprised me by growing quite well and flowering. I had another plant which never really thrived. I suspect this one is not going to like warm summer days so the flower head may not develop properly.
[attachimg=3]
-
Hi David,
Lovely to know that you are still growing and flowering some superb plants! Your image of Myosotis capitata brings back happy memories, I used to grow and flower these so well here in Lancashire and exhibited them a number of times at the shows, but haven't seen it here for quite a number of years now. Best regards to you and the alpine fraternity down under ... seems a long, long time since we hiked together to see Ranunculus crithmifolius in full flower.
-
Hi David
Commenting on every single photo of yours would go "beyond the scope".... all in all a feast for the senses for me...as was to be expected...:-)
I was especially pleased about your little hint that you have positioned Celmisia bellidioides moist and cool. I have two tiny specimens of it...in one pot. Thanks to your hint I may be able to keep it alive.
The two Carmichaelia make my mouth water....
Thanks again for showing...would love more of these.... if your precious time allows.
-
Lovely to see what''s flowering in your garden Mr Lyttle especially M.capitata which I have lost .....
It's cousin Myosotis rakiura was flowering on/near the Bluff coastal track a couple of days ago. i came across a few in bloom along the edge of the track and the area which now has a 'no spray' policy means clumps of Native Orchids are increasing nicely as well.
[attachimg=1]
Myosotis rakiura
[attachimg=2]
Greenhood Orchid. Tutukiwi (Pterostylis banksii)
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Spider Orchid. Corybas oblongus
[attachimg=5]
Cheers Dave.
-
Hi David,
Lovely to know that you are still growing and flowering some superb plants! Your image of Myosotis capitata brings back happy memories, I used to grow and flower these so well here in Lancashire and exhibited them a number of times at the shows, but haven't seen it here for quite a number of years now. Best regards to you and the alpine fraternity down under ... seems a long, long time since we hiked together to see Ranunculus crithmifolius in full flower.
Hi Cliff, I have very pleasant memories of that trip and your excellent company. It does seem a very long time ago. Hope all is well with you and your passion for buttercups is undiminished.
I was back at Mt Cook at the end of November and Ranunculus lyalli was as splendid as ever. Here are a few photos from that trip that I hope you will enjoy. In the first photo we have it all Ranunculus lyallii, Aciphylla scott-thomsomii, Aciphylla aurea and Mt Cook as a bonus
[attachimg=1]
Mt Cook again with only a few buttercups to distract the viewer.
[attachimg=2]
Mt Sefton Lots of Aciphylla aurea in flower in the foreground
[attachimg=3]
Mt Sefton again The nearest peak is Footstool which is not as high
[attachimg=4]
Mueller Lake This was the terminus of the Mueller Glacier until fairly recently The ice has retreated a long way up the valley and you can see the freshly exposed lateral moraine as well as the older moraines that have become re-vegetated
[attachimg=5]
-
Greetings Thomas, thank you for your kind words. We are not really into the alpine at Mt Cook as it is only 800 m. The vegetation is a mixture of shrubland and tussock grassland with some of the larger alpine herbaceous species present as well. For the true alpines you need to go higher still.
Aciphylla aurea is very common and was flowering this year
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
There were thousands of Ranunculus lyallii growing through the Chionochloa tussock and shrubland.
[attachimg=3]
The leaves are almost as attractive as the flowers
[attachimg=4]
The plants were growing all through the tussocks so I had to look around to find ones that were not obscured. It was quite windy as well and very sunny - not ideal conditions for photography
[attachimg=5]
-
Plants and landscapes are superb as always!
-
Thanks for sharing these David. Like Trond said, superb as always!
The snow peaked mountains for the background are just perfect :)
-
Hi David
I can only agree with Gabriela's words...the snow covered mountains in the background are the "icing on the cake".
Your photos show the diversity of the "montane stage" with you. You are absolutely right... The foliage of Ranunculus lyallii alone is a feast for the eyes.
I have two pots that I sowed in February. The first seedlings are appearing and I hope for a good development next spring. I got the seeds from our mutual friend Dave...😏
I look forward to the next report from your excursions.
-
Hello Trond, Gabriela, Thomas, Thank you all for you kind comments
The views from from the Hooker Valley track are certainly impressive; the floor of the Valley is 800 m and the summit of Mt Sefton is just over 3100 m which is a vertical gain of 2300 m is a very short distance. It is a very dynamic landscape with its glaciers, rockfalls and avalanches. During the morning we saw several avalanches falling from the icefields on Mt Sefton. Long term the ice and the glaciers are in retreat as this 1904 photo shows https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/327236 (https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/327236) The terminal face of the Mueller Glacier was where the lake is now. The vegetation likewise changes over time as plants colonise the fresh morainic debris and you can see the sucessional changes as you walk down the valley. The vegetation you see in the photos has relatively few species and is not particularly diverse.
Thomas, I hope you succeed with your efforts to grow Ranunculus lyallii. I have not been able to keep it possibly because it does not get enough cold chilling in the winter ( but this would not be a problem for you)
-
Dave and Hamish and Mika have been to the Eyre Mountains at New Year and among other super plants have found and photographed the stunning Ranunculus piliferus. Dave posted on Facebook and I truly hope he will post here as well because the photos would give everyone great joy in the New Year. R. semiverticillata from South America is perhaps the outstanding species (now called Callianthemoides, for Heaven's sake!) but piliferus while quite different and yellow instead of white, is no less fine.
-
T00lie's photos were shared to the SRGC Facebook page. here are a few.... Dave wrote " Last few days in the Jane Peak area, Eyre Mtns searching for Ranunculus piliferus at about 1900m. No luck in the side valley near the snow patches however yesterday at the head of Gorge Creek on scree our luck changed."
Ranunculus piliferus photos from Mountain Man Dave!
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
Star marks the spot where they found Ranunculus piliferus
-
" Ranunculus piliferus photos from Mountain Man Dave!"
Outstanding!
-
Raoulia australis grows directly in the sand plunge of the Alpine House. I cannot
grow them in the garden, it is simply too hot for them. The flowers are really tiny.
-
Raoulia australis grows directly in the sand plunge of the Alpine House. I cannot
grow them in the garden, it is simply too hot for them. The flowers are really tiny.
That's beautiful Rudi. Very impressive that you can grow it so well there in southern Germany. Was it from seed originally?
-
Ashlev,
thank you for your kind reply. My plant as a gift from
a Botanical Garden.
-
Today there is once again a good reason to write here. In September 2020 I sowed wild seeds of Lobelia roughii. In the second spring, there was indeed good germination. The young plants are developing excellently. You can already see the characteristic serrated shape of the leaves. One specimen is growing particularly well and is already flowering.
I am very happy to be able to establish this bizarre representative of the New Zealand Scree in my Alpinum in the future.
-
Well done, Thomas.
-
" Ranunculus piliferus photos from Mountain Man Dave!"
Outstanding!
David,
David Thank you for your beautiful photoraphy. It took me a while to find this thread. I am amazed at how much your mountain Landscapes resemble our Syskiyou range in southern Oregon and Northern California.