Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Alpines => Topic started by: kiwi on December 05, 2009, 09:02:16 AM
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Headed up the back this morning hoping to catch the Ranunculus Haastii flowering.
Luckily they hadn't all been chewed by grasshoppers. My four year old daughter loved the vegetable sheep and remaining snow drifts. Saw this nice Haastia recurva and Leptinella dendyi on our last ridge line.
I think this second Ranunculus is R. monroi? The Hebes and Celmisia are just starting to do their thing.
Beautiful day, next week, Porters Pass, all going well.
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Pratia angulata (now Lobelia?), Anaphalioides bellidoides, Aciphylla montana and I need some help with the little white flowered mat. Finish off with another glorious Ranunculus.
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"My four year old daughter loved the vegetable sheep and remaining snow drifts."
You're creating wonderful memories for your children Doug :) --our 3 ,although now their early 20's often reminisce about how their 'nutty' dad had them up in the mountains before they were of school age ;D
I was out in the field this morning ,down the coast having a look at alpines at sea level --saw some nice stuff, (Sun Orchids particularly), but nothing to compare with your cracker shots.Well done.
"I need some help with the little white flowered mat."
Have a look at Neopaxia australasica.
Regards Dave.
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Cheers Dave, try to give them some good Kiwi experiences!
Thanks for the ID, looking forward to the next couple of months botanizing!!!
Still no joy on finding Lobelia roughii in flower yet, or Montigena, they're on the top of my must photograph list....... along with fifty others!
Hope you have some shots of those Orchids!
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Magnificent shots, sir ... the R. haastii are TO DIE FOR! Keep searching for that beautiful little lobelia please (and Lignocarpa, of course)!
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Great pics Doug, brings back happy memories of my brief excursion to NZ.
The Ranunculus is fabulous but I also love the Leptinella and we can grow it.
Well we used to grow it and lost it a number of years ago - I must try and get some seed again.
Dave Toole - I am counting the days until you come over to Scotland.
Book early for the Discussion weekend in 2010 to hear and see this NZ legend that is Dave Toole in person where I am he will be showing more of these fabulous plants that Doug has captured so well.
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I KNEW we would meet one day, Dave ... but I thought it might be down in your neck of the woods? :D
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great stuff!
love the second shot--something about little bits of life in barren landscapes does it for me!
the first is fascinating too: to see the farmland so near- very different from my mountain access!
are there trails going up there, or do you just scramble your own way?
i agree that its wonderful you can take your daughter up there :)
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You are far too kind Scottie,(I.Y).
Being a legend in ones own time is a bit of a worry :-\ --I'll need to be wary of all the pressures it can bring such as extra marital flings :-* , boozy nights ;) excessive drug taking ??? and unlimited wealth ? :P
Cliff
really looking forward to meeting all of you.
Cheers dave.
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Hi Doug,
Nice pictures of some very nice plants. Makes my feet itchy as I have not out much this season. I hate to contradict Dave's identification since he is a legend in his own time but I think your mat is Montia erythrophylla. The genus Neopaxia was revised last century (1999) and subsequently transferred to Montia. Montia australasica is now considered to be an Australian species.
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Thanks David
I must have missed that change somehow. :-[
Actually i must admit to having the thought 'not another bl...y >:( recent name change' ,(when i first read your comment ), however on reflection i'd never win that discussion with it being 10 years ago . ;)
Might need you to have a quick flick through my Mark and Adams,(revised 1995 copy), some time as that is the only reference material i have if that's okay.
Hope you coming down for the field trip this Saturday.There are some lovely plants in flower at the moment.
Cheers Dave
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Yes, 'not another bl...y 8)recent name change'. Instead of there being just one species, Neopaxia australasica, there are now eight species all now placed in Montia. We get seven new ones and our Australian friends get to keep the original one.
I need to update the names in my own copy of Mark and Adams ( maybe I should give it to AFM to update - The consumer guarantees act should cover it.)
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Amazing plants and wonderful shots Doug ! :o :o
Thanks so much for posting !
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Being a legend in ones own time is a bit of a worry Undecided --I'll need to be wary of all the pressures it can bring such as extra marital flings Kiss , boozy nights Wink excessive drug taking Huh and unlimited wealth ?
So that's what you get up to on those Trillium week-ends with all those luscious Southland ladies - no wonder I'm never invited!
Susan
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Cliff
really looking forward to meeting all of you.
Cheers dave.
I'm not THAT big, Dave!!! :D
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Of course you aren't Cliff--it was just my lazy way of getting around ::) to making a greeting to all and sundry.
You are invited this weekend Susan :-*
Cheers Dave
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Headed down to Invercargill today with the Otago Alpine garden Group to meet up with Dave Toole for a trip to Waituna lagoon wetlands. Dave had sorted out a nice bog for us to visit and arranged weather to suit , rain. When we arrived I tucked my camera down in my jacket and left the tripod in the car. I though the only photography I would be doing would be hand held using flash. We went out and saw plants and more plants most in flower and many very localised and not seen much elsewhere.
Here are a few highlights;
1,2 Oreostylidium subulatum this species has a very sporadic distribution and is found only in bogs.
3,4 Herpolirion novae-zelandiae. The flowers open with a bluish tinge and fade to white.
5 Drosera binata You can see the bifurcated leaves unrolling.
6. Drosera pygmaea This was the smallest species of the three sundews we found. Note the moss growing beside it.
7 The lichen Cladia retipora
8 Gentiana lineata A curious little gentian that is sporadic in its distribution. The flowers were not out but you can get an idea of what the plant looks like.
9 Utricularia sp (monanthos) this little bladderwort was growing in profusion mostly in standing water.
After a while the rain stopped and eventually the sun came out. I retrieved the tripod from the car and put it to use. We moved to another site at Tiwai bridge after lunch where we saw more bog plants. (the Drosera pygmaea were at this second site; each Drosera species seemed to have a distinct habitat preference)
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what a great batch of plants!
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Worth getting wet knees for David, great to enjoy your trip through the PC.
Herpolirion novae-zelandiae is a great wee plant, they all are.
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ooo, lovely Ranunculus. Maybe I'll copy Harold McBride's idea of a making a NZ trough
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Doug and David,
Great sets of photographs; fantastic plants. Many thanks, Paddy
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On Sat night Dave drove all night from Invercargill. I awoke him in his truck cab early on Sunday morning and together we headed up into the Torlesse Range. Our mission was to find the delicious, moderately rare scree pea, Montigena. We started off pretty rough when Dave led us into the biggest patch of Matagouri in the whole national park!!! After finally crashing through the last of it, our spirits were lifted with a valley full of Bulbinella angustifolia. Heading up into the valley were many nice Hebes and Celmisia angustifolia. We found this nice Myosotis australis and were barely metres away when Dave started jumping for joy. Scree pea, wahoo! After a photo session we dragged ourselves away from the Montigena and promptly found another few plants. A real memorable find. We headed up into the upper slope screes to look for Lobelia roughii, which eluded us on this trip but we did find a lot of Ranunculus haastii, Stellaria roughii and Lignocarpa carnosula.
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The bulbinella Valley.
This morning we went through to the Otaira Valley and were welcomed by the glorious sight of Ranunculus lyallii. There were also orchids and Ourisia flowering everwhere we turned. After a true West coast soaking we headed back to the Canterbury high country for a look for some Penwipers.
Can anyone help with the other Ranunculus ID.
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The Orchid Aporostylis bifolia? A little leptinella atrata, and the stunning but evil Acipylla scott-thomsonii.
A great weekend, fantastic plants and views, and a weeks worth of Matagouri spikes to dig out of my hands, legs etc. Cheers Dave!!!
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David, beautiful plants, look forward to getting down there soon.
The Bladderwort, Herpolirion and Gentian are Divine, stunning colours.
Cheers.
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Amazing images, Doug ... featuring many of my dream plants (Swainsonia, Lignocarpa, Stellaria, Ranunculus, etc. ... just missing that gorgeous little Lobelia roughii, aaah) and excellent habitat shots as well ... many thanks. Love the Toolie fashion accessories as well!
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Doug,
So Dave did head north not withstanding the weather forecast though it looks like it caught up with you on the Western side of the Divide! It seems to have been a very profitable expedition finding the Montigena something that I have never seen in the wild let alone in flower. I am really very envious of your find. I think your buttercup is Ranunculus enysii - it can be quite variable.
Ian,
It was a very enjoyable outing at Waituna. Pity you can't pop over and join us again. However thrashing round a bog in Southland in the rain is not every ones idea of a good time. Some members of the group got decidedly grumpy. At 9 am that morning I was wondering what possessed me to get up at 5 am and drive down to Invercargill. The camera generally only gets taken out when when the precipitation moderates so people may get the idea we live in Pacific paradise where the sun always shines and rare alpine bloom in profusion. Herpolirion is a great plant - again it one of those things you notice only when it is flower. It is not particularly common and you almost never see it in cultivation but it was abundant at Waituna where it was growing on two out of the three sites we visited.
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Love the Toolie fashion accessories as well!
;D ;D
Exactly my thoughts Cliff !
Stunning pictures Doug !!!.... and I'm not just talking about the one featuring Dave... ;D
Thanks very much for showing !
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a weeks worth of Matagouri spikes to dig out of my hands, legs etc. Cheers Dave!!!
Doug
While there is a saying that with age comes wisdom at my stage of life i'm always on the lookout for a shortcut ;) --unfortunately it backfired this time :'(.
My plans to visit a couple of mountain ranges further south on the way home were dashed by a fairly heavy hail storm and a following drop of snow overnight onto the foot hills.
The following shot is of the road conditions --taken from inside the warmth of the truck --i was still in tee-shirt and shorts......
David
I've had a yearning to view the Montigena in the wild for maybe 20 odd years --to actually find it at the first serious attempt was terrific.
Cheers dave
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Hi Dave,
When did Swainsonia become Montigena? All my N.Z. reference books still cite Swainsonia. It remains a gorgeous and highly desirable acquisition.
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Great outing, Dave
Paddy
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Hello Cliff
Last week i spend an hour or so going through ,(on line) all the NZ Journal Of Botany abstracts since 1995 in a bid to update my Mark and Adams .
I have bookmarked all the changes ---a check just now and it shows---- Montigena was accepted 10 October 1997
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1998, Vol. 36: 41-51 .
(if you want the brief abstract please let me know and i'll forward it you by email).
Over winter i plan to have look at a number of changes in respect of alpines i was not aware of .
Cheers dave.
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Thanks Paddy .
I plan to be out in the field quite a bit over the next 3 months subject to the weather--including Doug and i having a look around the Nelson area next month (top of the South island)---there are some lovely alpines up that way --IDing those plants will be very interesting ........
Cliff
I have grown the scree pea --it was listed in the NZAGS seedlist many years ago--i managed to germinate 3 seeds ---the plants grew well --i remember reading somewhere at that time ,(maybe Joe Cartmans publication ?), that it needed to be repotted regularly into fresh mix.
I kept it alive for 4 years without flowering it before i lost interest ............ :(
It is quite stunning when you see it on the scree. :P
Cheers dave
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Heenan (NZ. J Bot 1998, 36:21-40) considered Swainsonia novae-zelandiae was more closely related to Clianthus and Carmichealia both predominantly New Zealand genera than to Swainsonia an Australian genus. Since it was neither a Carmichealia or a Clianthus he created a new genus Montigena to accomodate it. He also submerged Corallospartium, Chordospatium and Notospartium into Carmichealia and pruned out a few species from the genus Carmichealia.
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Many thanks for the speedy and detailed reply Dave.
It is quite disconcerting to find that even the Bible (Mark & Adams - and probably Salmon as well) have been updated to such an extent! All those evenings spent poring over these high mountain gems, committing the names and images to memory, I could have been drinking, smoking and womanising!
I too received seed of Swainsonia (as it was at that time) and germinated two (along with Notothlaspi, Lobelia roughii and Stellaria roughii), but mine succumbed more rapidly than yours - only the Stellaria got to flowering size and then promptly died without producing seed.
It is such a pleasure to enjoy your trips into the high places - please continue to share your experiences.
Thanks for the information David ... I hadn't realised that Corallospartium had been engulfed as well? Oh drat!
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On my last outing I found this bright green Lignocarpa carnosula. After speaking with a local expert I was amazed to find that some scree plants occasionally will throw this way, deficient of colour, ( I forget the term if any one knows?)
Fluro orange fungi in an alpine bog.
Dave, I wouldn't have thought that weather would have stopped you, getting soft in the old age?
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Dave, I wouldn't have thought that weather would have stopped you, getting soft in the old age?
No, Doug, it's the lack of his famous purple wooly leggings.... sacrificed last year to mend David Lyttle's boot...... poor t00lie has been at a serious disadvantage ever since...... :P
So far my world wide search for a suitable replacement garment for our intrepid NZ reporter has drawn a blank..... :'(
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All those evenings spent poring over these high mountain gems, committing the names and images to memory, I could have been drinking, smoking and womanising!
Somehow Cliff, I think Dave has been multi tasking! You're never too old to start you know! ;D
Susan
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Doug,
Your fluoro orange fungus is a Lichenomphalia. It is a lichenised basidiomycete an if you look carefully at the base you will see a green slime film which is the algal symbiont. In the majority of lichens the fungal partner is an ascomycete.
Clearly Dave needs to create his own brand of clothing/accessories etc now his celebrity status is on the rise. (it could end in tears if for instance Susan and Lesley confronted each other in the field wearing the same shade of purple longjohns)
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if for instance Susan and Lesley confronted each other in the field wearing the same shade of purple longjohns)
You certainly know how to live down there, don't you ..? ;D
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All those evenings spent poring over these high mountain gems, committing the names and images to memory, I could have been drinking, smoking and womanising!
Somehow Cliff, I think Dave has been multi tasking! You're never too old to start you know! ;D
Susan
... Only two hands, Susan ... so I gave up smoking! :D
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David, cheers for the id and info.
Regarding the Toolie fashion line, I would suggest spandex, lots of it, maybe a wool / spandex blend full body jump suit.
Cheers,
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I visited the Rock and Pillar Range yesterday. Saw lots of buttercups and Psychrophila which is almost a buttercup and Anemone tenuicaulis which was not yet flowering. So I will do the Ranuculaceae first. All the plants for the original illustrations of these three species in Mark and Adams were collected from here.
1 Ranunculus gracilipes. This species is confined to bogs where it grows in profusion
2, 3. Ranunculus enysii A widespread variable species that tends to grow on dryer sites.
4,5 Psychrophila obtusa A snowbank species.The flowers open as soon as the snow has melted.
6 Kellaria dieffenbachii One of the four species of Kellaria that I found on the day.
7 Cyathodes pumila seen here growing amongst the superficially similar Pentachondra pumila. Note the tiny flowers; the Pentachondra is not yet flowering.
8 Anisotome flexuosa I also found Anisotome aromatica and Anisotome imbricata on the day. This species is distinguished by the long hair-like projections on the tips of the leaf segments.
9 Gaultheria nubicola A tiny mat-forming species. The larger Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae was also present.
10 Herpolirion novae-zelandiae I found these plants growing on a bank by the track on the way down. They were growing on quite a dry site unlike the ones I photographed a few days earlier in the bogs of Southland.
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Magnificent, David! The R. enysii and the anisotome are so tight and low growing. A very exposed area I presume? Many thanks yet again for posting these splendid images.
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David,
What an interesting selection - fine Ranunculus and the white ' marsh marigold ' .
Thank you for showing us!
Gerd
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Hi Cliff, Gerd,
It can be very cold and windy especially on the flat summit plateau of the range. On the day the wind was blowing and it was very coldThere were a couple of showers but the rain did not last long. However in the gullies out of the wind it was not too bad. It was difficult finding a Ranunculus enysii that was still enough to photograph.
Here are some views of the top
1. Looking north east. Across the valley to the right of the big tor there is a feature called the Crater. It is an ancient volcanic cone. You can see the subalpine scrub mainly Hebe odora (yellow-green) merging into the herbfield which is dominated by Celmisia viscosa (blue green patches).
2. Looking up to the summit plateau showing the schist tors that give the range its name. The photo show the terrain and different vegetation sites. The foreground is dominated by Hebe odora shrubland merging into herbfied dominated by Celmisia viscosa. There is an area of bog/wetland centre right. The bare slope above it is snowbank ( the snow has presently melted). There is a little patch of snow remaining on the upper left.
3. Looking down on the township of Middlemarch. Saddle Hill on the coast is at the centre of the photo.
4 Anisotome imbricata
5. Dracophyllum muscoides This little cushion shrub dominates the summit plateau.
6. Kelleria villosa var barbata This variety of Kelleria villosa is a Rock and Pillar endemic.
7. Gaultheria depressa The plant in the photograph is possibly a hybrid between Gaultheria depressa var novae-zelandiae and Gaultheria nubicola.
8, 9. Hectorella caespitosa The first photograph shows the cushion and the second is a close up showing the flowers.
10. The alpine shield fern Polystichum cystostegia whith the new frond unfurling.
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David, your pictures (and Dave and Doug) of plants and plant habitats in NZ never stop to surprise me.
The variation in alpines seems endless. What a pity, that it's so far away... :(
Thank you all for showing!
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Nice pics David
I went for a little poke around up country yesterday.
Still quite a bit of white stuff on the late snow banks ,so too early for plants such as Ranunculus pachyrrhizus .
However what a year for Raoulia grandiflora ,Psychrophila obtusa and Celmisia verbascifolia---they were flowering all over the place.
Luckily the weather was settled and no need to call for for my alternative transport---wink--pic attached.
Caught one of the locals dining out on Parahebe trifida .
Enough from me --i have another 342 pics to format :)
Cheers Dave.
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Just returned from the Old Man Range. I met up with Dave Toole at 9.30 this morning and we headed off up the hill. I have some awesome images but I will only post one tonight. I have finally got some pictures of Chionohebe tomsonii that I am happy with.
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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!
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So, we can look forward to reports from the both of you!
That will be a treat.
Paddy
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Only a brief report from me Paddy.
Spent the last 3 days out and about--
First day up on the Remarkables Ski Field sighted many Myosotis pulvinaris just starting to flower --Aciphylla simplex was not .
Then yesterday had a wonderful day poking around the Old Man Range with David and his wife Belinda .
General shot of Raoulia --Celmisia and distant late snow banks.
Unidentified cushion ?. ;) .
Still heavy snow on the cool southern slopes,( and a dusting forecast tomorrow), so it will be awhile until some of the larger Ranunculus and other gems start showing.
Cheers Dave.
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That last one has the looks of the "Hairy Man Cushion" about it, I think.
Paddy
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Well what can I say.
What is this man photographing? It is not a plant and to spare the delicate sensibilities off fellow forumists and leave it to your imaginations. I will give you a clue; it has 6 legs and is iridescent blue and there are two of them.
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I have been identifying a few plants I was unsure about in the field so no further plant pictures this evening. Another picture of Dave having a quiet sit down. Mostly all you can see in the field is Dave's back receeding about 200 metres away. He tends to be a bit camera shy.
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.... and still sartorially elegant I see ;D
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mmmmm..., no shorts? must have been very cold up there... ;D ;D ;D
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mmmmm..., no shorts? must have been very cold up there... ;D ;D ;D
Dave might be getting a bit soft these days but this young chap appeared when we were having lunch at the Obelisk. He is another southern man from Invercargill.
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Nope ---not cold Luit
In fact it was relatively calm --well when i say calm there was a gentle breeze about ......
I was badly sun burnt from the day before :'( so i was well covered up ---(forgot to take sun block lotion with me).... :-[
(My wife who is a nurse was not impressed).
Cheers dave
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Nope ---not cold Luit
I was badly sun burnt from the day before :'( so i was well covered up ---(forgot to take sun block lotion with me).... :-[
(My wife who is a nurse was not impressed).
Cheers dave
;D ;D ;D
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I took over 100 photos on the Old Man Range so have been too busy processing them to post until now. I will post a batch of Chionohebes. After revising the genus Heidi Meudt (Australian Systematic Botany 6 2008 placed them all in Veronica but I still choose to refer to the genus as Chionohebe.
1-5 Chionohebe densifolia Chionohebe densifolia is also found in Australia. The opening flower buds of this specie often have a mauve/blue colour that quickly fades to white. This can be seen in picture 5.
6-9 Chionohebe thomsonii This species is a Central Otago endemic. It is typically found on exposed sites in cushion field and high ridges. It often forms hard rounded cushions as in picture 6. Note the fine hairs on the leaves.
10 Chionohebe thomsonii var glabra (or if you choose Meudt's name, Veronica chionohebe) This species has a restricted distribution to the Pisa Range, Carrick Range, Old Woman Range and Garvie Mountains. The record from the Old Woman Range is from the western side of the Fraser Basin so it is not surprising to find on the Old Man Range on the eastern side of the Fraser Basin. It is a softer looser mat then Chionohebe thomsonii and grows in damper situations. The plant pictured here was growing in a depression at the base of a rock tor which tends to retain snow and hence more moisture than the cushion field sites favoured by Chionohebe thomsonii. Note the lack of hairs on the leaves.
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Extraordinary plants, David.
Paddy
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Superb pictures David, If you could cross C. densifolia #2 with #5 and it could keep that colour you would have a stonker.
Not that they are not all beautiful but that would be a great plant for a trough.
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Extraordinary plants, David.
Paddy,
they are amazing, especially Chionohebe thomsonii with its hard rounded cushions. That is why I am resisting calling them Veronicas even though logic would support this.
Ian,
We went a little north of where we took you and dropped down a bit to look at some bogs. Unlike the day you were there, it was warm with very little wind. The purplish mauve colour is a transient thing as it does not persist when the flowers are fully open. Chionohebe densifolia is quite variable in its form and can form cushions though usually it a straggling mat. I have been collecting it from various places as it is very easy to strike from cuttings. It is not too difficult to keep it growing and flowering. I guess one could select for a coloured flower as obviously the genes for colour are there. It does hybridise with Chionohebe thomsonii and some of these hybrids are very attractive desirable plants but I have not collected or
cultivated any of the hybrids.
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you seem to have an endless supply of remarkable plants!
love foliage and flowers on these chionohebes..
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David,
thank you for taking us to the Old Man Range, it reminds me to the trip we took to this splendid
place during Alpines 96.The outstanding flora and scenery there is unforgetable for us.
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This batch of pictures are of Ranunculaceae. Hope you are watching Cliff.
1 Ranunculus gracilipes This species is found in bogs.
2. Ranunculus enysii This is the generalist of the NZ alpine Ranunculi. These particular specimens are small then the one I showed earlier in this thread from the Rock and Pillar Range perhaps because the Old Man Range is higher and the conditions are more severe.
3-6 Ranunculus pachyrrhizus A true alpine found in snowbanks. It flowers as soon as the snow has melted. It is another Central Otago endemic.
7-10 Psychrophila obtusa Another snowbank plant. It is difficult finding flowers that have not been chewed by insects. As soo as the sun comes out various beetles bcome active feeding on the flowers. You can see the little red ladybird beetles in several pictures though they do not fee on the plants.
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Oh boy, am I watching? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
Talk about ladybirds with taste! :D
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Hi Cliff,
No more buttercups but I have some forget-me-nots.
1 - 3 Myosotis pulvinaris This cushion Myosotis grow on very exposed sites on the crest of the Range. In picture 2 there is a plant of Chionohebe thomsonii var glabra on the left of the Myosotis pulvinaris and a plant of Chionohebe thomsonii on the right. I may be suffering from a some taxonomic confusion here. It seems the name Chionohebe glabra is valid and may be preferable to Chionohebe thomsonii var glabra
4. Mysotis pygmaea. These tiny plants grow in bogs on the crest of the Range.
5 Myosotis tenericaulis This is another little Myosotis also found in bogs but this was growing lower down. This is the first time I have ever seen this species.
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Paddy,
they are amazing, especially Chionohebe thomsonii with its hard rounded cushions. That is why I am resisting calling them Veronicas even though logic would support this.
[/quote]
Superb cussions ! Something to dream about again...
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Hi Cliff,
No more buttercups but I have some forget-me-nots.
1 - 3 Myosotis pulvinaris This cushion Myosotis grow on very exposed sites on the crest of the Range. In picture 2 there is a plant of Chionohebe thomsonii var glabra on the left of the Myosotis pulvinaris and a plant of Chionohebe thomsonii on the right. I may be suffering from a some taxonomic confusion here. It seems the name Chionohebe glabra is valid and may be preferable to Chionohebe thomsonii var glabra
4. Mysotis pygmaea. These tiny plants grow in bogs on the crest of the Range.
5 Myosotis tenericaulis This is another little Myosotis also found in bogs but this was growing lower down. This is the first time I have ever seen this species.
Really stunning David ! Why have the forms off M.pulvinaris that we see in cultivation here (Belgium and the Netherlands)such small flowers compared with the ones that you showing here :(
Oh boy ,I like the pulvinaris ......
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Hi Kris,
Myosotis is a very variable genus. There are many forms that are not named so the plants in cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands may not be M. pulvinaris. M glabrescens is a cushion species similar to Myosotis pulvinaris that is in cultivation in Europe. You may be fortunate to have that as it is known in NZ from only three plants in the wild.
Here are a few daisies
1 Brachyglottis bellidioides
2 Brachyscome sinclairii
3 , 4, 5 Celmisia brevifolia This is one of the most consistent flowering Celmisias. Although Celmisia viscosa is more common and covers vast areas it does not often flower en masse
6, 7 Celmisia laricifolia This one of the smaller Celmisias found in a variety of alpine sites. The first plant is growing in a cushion of Dracophyllum musciodes. The second group of plants is growing in a turf/herbfield
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En joying this trip, David, as ever, thanaks.
Is the spelling of 2) not Brachyscome sinclairii or even Brachycombe sinclairii :-\? I seem to have notes of both of these?
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Is the spelling of 2) not Brachyscome sinclairii or even Brachycombe sinclairii :-\? I seem to have notes of both of these?
Yes Maggi you are correct. Brachyscome sinclairii is the accepted spelling.
I will slip in a few Raoulias
1, 2 Raoulia grandiflora The largest flowered species of Raoulia.
3 Raoulia hectori In bud but not flowering. Very typical of the cushionfield vegetation
4 Raoulia tenuicaulis Most commonly found in stream beds at lower altitudes but here it is forming tight cushions in the herbfield. There were a few plants on the exposed crest of the ridge as well.
5, 6 Abrotanella inconspicua I must confess that I told Dave the second plant was Raoulia subulata but on looking at my photos and comparing them with authentic Raoulia subulata it is not. I took a picture of an Abrotanella that was growing in a bog. Even though it is smaller I think it is also Abrotanella inconspicua. There is another species Abrotanella caespitosa that is found in similar environments but I have not convinced myself I have seen it.
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Here are a few daisies
Hi Kris,
Myosotis is a very variable genus. There are many forms that are not named so the plants in cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands may not be M. pulvinaris. M glabrescens is a cushion species similar to Myosotis pulvinaris that is in cultivation in Europe. You may be fortunate to have that as it is known in NZ from only three plants in the wild.
Thanks David,this declares what I sometimes tought .I never seen such big flowers on our cultivated plants.
I will slip in a few Raoulias
1, 2 Raoulia grandiflora The largest flowered species of Raoulia.
Again very very beautiful ,but not cultivated I suppose?
As I see the pictures the dream- to see al those plants in the wild sometimes-is again revived.
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Hi Kris,
Quite a number of Raoulia species are cultivated and exhibited here in the U.K. and make excellent trough and rock garden specimens (though they never look quite as good as they do in their magnificent natural habitat). :D
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Hi Kris,
Quite a number of Raoulia species are cultivated and exhibited here in the U.K. and make excellent trough and rock garden specimens (though they never look quite as good as they do in their magnificent natural habitat). :D
Hi Cliff ,in Belgium and the Netherlands the following names showed up : lutescens,australis,tenuicaulis ,hookeri and sometimes eximia. But I think the plants are not named correct on several occasions.
We have seen the same plants with other names here many times, I think there is a lot of confusion.
I have never seen R.grandiflora anyway ,do you see this one in the UK?
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Hi Kris,
R. grandiflora does make an occasional appearance at the shows but not as frequently as we would like. Quite difficult to keep for long and very difficult to flower well.
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Awesome pictures David !! :o
So many great gems !
Raoulia grandiflora and R. hectori are simply amazing !!!... as are so many others.. 8)
Thanks again for showing !
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Kris ,
I endorse Cliff's comments; Raoulia grandiflora does not seem to last long despite it growing well for a while. Raoulia hookeri is a good one to start with.
Luc,
Pleased you liked the Raoulias. Both are common plants and found in most alpine areas here in Otago.
Next posting are mainly cushions.
1 Large cushions of Dracophyllum muscoides and Raoulia hectori in alpine herbfield.
2, 3 Dracophyllum muscoides flowers.
4 A nice plant of Dracophyllum muscoides surrounded by Raoulia hectori
5 Phyllachne rubra
6 Coprosma niphophila It is very similar to another species Coprosma perpusilla.
7, 8 Anisotome lanuginosa
9 Anisotome flexuosa
10 Anisotome imbricata var prostrata Grows in bogs and is very different in appearance to Anisotome imbricata var imbricata
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Amazing cushions, David. I love the ones growing together like the Dracophyllum with Raoulia.
Or like picture 7/8, which even shows a Myosotis trying to interfere (or survive?)
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Beautiful tapestries David.
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Here are a few more plant pictures; this time quite a diverse group.
1, 2 Ourisia glandulosa Usually very hard to photograph because of the wind. As you can see in picture 2 there is still slight movement in two of the flowers but the foliage is nice so I posted it anyway.
3 A small bittercress Cardamine corymbosa. The only time you notice this plant is when it is in flower.. It grows in bogs and flowers in profusion.
4. A smaller bittercress Cardamine sp. The New Zealand species of Cardamine are currently being revised the present 5 or so species are going to become about 50. This was growing in the bog along side Cardamine corymbosa.
5. This had me a bit perplexed. I am calling it Pachycladon novae-zelandiae. It was growing on disturbed ground beside the road. The habitat I usually associate with Pachycladon novae-zelandiae is crevices in rock tors. The leaves are very strongly pigmented.
6 Kelleria villosa I posted Kelleria villosa var barbata from the Rock and Pillar Range earlier in this thread. This is another example of how each mountain range seems to have its own variant of a species.
7 Hectorella caespitosa female The cushion below with smaller flowers is Phyllachne colensoi.
8 Hectorella caespitosa male Hectorella is a monotypic genus. It closest relation is Lyallia kerguelensis from Kerguelen Island which is also a monotypic genus. The family is Portulacaceae so they are distantly related to to Lewisias.
9, 10 Viola cunninghamii.
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Hectorellas to die for, David - you keep supplying the necessary fix!!! :P
Seed must have been available a number of years ago as I can remember exhibiting a small cushion of H. caespitosa in the late '80's. (... and that was the NINETEEN EIGHTIES - before the assembled comedians get a chance to respond)! :D
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Cliff,
If you grew a Hectorella from seed to a cushion stage you are a man of remarkable talents. (or does the Lancashire climate make this easy :D)
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Cliff,
If you grew a Hectorella from seed to a cushion stage you are a man of remarkable talents. (or does the Lancashire climate make this easy :D)
'Small' cushion would probably have been the operative word, David ... it certainly didn't last long after that particular show. :D
I will have to check my slides for evidence of just how 'enormous' it reached.
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Here are a few more plant pictures; this time quite a diverse group.
9, 10 Viola cunninghamii.
Thanks for all pics but especially for the violet photographs!
Gerd
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Hi Gerd,
The Viola cunninghamii was growing in a little boggy stream well down from the top of the Range. Knowing your interest, I took some photos so I am pleased you liked them.
Here are some shots of scenery
1 Looking across the top of the Fraser Basin to the Garvie Mountains. This range is remote and difficult to access. There is still a lot of snow lying in snowbanks.
2 Looking across to the Remarkables and Nevis peaks. The flat ridge in the middle distance is the crest of the Old Woman Range. It is separated from the Old Man Range by the Fraser Basin.
3 Top of the Fraser Basin. You can see the small cirque as this was once filled with ice.
4 View north
5 View south along the crest of the Old Man Range
6 view of the Obelisk (the right hand tor) and the communications tower. The tower detracts from the scenery but there is a well maintained road up to it which gives good access.
7, 8 Cushion field with schist tors.
9, 10 Close up view of a schist tor. It is the same tor photographed from slightly different angles.
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Two final pictures
1 Cushion field with snow tussocks. The species growing here is Chionochloa macra which once dominated the top of these ranges and was destroyed by burning in the early days of pastoral farming. The tussocks never grew back in the severe environment and were replaced by the cushion field vegetation we see today. Celmisia viscosa, Dracophyllum muscoides and Raoulia hectori are perhaps the main dominant plants. The mid altitudes are dominated by another species of snow tussock Chionochloa rigida.
2 Eroding schist. The depression in the rock is filled by quartz fragments which remain when the parent rock is weathered away. There is a large black lichen filling the hollow.
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David,
The schist is an amazing feature, quite out of place but interesting.
Paddy
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Paddy,
The schist tors are a feature of the Central Otago landscape. The underlying rock through most of Otago is schist and erosion of the surface of the land has left the more resistant bits sticking up as tors.