NZ Field trips 2013 - Feb.

[kiwi]

With recorded discoveries of Ranunculus godleyanus up the Blackbirch stream in the Mt Cook National Park, the S.P.A.T team have made it our mission to rediscover this colony. After several trips into this area contending with avalanche debris, flooding and extreme weather we finally hit the perfect day to really explore this valley. In the tradition of our expeditions we had some hair raising experiences and injuries. (Dave managed to slice open another recent leg injury)
Despite spending dawn to dusk, heads down, tails up, Unfortunately, we again failed to find any trace of R.Godleyanus, but had a great trip and a few laughs! - Cheers Boys.... next time maybe? (March/April.....)
Heres a few shots, not a lot flowering, but great to see so many plants in seed - it was a shame we couldn't collect any though, due to being a National Park.
A few scenery shots, a Gentianella sp and the false Ranunculus - (sorry I can't remember it's true name - help?)  I wonder if this is in cultivation as it has beautiful foliage.

 

[kiwi]

Whoops files to big sorry.
Please see above.

[kiwi]

Raoulia glabra.
Seed at it's most tempting.
Camera battles - who really does have the biggest appendage?
On the way home I had a slight detour to visit one of the biggest trees in Canterbury. Nearly 9 metres in circumference and over 1 thousand years old! Podocarpus totara .
Can any one please ID the last climber for me please?

[Hoy]

Hi Doug, you guys seem to have had a nice time in the creek   Did you expect to find the buttercup in the water? I should say it looks a bit too cold for bathing?
The false buttercup looks like a nice groundcover.

[Hoy]

You added some more pics while I was writing. Seem you had a really nice dayout!

[kiwi]

Gidday mate, the water was pretty good actually, if Dave slowed down a bit, Steve and I were going o take a quick dip!
The Ranunculus godleyanus requires a  saturated position with snow melt. We are visiting a colony in Arthurs pass in April where we have a positive location - so, stay tuned! I can't wait, it is a beautiful plant.

[ranunculus]

Gidday mate, the water was pretty good actually, if Dave slowed down a bit, Steve and I were going o take a quick dip!
The Ranunculus godleyanus requires a  saturated position with snow melt. We are visiting a colony in Arthurs pass in April where we have a positive location - so, stay tuned! I can't wait, it is a beautiful plant.

Hi Doug,
Super trip yet again.  If R. godleyanus requires constant snowmelt in spring, what about conditions for the rest of the year please?
Does it inhabit generally damp areas with half-shade?  I have one small plant that needs to be potted on within days.
Kind regards to all the lads ... enjoy your trips.
Cheers,
Cliff

[kiwi]

Hi Cliff, no experience with growing it (yet) sorry, but I can say it will require a cool moist position with part shade.
It seems to require constant moisture in the wild as it only grows in areas where there are glaciers or large snow catchments that may never completely thaw. Some photos I have seen it is growing on the banks of streams with it's feet dangling in the water.
http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=654

[ranunculus]

Hi Cliff, no experience with growing it (yet) sorry, but I can say it will require a cool moist position with part shade.
It seems to require constant moisture in the wild as it only grows in areas where there are glaciers or large snow catchments that may never completely thaw. Some photos I have seen it is growing on the banks of streams with it's feet dangling in the water.
http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=654

Many thanks, Doug ... not the easiest of conditions to replicate, but VERY similar to the regime I currently use for R. glacialis, R. seguieri, R. insignis and others (and they survive). LOL.

[David Lyttle]

Hello Doug,

Your climber is Parsonsia heterophylla - it has nice masses of white flowers usually about October

[Lesley Cox]

Trying to downsize my Inbox before I go away in a week's time, I realized I hadn't opened this topic at all. There are others too but not enough hours to cover the lot.

What strikes me so strongly and as I have said to Roger a number of times until he's sick of hearing it, Mrs Brown - or Mammy - of the TV programme "Mrs Brown's Boys" looks SOOOOO like Steve (see the pic above). Now I realize how exactly like Mrs Brown, is Steve.