New Zealand Field Trips Feb 2016

[David Lyttle]

Thanks everyone for your kind remarks. I will post a few pictures of different genera starting with Aciphylla.

Aciphylla lyallii. This little Aciphylla is abundant amongst the Chionochloa crassiuscula tussocks. It is generally inconspicuous except when it is flowering.

Aciphylla pinnatifida  Unlike any of it relatives. It grows in damp boggy situations and sometimes may be found growing in running water.

Aciphylla congesta  A small speargrass that forms rounded cushions.
 
Aciphylla crosby-smithii This is a particularly attractive species similar to A congesta. It forms massive cushions that are very photogenic so I have posted two photos.

Aciphyllas flower sporadically ; some years there are no flowers . This year all species in the southern part of the South Island seem to be flowering heavily

[David Lyttle]

Now for Celmisias. Eighteen species of Celmisia have been recorded from Mt Burns. . There are a variety of forms. Several species form large tufted clumps and grow amongst the tussocks. Another group of species grow in the bogs and others are found in the herbfield and snowbanks.

Celmisia coriacea  A large species with a prominent orange midrib. It is the most common large species found in the tussock grassland on Mt Burns. Celmisia petriei which I have already shown is also a tussock grassland species

Celmisia semicordata  Similar to Celmisia coriacea and for a long time was confused with it ( ie the name Celmisia coriacea was misapplied to Celmisia semicordata). It is silvery rather then bronze. You can see a plant of C. coriacea half hidden amongst the tussocks in the photo.

Celmisia holosericea  Another large Celmisia which grows on shaded banks, streamsides and similar places. It is more common down by the road in the subalpine scrub.

Celmisia verbascifolia  Another common, widespread species. Found on rock outcrops stream banks etc not so much in tussock grassland.

Celmisia glandulosa a small species that grows in bogs. It can be quite prolific forming large mats. Here it is growing in a Donatia novae-zelandiae cushion with Oreobulus pectinatus, Fostera sedifolia and Drosera arcturi.

[Jupiter]

Thanks David and Dave for the excellent photographs. Very informative and have reminded me of just how lovely NZ alpine flora is... I'm going to try some of your mountain gems here and see if I can get them to grow.

[Gabriela]

Now for Celmisias. Eighteen species of Celmisia have been recorded from Mt Burns. . There are a variety of forms. Several species form large tufted clumps and grow amongst the tussocks. Another group of species grow in the bogs and others are found in the herbfield and snowbanks.

Tremendous variation on Celmisia species- foliage and flowers! I read that J. Hooker was particularly enchanted by this genus and it comes to no surprise. Especially the silver leaves ones - wow!

[David Lyttle]

Hi Jamus, Gabriela,

Pleased you enjoyed the Celmisias. There is a species of Celmisia named after Joseph Dalton Hooker, Celmisia hookeri. It is similar in appearance to Celmisia verbascifolia but is not alpine and is found in East Otago. It makes a good garden plant but like all Celmisias it is rather tempremental in cultivation. I will post some more species mainly from higher up on the mountain.

Celmisia walkeri; a widespread herbfield species

Celmisia haastii another widespread species confined to snowbanks

Last two are of Celmisia hectorii, another snow bank species often growing on boulder fields at high elevations. It can form huge mats and is a spectacular sight in full flower

[David Lyttle]

More Celmisias - I did not manage to photograph all the species on the day but I think I got 12 out of the 18.

Celmisia sessilflora. This is a widespread and extremely variable species. In some places (the dryer mountains in Central Otago) it forms massive hard cushions. Here it is not cushion but rather a loose mat. It also has the propensity to hybridise with most other species.

Next are two species that are often confused Celmisia bonplandii and Celmisia durietzii. The latter is a bit of a grab bag of form encompassing a great deal of variation (ie where you put a Celmisia if you cannot attribute it to anything else). I have selected clear examples of each as sometimes they are not so easy to tell apart.

Celmisia bonplandii (2)

Celmisia durietzii (2)

[David Lyttle]

This section  is on a rock and crevice garden theme:

Lobelia glaberrima and Celmisia sessiliflora

Ourisia remotifolia

Dolichoglottis scozoneroides

Hectorella caespitosa

A natural rock garden with Dolichoglottis scozoneroides, Aciphylla congesta and Ourisia remotifolia

[David Lyttle]

Continuing on;

Haastia sinclairii in flower

Raoulia grandiflora tucked into a crevice

A huge patch of Dolichoglottis scorzoneroides growing in a boulder field. I had to descend and do a bit of awkward boulder hopping to get this photo but it was the best patch I saw all day.

Views from the top tarn (it is really a little lake and flows down the hill into another larger lake that is hidden from view). You can see the ice-sculpted rock hummocks in the foreground and the jagged ridge crests the were clear of the ice during the last glaciation.

[David Lyttle]

Some view on the homeward leg. Dave and I had stayed out beyond our allotted time at this stage so we were hurrying back and not taking advantage of the evening light to do a lot of photography.

Looking back down the valley with Dave Toole in the foreground.

Stepped tarns and bogs

Island Lake. The bush -covered ridges around the lake and the lake itself are situated on an enormous landslide; part of the Hunter Mountains collapsed into the adjacent valley presumably due to over-steepening of the slopes by glacial action. It is likely the collapse was initiated by an earthquake or similar tectonic event.

Island Lake telephoto shot

Last view before descending

[Gabriela]

Thanks again for your presentation David, it is good to have a glimpse of NZ alpine flora.
I understand few of the alpine Celmisias are hardy to zone 6 so coming seedex time this year I will look for seeds. Nice to see that besides Hooker, Bonpland also made it to NZ 

[David Lyttle]

Nice to see that besides Hooker, Bonpland also made it to NZ 

No Bonpland did not make it to New Zealand. The Celmisia is named after Mt Bonpland, a peak in the Humboldt mountains at the head of Lake Wakatipu. This was where it was first found.

[Gabriela]

No Bonpland did not make it to New Zealand. The Celmisia is named after Mt Bonpland, a peak in the Humboldt mountains at the head of Lake Wakatipu. This was where it was first found.

I know, I was trying to say that it made it to NZ 'by name'   
Probably the mountain was named after him, or was it another Bonpland?