NZ Field Trips Dec 2015

[t00lie]

Great to see your pictures David .As I traveled home it looked like the mist was lifting at the southern end of the Old Man Range.

On the last day of 2015 I went for a coastal walk a short distance from my home city of Invercargill to the Omaui /Three Sisters area to specifically visit a plant community of coastal and alpine plants growing on outcrops of ultramafic rock and surrounding mobile sand dunes.

First sight from the track of the outcrops and dune community. Although they appear quite close the preferred route is to descend down to and along the beach to avoid the rank grass growth and considerable patches of gorse and lupin….

On exposed sites on the dunes and rock ledges Raoulia hookeri was sighted with some large loose patches of over a metre in flower.








 

[t00lie]

Here also was the pretty pink coloured shore bindweed ,Calystegia soldanella in ones and twos as well as the shore pimpernel Samolus repens var. repens which coated the ground with its white blooms in multitude.

The gem in this area are the only remaining patches known on the mainland of Gunnera hamiltonii.

A few shots showing its growth habit and neighbours .

[t00lie]

Pimelea sps are flowering well down there this season .Unfortunately I'm unsure whether this one was P. lyalli or P. prostrata ssp ventosa .

 I'm used to seeing the mountain bladderwort in peat bogs however here Utricularia dichotoma was growing in very gritty wet areas .

Final view of Raoulia hookerii and the sea before the climb back to the truck..

[t00lie]

Managed a short detour to Awarua Bay on the way home to photograph the sun orchids Thelymitra .
 
Seems a number of genera are having a rest from flowering this season  however there was still enough of interest.

Cheers Dave.