NZ Field Trips 2009

[t00lie]

Quote----'"I dont really know what causes the furryness but its not a new species. "
 

Not yet Ross but give it a while and i'm sure some 'splitter' will come along and give it a name.....

The following is a close up shot i took of a plant last month showing just how dense the tomentum can be and since there is a world wide movement against the use of animal fur for womens --(... and okay mens), clothing i foresee requests coming from far a field ,(excuse the pun), to collect this fitting,(excuse 2nd pun), alternative  .

Cheers dave.

[David Lyttle]

Gee Mr Lyttle You do get about .

Dave,

You dont do too badly yourself ! As an aside the Maori used Celmisia fur to make little baskets so you would be in real trouble if you started distributing such a culturally important item.

Maggi,
I suspect the furry Celmisia is a hybrid between Celmisia semicordata and Celmisia verbascifolia as I have only observed it be where these two species are found together. As you can see from my photos Celmisia verbascifolia does not have any tomentum on the upper surface of its leaves and Celmisia semicordata has only a thin pellicle. Where the furry tomentum comes from is a mystery. The plant has a soft floppy leaf like Celmisia verbascifolia ;the leaf of Celmisia semicordata is relatively stiff.  Ross' s comments support this view of its origin.

Lesley,
The little Myosotis sold by Hokonui is not formally named. If you would like to describe and formally name it heres your chance. In the meantime I am going to use the tag name Myosotis ' Mt Hamilton ' as that was where the Hokonui plants originated.

Ross,
I am interested in your two species of Raoulia. I do not think I have seen Raoulia species L. I have seen a very small unamed species of Raoulia from the Pisa Range.
I think what you are calling Raoulia apicenigra is not that but another widespread species found in North Otago. I have seen it on the Dunstan Range and the Ohau Range.
The taxonomy of Raoulia is not up to date.

Paddy,
I have some more pictures of Aciphylla to come including the absolutely stunning Aciphylla aff horrida ' Lomondi '

Here is tonights posting

1 Aciphylla pinnatifida male
2,3 Aciphylla pinnatifida female. The Garvies are at the eastern limit of this species range.
4 staying with the Apiaceae Anisotome lanuginosa
5 and 6 The so called Gentiana amabilis; This is considered to be a dwarf form of Gentiana bellidifolia adapted to bogs. It has very dark foliage.
7 Chionohebe densifolia  A rather robust compact form of this variable species.
8 The little fern Blechnum penna marina filling up a crevice in a rock. This species extends from sea level to the alpine zone.
9. The orchid  Prasophyllum colensoi This is another very common widespread species,
10 Leucogenes grandiceps This plant is very photogenic and I cannot resist taking more pictures whenever I find a nice specimen

[Lesley Cox]

Another wonderful collection David. The second pic of Gent. amabilis should keep the northerners as happy as some of their crocus fields. No doubt there will be a good native offering on the local seedlist this year?

[Ross Graham]

Nice Photos David.
Im basing the name apicenigra on the black petals of the florets. The photo of Raoulia L is a very small plant and its what Steve Newall calls Raoulia species L Iv seen it on the Remarkables too they look the same on both mountains, so dont try giving them two different names! I think Dr Lyttle you are one the splitters. Iv seen apicenigra throughout the South island and Id have to say its pretty uniform.
The unnammed Myostis you showed a couple of pages back looks to me like M pygmea.
 I read recently that leucogenies grandiceps could be split into 2 or 3 different species based on genetic analysis but whats the point? Its better to realise that some locations have nice forms that are compact almost cushion like and some are more straggly and less attractive in cultivation. Discussions like this are why I go to the mountains by myself. The mountains to me are serene almost sacred places where academic one-upman ship has no place.

[David Lyttle]

Ross,

I am very reluctant to give any number of Raoulias names as there appears to be a proliferation of tag named species up to L and perhaps beyond that. There have been a number of  publications on what is termed the Raoulia alliance but the core genus has not yet been revised so there is nothing to hang a name on. At present there are four species of Leucogenes recognised, L . grandiceps , L. leontopodium L. negelecta and L.tarahaoa, Genetic analysis shows the genus is not monophyletic and is considerably more complex than the accepted species designations would indicate. Current taxonomy is just a reflection of our understanding of the relationships amongst groups of plants. Genetic analysis reveals that these relationships are often more complicated than relationships based on morphological characters alone. So trying to understand these relationships does not necessarily make me a splitter. My own view is that a good species is something one can recognise in the field by a set of distinctive morphlogical and ecological characteristics.

Some more photos for tonight

1 A little tarn in the peat with ferns growing on the bank.
2 A natural rock garden.
3 Mats of Celmisia hectori growing over rocks by a small creek.
4. Acaena saccaticupula
5 A small Aciphylla.
6 Leptinella goyenii
7 Leptinella squalida. This species has a strong honey scent. Dave Toole made this observation when he had his nose down centimetres away from the plant taking pictures.
8 Raoulia hectori This is the most common cushion field species.
9. A cushion of Scleranthus uniflorus.
10 Close up of the foliage and fruit of Scleranthus uniflorus

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

A great set of photographs and I look forward to the aciphyllas.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

David, you haven't struck me as a splitter, for sure 

That pic of Acaena saccaticupula is great! What an extraordinary colour! Quite tall stems too...... such an education to see these plants.

[Brian Ellis]

Some wonderful pictures David, thank you so much for posting them, I am one of those that will never get to see these things in the wild, I wish I had taken advantage when I could.

I agree with Maggi, the Acaena saccaticupula is superb, I could give that house room!

[Lvandelft]

Thank you for these super pictures David.
I remember you showed Acaena saccaticupula last year in a pot in your garden
without flowers... nothing special at first look, but now in flower....extraordinary!

[Lesley Cox]

That pic of Acaena saccaticupula is great! What an extraordinary colour! Quite tall stems too...... such an education to see these plants.

It sure is a stunner but try saying that name 3 times, fast, when your mouth is full of cornflakes!

[Ross Graham]

David,

My own view is that a good species is something one can recognise in the field by a set of distinctive morphlogical and ecological characteristics.

I agree with that and that is how I hang names on anything I also think that all we can do is name things on the current understanding of which plant is which in any given genus and my current understanding is that R apicenigra has black petals (hence nigra) and that it has a certain apparence in general and grows in a certain environment.
Also I tend to name things by what other people have said they are called such as Steve Newall. He has talked to the experts who have studied the Genus and he has collected seed and specimans for them. I also tend to think you need a good reason to contradict someone.

[Maggi Young]

That pic of Acaena saccaticupula is great! What an extraordinary colour! Quite tall stems too...... such an education to see these plants.

It sure is a stunner but try saying that name 3 times, fast, when your mouth is full of cornflakes!

I'd call it "Sufferin' Soccatash" ...... after Tom in Tom and Jerry cartoon.... was it Tom who said that...... no, it was Sylvester from Sylvester and Tweety Pie! 

[David Lyttle]

Hi everyone,

I am pleased you all liked the Acaena; it is not an easy plant to photograph. I chose a plant that had a well defined edge growing partially out over the stone used, a low angle for the shot with the greatest depth of field my lens would give me.

It is quite a spectacular plant with the red seed head and coloured foliage but like all Acaenas with spines on the seeds not particularly garden friendly. I have an Acaena novae-zelandiae growing up over a netting fence - the seed heads are spectacular as the mature and colour but when they ripen they fragment and stick to your clothing. Acaena inermis ( the one without spines) is a much more tractable species for the garden.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Another set of wonderful pix David.
As everybody else I'm mesmerized by the Acaena !  What an extraordinary plant ! 

[David Lyttle]

Here are the last pictures from the Garvie Mountains.

We headed down into the Dome Burn and up a big hill. On the other side of this ridge was. The main ridge another wetland complex this time draining into Roaring Lion Creek which flows north in to the Nevis River. The skyline ridge is the main and highest part of the Garvie Mountains. The headwaters of Roaring Lion Creek probably also flowed south at one stage but now flow north.

Picture 1 is the headwaters of Roaring Lion Creek; the drainage is to the left of the photo.

Picture 2 is a similar view with Celmisia semicordata var aurigans in the foreground.

Picture 3 is looking down the Dome Burn, Th Dome Burn drops steeply into a fairly impressive gorge.

Picture 4 is the little turf-like Astelia , Astelia linearis. It forms huge patches in these bogs.

Picture 5 is Euphrasia dyeri. A proportion of the plants have mauve flowers.

Picture 6 is Gentiana amabilis or bellidifolia if you wish.

Picture 7 is Abrotanella inconspicua. I decided it was this species and not Abrotanella caespitosa because the inflorescence is not scapose. ( if anyone wishes to dispute this).

Picture 8 is Craspedia lanata. The different species of Craspedia differ in the amount of tomentum on their leaves going from Craspedia uniflora which has virtually no hairs. Craspedia lanata is somewhat hairy and Craspedia incana is quite woolly. Of course all species occupy a continuum from no hairs to very hairy.

Picture 9 is a little pool flanked by Aciphylla pinnatifida.

Picture 10 is a tarn one amongst many