New Zealand: Drosera stenopetala

[Brian Quinn]

Thought it would be a good idea to get some shots of NZ habitat and plants in this folder.

This is the site of D. stenopetala in the ranges behind the township Shannon in the North Island. I have previously posted some of these images in the CPUK forum, but have added a few more here.

This site is about 2.5hrs walk from the last road, which so far, is the easiest site to get to for D. stenopetala in the North Island. It is a very different story in the South Island where you can literally step out of the car onto them in some of the alpine passes.



It is a nice walk through the forest and ranges, slowly climbing up from the valley below and up to the exposed ridges above the treeline and into exposed grasslands and seepages. This photo is looking back to the valley where we had come from.



Here is one of the exposed seeps. You can see the remains of a slip and this area is populated with thousands of D. stenopetala. These slips occur regularly in these hill areas. They are relatively small areas, this one was the biggest slip and the shot shows how wide it is, about 20m in width. It is however about 100m in length. Though these areas are small, the species is abundant on this slip and on the many other peaks and hills in the area and is in no way under threat.



Lots of plants growing in the peaty soil with various mosses, alpine herbs and grasses. The soil, while a deep black/brown peat is composed of decayed organic matter but not of sphagnum moss origin. There is nearly always a flow of water through the soil.









The plants show the typical red-bronze colouration common with sundews exposed to high light levels. Green forms rarely are found and when they are, it is usually associated with lower light levels.



Dinner is served!





Hopefully that has whetted your appetite for New Zealand's endemic sundew. If you would like to see more, visit the NZCPS website for images of our other sundews and bladderworts.

homepages.woosh.co.nz/brianquinn/NZCPSNativeCPs.html

Regards
Brian

[BarryRice]

Hi Brian,

A lovely set of photographs. I visited a Drosera stenopetala site in NZ about a decade ago. I recall that it took a few very strenuous hours to hike to it, up some extremely long inclines that took us through Nothofagus (IIRC) forest. Just before we reached the site, there was an old wooden hiker's shelter that came in handy when we had to hide from a storm. Peter Northcote was the guy who took me to this site.

At the time I was without GPS and maps, and I've lost all my notes about the site. It looks like the site you posted about; does it seem like the same?

I was a miserable photographer at the time; here are the only images from the hike that are barely presentable:





If I recall correctly, Drosera spatulata was also at the site.
Barry

[Brian Quinn]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for the kind words. The photos were with my old Canon A40 Powershot and now long retired. I wish to go back this year with my new camera and tripod for some decent shots. I think I was lucky that day as the weather was kind. These ridges are notorious for sudden deterioration of weather and storms ride in quickly.

The site you describe is not the same and I suspect that Pete took you to the Otaki Forks site in the Tararua Ranges. They are however relatively close by.

As you mention, this has a good tramping hut (Field Hut) just at the top of the bushline and 5-10mins from the exposed ridge. That walk does indeed have a rather steep incline, but it is a nice area with the river valley below. I have included a link below that should help you with your determination.

www.doc.govt.nz/templates/trackandwalk.aspx?id=35980

The hut is a classic historic NZ tramping hut and though I have not stayed in this particular one, this format is typical of the older style from the 1920's.

When you clear the bushline and into the grassy seepage areas, there is a boardwalk of some distance too.

Does this look like the site?

And since you mentioned it, you have improved your photographic skills somewhat in the past decade! Mind you from the looks of the second image, you were hindered by the weather. Your skills are certainly honed now - I love your photo postings and your field reports....the composition and techniques are without flaws.

Regards
Brian

[Richard Davion]

Thanks for The Photo-Essay on New-Zealand's Most-Famous (Endemic) Sundew. Your Images Appear-to-Be as Good as Bruce-Salmon's. Well-Done.

Have 'Started' Taking Shots of Drosera-praefolia [South-Australia's Most-Beautiful-Sundew] Plus Habitat with 'Me'-New-Camera... but Unless I-Work-out 'Just'-How to "Browse" The-Images into These Emails Neither Here nor CPUK are Going-to-Get 'Any' Photo-Essays From Me This-Season from Dunn-Oondar. >(*~*)<

All-I-Get is This:"[/img]". 'How' Do-I 'Go'-from-Here?

Anyone Willing to Give-Me a-Beatles Fourth-Album Heads-up!!!

[Richard Davion]

Sorry, That Should-Have Been 'Fifth'-Album ... Always 'Forget' Those Sad-Dark Songs from "Beatles-for-Sale"! >(*~*)< / >(*U^)<

The Cover Says-it-All Really: "Cold, Haggerred, Over-Worked and Wind-Blown". >(*U^)<

[Richard Davion]

Well Here-Goes 'Nothing'.



Read The Forum's 'Detailed' rules About Posting Photos, Signed-up to Photobucket and uploaded Single Photo Test-Run Image.

[Richard Davion]

'Success'-at-last ... Bob's Claimed Another-Winner! >(*U^)<

[BarryRice]

Hey Brian,

That looks like the spot! Thanks! I've adjusted my notes accordingly!

I remember huffing and puffing to keep up with Peter on that hike, meanwhile he didn't seem slowed one bit, and had no problem maintaining a more or less continuous monologue about the plants and sights along the way. I was greatly impressed by his stamina!

Thanks for the kind words on my photographs. Your photos are quite excellent too. If I might suggest, your images might be a bit more saturated (and less contrasty with dark shadows) if you use something to diffuse the light. I have a cheap, translucent rain jacket in my camera bag that is useful for this. Make sure it softens the light in the entire photograph. I also have a full shower curtain but that is more of a commitment to bring on hikes.

Cheers

Brian

[Not a Number]

May 13, 2008 15:21:39 GMT BarryRice said:

I also have a full shower curtain but that is more of a commitment to bring on hikes.

White garbage bags are a lot lighter. Plus you can use them to port out stuff you find that shouldn't be there.

[Brian Quinn]

Hey thanks for the tips. In the glasshouse I use some ultra-fine micron nylon mesh filter (left over from an experiment in the lab). I've rigged this up on poles and that works a treat. You can never tell when the sun is going to pop out from behind a cloud. However I've never thought of dragging this into the field. How do you keep the shower curtain or plastic bags over you? Sticks, poles, strings and pulleys or a significant other?

Cheers
Brian

[ICPS-bob]

May 13, 2008 23:31:49 GMT Brian Quinn said:

How do you keep the shower curtain or plastic bags over you?

Here is Barry Buy-My-Book Rice in full regalia.

[BarryRice]

Thank you Bob, for that extremely strange photograph. Yes, I'm using that shower curtain to cut both the sunlight and the wind. It lets me take the long exposures often mandated by the lower light levels under the diffusion hood.

This is what I happened to be photographing at the time:



Notice the lack of hard shadows, and the stable image (which was a 1/10 second exposure).

When I'm photographing small plants in the field, I use a set of pvc pipes and binder clips to make a little enclosure:



But let us not hijack this thread...your New Zealand photos are fabulous!

B

[Brian Barnes]

Hey Barry! I remember that photo of the smaller setup. That's the Temple of the Goddess Pinguicula lutea alba, if I'm not mistaken... ;D
Happy Growing,
Brian Barnes.

[BarryRice]

Actually, that set up is in Texas, and I'm photographing Pinguicula pumila.

So back to Brian's photos.....Brian, how long does the D. stenopetala grow each year? Do the plants produce leaves more or less continuously, or do they make a bunch of leaves in the spring which just sit there all year?

B

[gardenofeden]

Barry, you can buy little pop-up shelters now, virtually fit in your pocket, which look like they will do a similar job to your pvc pipe construction....