Thomsons Bush

Vegetation and List

Vegetation Summary Thomsons Bush is a remnant of floodplain podocarp swamp forest dominated by kahikatea and matai (with occasional rimu, totara and pokaka). It adjoins cut-off meanders of the Waihopai River with its riparian forest of kowhai and lowland ribbonwood. Understory include wineberry, , Fuchsia, peppertree, lemonwood and kohuhu.

The remnant is a very important piece of forest being one of the few remaining remnants of kahikatea dominated swamp forest characteristic of central southern southland. However it is badly impacted by weeds (Darwins barberry, holly, ivy, sycamore, elderberry, Chilean flame creeper), a result of its urban setting with spreading from city gardens. There have been extensive restoration plantings and the remnant is rich in birdlife.

Tracks and Interpretation The reserve is split in two on both sides of Queens Drive with interpretation signs and good walking tracks through both areas of bush and joining the Waihopai Walkway which links other areas of the Invercargill City.

Plant List

Note this list was compiled from lists compiled by Brian Rance (several visits) and Peter Johnson

# Native species not naturally occurring in the reserve @ Planted exotic species * naturalised exotic species

Tall *@Cupressus macrocarpa macrocarpa dacrydioides kahikatea Dacydium cupressinum rimu *Pinus radiata. Radiata totara lowland totara taxifolia matai * baccata yew

Tree & shrubs *Acer pseudoplatanus sycamore *@Alnus glutinosa Arisotelia serrata wineberry *Berberis darwinii Darwin’s barberry *@Betula pendula silver serratus marbleleaf Coprosma foetidissima stinkwood glossy karamu Coprosma pedicellata a coprosma mingimingi Coprosma propinqua x ? hybrid coprosma a coprosma Coprosma rigida a coprosma # a coprosma Coprosma rotundifolia a coprosma Coprosma rubra a coprosma *Cotoneaster sp. a cotoneaster *Crataegus monogyna hawthorn *Cytasus scoparius broom *Daphne loreola green daphne Elaeocarpus hookerianus pokaka *Euonymus europaeus spindleberry Fuchsia x colensoi hybrid fuchsia Fuchsia excorticata fuchsia Griselinia littoralis broadleaf Hebe salicifolia koromiko #Hebe sp. a hebe # sexstylosa lacebark *Hypericum androaemum tutsan *Ilex aquifolium holly Leptospermum scoparium manuka *Lupinus arboreus tree lupin * domesticus apple Melicope simplex a Melicytus lanceolatus narrow-leaved mahoe Myrsine australis red mapou Myrsine divaricata weeping mapou Neomyrtus pedunculata rohutu # fusca red #Nothofagus menziesii silver beech # var. cliffortioides mountain beech Pennantia corymbosa kaikomako Pittosporum tenuifolium black mapou Plagianthus regius lowland ribbonwood *@Populua alba silver poplar *@ nigra a poplar *@Populus sp. a poplar *@ avium cherry *@Prunus cerasifera *Prunus laurocerasus cherry laurel *Prunus lusitanica Portugal laurel colensoi var. ternatus three finger Pseudopanax crassifolius lancewood colorata pepper tree *@Quercus robur Raukawa anomalus a shrub *Ribes sanguineum flowering current *@Salix caprea pussy *Salix fragilis crack willow *Sambucus nigra elderberry digitata seven finger Sophora microphylla kowhai *Sorbus acuparia rowan *Teline mospessulana Montpellier broom antarctica a *Ulex europaeus gorse

Ferns bulbiferum hen & chicken Asplenium flaccidum hanging spleenwort Blechnum discolor crown fern Blechnum fluviatile a fern Blechnum minus bog kiokio Blechnum novae-zelaniae kiokio Blechnum membranaceum a fern Blechnum penna-marina little hard fern Dicksonia squarosa hard treefern *Dryopteris filis-mas male fern Histiopteris incisa water fern Hypolepis ambigua a fern Phymatasorus diversifolius hounds tongue fern Polystichum neozelandica a shield fern Polystichum vestitum prickly shield fern Pteridium esculentum bracken Pyrrosia serpens leather-leaved fern

Climbers & vines *Calysegia silvaticum great bindweed Clematis foetidia yellow-flowered clematis Clematis paniculata white- flowered clematis Fuchsia perscandens climbing fuchsia *Hedera helix ivy *Lonicera periclymenum honeysuckle australis pohuehue a vine Parsonsia heterophylla jasmine Rubus australis a lawyer vine *Rubus fruticosus blackberry Rubus schmelidioides a lawyer vine *Solanum dulcamera bittersweet *Tropaeolum speciosum Chilean flame creeper

Herbs Acaena anserinifolia biddibid *Anagalis arvensis scarlet pimpernel *Barbarea intermedia winter cress *Bellis perennis lawn daisy Callitriche petrieii a slender herb *Callitriche stagnalis starwort *Capsella bursa-pastoris shepard’s purse Cardamine debilis a bitter cress *Cardamine hirsuta a bitter cress *Cerastiun fontanum mouse-ear chickweed *Clayonia perfoliata miners lettuce *Cirsium arvense Californian thistle *Cirsium vulgare Scotch thistle *Conium macilentum hemlock *Crepis capillaris hawksbeard *Digitalis purpurea foxglove *Epilobium ciliatum a willow herb Epilobium nummularifolium a willow herb Epilobium pedunculare a willow herb *Galeobdolon luteum aluminium plant *Galium aparine cleaver Hydrocotyle heteromera a pennywort *Lapsana communis nipplewort *Matricaria matricaroides rayless chamomile *Mimulus guttatus monkey musk *Mimulus moschatus musk *Mycelus muralis wall lettuce *Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa water forget-me-not *Plantago lanceolata narrow-leaved plantain *Plantago major broad-leaved plantain *Prunella vulgaris selfheal *Ranunculus repens creeping buttercup *Rorippa microphylla watercress *Rumex obtusifolius broad-leaved dock Schezeilema trifoliolatum a herb *Senecio jacobaea ragwort Senecio minimus fireweed *Sonchus asper prickly sow thistle *Sonchus oleraceus sow thistle *Stellaria graminea stichwort *Stellaria media chickweed Stellaria parviflora a native chickweed *Taraxicum officinale dandylion *Trifolium pratense red clover *Trifolium repens white clover Urtica incisa a native nettle *Vicia sativa vetch

Grasses *Agrostis capillaris browntop *Agrostis stolonifera creeping bent *Alopecurus geniculatus marsh fox-tail Cortadieria richardii toetoe *Dactylis glomerata cocksfoot *Festuca arundinacea tall fescue *Glyceria declinata floating sweet grass *Holcus lanatus Yorkshire fog *Lolium perenne ryegrass Microlaena avenacea bush rice grass *Poa annua annual poa

Sedges Carex coriacea/geminata cutty grass Carex secta pedicelled sedge Carex virgata a sedge Uncinia clavata a hook grass Uncinia uncinata a hook grass

Other monocots *Alisma plantago-aquatica water plantain *Allium triquetrum three-cornered garlic *Alstromeria aurantiaca a Astelia fragrans bush lily Cordyline australis cabbage tree *Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora montbretia *Iris sp. an iris Juncus gregiflorus a native rush Juncus sarophorus a native rush *Lagarosiphon major lagarosiphon *Lemn minor duckweed Phormium tenax lowland flax

Find Out More about any of these plants by looking them up on the Plant Conservation Website – www.nzpcn.org.nz