Newsletter Number 64 September 2011

2 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

BSO Meetings and Field Trips 10th September 9.00 am. Field trip to Mihiwaka guided by Alf Webb. We will walk through some podocarp forest representative of the Dunedin area, then go on to regenerating shrub-land with a small sphagnum bog. We will see some of the eastern most Libocedrus bidwillii stands, and see wonderful views from the rock out-crops. Depart from the Botany Department car park, corner of Great King Street and Union Street (West). For details, contact David Lyttle, phone: (03) 454 5470.

14th September 5.30 pm. 2011 Baylis Memorial Lecture: Complex relationships with friends and foes: How native plants manage the risks. Speaker Dr Bill Lee Landcare Research, Dunedin; Joint Graduate School of Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. Plants share a world with many other organisms that represent both potential enemies and possible allies. For their enemies plants are a food source, but plants have developed numerous defences, including co-opting other animals, to protect vital organs. This involves strategic alliances, armed neutrality and active warfare. Plants also develop interdependencies with other biota for obtaining resources, assisting reproduction and dispersal, and limiting herbivory. The talk will explore what we know about these interactions in New Zealand, and discuss some of the extraordinary relationships amongst and between fungi, arthropods, birds, and plants. Emphasis will be on the strategies and tactics involved from the perspective of the plants, and how much plants are prepared to repel enemies and gain friends in natural ecosystems. At Castle 1 Lecture theatre. Nibbles and drinks from 5:30 in the Castle concourse, talk starts at 6:00 pm and finishes at 7.00 pm.

21st September 12.00 pm. Union St Lecture Theatre. Department of Botany Seminar Friendly Forest Fungi: mycorrhizae of NZ native forest trees. A talk by Dr David Orlovich.

6th October 2.00 pm. Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Garden design and plants to attract native birds. Philip Dunn, Ribbonwood Nursery. Cost: $5.00 (Donation).

7th October 12.00-1.00 pm. Botanic Garden Centre. Hort Talk: Green Ways to Eradicate Invasive Weeds. T.J. Irvin.

12th October 5.30 pm. Three talks by the winners of the Botany Postgraduate Research Colloquium. Jaz Morris will discuss how greenhouse conditions affect the physiology of giant kelp? Diego Urrutia Guevara presents a talk about the response of alpine plant and soil composition to induced environmental conditions on the Old Man Range, New Zealand. And Tim Crawford explains profiling low-oxygen electron transport in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 3

PCC 6803. Abstracts relating to each talk can be found in the communications section of this newsletter. Contact Allison Knight, phone: (03) 479 7577.

29th October 10.00am-3.00 pm. Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Workshop on plant photography with digital SLR cameras. David Lyttle. Cost: $29.90 (Donation). 30th October 9.00 am Field trip to Leith Saddle (celebrating year of the Forest). This trip is open to members of the public and will be led by various members of the Botanical Society. The trip will follow a well formed track from Leith Saddle up through mixed podocarp broadleaf forest that grades into Libocedrus forest that in turn gives way to mixed tussock/ shrubland. This is perhaps the best piece of representative forest close to Dunedin. Depart from the Botany Department car park, corner of Great King Street and Union Street (West). For details contact David Lyttle, phone (03) 454 5470.

4th November 12.00-1.00 pm. Botanic Garden Centre. HortTalk: What’s Cookin? – tips for cooking local produce. Steve Ellwood.

9th November (TBC). Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Beating the Big Leaf in the Vatthe Conservation Area of Vanuatu. Sue Maturin. Cost: $5.00 (Donation).

9th November 12.00 pm. Union St Lecture Theatre. Department of Botany Seminar Ecosystems in waiting or a bright new future? John Ogden. Mixed plant and animal communities are now widely established in New Zealand. Will the forests of yesteryear eventually re-establish, or should we welcome a new species mixture dictated by a new disturbance regime? Work on the dynamics of the scrub communities on Great Barrier Island will be discussed.

9th November 5.30 pm. Year of the Forest Public Lecture. Beech forest dynamics. What Milhankovic didn't know and other anecdotes. John Ogden. The likely behaviour of beech forests through glacial/interglacial cycles will be discussed and some of the current spatial and temporal patterns will be described in relationship to these past events. (with George Perry as co- contributor). Venue to be announced.

19th November 9.00 am. Field trip to Akatore Creek. Akatore is a remnant of diverse coastal shrubland at the mouth of Akatore Creek, 45 minutes south of Dunedin. Some special features of this site include the diversity of shrub species and threatened species such as Coprosma obconica, Olearia fragrantissima, Melicytus flexuosus and Carex littorosa with the possibility of our discovering other threatened species. We may also visit the adjacent coast where the threatened cress Lepidium tenuicaule is present as well as Myosotis pygmaea. Depart from the Botany Department car park, corner of Great King Street and Union Street (West). Contact Robyn Bridges, phone: (03) 472 7330. 4 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

3rd/4th December 7.00 am. Weekend field trip to Omarama bog pine and wetland sites. We will base ourselves at Omarama and spend one day visiting the bog pine dominated rare ecosystem of Ben Dhu Scientific Reserve, followed by a day investigating the Tarnbrae wetlands or the Wairepo kettle hole wetlands. Visits to these post-glaciation derived ecosystems with their distinctive shrubland and turf vegetation are graded "easy". A range of accommodation options are available at the Omarama Holiday Park http://www.omaramatop10.co.nz/. Participants are expected to arrange their preferred accommodation. Leaders are Geoff Rogers and John Barkla. Contact Geoff Rogers Ph. 454 5732 or email [email protected] by Wednesday 30 Nov.

7th December End of year dinner at the Asian Restaurant. Always a fun and popular event! This year we return to the fabulous Asian Restaurant, 43 Moray Place, Dunedin. Make sure you let Bill Wilson know if you'd like to come. Contact Bill Wilson, phone: (03) 477 2282.

Meeting details: Talks are usually on Wednesday evening, starting at 5:20 pm with drinks and nibbles (gold coin donation), unless otherwise advertised. Venue is the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in, and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Room 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt, as we have to hold the door open. Items of botanical interest for our buy, sell and share table are always appreciated. When enough people are feeling sociable we go out to dinner afterwards – everyone is welcome to join in. Talks usually finish around 6:30 pm, keen discussion might continue till 7 pm.

Field trip details: Field trips leave from the Botany Department car park 464 Great King Street, unless otherwise advertised. Meet there to car pool (10 c/km/passenger, to be paid to the driver, please). 50% student discount now available on all trips! Please contact the trip leader before Friday for trips with special transport, and by Wednesday for full weekend trips. A hand lens and field guides always add to the interest. It is the responsibility of each person to stay in contact with the group and to bring sufficient food, drink and outdoor gear to cope with changeable weather conditions. Bring appropriate personal medication, including anti-histamine for allergies. Note trip guidelines on the BSO web site: http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/bso/. Contents BSO Meetings and Field Trips ...... 2 Contents ...... 4 Chairman’s Notes David Lyttle ...... 5 September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 5

Editor’s Notes Alex Fergus ...... 6 Correspondence and News ...... 7 Botanical Society of Otago's 2012 calendar ...... 7 Te Papas MSc Scholarship in Molecular Systematics at Victoria University ...... 8 The Arnold and Ruth Dench Botanical Award ...... 8 Wellington Botanical Society Jubilee Award 2011 ...... 8 Winning Botany Department Students Colloquium abstracts ...... 9 Lucy Cranwell Student Grant for Botanical Research ...... 11 Articles...... 14 Formosa Plants ...... 14 New Lichen found on the 2011 Summer Trip to Western Fiordland ...... 15 Bash Boxthorn for Better Bluff Biota ...... 16 Up on the roof ...... 20 Range extension or ephemeral event for Fumaria capreolata L. in Otago? ...... 22 Meeting and trip reports ...... 24 Conifer workshop- July 1st ...... 24 Botany in the bush- Orokonui and beyond- July 6th ...... 25 New Zealand Fungal Foray 2011- July 13th ...... 25 Ross Creek- Woodhaugh Garden Track Network- July 17th ...... 27 It's time to save the planet- July 21st ...... 28

Chairman’s Notes David Lyttle The next major event for the BSO is very diverse set of plant communities; the 10th Annual Baylis Lecture, which all well worthwhile visiting. will be held on Wednesday 14th This spring several tuis have been September. The speaker this year is Dr visiting my garden. The attraction is Bill Lee from Landcare Research in some kowhais that my grandfather Dunedin. In the course of a long and planted over 80 years ago recognizing productive research career, Bill has at the time that New Zealand native come up with some novel experimental plants had intrinsic value in a approaches to investigate the landscape from which they, and the ecological interactions that have birds they supported, had been largely shaped the New Zealand flora. Bill’s extirpated by European pastoralism. By originality and insights make this and large tuis tend to shun my cold, lecture an event not to be missed. windy corner of the Otago Peninsula but I am pleased to see them back and There are four more field trips hope they might find conditions more scheduled for the remainder of the to their liking in the future. year; a day trip to Mihiwaka, a day trip This season’s possum trapping to the Leith Saddle cloud forest, a day campaign has yielded rather modest trip to Akatore Creek (in this case it is numbers of the pests. Considering the the third time this trip has been plague numbers that were present two scheduled) and in December, a years ago this another hopeful sign that weekend trip to Omarama in the for local biodiversity may in time Mackenzie Basin. These trips cover a recover some of its original variety and 6 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011 richness. The present initiative by the The present initiatives on possum Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group to control and ecological restoration on eliminate possums from the Peninsula the Hereweka/Harbour Cone Block, has made considerable progress in now owned by the City of Dunedin, are sectors 1, 2 and 3 east of Allans Beach very welcome after decades of inertia Road but sectors 4 and 5 abutting the and neglect. However if there is any harbour suburbs and the city have yet moral to this story, it is that small acts to be dealt with. In the meantime such as planting trees may have effects landholders in section 4 such as myself for generations but controlling pests must rely on setting Timms traps to do and weeds is a long and arduous battle the business for us but many of my and requires sustained community neighbours who are busy farmers do effort and involvement. not see environmental protection and pest control as priorities.

Bellbird on Kowhai (Sophora microphylla). Photo by David Lyttle.

Editor’s Notes Alex Fergus Hi folks, these notes are pretty much Berry who supplied the manuka just a long line of acknowledgments. (Leptospermum scoparium) drawing On behalf of everyone in the Botanical that adorns our cover page. If anyone Society of Otago I want to make a big has contributions for the next issue, or call of thanks to David Orlovich who would like to volunteer to report on an has just stepped down as our Newsletter upcoming fieldtrip or seminar, then editor. David will continue to maintain please get in touch with me. Thanks the BSO website and has been team, Alex. supporting myself and Katherine Lyttle as we take over his role. Our chairman David Lyttle should also be recognised Please submit copy for next for his on-going efforts in bringing the newsletter by 30 November 2011. Newsletter together. From the current Editor’s guidelines: Try to aim for a issue praise goes to all of our 0.5–1 page of 14 pt Times for news, contributors, particularly Cambrian trip/meeting reports and book reviews, September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 7 and 1–5 pages, including illustrations, Disclaimer: The views published in this for other articles. Electronic submission newsletter reflect the views of the (by email to the editor: individual authors, and are not [email protected]) is necessarily the views of the Botanical preferred. Send photos as separate files Society of Otago. and remember to include photo captions and credits.

Correspondence and News Botanical Society of Otago's 2012 calendar

The Botanical Society of Otago's 2012 your name and address and payment calendar is on sale now. The Calendars details will be sent. The Calendar will are $20 each (or two for $36) [add also be available from Trish Fleming at $2.50 for mail orders]. For electronic the Botany Department office. All payment email the Botanical Society of proceeds to the Botanical Society of Otago ([email protected]) with Otago www.botany.otago.ac.nz\bso\

Botanical Society 2012 Calendar, cover image of Celmisia haastii var. haastii. Photo by John Barkla.

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Te Papa MSc Scholarship in Molecular Systematics at Victoria University

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa genetics of lancewood (Pseudopanax Tongarewa and Victoria University of crassifolius) to locate its glacial Wellington are offering a Master of refugia; unravelling a species complex Science (MSc) scholarship in the field in the New Zealand forget-me-nots of molecular systematics at Victoria (Myosotis); or another group to be University of Wellington. The student determined. stipend is $10,000 over two years. Applications close 1st November 2011. For more details, contact Leon Perrie Potential projects for 2012-2013 ([email protected]). include: analysing the population

The Arnold and Ruth Dench New Zealand Botanical Award - Applications sought

Alison Dench (daughter of the late interactions between indigenous flora passionately active members of the and invasive species (flora or fauna). Wellington botanical society - Arnold The Award will be administered by the and Ruth Dench‟s daughter), has Wellington Botanical Society Inc. generously made available an annual A full description of the award and the award of $1,000 in memory of her application process can be forwarded to parents. The Award aims to enhance anyone interested from the BSO editor. understanding and awareness of New Zealand‟s indigenous flora including

Wellington Botanical Society Jubilee Award 2011 – applications sought

The Wellington Botanical Society understanding of NZ‟s indigenous flora invites applications for an Award of up and vegetation. The interpretation of to $2,600 to encourage and assist these conditions will be flexible, except applicants to increase knowledge of that the main criterion will be the New Zealand‟s indigenous flora, and to furtherance of knowledge or promotion commemorate the Society‟s Jubilee in of the intrinsic value of NZ‟s 1989. indigenous flora and vegetation. The Award may be used to defray costs Purpose of the award such as travel, accommodation, The Award is open to anyone working materials or publication. in New Zealand. It will be granted for: fieldwork; artistic endeavour; Further information can be found at publication; research; propagation or this link: cultivation of NZ native plants for http://www.wellingtonbotsoc.org.nz/a educational purposes and/or other wards/jubilee.html studies which promote the better September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 9

Abstracts for the Botany Department Student Colloquium winners.

Honours student winning talk: How suggesting cellular damage due to high will greenhouse conditions affect the light levels in vitro. These data physiology of giant kelp? represent the first attempt to grow Macrocystis in simulated Jaz Morris, Michael Roleda, Catriona greenhouse conditions, and suggest a L. Hurd separate effect of pH and temperature on kelp physiology. Increasing global temperatures and ocean acidification (OA), the result of Master’s student winning talk: The anthropogenic CO2 emissions, are predicted to cause a „greenhouse effect‟ response of alpine plant and soil worldwide. However, studies have only composition to induced lately begun to investigate the effects environmental conditions in the Old of greenhouse conditions on marine Man Range, New Zealand. algae, and relatively few have Diego Urrutia Guevara investigated kelp species; the Alpine Zones are characterized by ubiquitous flora of coastal benthic short, cold, and unpredictable growing environments. One of the major kelp seasons. One of the locations where species, Macrocystis pyrifera, has Alpine environments are found is the received little attention despite work Old Man Range, in the South Island of showing resilience of recruitment of New Zealand. The topography of these juvenile Macrocystis to OA conditions. mountains creates sheltered areas Here, Macrocystis tissue disks were where snow accumulates and exposed grown in vitro for ten days in ambient areas where the strong winds remove and future (2100 AD) CO2/pH the snow from the exposed slopes and conditions (400/750ppm) as well as ridges. The presence of the snow present and ambient and 2100 (14ºC determines the length of the growing and 19ºC) summer temperatures. season, and its insulation effect creates Results show that OA ameliorates milder and more stable temperatures, tissue bleaching at high temperatures, higher soil moisture, and offers and that growth by area increases with protection from wind and ice impact. CO2 concentration and temperature As a result of these conditions, the when nutrients are not limiting. At distribution of soils and vegetation is days two and five, increased largely determined and limited by its availability of CO2 in OA conditions distribution. One of the world‟s oldest resulted in a decrease in carbonic experimental snow fences was built in anhydrase levels, suggesting that 1959 in the windward side of the macroalgal carbon-concentrating summit plateau of the Old Man Range. mechanisms may be down-regulated The snow fence, built perpendicular to due to OA. However, by day 10 this the prevailing westerly winds, reduces trend was not observed and bleaching the wind speed, and accumulates larger had occurred in all replicates amounts of snow which lasts longer in 10 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011 the season on its leeward side. As a oxygenic photosynthesis. Current consequence, changes in the plant research focuses on realising the species composition were reported by potential of cyanobacteria as sources of Smith et al. (1995), from their survey renewable energy, such as exploiting in 1991, and by a second survey done the natural biological hydrogen by the Department of Botany in 2003. production endowed on these creatures A third vegetation by the presence of a hydrogenase survey has been done in 2011. All enzyme. Hydrogen is one of the most these results will be analyzed together promising future energy vectors to study the responses of soil and plant known, however at present it is composition to these induced essentially not renewable. environmental conditions over the past Cyanobacteria could provide a 20 years. Additionally, soil samples renewable source, but unfortunately the have been taken from areas with hydrogenase is only functional in different exposure around the snow transient bursts under low-oxygen fence to study the effects of different conditions, due to the enzymes snow accumulation in soil sensitivity to the oxygen produced by composition. Macronutrients, pH, the photosynthetic machinery. In order moisture and texture will be analyzed. to increase biological hydrogen Two nearby natural snowbanks are the production to viable levels, we must control in this experiment and the same first understand how cyanobacteria methodology is being used to study the perform this feat in nature – thus this soils and plant composition. These two project aims to create a profile of the snowbanks will provide us with the changes in gene expression and natural plant and soil composition of functioning of the photosynthetic and this area. The main hypothesis of this respiratory electron transport chains study is that a similar plant and soil that accompany low-oxygen conditions composition to a natural snowbank is in the model cyanobacterium being caused behind the snow fence. Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Results obtained so far from analysing electron PhD student winning talk: Profiling transport in a number of genetic low-oxygen electron transport in the knockout mutants suggest that a wide cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. range of systems exist to allow this PCC 6803. creature to survive under low-oxygen Tim Crawford tension, including regulation of a number of respiratory enzymes and a Cyanobacteria are an ancient, diverse „low-oxygen cluster‟ containing and highly successful group of alternative copies of key proteins of prokaryotic photoautotrophs, and Photosystem II and the cytochrome b6f remain one of the most important complex. Research has also suggested primary producers on Earth as well as that the expression of some of these the historical source of much of the components may be regulated by oxygen in the atmosphere today after antisense or non-coding RNAs. more than two billion years of September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 11

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Articles Formosa plants Peter Johnson At the BSO photo competition in April, Dunedin for a while, but it often one of Mary Anne Miller’s plant struggled to open its flowers before late portrait entries was of Swainsona autumn. formosa, Sturt's desert pea (above), which is the floral emblem of South Australia. The question arose as to why an Australian plant should have the epithet formosa, with our discussion narrowed into the concept of Formosa, the island in the China Sea.

I have stumbled upon the answer, from reading the 2010 Yearbook of The Republic of China (or ROC as they call themselves, being principally Taiwan): "It is said that when a Portuguese ship on its way to Japan sailed by Taiwan in 1542, the sailors were struck by the beauty of its mountains and dubbed it "Ilha Formosa", meaning "beautiful isle". It was under the name Formosa that Taiwan was known to the Western world until after World War II."

Sturt's desert pea, Swainsona Formosa, in So back to the Latin: formosus = Alice Springs. Photo by Mary Anne beautiful, hence the species name for Miller. Sturt's desert pea (one of its former classifications was as Clianthus formosus). We do retain in our garden the dwarf form, L. formosum var. pricei, which Now, on to Lilium formosanum, which grows only about 0.4 m tall. Actually, does indeed originate in Formosa/ this lily needs more effort to restrain Taiwan. A tall lily with narrow white than retain. David Lyttle has told me trumpet flowers, this has gone wild on that he also needs to stop it spreading dunes and roadsides in the North everywhere. Geoff Baylis would have Island, and is listed on the NZ National described such a plant as being "very Pest Plant Accord. I have seen it willing"! We make a point of picking naturalised in the Bay of Islands, all the flowers, either for a vase or else, Taranaki coast, and common also on when spent, into the compost heap. The both coastal and upland rock faces on occasional overlooked, sneaky plant Lord Howe Island. We grew it in September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 15 provides enough flaky seeds, stacked Each fat capsule has about 720 seeds like book pages in a brown capsule, to (c.120 in each of 6 locules). The keep the population going. inflorescence stalk reaches 3 m tall, and when you dead-head it you get a Similar flattened seeds are arrayed in long fat tubular structure, quite like a tiers in the capsules of the giant didgeridoo (and, as I discovered, with Himalayan lily, Cardiocrinum similar acoustic properties!). giganteum. I saved some seed recently.

Lilium formosanum on slopes of Mt Gower, Lord Howe Island. Photo by Peter Johnson.

New Lichen found on the 2011 Summer Trip to Western Fiordland Allison Knight The combined Otago and Wellington These are white crust lichens that are Botanical Society summer trip based at common on sea shore rocks and the Boyd Creek, near Te Anau Downs, was bark of forest trees. Diligent searching even more successful than I expected. turned up four well-known species My main aim was to photograph along with two that I couldn‟t key out. common lichens for an introductory At first I thought they might be Field guide to Lichens and I spent a lot Australian species, so I consulted Alan of time searching for some common Archer in Sydney. He suggested we species from the genus Pertusaria. ask Jack Elix in Canberra to do 16 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011 advanced chemistry. After careful anything that looks like this. If you‟d visual and chemical comparisons with like to read more about it the full paper similar species in the genus both can be found on-line – just Google experts agreed that one must be an „Australasian Lichenology‟. entirely new species of Pertusaria. We named it Pertusaria southlandica and A Knight, JA Elix & AW Archer. A pulished it recently. So far it is only new species of Pertusaria (lichenized known from this one spot, so please do Ascomycota, Pertusariaceae) from keep a look out for it and take a photo New Zealand. Australian Lichenology or bring me a specimen if you find 69 (July 2011), 33 – 35.

Pertusaria southlandica growing on a twig of Nothofagus solandri among bog pine (Halocarpus bidwillii) beside the car park before the ford on the track to Boyd Creek Lodge. Photo by Allison Knight.

Bash Boxthorn for Better Bluff Biota Graeme Loh and John Barkla The recent lecture by Peter Raven stronghold in Otago, Stellaria "How many species will survive the elatinoides, is already known to have 21st century" raises the question of become extinct. Others, like what is most at risk of going extinct many native members of the genus near us. One plant which had a Lepidium, feature near the top of lists September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 17

Gard Road limestone escarpment with boxthorn clearing underway. Photo by John Barkla. cataloguing our most threatened Gentianella aff. G. calcis subsp. plants. The entire populations of eleven waipara; (CHR 569771; Earthquakes) 'Threatened: Nationally Critical' plants Koeleria aff . novozelandica occur only within 120 km of Dunedin. Lepidium kirkii Two skinks and a moth are in the same Lepidium aff. oleraceum (f) situation. They are in the heavily Pachycladon exile settled and developed lowlands, with Poa spania ten of them found on limestone bluffs Trisetum aff. lepidum in North Otago. Some of these are so poorly known These local species are in most need of they haven't been formally described our attention if they are not going to go and don't have published names. A extinct “on our watch”: recent trip to north Otago even discovered what appears to be a new Cardamine cf. bilobata taxon in the genus Gingidia and Carmichaelia hollowayi it seems to be present at just one site. Festuca aff. novae-zelandiae Gentianella calcis subsp calcis 18 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

What can the botanists of Dunedin current most important problem do? plants. Methods to control these weeds and foster threatened plants need to be There is work going on to save some of tested and applied. Translocations to these species now and your help is establish new populations of some of sought. An island of limestone that the species known only from further up supports Trig Z on Gards Road in the the valley near Awahokomo, are Waitaki Valley is a great place to do probably appropriate. There are this. Carmichaelia hollowayi, paleobotany opportunities too in buried Lepidium sisymbrioides, and a rare ash layers and possibly in the gentian are all highly threatened inaccessible large ledges. The species that hang on to Department of Conservation recognises bluffs here. Other 'At Risk' species the high priority of this site and is present include Raoulia monroi, conducting work focussed particularly Muehlenbeckia ephedroides and on the welfare of Leptinella serrulata. Dwarf kowhai Carmichaelia hollowayi. Ranger (Sophora prostrata) is present and near Graeme Loh would love a hand in all its southern distributional limit. manner of activities. Give him a yell on Boxthorn and exotic grasses are the 4746935 or [email protected]

Lepidium sisymbrioides at Gard Road. Photo by John Barkla.

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Gentianella aff. G. calcis subsp. Waipara. Photo by Graeme Loh.

Carmichaelia hollowayi. Photo by John Barkla.

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Bash Boxthorn Addendum Alexander Fergus On Saturday the 20th of August about a for lunch after which Graeme and dozen volunteers and a crew from the Ewan Fordyce led the newbies on a Department of Conservation arrived at botanical and paleontological tour. A the Trig Z site armed with loppers, second Boxthorn assault was fuelled saws, rakes and chainsaws. Graeme with our enthusiasm for the Trig Z explained to us what had been done; circuit. This is the third trip Graeme the plan for the days attack; and then has organised to the site, there will be we set to it. With a team this size it was more, and there are other sites that extremely gratifying to watch Boxthorn need input, so do get in touch with him succumb. After an hour or so we broke if you are interested in helping out.

The green roof on top of Otago University‟s William James Psychology building. Photo by Janice Lord.

Up on the roof Janice Lord

The “Green roof” on top of Otago riverbed, with a rich red-gold mosaic University‟s William James of tussocks, low shrubs and mat- plants Psychology building has the feel of a incompletely covering the white September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 21 pumice-gravel substrate. Planted in naturally occurred in open, drought- December 2009 by a group from the prone habitats and were ideally native Botany Department the green roof is a to Otago or at least to the South Island. significant feature adding to the In the end we planted more than 2000 building‟s environmental credentials. plants of a mix of 20 species (see The plants and pumice “soil” below) in blocks dominated by either contribute to lowering heating and insect-pollinated or wind-pollinated cooling costs and filter rainfall before it species. The idea behind this block is used to flush the 5-storey building‟s design was not only to provide a toilets. But from a botanist‟s point of mosaic of plant heights and textures view a green roof is an opportunity to but also provide varying types of create an island of vegetation, to habitat for insects. Establishment construct a plant community. success has been outstanding, far better than for green roofs in Auckland, Unlike other green roofs in New mostly due to lower evapotranspiration Zealand we aimed for diversity from in Dunedin‟s cool moist climate, and the outset. Plants were selected that the plants are growing rapidly.

Acaena inermis. Photo by David Lyttle. 22 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

We have been monitoring invertebrate but I hope it will provide educational diversity and the influx of weeds since and research benefits for a long time to planting, with Asteraceae and come. Trifolium species the main invasives. The most dramatic successes have been Mat plants: among the mat plants with Selliera Acaena inermis var. purpurea, radicans and Disphyma australe Disphyma australe, Leptinella patches now covering much of the squalida, Muehlenbeckia axillaris, previously bare ground. Likewise Pratia angulata, Selliera radicans. Libertia ixioides and L. peregrinans have extended their rhizomes up to Shrubs and subshrubs: 30cm from each initial planting site. Coprosma acerosa, Coprosma Coprosma acerosa and Pratia angulata depressa, Corokia cotoneaster, Hebe are now fruiting and even a seedling toparia, H. odora, Melicytus alpinus, Hebe odora has been sighted. Pimelea prostrata

The roof will obviously continue to Graminoids and herbs: change and develop over time and will Festuca actae, Isolepis nodosa, require ongoing management (for Libertia peregrinans, L. ixioides, example the self-sown kanuka Microtis unifolia, Poa colensoi, seedlings won‟t be allowed to stay!) Wahlenbergia albomarginata

Range extension or ephemeral event for Fumaria capreolata L. in Otago? Maia Mistral Three years ago in early summer I was Otago region, although it is a robust invited to admire a recently constructed scrambler with conspicuous dark succulent garden on a friend’s property tipped creamy white flowers around in Waikouaiti. My eye was instantly 1cm in length. The Waikouaiti plant attracted to an unusual weed (much to may reflect a recent range extension my host’s bemusement) which I into Otago, or the single specimen may assumed was a white sport of one of have been just that - a one off event. the common pink flowering fumitories. Not so, Fumaria capreolata is a white The garden the specimen was found in flowering species introduced and had been partially constructed with soil naturalised in other parts of New supplied by a local transport company. Zealand but not known in Otago. Webb This suggested one possible seed et al. (1988) gives a patchy distribution source. A quick search of the transport for the species; in the North Island company yards revealed plenty of F. from Northland and South Auckland, muralis but no F. capreolata. and the Huntsbury area of Canterbury in the South. The species may have been previously overlooked in the September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 23

When I returned with Florence Sorrel such as Juan Fernández off the coast of to the garden 6 weeks later to collect Chile (USFS). seed from the plant (in addition to Introduced fumitories generally have floral attributes, seed rugosity and the the diminished status of garden weeds, shape of the apical notch are diagnostic although the genus has been used for Fumaria species), we checked for medicinally in the past for the further individuals within a 500m treatment of a range of conditions from radius of the garden to no avail. Where dermatitis to liver complaints (Wren had this plant come from? 1975, Brown 1995, Grieve 1998). Suau A second possible seed source (and one et al (2002) have distinguished 3 major that may prove difficult to find chemotaxonomic groups within evidence for) could have been via one Fumaria based on alkaloid extracts. of many trucks that pass the garden Fumaria capreolata chemistry is most daily, transporting feed from similar to that of F. bastardii (present Canterbury to a large poultry farm in N.Z.) with protopine alone neighbouring the property. comprising 66-79% of total plant alkaloid extracts. The European Any further thoughts of the origins of medicinal species F. officinalis (also the plant lay idle until last summer present in N.Z.) is characterized by two when I was in Waitati at the local art major protopine alkaloids- protopine gallery, again finding F. capreolata in and crytopine which are present in a rough abandoned flower bed in the much smaller quantities. car parking area. It is possible that both gardens had used the same supplier of Being both weedy and non-native, F. top soil in the past to construct the beds capreolata may have been thought (the poultry feed trucks don’t travel unworthy of collection in the past and that far South), or perhaps a more consequently Otago has not been likely explanation for the presence of included in the distributional range. It F. capreolata in both gardens is each may be an occasional in the presented an ideal habitat for the Waikouaiti/ Blueskin Bay area, or species, irrespective of seed source. perhaps it is more widespread?

F. capreolata is the only white Botanical Society members could help flowering species of the five by looking out for this charming introduced fumitories in New Zealand. (invasive?) exotic on light soils in full The white colouring is most sun. It has a preference for roadsides pronounced in the early stages of and hedgerows elsewhere in the flowering as the corolla flushes pink country. Flowers and fruits can be seen following pollination The species is from June to January. Two specimens native to Northern Africa, Western are lodged in OTA. I would be happy Asia, both Northern and Southern to co-ordinate any new sightings, and Europe and naturalized widely, from can be contacted either at by leaving a North America to Japan and Australia message at the Botany Department or in the Pacific, including island groups by email at maia@ botany.otago.ac.nz. 24 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

Grieve M. (1998) A Modern Herbal. Tiger Books International, London.

Suau R., Cabezudo B., Rico R., Nájera F., López-Romero J. M. (2002) Direct determination of alkaloid contents in Fumaria species by GC-MS. Phytochemical Analysis 13(6): 363– 367.

US Forest Service, Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Online resource at http://www.hear.org/pier/ accessed 20/8/11.

Webb C.J., Sykes W.R., Garnock- Jones P.J. (1988) Flora of New Zealand Volume 1V- Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Fumaria capreolata. Photo by Jeremy Rolfe. Wren R.C. (1975) Potters New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and References Preparations. Health Science Press, Wellingbourough. Brown D. (1995) Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London

Meeting and trip reports Conifer workshop- July 1st Alexander Fergus

This was a great day out for a small physiognomy, reproduction and group of conifer-keen gardeners and evolution. Barbara Wheeler took over amateur botanists. We started in the and illustrated the variety of specimen Botanic Garden centre where John trees found in and around Dunedin. We Steel gave us an introduction to the had lunch, and then spent the afternoon variety of native and introduced in the sun employing our morning‟s families in Pinophyta, and went on to tuition exploring the gardens include aspects of morphology, collection. Most significantly, this was September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 25 a very successful union of Dunedin‟s and the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. two big botanical bodies, namely the Let‟s hope for more of the same. botany department at Otago University

Botany in the bush. Orokonui and beyond- July 6th Alexander Fergus

A small enthused group turned up at evolution of our local forest plants. The the eco-sanctuary in early July to hear importance of interactions in forest Peter Johnson discuss, with a variety of ecosystems was illustrated with the botanical props, the botany and feeding preferences of Kereru ecology of local Dunedin forest types. (Sophora leaflets), possums Peter described the localised presence (Pseudopanax colensoi), and red and of Weinmania racemosa, Metrosideros yellow admiral butterflies (Urtica ferox umbellata, and Libocedrus bidwillii and U. incisa respectively). A myriad with its almost obligate epiphyte the of small facts including the multiple filmy fern Hymenophyllum malingii. summer flowerings of Melicytus The poor recovery of Kunzea ericoides ramiflorus; the deciduous character of under its own canopy was touched on, Olearia fragrantissima; and the as was the importance of endo- and hygroscopic hairs in the capsule of ecto-mycorrhiza for most of our forest Earina autumnalis, left the audience tree species. This fantastically wide- with a unique insight into our local ranging talk included various aspects forests. Much appreciated Peter. of physiognomy, life history, and the

New Zealand Fungal Foray 2011- July 13th Alexander Fergus

David Orlovich kicked off this fungal material. The domination of picture show like any proud new father Cortinarius species in his talk seems to would, with a picture of his then 6 stem from both causes, being the week old son Jack. The listeners „awesomeness‟ and the largest genus of immediately recognised future mushrooms in the world. Everyone mycological celebrity in Jack‟s seemed to agree it is a pretty neat countenance and returned a round of genus with representatives including C. applause. The 2011 fungal foray took alienatus, described as an alien place in and around Taupo in May this bursting out of an egg; C. cucumeris, year. David retold a hectic time of which smells like cucumbers; and C. exploring, however he begrudged the porphyroideus, a purple spongy mass. number of dead rat photos (mycology Other species, like C. rotundisporus speak for photos of shabby looking are found only in association with collections) that resulted from the Leptospermum or Kunzea. We learnt frenetic collecting. Some fungal that not all Amanita species are toxic, families featured more than others, just those that belong to a certain either as a result of David‟s section; that birds nest fungi, predilections or the availability of Crucibulum leave, are closely related 26 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011 to puffballs; and that Inocybe him if you have the opportunity to leptospermi have star-shaped spores. collect ([email protected] , Aseroe rubra, the anemone stinkhorn, (03) 479 9060). Next year‟s fungal and Calostoma rodwayi, colloquially foray will either be in Gore or at „hot lips‟, proved to be colourful crowd Borland lodge, much more accessible pleasers. On aside, David is collecting for any BSO members keen to get Aseroe rubra from across the length of along. New Zealand, so do get in touch with

Birds Nest Fungi, Crucibulum laeve, in the Pureroa Forest Park. Photo by David Orlovich.

Aseroe rubra. Photo by David Orlovich. September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 27

Cortinarius cucumeris. Photo by David Orlovich.

Ross Creek–Woodhaugh Garden Track Network - July 17th Ella Hayman

On a sunny Dunedin winter day nine of the introduced Ranunculus ficaria. eager BotSoc members met at the Once at the reservoir we relaxed in the George Street entrance to Woodhaugh sun for a bit before continuing along Gardens. Led by John Barkla we the Podocarp Track past the big rimu wandered along admiring the large (Dacrydium cupressinum). Here we Sophora and Hoheria in the alluvial noted many species of Blechnum and forest before crossing Malvern Street Asplenium as well as a number of small and following the banks of the Water leaved Coprosma spp. that kept us of Leith. Restorative planting in this guessing. Eventually we came out onto area includes Streblus with distinctive the suburban streets of Balmacewen fiddle shaped juvenile leaves and and admired gardens filled with Teucridium parvifolium with square, cultivars of Lophomyrtus in many hairy young stems. shades of purple. We also took a couple of detours in search of As we climbed Ross Creek Track to mistletoes. On one large specimen tree the reservoir we came across a carpet at the end of Stonelaw Terrace we 28 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011 marvelled at an intermingled mass of Eventually we made it back to where two native mistletoes; Tupeia we started having walked in a large antarctica and Ileostylus sp., one likely loop. It was nice to get out and explore hemi-parasitic on the other. We also an area with so many treasures so close found the cryptic dwarf mistletoe to home and great to see so many Korthalsella sp. on Coprosma people using the tracks. crassifolia while making our way down the Bullock Track.

John Barkla studying an intermingled mass of Tupeia antarctica and Ileostylus sp. Photo by Andrew Tanenzap.

It’s time to save the planet- July 21st Kelsey Picard

Some say Professor Peter H. Raven is survive the 21st century?‟ on the 21st the greatest living botanist, he has been of July. The importance of preserving called “the Hero of the Planet” by Time species for future generations was the magazine, but he is possibly better essence of his lecture. According to known as the author of the BIOL113 Raven, “Living species are text book; The Biology of Plants. We indispensable and essential for our were lucky enough to see Peter give a lives”. There are estimated to be talk entitled „How many species will around 12 million species in our world September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 29 and just under one sixth of these have less than $2 a day. He also touched on been documented and identified. Prof. human impacts on plant diversity; at Raven stated that 1000 species are present 90% of our food comes from being lost from our world every year 100 species and 60% of this comes and that this rate is not constant and from only 3 species, wheat, rice and may reach up to 10,000 species a year maize. This huge reliance on these if it follows the predicted forecast. A heavily selectively bred plants and the well-focused point in this lecture was pressure to increase yield and crop land the direct affect that the human puts huge pressure on species diversity. population has on the environment. The possibility of disease in these The human race is growing at a major crops could cause extinction and phenomenal rate and since 1936, when mass problems for the world. His Prof. Raven was born, the population visual aids were excellent and strongly has trebled. More people also require portrayed the beauty in the world and more resources to sustain them but therefore emphasised our need to there is a limit to the world‟s natural preserve its incredible diversity. Prof. resources. “The world provides enough Raven concluded that we need to step to satisfy every man‟s need but not up and try to save species or everyone every mans greed”. Prof. Raven also will miss out. pointed out the alarming fact that 200,000 people are born every day Reprinted with permission from Green (40% of these in Africa) but also that News 2(5) August 2011. 50% of the world‟s population live on

Otago Peninsula Panorama: Mt Charles and Hooper‟s Inlet from Sandymount. Photo by David Lyttle.

30 BSO Newsletter 64 September 2011

Centella uniflora Okia Flats. Photo by David Lyttle.

Geoglossum sp Waipori. Photo by David Lyttle. September 2011 BSO Newsletter 64 31

Botanical Society of Otago: PO Box 6214, North Dunedin 9059, NZ Patron: Audrey Eagle http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/bso/

Committee 2011–2012 Chairman: David Lyttle [email protected] Secretary: Allison Knight [email protected] Treasurer: Jean Bretherton [email protected] Communications: Robyn Bridges [email protected] Newsletter Editors: Alex Fergus/ Katherine Lyttle [email protected] Web Editor: David Orlovich [email protected] Committee: Nicola Baines [email protected] John Barkla [email protected] Jean Bretherton [email protected] Tina Summerfield [email protected] Bastow Wilson [email protected]

Please submit copy for next newsletter to Alex Fergus by 30 November 2011 This Newsletter was published on 8 September 2011. ISSN 0113-0854 (Print) ISSN 1179-9250 (Online) Membership form: Botanical Society of Otago, 2011 This form is also available on our website; http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/bso/

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