CANTERBURY Further information: Native plants of Motukarara Conservation Nursery Waihora Domain, Motukarara, subalpine areas RD 2, Christchurch 7672 PHONE: 03 329 7846 of Canterbury EMAIL: [email protected] www.doc.govt.nz/ conservationnursery www.doc.govt.nz Grown from seed collected from the Mackenzie District Council area Cover photo: Torlesse Range. Kelvin McMillan Published by: Department of Conservation Mahaanui/Sockburn Office PO Box 11089, Sockburn 8443 Christchurch, New Zealand Editing and design: DOC Creative Services Conservation House Wellington May 2021 This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests. R194826 The subalpine region is dominated by various species of snow T = threatened Coriaria sarmentosa tussock, occupying a range of environmental conditions. Corokia cotoneaster, korokio, corokia Acaena caesiiglauca The broad-leaved snow tussock (Chionochloa flavescens) Craspedia uniflora, woollyhead and red tussock/hau mata (Chionochloa rubra) prefer Acaena inermis Discaria toumatu, matagouri, tūmatakuru wetter sites, whereas the narrow-leaved snow tussock/wī Aciphylla aurea, taramea, golden spaniard Festuca matthewsii, alpine fescue tussock kura (Chionochloa rigida) and the slim-leaved snow tussock Aciphylla montana Festuca novae-zelandiae, fescue tussock (Chionochloa macra) prefer drier sites. Aciphylla scott-thomsonii Hebe buchannii Aciphylla subflabellata Shrub species are also common in the subalpine environment Hebe cupressoides (T) and form extensive communities, commonly referred Aristotelia fruticosa, mountain wineberry Hebe haastii to as a subalpine shrub zone. Snow tōtara (Podocarpus Brachyglottis bellidioides Hebe macrantha nivalis), mountain toatoa (Phyllocladus alpinus), porcupine Brachyglottis bennetii Hebe odora shrub (Melicytus alpinus), species of turpentine shrubs Brachyglottis cassinioides Hebe pinguifolia (Dracophyllum), hebe/koromiko, and coprosma/karamū are Carmichaelia grandiflora Hebe subalpina common throughout this area. Carmichaelia petriei, desert broom Melicytus alpinus, porcupine shrub An important part of the subalpine flora is a wide diversity Carmichaelia uniflora Muehlenbeckia axillaris, creeping pohuehue of herbaceous plant species. Common species include the Celmisia semicordata, false spaniard Olearia cymbifolia, shrub daisy mountain daisies (celmisia/tikumu), speargrass/taramea Chionochloa conspicua, hunangāmoho Olearia fimbriata (Aciphylla), small tussocks and grasses – such as mountain Chionochloa flavescens, broad-leaved snow tussock Olearia virgata fescue (Festuca matthewsii) and carpet grass (Chionochloa Chionochloa rigida, wī kura, narrow-leaved snow tussock Ozothamnus leptophyllus, tauhinu, golden cottonwood australis), gentians and mountain buttercups/kawariki Chionochloa rubra, haumata, red tussock Phyllocladus alpinus, mountain toatoa (Ranunculus). Mats, or cushion plants, evolved to withstand Coprosma atropurpurea Pimelea prostrata harsh conditions, are also a feature of subalpine flora. Coprosma ciliata Pittosporum patulum (T) Vegetable sheep, such as Raoulia exima, are an excellent Coprosma dumosa example of the cushion plant habit. Poa colensoi, blue tussock Coprosma propinqua, mingimingi Poa macra Two threatened species found growing in the subalpine Coprosma rugosa Ranunculus lyallii zone in Canterbury are Pittosporum patulum and Hebe Carmichaelia crassicaulis Sophora microphylla, kōwhai cupressoides. Coriaria angustissima Sophora prostrata, dwarf kōwhai Mat or cushion plant habitats withstand harsh conditions (eg on ridges) Subalpine shrub zone (extensive communities) such as snow tōtara, mountain tōatoa, Broad-leaved Narrow-leaved hebes/koromiko and snow tussock and and slim-leaved coprosma/karamū Alpine stream red tussock in snow tussock in species are common wetter areas drier areas.