Tag Archives: fieldtrip

Ferning in Fiji

19 September 2011 – 12.07pm

Koru (unfurling frond) of a Pneumatopteris fern in Fiji. Photo Leon Perrie, Te Papa.

I’m lucky to have escaped the end of the New Zealand winter with a work trip to Fiji. This was as part of a Conservation International-funded, international expedition.

The trip was led by Matt von Konrat of Chicago’s Field Museum, with local logistics coordinated by Marika Tuiwawa and Alivereti Naikatini of the University of the South Pacific’s SUVA herbarium. Other participants came from Australia, Hungary, Norway, and Thailand.

The main goal of the trip was collecting liverworts, mosses, and lichens.  These plants are poorly known from Fiji and much of the tropical Pacific.  Te Papa Research Fellow Patrick Brownsey and I provided complementary collections of Fijian ferns.

We spent time in the Namosi and central upland areas of Viti Levu, as well as Kadavu. We collected 270 specimens of at least 160 different fern and lycophyte species; many of the specimens have yet to be identified.

A Hymenophyllum filmy fern (bottom) competes for space with mosses and liverworts on a tree trunk in cloud forest on the Delainbukelevu volcano. Photo Leon Perrie, Te Papa.

Fiji has some 330 species of ferns and lycophytes.  A revised checklist authored by Pat and I will soon appear in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s journal Telopea. 

A young frond of Blechnum milnei, a Fijian endemic that is closely related to New Zealand’s kiokio, Blechnum novae-zelandiae. Photo Leon Perrie, Te Papa.

Some of the photos from our 2008 trip to Fiji are already on Te Papa’s Collections Online.  I’ll add more information as we process the 2011 specimens. 

Maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris. This is not native to Fiji but has become a common weed around many parts of Suva. Photo Leon Perrie, Te Papa.
 

Post on our volcano climb.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Ferns, Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , | Comments (5)

Native foxgloves and forget-me-nots – Research past and future

18 January 2011 – 1.13pm
 While exploring the subalpine flora around the Otira Valley during the field trip at the end of the Australian Systematic Botany Society 2010 Conference I recently attended, I came across some plants that I have studied in the past, as well as others that I’m about to begin researching. After a tramp up the valley, I headed straight for these sheltered, humid, south-facing cliffs.

 

Forget-me-not and foxglove habitat in Otira Valley, Arthur's Pass National Park, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Forget-me-not and foxglove habitat in Otira Valley, Arthur’s Pass National Park, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

 This type of habitat seems to be the ‘favourite’ of many of the 13 species of foxgloves endemic to New Zealand (genus Ourisia, family Plantaginaceae). I knew from previous field experience that the Otira Valley is one of the best places in the country to see native foxgloves. And I wasn’t disappointed!

 

First up was creeping ourisia, or Ourisia caespitosa, a small, tiny-leaved species that is widespread throughout New Zealand.

  

Creeping ourisia (Ourisia caespitosa), Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Creeping ourisia (Ourisia caespitosa), Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

 

Ourisia caespitosa can form large mats, which carpet the herbfield with its beautiful white flowers that have three lines of hairs inside the corolla throat, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia caespitosa can form large mats, which carpet the herbfield with its beautiful white flowers that have three lines of hairs inside the corolla throat, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

 Next up was one of the largest species of New Zealand native foxgloves, Ourisia calycina. This South Island species used to be called O. macrocarpa subsp. calycina, but some of my recent research has shown it is genetically and morphologically distinct from O. macrocarpa, and should therefore be recognized as its own species.

Ourisia calycina, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia calycina, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Interestingly, where O. caespitosa and O. calycina come into contact, they appear to hybridise. In 1897, Donald Petrie described what he thought to be a new species and named it Ourisia cockayneana after another famous New Zealand botanist, Leonard Cockayne. Since then, several lines of evidence suggest that O. cockayneana is a hybrid and not a distinct species.

Ourisia x cockayneana, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia x cockayneana, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia x cockayneana, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia x cockayneana, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

The herbarium at Te Papa holds the type specimen of O. cockayneana which you can see in Collections Online.

 Also nearby was yet another species of native foxglove, Ourisia simpsonii, which is known from alpine herbfields above 1200m on the South Island.

Ourisia simpsonii, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Note its delicate hairy rosette of leaves, and its glabrous (hairless) corolla throat, which are two characteristics that distinguish it from the species shown above. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Ourisia simpsonii, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Note its delicate hairy rosette of leaves, and its glabrous (hairless) corolla throat, which are two characteristics that distinguish it from the species shown above. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Myosotis explanata, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Close-up of the flowers. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Together with my colleague at Te Papa, Carlos Lehnebach, we’ve only just begun to look at the evolutionary history and taxonomy of the 35+ species of forget-me-nots endemic to New Zealand. So stay tuned for more updates about our progress on our research.

Myosotis explanata, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

Myosotis explanata, Otira Valley, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt.

 

By Heidi Meudt | Posted in forget-me-nots, Plants | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Te Papa botanists attend recent systematic botany conference

18 January 2011 – 12.29pm

Botanists from Te Papa recently attended and presented some of their research at the 2010 Australian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) Conference. Notably, this is only the second time the annual ASBS Conference has been held in New Zealand.

The theme of this year’s meeting was, “Systematic botany across the ditch: links between Australia and New Zealand”. Collaborative research on Australasian plants by scientists from both countries was highlighted throughout the four-day conference at Lincoln University hosted by Landcare Research and the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN).

About half of the 100 attendees were from Australia and half from New Zealand, including four of us from Te Papa. The conference was an excellent opportunity for us to network with colleagues, as well as to showcase the botanical research happening at Te Papa.

Leon Perrie gave a talk co-authored by Lara Shepherd (Massey University) on their genetic work on fierce lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox).

Leon Perrie at the end of his talk on Pseudopanax, with Ilse Breitwieser (Landcare Research), Nov 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Leon Perrie at the end of his talk on Pseudopanax, with Ilse Breitwieser (Landcare Research), Nov 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Pat Brownsey co-authored a talk given by David Glenny on the biogeographic history of New Zealand ferns and liverworts. Carlos Lehnebach discussed the taxonomic implications of his morpholometric study of hook sedges (Unicina spp.).

Carlos Lehnebach giving his talk on Uncinia at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Carlos Lehnebach giving his talk on Uncinia at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

 Heidi Meudt summarized her systematics research on native Plantago species.

As many of the New Zealand botanists who attended the conference are also members of the NZPRN, we took the opportunity to have a short NZPRN meeting. Heidi Meudt and Andrew Clarke (Otago University) co-presented a short workshop on how to contribute to the NZPRN wiki.

Andrew Clarke (Otago University) and Heidi Meudt presenting a wiki workshop to members of the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN) at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Carlos Lehnebach, © Te Papa.

Andrew Clarke (Otago University) and Heidi Meudt presenting a wiki workshop to members of the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN) at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Carlos Lehnebach, © Te Papa.

More photos of the conference can be seen here and here.

On the last day, many participants went on the field trip to get a first-hand look at the floras of montane forests and alpine herbfields in the Arthur’s Pass area. It was the perfect way to end a great conference!

Otira Valley, Arthur's Pass National Park, ASBS 2010 field trip, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Otira Valley, Arthur's Pass National Park, ASBS 2010 field trip, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

By Heidi Meudt | Posted in Plants | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 4

3 June 2010 – 2.12pm

Our final collecting day. We packed up and began heading from home.

We spent about an hour alongside the road in the gorge of the Owahanga River. Peter was pleased to add several new mosses, including some that have a liking for calcareous substrates. We were disappointed to find the invasive horsetail Equisetum arvense well established; it had not been previously collected from the area.

Horsetail, Equisetum arvense. Photos by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Locality (including GPS), habitat, and abundance details are recorded for each specimen collected and photographed. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Previous posting on horsetails.

Our final stop was at a covenant in the Waihoki Valley, where we added several forest species not seen on Day 3.

Hinau, Elaeocarpus dentatus. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

After lunch we headed for home. Back at Te Papa and in our specimen preparation room, Carlos and I pressed the day’s collection, and put all of the specimens (c. 400) into our dryer (about 30 degrees celsius). There they will stay for the next week or so, tightly pressed so that they dry flat.

After drying, the specimens are frozen for a week as a quarantine measure before being brought into the main collection area. We don’t want to introduce any herbivorous insects!

Over the coming months, we will confirm identifications, formally accession and database the specimens, secure them with tape onto archival card (for the bigger plants) or house them in archival envelopes (for the mosses and liverworts), and finally file them away in the collection. Eventually you’ll be able to see those with associated photos on Collections Online.

Collections Online specimens from Wairarapa 2009 trip.

Growing Te Papa’s plant collection.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 1.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 2.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 3.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 3

2 June 2010 – 4.04pm

On day three we collected from another QEII National Trust site inland from Akitio. Diverse habitats kept us busy, with the canopy ranging from black beech (Nothofagus solandri) on ridges through hillside tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa) to creek-lined pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). 

Trunk of large pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae). Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

The divaricating shrub Raukaua anomalus was common at all of the forested sites we visited. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Jean-Claude took photographs of most of the bigger plants that we collected. These will go on Te Papa’s Collections Online website. Photo by Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Collections Online specimens from Wairarapa 2009 trip.

Peter and Pat look for mosses on rocks outside the forest. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Back at base, Leon and Barry press the bigger specimens between newspaper and cardboard. Pat, in the background, checks his notes. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Growing Te Papa’s plant collection.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 1.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 2.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 2

1 June 2010 – 2.55pm

Day two comprised a visit to a covenanted reserve on the eastern scarp of the Puketoi Range, arranged by QEII National Trust representative for Tararua, Bill Wallace.

QEII National Trust website.

We collected about 60 species of vascular plants and a similar number of bryophytes (mosses & liverworts).  Amongst our haul was the first confirmed New Zealand specimen of the liverwort Chiloscyphus gippslandicus.

Surveying the terrain at the beginning of the day. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Carlos collecting arboreally, in order to obtain a flowering specimen. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Another specimen being added to the collecting bag. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Craspedia flower head, Nertera, and Euphrasia. Photos by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Mountain cabbage tree, Cordyline indivisa. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Looking eastwood towards the end of the day. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

The bryophyte collectors processing their specimens back at base. Additional lighting is needed to see many of the diagnostic features of these small plants. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Growing Te Papa’s plant collection.

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 1.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Botany Fieldtrip Wairarapa 2010: Day 1

31 May 2010 – 5.39pm

This year’s Wairarapa plant collecting trip was to the Pongaroa area.

Day 1 started with packing up Te Papa’s 4WD. Then the long drive to our Akitio accommodation.

Roadside collecting. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

We made a few stops along the way, targeting places that looked to have a diverse array of weeds and/or be promising for mosses.

Weed montage. Photos by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

We followed a colleague’s directions down a backcountry road to see Celmisia spectablis. Celmisia daisies most often grow in alpine conditions, so lowland Wairarapa (altitude = 300m) is an unusual site.

Celmisia spectablis. Too late to catch it flowering. Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Growing Te Papa’s plant collection.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Growing Te Papa’s Plant Collection

27 May 2010 – 10.31am

Te Papa’s collection of c. 250 000 dried plant specimens grows by about 2000 a year. In part this is from donations, but principally it is from collections made by Te Papa’s Botany staff and associates.

Fern specimen in Te Papa’s botany collection. © Te Papa.

More of Te Papa’s Botany collection on Collections Online.

Some of our fieldtrips target particular species that we are researching, but we also undertake two general collecting trips each year.

1) We participate in the annual four day John Child Bryophyte Workshop, collecting mosses, lichens, and ferns.

2) We have a three or four day field-trip in the Wairarapa, collecting seed plants, ferns, mosses, and liverworts.

2009 John Child Bryophyte Workshop.

The 2009 Wairarapa field-trip was to the Lake Onoke area.

The 2010 Wairarapa trip was to the Pongaroa area. I’ll blog about it soon.

Pongaroa - northern Wairarapa (or southern Hawke’s Bay). Photo by Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Why have so many plant specimens? The aim is to represent the morphological variation and distribution of all plants in New Zealand. Even collectively, New Zealand’s herbaria (dried plant collections) are still a long way from that goal.

The network of New Zealand herbaria.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Plants | Also tagged , , | Comments (1)
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