Jump to content

CP sightseeing in NE Tasmania - Picture intensive


MFS

Recommended Posts

Well, it's been an interesting few days. Robert Gibson had been wanting to come to Tasmania to look at the type localities of Drosera peltata, D. foliosa and D. macrantha subsp. planchonii, so to coincide with the flowering (at least of the first two), he made it down last week.

I met Robert and Füzzy in Epping Forest, about 25m drive south of Launceston and 2h north of Hobart. We made our way to the Tom Gibson Nature Reserve, where we found aboundant D. peltata and D. foliosa growing side-by-side in grassland. You can just make out the D. peltata behind the stump, D. foliosa in the foreground:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_51.jpg

Drosera foliosa consisted mostly of bright yellow-green dome-shaped plants:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_49.jpg

The flower buds and ovoid-shaped fruits of D. foliosa are distinctive, with only a little silky shiny fuzz:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_45.jpg

By comparison D. peltata (which grew side-by-side) have almost spherical, noticeably hairier fruits and flowerbuds:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_44.jpg

The odd plant was somewhat intermediate, perhaps evidence of occasional hybridisation between the two. This plant has a single erect stem, thicker and shorter than normal D. peltata, with the large leaf-size and colour of D. foliosa. Notice it has rounded, hairy sepals more typical of D. peltata:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_53.jpg

The flowers of D. foliosa are tiny, only 5mm or so across, pure white, and even in sunny weather never fully opened:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_52.jpg

By comparison D. peltata has much larger flowers which open wide even in slightly overcast weather. They often have a more or less noticeable pink tinge:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_47.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little bit down the hill we came across an interesting red form of D. peltata. In Tasmania the vast majority of D. peltata (excluding D. gracilis) are pure green or with a little orange tinge, and invariably have dark olive-green flower buds. These plants were red, with dark maroon flower buds and baby pink petals:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_54.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_55.jpg

Also in this vicinity we found some pale mauve Glossodia major:

CP_Hunting_Oct_10_65.jpg

As well as some Caladenia in varying shades of pink:

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_57.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_58.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_11_56.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The following day had us re-visiting Tom Gibson Reserve to look at some D. auriculata, which we had forgotten to do in the previous day's excitement. We came across another scene of horror, this time involving a dragonfly. If you look closely there is a juvenile sundew bug (Cyrtopeltis sp.) on the leaf below the dragonfly. They supposedly do not occur in Tasmania.

CP_Hunting_Oct_12_34.jpg

We managed to coax one onto a sheet of paper:

CP_Hunting_Oct_12_37.jpg

Nearby were some nice blue Glossodia:

CP_Hunting_Oct_12_35.jpg

Further down the road, past Royal George, we found D. peltata and D. foliosa growing together, accompanied by Diuris pardina:

CP_Hunting_Oct_12_30.jpg

As well as Diuris chryseopsis:

CP_Hunting_Oct_12_29.jpg

Edited by MFS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The following day was a bit wet, but we managed to find Drosera spatulata and D. pygmaea growing together inside the Freycinet National Park, at Honeymoon Bay:

CP_Hunting_Oct_13_28.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_13_26.jpg

Sundew bugs were abundant on D. auriculata, and we also found them on D. peltata and D. foliosa, but none on D. macrantha. Perhaps the D. macrantha was too late (and dew-less) to appeal to them:

CP_Hunting_Oct_13_21.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_13_24.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We made our way to Gladstone where we met Spot Cullen at the pub, and made our way to Mt William National Park, where we found abundant Utricularia tenella, sometimes carpeting the ground:

CP_Hunting_Oct_15_05.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_15_12.jpg

As well as Drosera glanduligera growing anywhere from the road gravel to Kunzea ambigua scrub. Unfortunately the day was very grey and drizzly, so no flowers:

CP_Hunting_Oct_15_09.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_15_04.jpg

CP_Hunting_Oct_15_08.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice shots Miguel. I take it that means that Robert is still planning on completing his studies into the D. peltata group? I thought he had given up.......

The red D. peltata is very interesting, hopefully you'll be able to get some seed at some stage.

BTW, the orchid labelled as Diuris corymbosa is actually D. chryseopsis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice photos, I always love a good thread with pics of plants in habitat. Many thanks for sharing with us MFS. I look forward to see anymore field reports of your in future!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those D. spatulata are typical of the form you can find commonly throughout south eastern Australia.

In greenhouse culture this form looks quite different to the pictures. Only under intense light do the plants colour up such as this and maintain a compact rosette.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, they had well-developed basal rosettes, unlike the D. auriculata nearby that have almost non-existent ones.

BTW the D. spatulata from Tasmania always looks like that in the field.

To give you an idea, here they are in cultivation:

Drosera spatulata from Lake Pedder, Tasmania:

Drosera_spatulata_Sep_02_LP.jpg

Drosera spatulata from Moriarty Lagoon, Tasmania:

Drosera_spatulata_Sep_02_ML.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I"-'Thought' Robert's PhD Was-Solely Dedicated to-Sorting-OUT The-Drosera-peltata / auriculata Complex Conundrum!!!???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosera_peltata

"I"-'Thought' He-Had Done-R-Very-Fine-Job or at-Least R-Fantastic-'Start' ... if The-Above LINK is Anything to-Go By!!!???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm. Indeed that was the topic, more specifically the three forms of D. peltata that are likely to be separate species: D. peltata, D. foliosa and D. gracilis. And the main focus of our trip, but we were also interested in other CPs and orchids.

Not to brag, but if you look at the history of your wiki link you'll see that I actually wrote the first D. peltata page myself (without an account first, as Mdesalas after that, and then later edits as MFdeS). Several of those are also my photos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice-Photos, Miguel, ... that-Have Probably Become Classics if-'Not': "ICONS", so-to-Speak, on-Wikipe'a'dia!!! >(*U^)<

Good-Insight, Binataboy ... & to-Take The-Analogy Further "I"-'Suppose' Foliosa Eventually 'Becomes' Andersonianna in The-West ... but What-of The Diminiutitive Cape-Le-Grande Form? How-Does 'Thart' Fit-IN!!!???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi George,

They type of Drosera peltata is an upright, green plant from Launceston (specifically the 'Penquite' property, now suburban Launnie), collected by Ronald Campbell Gunn in the 1840s. Edit: I think this is wrong.

We got a pretty good idea what those populations looks like last week. They are single stemmed, with a variable basal rosette, mostly green (some red), can branch at the top, have large flowers up to 15mm across, white and sometimes pink, and have rounded, very hairy flower buds and fruits.

I don't know what gets called D. peltata elsewhere and by whom, but the true D. peltata is that which conforms with the type, or is not distinct enough to warrant a new species. The exact taxonomy of the group is still in dispute and there may be more cryptic species.

As an aside the name D. foliosa will soon be invalid.

The problem I have with the foliosa, peltata, gracilis is that what is commonly called "peltata" from the southern states apears to be related to foliosa not peltata...

Cheers

George

Edited by MFS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It-'Seem'-STRANGE That Foliosa Will-soon-be Invalid, as-You-say, ... Since it-was Showing Robert The-"Tjukaloo"-Form ('Original'-Spelling) Out-at KUIPTO in The Late 1980s That Got-Him All Fired-UP and INTO This Peltata / Auriculata Complex-Conundrum in The-First-Place ... that Went-through The 1990s &-Many-Issues of Flytrap-News!!! >(*~*)< / >(*U^)<

The-Vic-Boys Came-OVER in 2005 Shouting All-about FOLIOSA As-If it-Were R-'Done'-Deal that-Had Come-OUT of Robert's Thesis &-All-"I"-Can See is Confusion-ahead ... When Simplicity Should-be The-Answer!!!??? >(*~*)< / >(*U^)<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an aside the name D. foliosa will soon be invalid.

Interesting. I take it that means that another name takes precedence?

By the sounds of things, Robert is still focussed on completing his work on the group. I can't help but wonder why it has taken him so long to visit the type locations........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The-Vic-Boys Came-OVER in 2005 Shouting All-about FOLIOSA As-If it-Were R-'Done'-Deal that-Had Come-OUT of Robert's Thesis

That had nothing to do with Roberts studies, we haven't seen any of the outcomes of that at all yet. We have known for many years (apparently even before you showed Robert the Kuipto form) that D. peltata var. foliosa, D. foliosa, or whatever anyone may like to call it had been named with Tasmanian plants as the type specimens countless years ago. For some reason, nobody else in these parts had seemed to notice any difference between the various D. peltata forms- differences that were/are all too obvious to us.

Edited by Sean Spence
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It-'Sounds'-like One-of-Us is-Going to-Have to-Visit The-Library &-ORDER R-Copy of Robert's-THESIS [as-Is Required & Set-UP for Under The-PhD Process & Guidelines IE Any-Member of The-Public Must-have Clear-Access to such-R-Work] ... for as-R-PhD-Student of-R University ... It's Most-likely That-He'll-be Brutally-Defended by-His Institution if-Anyone 'Tries' to Work-around rather than 'Through' His Thoughts, Ideas & Conclusion.

The-'Wise'-Person Must-Realise that-after Nearly Twenty-Years in-The-Field, Trying-to-Get People to-Take 'Notice' of The-Seeming Diversity Within The Group-or-Complex [Evidenced by Reams-of-Flytrap-News'] ... that He-Must-have 'Something'-to-Say. Afteral He-was No-SMUCK When-it Came to-Noticing R-Form with-R-Large-Basal-Rosette, that-Flowers Late &-at Barely Two-Inches to-The-Ground IE Putting 'Emphasis' on The Rosette as-Opposed to The-Erect-Stem!!! >(*U^)<

Afteral PhDs R-ONLY-Awarded for NEW-&-NOVEL Ideas & due-Diligence in-Referencing ... Otherwise It's Plagarism!!!

****

OK ... 'Who's-UP for Visiting The-Library &-'Starting' The-Ball-Roling, so-to-Speak???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...