2013 Favourite Plant and Worst Weed results
Hymenophyllum malingii 2013 Favourite Native Plant winner. Photo: Jane GosdenFor the first time a fern, (Hymenophyllum malingii), has won the Favourite Native Plant vote run each year by the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. This diminutive and elusive filmy fern is found on the dead or dying trunks of kaikawaka or New Zealand cedar (Libocedrus bidwillii). The specialised habitat and appearance of this fern has prompted enthusiastic comments from voters, such as this one from Matt:
“This is a gorgeous wee gem. It stands out from the other filmy ferns in its lovely glaucous colouring. It’s really a sight to behold when found covering a whole stump like a silvery carpet.”
Another voter, Jane, wrote: “This fern is more silver than silver fern! It’s highly specialised habitat requirements make it all the more rewarding to come across. Simply spectacular”
New Zealand has an abundance of filmy ferns, so called because of their very thin fronds through which sunlight can be seen. Banks Peninsula botanist Hugh Wilson wrote of Hymenophyllum dilatatum in his field guide to Stewart Island, “a low sun angling through a gap in the forest canopy and lighting up this fern is a particularly lovely sight.” These ferns typically inhabit moist areas in forests where they can often be seen en mass carpeting the ground or clothing the trunks of tree ferns.
Once again trees have proven popular plants with voters and nine species in the top ten 2013 Favourite Native Plant are trees. People’s reasons for nominating particular plants ranged from wishing to highlight the threats they face, because the trees remind them of a special place or because they simply love the way they look. Last year’s winner kauri came in at number ten, with many voters continuing to express concern over its decline due to Kauri dieback disease.
Trees also featured prominently in the Worst Weed vote, run for the second time this year. The 2013 Worst Weed winner is Douglas fir, a forestry escapee which is significantly altering the ecological, economic and scenic values of the South Island high country. The 2012 Worst Weed winner, Tradescantia fluminensis came third, proving it is still a plant we love to hate.
Below are the top ten species for the 2013 vote.
Douglas fir 2013 Worst Weed winner. Photo: Mike ThorsenFavourite Native Plant (dowload the pdf book (PDF, 5.23 MB))
- Hymenophyllum malingii - a filmy fern
- Sophora chathamica – coastal kowhai
- Metrosideros bartlettii – Bartlett’s rata (nationally critical)
- Metrosideros excelsa - pohutukawa
- Vitex lucens - puriri
- Clianthus puniceus – kaka beak (nationally critical)
- Rhabdothamnus solandri – New Zealand gloxinia
- Knightia excelsa - rewarewa
- Metrosideros umbellata – Southern rata
- Agathis australis – kauri
Worst Weed (dowload the pdf book (PDF, 3.85 MB))
- Pseudotsuga menziesii – Douglas fir
- Asparagus scandens – climbing asparagus
- Tradescantia fluminensis - Tradescantia
- Convolvulus arvensis - convovulus
- Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis - Agapanthus
- Ehrharta erecta – veldt grass
- Ulex europaeus – gorse
- Pinus radiata – radiata pine
- Ligustrum lucidum - tree privet
- Hedera helix subsp. helix – ivy
Posted: 05/01/2014