Story: Mountains

Mt Cook lily

Mt Cook lily

In the summer months, mountain flowers bloom above the subalpine scrub. This is the Mt Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii), growing below Mt Whitcombe in Canterbury. The flower is not actually a lily – it is the world’s largest buttercup, with leaves that can grow 40 centimetres wide.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page:

Andy Dennis, 'Mountains - Alpine plants and animals', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/14318/mt-cook-lily (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Andy Dennis, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Feb 2017