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Story: Grasslands

Low-alpine curled snow tussock

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Low-alpine curled snow tussock

This low-alpine curled snow tussock (Chionochloa crassiuscula) grassland is growing around 1,200 metres on the slopes of Mt Burns, in the Hunter Mountains, Fiordland National Park. Scattered great mountain buttercups (Ranunculus lyallii) are prominent among the tussock. In the distance, the sharp treeline is visible where silver beech forest grows to its attitude limit of around 1,000 metres.

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University of Otago

by Alan Mark

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How to cite this page

Alan F. Mark, Grasslands – Types of tussock, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15092/low-alpine-curled-snow-tussock (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Alan F. Mark, published 1 March 2009.