Two alpine giants grow alongside each other in this tussock herbfield on Whitcombe Pass. At the rear, the giant spaniard (Aciphylla scott-thomsonii) is a member of the carrot family, and is one of the largest and most fierce of New Zealand’s speargrasses. It forms clumps of spiky leaves up to half a metre tall. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants, and masses of flowers are borne on 3-metre-tall flowering spikes.
The Mt Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii) is not a lily at all, but the world’s largest buttercup. Its large white flowers are about 8 centimetres in diameter, and its circular leaves can grow up to 40 centimetres wide.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Jock Phillips
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Tāpiritia te tākupu hou