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Donnelly Flat Loop TrackMt Holdsworth
On my way back this last visit I spotted this same growth, but the lush green of the kidney ferns and other plants had mostly crisped and browned.
Underneath this large lily-like plant, the most ancient of New Zealand ferns, Tmesipteris, can be seen. The initial t is silent. I'm not tired enough yet and there's nothing particularly special to sit and watch that I can see. I'll have a sit later. Here's couple of different filmy ferns, one somewhat coarser than the other. I'm a long way from distinguishing them yet. and here's a small native orchid, which is in flower when I visit in February. We head on along the grand route. When I can't walk the Waitaks any more I should still be able to manage this one.
The edges of the path are luxuriant with Blechnum novae-zelandiae, interesting because until a year or two back it had no generally agreed upon scientific name. (I like it that it was resolved into "the New Zealand Blechnum. It's one of our treasures.) Here's a lush patch of kidney fern and filmy fern. All a part of the same genus these days following the radical restructuring of fern nomenclature in New Zealand in the past few years.
Young miro are a feature along here. I think this slender leaved shrub is a variety of maire, but I'm not sure. and this could be a young pigeonwood. Here's a putaputaweta. This I am pretty sure is a maire. Here we are at the turnoff to the Gentle Annie Track. We take a left here. Notice the huge buttress roots of the beech in behind the sign. Here's a kamahi, about to burst out in flower. Kamahi honey is very popular as a tourist souvenir. Crown fern are a huge element of the carpet in these forests. There are great dells of them. We carry on towards Donnelly Flat.
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