skip to content skip to navigation
Conservation and research at the Karori Sanctuary Trust

Nature's Corner, Early Winter 2004:
Getting Rid of Weeds and Restoring Missing Species

Mistletoe reintroduction

One of Wellington's uncommon native mistletoes was recently reintroduced to the Sanctuary. Pikirangi, or small-flowered mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus) fruit were collected from local sites by the Department of Conservation's Peter Griffen then 'sown' onto several host plants in the Sanctuary. Mistletoe seeds are normally dispersed by birds, which deposit them onto branches and tree trunks. Mistletoe fruit has very sticky flesh that enables the seeds to be firmly placed onto host plants such as mingimingi (Coprosma propinqua) and poataniwha (Melicope simplex). Mistletoes are very palatable to possums and this is thought to be one reason why all our native mistletoes have become so uncommon. It is hoped that some of the 120 seeds sown in the Sanctuary will flourish and produce more seeds so that nature can take over the reestablishment process.

Placing pikirangi seeds on mingimingi

Pikirangi seeds on mingimingi

Conservation Officer Peter Russell
placing pikirangi seeds on mingimingi.

Pikirangi seed on minigmingi.

Weed team

  Weed team in action
  Weed team members Jon Terry,
Melanie Nelson and Anna Grant
controlling a dense patch
of Japanese honeysuckle.

During the last six weeks a 'weed team' has made a great contribution to the Sanctuary's weed management programme. Their highest priorities involved surveying the lower end of the Sanctuary for banana passionfruit (Passiflora mollissima), cathedral bells (Cobaea scandens), climbing asparagus (Asparagus scandens), Kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum), mist flower (Ageratina riparia) and old man's beard (Clematis vitalba) and removing all plants found. Other weeds tackled by the weed team included buddleia (Buddleja davidii), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster species), holly (Ilex aquifolium), ivy (Hedera helix), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and pampas (Cortaderia selloana).

Coming into flower

Whauwhaupaku / Five Finger (Pseudopanax arboreus). Purple-black flower buds opening to pale green flowers. Check out the male tree half way along the fence on the left in the Heritage area.

What else is flowering?

  

The NZ Tree fuchsia / kotukutuku (Fuchsia excorticata).
The first flowers and new leaf buds are beginning to appear on the kotukutuku, one of only a few deciduous native trees.
Look for the trees with the distinctive flaking reddish-brown bark on their trunks along the Swamp and Te Mahanga Tracks and the Lake Road in the vicinity of the Beech Track.

Tree Fuchsia

Panakenake (Pratia angulata).
Starry-white asymmetrical flowers on the groundcover in the garden plots in the lower valley. (Also see what's fruiting below.)

Akakura / scarlet rata (Metrosideros fulgens)
Bright orange-red flowers of akakura are to be seen from time to time around the western fenceline, the western slopes above the Lower Lake and on the Around the Lakes Track.

  Panakenake
Panakenake

Flower buds forming

Rangiora (Brachyglottis repanda).
Throughout the valley and along Lake Road - beige-coloured buds - clusters are now forming in preparation to flowering later in winter.

Hangehange (Geniostoma rupestre).
Throughout the valley - clusters of pale green flower buds are beginning to form on the stems. Small scented flowers are due to appear in the spring.

What's fruiting and seeding?

Coastal tree daisy (Olearia solandri)
Look for the small bush growing on the bank opposite the Safety sign at the beginning of Lake Road. It is covered with clusters of small fluffy seed heads, some of which are beginning to disperse.

Coastal tree daisy

Pohuehue

Pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia australis)
Tiny fleshy green flower heads on female bushes opening to release a tiny black seed. Pohuehue is a climber but will also form a free-standing bush of a tangle of 'branches'. There are two such bushes on Lake Road. One, about ten paces along from the second group of weed boxes on the right and the other about twenty paces along on the left.

Pate (Schelfflera digitata).
Hanging fingers with clusters of small pale green berries ripening to wine-red. Best specimens on the lakeside of the Lake Road opposite the listening posts.

Hangehange (Geniostoma rupestre).
Throughout the valley - green pods ripening to black and splitting open to release black seeds.

Pate

Karamu

Karamu (Coprosma robusta).
Throughout the valley - look for clusters of bright orange berries - the tieke / saddleback have been seen feasting on them!

Panakenake (Pratia angulata). Wine-red berries amongst the white flowers on the groundcover in some of the planted areas beside the Lake Road. Panakenake flowers and fruits at the same time.

(Myrsine australis). Along the lake road, tiny green berries along the stem ripening to red-black.

Mapaou

Kohia / Native Passion Vine, (Passiflora tetrandra). Look for masses of bright-orange grape-sized berries as you arrive or leave the valley - the best specimen is growing on the shrubs across the drain at the bottom of the drive-way up to the Visitor Centre.

Kohia

New season's fruit is forming

Porokaiwhiri / Pigeonwood (Hedyacarya arborea)
Bunches of dark glossy green berries are developing. Best seen on the trees along the roadside through the weka gate as you approach the southern part of the Valley View track.

Kareoro / supplejack (Ripogonum scandens)
Clusters of new season's fruit are forming. Look for the vine on the right at the base of the swamp track where you will see last season's ripe red berries alongside bunches of new young green berries.

Kanono (Coprosma grandifolia)
Small green fruit are now beginning to form on the female trees throughout the valley.

Ferns

Manamana or hen and chickens fern (Asplenium bulbiferum). Small plantlets called bulbils (chickens) are appearing on some leaf fronds - plants can be seen throughout the valley, but especially along the Te Mahanga and Swamp Tracks.

Nature's Corner is written by Sanctuary volunteers Pam Fuller and Allison Buchan.
© All photographs, except where indicated, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Clicking on photos with blue borders will take you to a larger photo.

Published June 30, 2004

© Karori Sanctuary

MoST Content Management V3.0.4416