Meetings & Field Trips
The Auckland Botanical Society holds regular meetings and field trips throughout the year. Meetings are usually held on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm, and field trips on the third Saturday of the month, starting at 10 am.
Meeting Venue: Unitec, School of Natural Sciences, 139 Carrington Road, Mount Albert, Auckland-Gate 4, Building 115, Room 1028 (Annual Lucy Cranwell lecture is held at the Auckland Museum)
Evening Meeting: Wednesday 1st May
Please note the new meeting room location – it is in the same building but now on Level 2, Room 2005
Plant of the month: Dan Blanchon
Talk: Origin and Diversification of Libertia (Iridaceae)
Sophie Newmarch, Lucy Cranwell 2023 recipient Our only native iris group, Libertia, has an interesting evolutionary history involving significant distributional and genetic change. Species are found across the Southern Hemisphere, and range in their number of chromosome sets from two to twelve. New Zealand is the centre of diversity, and the upper North Island is a hotspot. To uncover why this is the case, extensive fieldwork has been conducted with the help of the Lucy Cranwell Grant. In field observations and preliminary analyses will be shared to show how we are getting closer to understanding the evolution of our irises.
Field Trip: 18th May - Karioitahi Beach, west of Waiuku
Trip leaders: Tricia Aspin Ph. 092358981;
0274149253 (little cell phone coverage at
beach)
Meeting Time/Place: 10am at Karioitahi Beach
carpark.
Carpool where possible as weekends are
very busy. From North exit the Southern
Motorway either at Papakura and travel via
Kingseat or exit at Drury to travel via the
Glenbrook road. Either way approx. 25-30mins
to Waiuku (NB speed limit 80kph). From South
exit at Bombay taking about the same time
(80kph Pukekohe to Waiuku). Allow another
10mins to the beach from Waiuku. There are
toilets at Waiuku and Karioitahi Beach.
What to Bring: Plenty of water, lunch, adequate
footwear if the sand is hot.
Details: ABS last visited in 2012 as part of a trip
modification due to Targa Road Rally. A prior
field trip in 2000 compiled the last species list. I
have added a few since then. We will walk south
along behind the dunes which have built up over
the years. Generally easy walking but black sand
can be hot and very soft. Some easy scrambling
up safe cliff areas. There is no shade. Even if high
tide we will be well away from the surf. Will
have to watch out for 4 wheelers “having fun” on
the dune systems.
