|
 Alpine
Plants
of New Zealand
Ranunculus
lyallii
Mountain
Lily / Mt Cook Lily / Mountain Buttercup / Shepherd's Lily
Family
RANUNCULACEAE
 Reproduced
from
Alpine Plants of New Zealand
ISBN 0 7900 0525 5
by kind permission of the author, Lawrie Metcalf and Reed Publishing
(NZ) Ltd
Publication or other use of images or descriptive
text on these pages is unauthorised unless written permission is
obtained from the author and publisher. Appropriate acknowledgement
of the publication Alpine Plants of New Zealand must always
be given.
Description
- A robust herb, usually
60-75 cm tall, but in very good situations may be up to 1 metre.
- Leaves: Saucer-shaped,
15-40 cm in diameter, deep shining green, thick and rather leathery.
Leaf stalks long and attached to the centre of the blade.
- Flowers:
Numerous, on branched stems; 5-8 cm in diameter, white with a
green cone-like centre surrounded by yellow stamens.
 Distribution
& Habitat
- South and Stewart
Islands. About and west of the main divide, from Mt Buckland near
Westport, southwards. Rare on Mt Anglem on Stewart Island. 700-1500
metres.
- Subalpine to low alpine
throughout most of the wet mountain areas, particularly from Arthur's
Pass southwards. Usually in snow tussock-herbfield, alongside
streams, in wet hollows and flushes, and on rock bluffs and faces.
Notes
- Habitat:
In some areas introduced browsing animals have virtually restricted
it to inaccessible habitats such as rock bluffs.
- Flowering:
This species is justly acclaimed as one of the most magnificent
buttercups in the world. Depending on altitude it usually flowers
from late November or early December to about mid January.
Web-notes:
Alpine Garden Links
On
this site
Reproduced from Alpine Plants
of New Zealand:
Also see the article
by Raymond Mole on:
New Zealand Alpine Plants: A Challenge for
Growers
 External
Links
New
Zealand Alpine Garden Society
More
Plant Profiles
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