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Low growth of Tradescantia on CHF bank between and beneath invasive weeds in June 2018 was supplemented in Jan 2019 by Tradescantia removed from the CHF Bank forest canopy, and canopy margin. The mass has been piled in rows across the bank, covering cut CHF stems to help rot them and reduce fire hazard from hollow dry woody material while maintaining them as habitat.
Space between the rows for native seedlings to germinate, where tradescantia regrowth is being allowed to progress through summer drought. Run off will be assessed in autumn and the material piled suitably for decomposition without spread. The area below it is already densely infested apart from the areas this material was removed from.

COMPARISON OBS PLZ LEAVE AT GENUS LEVEL.

Comparison between:
Vespula vulgaris QUEEN.
V. vulgaris WORKER.
V. germanica WORKER.

For comparison with:
V. germanica QUEEN see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/35298484

For the two different QUEENS side by side see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534542

Complete set of castes germanica vs vulgaris see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536795

Complete set of germanica castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42536794

Complete set of vulgaris castes see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41663384

For ID of Vespula MALES see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42040174
Also (with dissection):
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/116510663

For ID of Vespula WORKERS see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/41667758
And:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/69245344

For germanica QUEEN and MALE mating see:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/42534531

Dominant tree in regenerating indigenous forest. Images show tree canopy, trunk and bark, seedlings, distinctive glabrescent linear foliage (note bright yellow-green colour typical of this species) and branchlets - note these appear glabrous (they do have sparse, fine, patent (divergent) hairs - but these can usually only be seen using a 20× magnification hand lens when in the field). Note also the flowers which are very shortly pedicellate.

These are features of Kunzea ericoides s.s. a northern South Island endemic that was originally described from specimens collected by the French from Astrolabe Passage in what is now Abel Tasman National Park in the 1820s (probably 1826).

Roughly 7 generations growing in this spot, all self seeded since I brought three seeds here from the foothills of the Olympic Mountains 15 years ago. Thousands of plants here now. The ground is now covered with pappus hairs from this year’s seeds. As all of these plants are self-seeded it fits the iNaturalist definition of "wild", but I also thought people should know this is not part of a population that has persisted here since before European contact.

(Update 3/24 these thistles are no longer so dense here, but are still numerous.)

This species was on a list I found 21 years ago of those native species that hadn’t been recorded in Seattle in decades when I started studying how to identify them all, and just what habitats they naturally grew in, and looking for where I could find wild seed of the species on that list from sites physically and ecologically close to Seattle, to try planting in the most promising spots here.

I started with the goal of helping the recovery of butterfly species that had become rare in, or had disappeared from, Seattle, and knew thistles to be important as both butterfly nectar, and host (caterpillar food) plants, and had learned that all 4 of Seattle's native thistle species were on that list of our lost species. So I am pleased to see a bit of improved butterfly habitat in this spot where this native thistle species is thriving again!

I’ve since spent 15 years weeding this site and controlling the Artichoke Plume Moths https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/319034-Platyptilia-carduidactylus, the best I can, as the mother plants sent their offspring to occupy the growing patch of land vacated by my weeding around them. I also have a significant problem with non-viable seed, more later in the season, than with the initial crop, which I believe is due to predation of the receptacles, where the seeds develop, by the introduced Rhinocyllus conicus - the Nodding Thistle Receptacle Weevil https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/229899-Rhinocyllus-conicus .

One plant growing between main access way to buildings and wooden pier. Seems to fit this species better than S. nodiflorum because the calyx lobes though reflexed are broad and the mature fruits are dull rather than glossy. Flowers distinctly stellate, stamens 1-1.2 mm long.

Voucher: P.J. de Lange 14031, AK 377411

Interesting behaviour.

Killed at a site normally associated with common wasps (aphid sugar on oak). It has been cold for two or three days, the German wasps who normally hunt insects have switched to nectar. This has implications for use of protein based baits.

After reviewing a lot of obs, I believe there was a juv kotukutuku among this Tradescantia. No longer observable in June 2018, and some yellowed carex are present in bare ground at pathside

Update...2mH juv observed leafless in mid June 19, further back from path. The foliage observed earlier thgag is no longer present may have been a low branch of this juvenile, while the rest of the plang was leafless or hidden by other foliagd or just nog recognised

Still c.3.5-4mH.
Pruned as high as could reach with loppers Winter 2018.
Growth slowed but as top branches are too high to reach the tree was inexpertly - and incompletely - ringbarked some months later.
It did not flower in the Spring or summer. (Maybe still juvenile?)
Regrowth was mainly on lower stem, within canopy of dense young native tree foliage, and broken off or leaf stripped and partially broken as it emerged.
Native trees alongside have closed in a bit.
NB There are 2-3 other Tree privet within a metre, being controlled in different ways, and in some photos their foliage can be confused. This specimen currently has foliage at its top, and a few slender shoots from the trunk rubbed off today.
Monitoring continues.

Seedlings germinated in basalt rock wall - a large plant had been growing here four years ago. Calystegia marginata appeared in this area in 2011, initially as a single plant. Its origins are unclear but it is probably indigenous to the area as I have also seen it in several sites around Auckland. The distinctive pale yellow-green, 'fish-tailed' often lobed sagitate leaves. The flowers of this species are white, and rather small (up to 20 mm long).

See also: http://naturewatch.org.nz/observations/1337783

Locally common. Infecting the inflorescences of Cyperus ustulatus causing elongation of spikelets and abortion of developing fruits. Bauerago evident as a fine yellowish powder. when mutated spikelets are shaken to opened

Images show several infected spikelets and inflorescences with infected and non-infected spikelets.

Bauerago gardneri is very common in the Auckland Region.

Locally common - especially along Kaipatiki Road track in open ground. This species is now regarded as indigenous to New Zealand - see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307564425_Checklist_of_the_New_Zealand_Flora and http://nzflora.landcareresearch.co.nz/default.aspx?selected=NameDetails&TabNum=0&NameId=A5871849-A085-4B48-8091-FC62248303E5