Past Events

Crunchy seaweeds: calcification in marine algae

A talk by Assoc. Prof. Abby Smith, Dept of Marine Science, University of Otago. This is a Department of Botany Seminar. Note special venue: At the Union Street Lecture Theatre (upstairs, corner of Union St (West) and Great King Streets).

Major transitions in plant reproductive systems

A talk by Prof. Spencer Barrett, Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Canada. This is a Department of Botany Seminar. Note special venue: At the Union Street Lecture Theatre (upstairs, corner of Union and Great King Streets).

A Darwinian perspective on floral diversity and function

A talk by Prof. Spencer Barrett, Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Canada. This is a Department of Botany Open Lecture. Note special venue: Archway 1.

Field trip to Cape Saunders, Otago Peninsula

Cape Saunders, on the rugged ocean side of the Otago Peninsula, is home to many special plants, most notably the Cape Saunders rock daisy (Helichrysum selago var. tumidum). Other rarities among the silver tussock and rock pavements are Lepidium tenuicaule, Ranunculus recens and Myosotis pygmaea. There's an unusual Melicytus too - all with a backdrop of drammatic coastal scenery. Depart Botany carpark 9am, returning mid-afternoon. In case of rain trip will run on Sunday 15 March.

Novel ecosystems and alternative succession and restoration pathways

A talk by Prof Richard J Hobbs, Australian Professorial Fellow, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia. This is a Department of Botany Seminar. Note special venue: Union Street Lecture Theatre.

Free BSO BBQ!

BBQ to welcome new botany/ecology students and new BSO members. At the front lawn, Botany House Annex, Great King Street (across the road from the main Botany building). Sausage sandwiches and drinks provided free by the Botanical Society of Otago. All BSO members welcome!

Weekend Trip to the St Marys Range

The St Marys Range in North Otago is very interesting botanically. It is a region of transition between the greywacke mountains of Canterbury and the schist terrain that is more typical of Central Otago. Many northern alpines reach their southern limits here and there seems to be a considerable amount of local biodiversity within the region. We hope to see a variety of scree plants including Hebe epacridea, Leptinella atrata, Aciphylla dobsonii, Raoulia youngii, Stellaria roughii and the recently described Ranunculus acraeus. We will be accompanied by Hugh Wood of Oamaru who has been visiting the area for many years and is very familiar with the flora. We will leave Dunedin early on Saturday 13th, drive to Kurow and then proceed to the Awakino ski field where we will stay at the ski lodge huts. There is an option of traveling up earlier on Friday 12th and staying two nights. We will be able to botanize when we arrive, and again on Sunday 14th when we will return to Dunedin. The cost of accommodation for the night will be $20.00. Individuals are responsible for organizing their own food. To finalize numbers and assist with organizing transport please get in touch with David Lyttle phone (03) 454 5470 or by email.

End of year dinner

End of year dinner at Nanking Palace Chinese Restaurant (198 King Edward Street, South Dunedin) following David Lyttle's talk. All welcome! RSVP to David Orlovich (david.orlovich@otago.ac.nz) by 18 November 2008

Alpine Plants of the Southern Mountains: A Botanical Odyssey

A talk by David Lyttle. A photographic survey of the alpine plants found in the Otago/Southland region (or at least the places I have visited recently)! At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Field trip to Ross Creek

Brian Heenan would like some help getting a baseline species list, and would like it even better if we would take up Brian Molloy's challenge, and adopt Ross Creek as our own 'Riccarton Bush' project. Depart Botany Carpark, at 9 am, or meet at the end of Cannington Road at 9:30 a.m. Leader Brian Heenan.

Ecosystem diversity in Bolivia

An illustrated talk by Robin Mitchell. Robin worked in Bolivia with Conservation International and during this talk he will give a brief tour from forests at 5500 m above sea level to the continent's last unmodified tropical savannas. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Fungal Foray to Knight's Bush, Tuapeka West

John and Alli Knight's forest on the banks of the Clutha River has a variety of fungal habitats, ranging from Pinus radiata at the top, Kunzea ericoides. Nothofagus menziesii and N. solandri on the slopes and mixed podocarp/broadleaf/Nothofagus on the river flat. While we've had autumn trips to Knight's Bush, we've never had a spring one. We hope to collect newly recorded species by collecting at this time of the year. There may be some cross-country walking and some of the forest tracks are steepish. Wear boots with good support and grip. Bring your camera along. Depart Botany Department car park at 8:30 am, return about 6:30 pm. If weather is unsuitable on Saturday a day trip on Sunday may be possible.

CANCELLED: Ethnobotanical study of cabbage tree (Cordyline australis)

This talk has been cancelled: A PhD proposal by Rebecca Lodge. Note Special venue: At the Union Street Lecture Theatre (upstairs, corner of Union and Great King Streets).

Spatial relations in plant communities

A PhD proposal by Rachel Lawrence Lodge. Note Special venue: At the Union Street Lecture Theatre (upstairs, corner of Union and Great King Streets).

Berwick bogs and bits of bush

All day field trip to Berwick bogs and bits of bush. John steel will lead a trip to a small stand of podocarps in a steep sided gully at Halfway Road Bush followed by a visit to Redpath Road Bog, a raised bog with associations of Sphagnum, Empodisma, Gleichenia, Halocarpus, Eleocharis etc. Depart Botany Carpark, at 8 am. Leader John Steel ph. 479 4572 (w) or 473 7211 (h).