In January 2023, Te Papa Botany Curator Heidi Meudt was one of a team of Aotearoa New Zealand botanists and crew who travelled to Motu Maha Auckland Islands to undertake botanical research and make new collections of plant specimens.
During this expedition, the team spent a total of 27 days on the ship MV Strannik, including 20 days actually undertaking field research on the main island of this subantarctic archipelago, Auckland Island. In this talk, Heidi will give you an insider’s guide to the expedition and to Auckland Island itself, sharing her images of the island and its unique flora, fauna and funga.
Megaherbs
Known collectively as megaherbs, plants with unusually large leaves and flowers, such as the Campbell Island daisy (Pleurophyllum speciosum), are a characteristic of Subantarctic Islands flora. It is thought that these unusual features may confer a thermal benefit in cold, cloudy conditions.
Have a go at classifying megaherbs, using image cards to group species according to their physical structures.
Acknowledgement: Twiddleblatt, licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.
About the speaker
Dr Heidi Meudt (Te Papa Curator Botany) is a researcher whose collections-based research focuses on the evolution and classification of native New Zealand flowering plants, especially forget-me-nots. Her research aims to update the taxonomy and conservation status of all native forget-me-nots.
Location: Te Huinga Centre, Level 3, Te Papa, 55 Cable Street, Wellington
For more information to to buy tickets: www.friendsoftepapa.org.nz/event/the-2023-strannik-auckland-island-expedition-an-extraordinary-botanical-voyage-to-the-subantarctic
Related content
Learn more about the New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands group, this includes two interactive image maps full of information on the Auckland Islands marine ecosystem and Subantarctic Auckland Islands revealed.
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