Trip Report – 26 January 2010:   Tui Mines Trail

John Smith-Dodsworth led seven of us along Tui Mines Trail, from Te Aroha Domain.   The track led north around the mountain, in the twilight zone between regenerating forest above and the (mostly) untidy gardens below.   Thus adventives predominated, and even some of the natives were recent plantings, e.g. a fine row of alternating Phormium tenax and P. cookianum near a row of water tanks.   Typical of the area was a solanum species which, on close inspection, was judged to be an exotic nightshade.   In the afternoon, we visited Howarth Memorial Wetland, established by Te Aroha Fish and Game Association when the rubbish tip became too close to the expanding town.   Here the situation was similar, with most of the plantings being exotics, mostly North American trees.   And what we thought may be Azolla rubra turned out to be its exotic relative.   A great day for “getting one’s eye in”, and a refresher course on adventives.

John Christeller