New New Zealand conservation blog

I don't write much about conservation on Theobrominated.  It's not that I don't care about it; I do.  But I'm not an expert and my main passions lie elsewhere.  But here's a new blog about New Zealand conservation by two passionate experts, so go on over there and have a look.

Meanwhile, to get you in the mood here are a couple of rare plants.

Veronica scrupea

Veronica scrupea is known from only a few populations in the Seaward Kaikoura ranges, where it grows on shattered argillite.  There's actually a lot of suitable habitat, so I don't think this is actually a rare plant, but those sites are impossible to get at because the rock is to crumbly to climb.

Unnamed Ranunculus, N. Otago.

This buttercup is known from a single limestone outcrop on farmed land in North Otago.  It hasn't been named yet, but it has distinctive rigid leathery leaves.  One of the biggest potential threats to conservation in countries like New Zealand is that we simply haven't completed the inventory of what we have here.  Thus plants and animals can go extinct before anyone discovers they're at risk and is enabled to do something about it.