Country: New Zealand
Distance: 17,499 km
Travel time: 16 days
On postcard: Mount Cook lily, Mount Cook National Park
Ranunculus lyallii (Mountain buttercup, Mount Cook buttercup, or , although not a lily, Mount Cook lily), is a species of Ranunculus (buttercup), endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs in the South Island and on Stewart Island at altitudes of 700–1,500 m.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 60–100 cm tall (the largest species of buttercup), with a stout rhizome. The leaves are glossy dark green, peltate, 15–40 cm diameter. The flowers are 5–8 cm diameter, with 10–20 white petals and numerous yellow stamens; flowering is from late spring to early summer.
Notable sites for the species include Mount Cook National Park and in other alpine areas of including the area around Arthur's Pass.
The flower (termed Mount Cook lily in this usage) was the logo of Mount Cook Airline until replaced by Air New Zealand's koru symbol. Other companies connected with the airline used the same logo until the Mount Cook Group was disbanded in 1989.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park. The area was gazetted as a national park in October 1953 and consists of reserves that were established as early as 1887 to protect the area's significant vegetation and landscape.
The park covers a little over 700 km². Glaciers cover 40% of the park area, notably the Tasman Glacier on the slopes of Aoraki/Mt Cook.
Of New Zealand's 20 peaks over 3,000 metres, all except Mount Aspiring lie in the park. These include New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook, at 3753 metres. Other prominent peaks include Mt Tasman, Mt Hicks, Mt Sefton and Mt Elie de Beaumont. The mountains of the Southern Alps in general are young, less than ten million years old, and are still building. Uplift in the region of the national park is at the rate of 5-10mm per year. It's estimated that approximately 25 km of uplift has occurred, however the rate of uplift has been countered by erosion.
The park borders Westland Tai Poutini National Park along the Main Divide. Together they form part of Te Wahipounamu South Westland World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding natural values.
More than 400 species of plants make up the vegetation in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, which include more than 100 introduced plant species such as the colourful Russell lupin, the wild cherry and wilding pines. Under normal circumstances, forest grows to about 1300m, and snow tussock grassland between 1300m and 1900m. At the highest rocks of Aoraki/Mount Cook, around 14 species of lichen have been found. Most of the park is above the tree line so that the plant life consists mainly of alpine plants such as the Mount Cook lily, (Ranunculus lyallii), the largest buttercup in the world, large mountain daisies and wild Spaniard or spear grass.
There are about 35 to 40 species of birds in the park and include the kea, the only alpine parrot, and the well-camouflaged pipit. The kea is now only found in the Southern Alps. Small insectivores such as the riflemen/tïtitipounamu and the fantails/pïwakawaka live in the low forest and scrub, along with small numbers of two larger birds, the pigeon and morepork. Introduced species such as finches and sparrows live throughout the bush. The tiny rock wren, a threatened species, is the only permanent resident high on the mountains. The Black Stilt or Kakī, rarest wading bird in the world, lives in the Tasman riverbed.
The park is home to many invertebrates, including large dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, 223 recorded moth species and 7 native butterflies. A black alpine wētā, also known as the Mount Cook flea is found above the snowline. The jewelled gecko lives in the park but is rarely seen. Introduced chamois and Himalayan tahr can be hunted.
