New Zealand’s alpine plants appear to be much younger than the land mass, representing rapid and spectacular evolution and diversification. Botanists have evidence that immigrant ancestors of alpine plants dispersed to New Zealand quite recently from Australia, New Guinea and South America. Some might have come from or via Antarctica, which was home to rich flora only a few million years ago. Equally adventurously, other species appear to have evolved from native lowland plants that adapted to alpine environments as the landscape shifted.
Native Alpine Flora explores just six of the 600 flowering species found on New Zealand’s mountains between the tree line and permanent snow.
The Stamps.
$1.20 - Mountain buttercup (Ranunculus insignis)
This plant is found in the North and South Islands in subalpine regions, and on the Kaikōura coast. Its yellow flowers measure 2-5cm across and the dark green leaves have hairy, toothed edges.
$1.20 - Penwiper plant (Notothlaspi rosulatum)
The penwiper plant thrives in inhospitable South Island scree slopes. Hard to spot when not in bloom, it produces sweet-smelling white blossoms that surround a central stalk.
$1.20 - Black scree button daisy (Leptinella atrata subsp. atrata)
Found in open screes from North Canterbury to North Otago, the is plant is unusual among New Zealand native alpine flora due to the attractive, dark purple hue of its flowers.
$2.40 - Woollyhead (Craspedia incana)
This rosette forming, summer-flowering daisy is found on the alpine screes of eastern Marlborough and Canterbury. Its flower heads are yellow and the foliage is covered in thick felt-like hairs.
$3.00 - Mt Cook lily (Ranunculus lyallii)
One of New Zealand’s most well-recognised alpine plants, the world’s largest buttercup can grow over one metre tall.
$3.60 - Moss-dwelling forget-me-not (Myosotis bryonoma)
One of three new forget-me-not species discovered in 2018, this plant has only been found in mossy, damp-to-saturated high-elevation mountain areas in Central Otago.
Other Collector Items.
The miniature sheet features an illustrated mountain landscape evoking the Southern Alps, where many of New Zealand’s unique alpine plant species can be found. The first day covers display continuations of this illustration.
Miniature Sheet with three $1.20, one $2.40, one $3 and one $3.60 stamp.
First Day Cover - 13 February 2019.
Notice the triangular cancel reflecting the mountain theme of the stamps.
Miniature Sheet First Day Cover - 13 February 2019.
2019 Native Alpine Flora Presentation Pack.
This pack contains the six stamps, First Day Covers and Miniature Sheets.
Information in this pack tells more about the phenomenal evolution of New Zealand’s native alpine flora so readers can discover the unique characteristics of New Zealand’s most intrepid plants, and the story of their rapid and spectacular evolution and diversification.
2019 Native Alpine Flora Stamp Set Configurations.
NZ Post supplied the usual stamp configurations but we just feature the three most popular in this blog.
Set of Plate Blocks. Set of Value Blocks.
Set of Full Sheets.
Technical information.
Date of issue: 13 February 2019.
Number of stamps: Six gummed stamps.
Denominations: $1.20 x 3, $2.40, $3.00, $3.60.
Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed: Stephen Fuller, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin, by offset lithography.
Stamp size and format: 30mm x 40mm (vertical).
Paper Type: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper.
The number of stamps per sheet: 25.
Perforation gauge: 14.
Period of sale: Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 12 February 2020. First-day covers will remain on sale until 10 April 2019.
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/
Information & images for this post came from.
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