Boundary

Two kinds of 'vegetable sheep', as they are known here, grow together on the top of Mt St Patrick in North Canterbury. In this shot, two plants are butted right against one another, with no space between them. They are hard, mat plants that survive in a harsh, alpine environment. They have tap roots that penetrate the ground between rocks to gather moisture and nutrients. Both plants have small, squat yellow flowers in summer, that form in the centre of a rosette.

The one with the larger rosettes is Haastia pulvinaris, the smaller, whiter coloured on is Raoulia bryoides.