2013 Highlights

2013 Highlights

Slaty-legged Crake - pleased to find reliable spot.

 

Anyone who has spent time with me will know I am proud of Taiwan, and the Taiwanese way of dealing with most things. Large tracts of Taiwan are in pristine condition, and many Taiwanese have a progressive attitude to conservation issues.

 

You will also know I voice lots of criticism - so I am delighted that 2013 saw the release of the documentary-movie Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above that so vividly highlights challenges to Taiwan’s environment. It has been the trigger for much debate and ‘action’. Please go see it, it has relevance anywhere we humans touch, not just Taiwan.

 

Chinese Thrush spotted in Wulai,
3rd record of Taiwan. Not my photo.

Well funded, top directors, and breaking records at the box office it ranks with the likes of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as a wake up call for change. Filmed entirely from the air, it starts and ends with dazzling views of Taiwan. But this is not pretty tourism-promoting propaganda, complex issues are tackled: pollution, over-development, resource extraction, production, transport, emissions, energy use, and most importantly our connection to it all.

 

I hope this stunning film, warts and all, brings changes in 2014 and beyond.

A Baer's Pochard. Found twice in December. Chuffed!

 

...and to all the other resident and visiting birds (and birders). Happy New Year!

 

 

Dasyueshan Flora

I will review recent birding highlights (multiple Baer’s Pochard, and Thrushes: Chinese, Japanese, and Naumann’s) in the next post. First plants.

Dasyueshan Flora

Taiwan has a variety of great places for forest birding. The best known is Dasyueshan (aka Daxueshan, Big Snow Mountain, Anmashan) Forest Area. As well as being home to most of the endemic birds it is not bad for some plants!

This list of plants occurring in Dasyueshan is based upon personal experience, and several Chinese-language reports. Mostly relates to plants found alongside the main road and trails from the 23km mark toll station area to the end of the road at the 50 km mark, but is relevant for areas above the 15 km (1,000 meter elevation) police station. Obviously there will be a lot of overlap with other mid-high elevation areas in Taiwan. Includes native and exotic species, arranged by family.

Excludes ferns and allies - compiling separate list! Will be downloadable as pdf soon. Hope to review and enrich this post...also soon. Maybe a simple guide too… Country-wide botanical tours available TaiwanEcotours@gmail.com

Gymnosperms

Cephalotaxaceae

• Cephalotaxus wilsoniana Hayata

Cupressaceae

• 　Calocedrus macrolepis Kurz var. formosana (Florin) Cheng & L.K. Fu.
• 　Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum.
• 　Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. & Zucc. var. formosana (Hayata) Rehder
• 　Juniperus chinensis Linn var. kaizuka Hort. ex Endl.
• 　Juniperus formosana Hayata

　Pinaceae

• 　Abies kawakamii (Hayata) Ito
• 　Picea morrisonicola Hayata
• 　Pinus mastersiana Hayata
• 　Pinus morrisonicola Hayata
• 　Pinus taiwanensis Hayata
• 　Pseudotsuga wilsoniana Hayata
• 　Tsuga formosana Hayata

　Podocarpaceae

• 　Podocarpus fasciculus de Laubenfels

　Taxodiaceae

• 　Cunninghamia konishii Hayata
• 　Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.
• 　Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & Cheng
• 　Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata

　Dicotyledons

　Acanthaceae

• 　Strobilanthes cusia (Ness) Kuntze
• 　Strobilanthes flexicaulis Hayata　　

　Aceraceae

• 　Acer insulare Makino var. caudatifolium (Hayata) S. Y. Lu & Y. P. Yang, comb. & stat. nov.
• 　Acer rubescens Hayata
• 　Acer serrulatum Hayata

　Actinidiaceae

• 　Actinidia callosa Lindl. var. callosa
• 　Actinidia chinensis Planch. var. setosa Li

　Anacardiaceae

• 　Rhus ambigua Lav. ex Dipped.

　Apiaceae

• 　Cryptotaenia japonica Hassk.
• 　Hydrocotyle setulosa Hayata
• 　Sanicula lamelligera Hance

　Apocynaceae

• 　Hoya carnosa (L. f.) R. Brown
• 　Marsdenia formosana Masam.
• 　Trachelospermum jasminoides (Lindl.) Lemaire

　Aquifoliaceae

• 　Ilex bioritsensis Hayata
• 　Ilex hayataiana Loes.
• 　Ilex pedunculosa Miq.
• 　Ilex tugitakayamensis Sasaki
• 　Ilex yunnanensis Fr. var. parvifolia (Hayata) S. Y. Hu

　Araliaceae

• 　Aralia bipinnata Blanco
• 　Aralia decaisneana Hance
• 　Dendropanax dentiger (Harms ex Diels) Merr.
• 　Fatsia polycarpa Hayata
• 　Hedera rhombea (Miq.) Bean var. formosana (Nakai) Li
• 　Schefflera taiwaniana (Nakai) Kanehira

Asteraceae

• 　Ainsliaea latifolia (D. Don) Sch. Bip. subsp. henryi (Diels) H. Koyama
• 　Anaphalis morrisonicola Hayata
• 　Artemisia indica Willd.
• 　Aster taiwanensis Kitam.
• 　Bidens bipinnata L.
• 　Bidens pilosa L. var. pilosa
• 　Bidens pilosa L. var. radiata Sch.
• 　Carpesium nepalense Less.
• 　Cirsium arisanense Kitam.
• 　Cirsium kawakamii Hayata
• 　Cosmos bipinnatus Cav.
• 　Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. var. canadensis
• 　Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S. Moore
• 　Dichrocephala integrifolia (L. f.) Kuntze
• 　Eupatorium cannabinum L. var. asiaticum Kitam.
• 　Farfugium japonicum (L.) Kitam. var. formosanum (Hayata) Kitam.
• 　Galinsoga quadriradiata Ruiz & Pav.
• 　Gnaphalium hypoleucum DC. var. hypoleucum
• 　Helianthus annuus L.
• 　Hypochaeris radicata L.
• 　Ixeridium laevigatum (Blume) J. H. Pak & Kawano
• 　Leucanthemum vulgare H. J. Lam.
• 　Myriactis humilis Merr.
• 　Picris hieracioides L. subsp. morrisonensis (Hayata) Kitam.
• 　Saussurea deltoidea (DC.) C. B. Clarke
• 　Senecio nemorensis L. var. dentatus (Kitam.) H. Koyama
• 　Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. var. scandens
• 　Solidago virgaurea L. var. leiocarpa (Benth.) A. Gray
• 　Sonchus asper (L.) Hill
• 　Youngia japonica (L.) DC. subsp. japonica

   Balanophoraceae

•    Balanophora laxiflora Hemsl. ex Forbes & Hemsl

　Balsaminaceae

• 　Impatiens uniflora Hayata

  Berberidaceae

• 　Berberis kawakamii Hayata

　Betulaceae

• 　Alnus formosana (Burkill ex Forbes & Hemsl.) Makino

　Boraginaceae

• 　Cynoglossum alpestre Ohwi

　Brassicaceae

• 　Cardamine flexuosa With.
• 　Rorippa indica (L.) Hiern

　Campanulaceae

• 　Lobelia nummularia Lam.
• 　Wahlenbergia marginata (Thunb.) A. DC.

　Caprifoliaceae

• 　Lonicera acuminata Wall.
• 　Sambucus chinensis Lindl.
• 　Viburnum foetidum Wall. var. rectangulatum (Graebner) Rehder
• 　Viburnum sympodiale Graebner
• 　Viburnum urceolatum Sieb. et Zucc.

　Caryophyllaceae

• 　Cerastium arisanensis Hayata
• 　Silene baccifera (L.) Roth
• 　Stellaria media (L.) Cyrill var. media

　Celastraceae

• 　Celastrus hindsii Benth.
• 　Euonymus spraguei Hayata
• 　Perrottetia arisanensis Hayata

　Clusiaceae

• 　Hypericum japonicum Thunb. ex Murray

　Crassulaceae

• 　Sedum mexicanum Britt.

　Cucurbitaceae

• 　Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino

　Elaeocarpaceae

• 　Elaeocarpus japonicus Sieb. & Zucc.

　Ericaceae

• 　Gaultheria cumingiana Vidal
• 　Gaultheria itoana Hayata
• 　Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude var.ovalifolia
• 　Pieris taiwanensis Hayata
• 　Rhododendron breviperulatum Hayata
• 　Rhododendron formosanum Hemsl.
• 　Rhododendron kawakamii Hayata
• 　Rhododendron latoucheae== Franch. & Finet
• 　Rhododendron oldhamii Maxim.
• 　Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum Hayata
• 　Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. rubropilosum
• 　Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb.
• 　Vaccinium emarginatum Hayata
• 　Vaccinium japonicum Miq. var. lasiostemon Hayata
• 　Vaccinium randaiense Hayata

　Fabaceae

• 　Desmodium sequax Wall.
• 　Trifolium pratense L.
• 　Trifolium repens L.
• 　Vicia dasycarpa Ten.
• 　Vicia sativa L. subsp. nigra (L.) Ehrh.

　Fagaceae

• 　Castanopsis carlesii (Hemsl.) Hayata
• 　Lithocarpus amygdalifolius (Skain ex Forbes & Hemsl.) Hayata
• 　Lithocarpus kawakamii (Hayata) Schottky
• 　Quercus glauca Thunb. ex Murray
• 　Quercus morii Hayata
• 　Quercus stenophylloides Hayata

　Flacourtiaceae

• 　Idesia polycarpa Maxim.

　Fumariaceae

• 　Corydalis ophiocarpa Hook. f. & Thoms.

　Gentianaceae

• 　Gentiana arisanensis Hayata
• 　Gentiana davidii Franch. var. formosana (Hayata) T. N. Ho
• 　Tripterospermum cordifolium (Yamamoto) Satake
• 　Tripterospermum lanceolatum (Hayata) Hara ex Satake
• 　Tripterospermum taiwanense (Masam.) Satake

　Gesneriaceae

• 　Hemiboea bicornuta (Hayata) Ohwi
• 　Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim. var. pauciflorus

　Illiciaceae

• 　Illicium anisatum L.

　Juglandaceae

• 　Juglans cathayensis Dode

　Labiatae

• 　Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) Kuntze
• 　Clinopodium gracile (Benth.) Kuntze
• 　Clinopodium laxiflorum (Hayata) Mori var. laxiflorum
• 　Melissa axillaris (Benth.) Bakh. f.

　Lardizabalaceae

• 　Stauntonia obovatifoliola Hayata

　Lauraceae

• 　Litsea acuminata (Bl.) Kurata
• 　Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Persoon
• 　Litsea elongata (Wall. ex Nees) Benth. & Hook. f. var. mushaensis (Hayata) J. C. Liao
• 　Machilus kusanoi Hayata
• 　Machilus thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc.
• 　Neolitsea acuminatissima (Hayata) Kanehira & Sasaki
• 　Neolitsea variabilima (Hayata) Kanehira & Sasaki

　Loranthaceae

• 　Scurrula lonicerifolia (Hayata) Danser
• 　Viscum angulatum Heyne
• 　Viscum articulatum Burm.

　Magnoliaceae

• 　Michelia compressa (Maxim.) Sargent var. formosana Kaneh.

　Malvaceae

• 　Hibiscus syriacus L.

　Melastomataceae

• 　Barthea barthei (Hance) Krass
• 　Sarcopyramis napalensis Wall. var. delicata (C. B. Robinson) S. F. Huang & T. C. Huang

　Myricaceae

• 　Myrica rubra (Lour.) Sieb. & Zucc.

　Myrsinaceae

• 　Ardisia crenata Sims
• 　Maesa japonica (Thunb.) Moritzi ex Zoll.
• 　Myrsine africana L.

　Oleaceae

• 　Osmanthus lanceolatus Hayata

　Onagraceae

• 　Epilobium amurense Hausskn. subsp. amurense

　Oxalidaceae

• 　Oxalis corniculata L.
• 　Oxalis corymbosa DC.

　Piperaceae

• 　Peperomia reflexa (L. f.) A. Dietr.

　Pittosporaceae

• 　Pittosporum illicioides Makino var. angustifolium Huang ex Lu
• 　Pittosporum illicioides Makino var. illicioides

　Plantaginaceae

• 　Plantago major L.

　Polygalaceae

• 　Polygala tatarinowii Regel

　Polygonaceae

• 　Polygonum chinense L. var. chinense
• 　Polygonum longisetum De Bruyn
• 　Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. ex Murray var. hypoleucum (Ohwi) Liu, Ying & Lai
• 　Polygonum nepalense Meisn.
• 　Polygonum runcinatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don
• 　Polygonum senticosum (Meisn.) Fr. & Sav.
• 　Polygonum thunbergii Sieb. & Zucc.
• 　Polygonum yunnanense Leveille
• 　Rumex crispus L. var. japonicus (Houtt.) Makino

　Primulaceae

• 　Primula miyabeana Ito & Kawakami

　Pyrolaceae

• 　Pyrola morrisonensis (Hayata) Hayata

　Ranunculaceae

• 　Anemone vitifolia Buch.-Ham. ex DC.
• 　Clematis henryi Oliv. var. henryi
• 　Clematis meyeniana Walp.
• 　Ranunculus cantoniensis DC.

　Rhamnaceae

• 　Rhamnus chingshuiensis Shimizu var. tashanensis Liu & Wang

　Rosaceae

• 　Eriobotrya deflexa (Hemsl.) Nakai f. deflexa
• 　Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.
• 　Fragaria hayatai Makino
• 　Malus doumeri (Bois.) Chev. C. R. Ac. Sc.
• 　Photinia serratifolia (Desf.) Kalkman
• 　Prunus campanulata Maxim.
• 　Prunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb. & Zucc.
• 　Prunus phaeosticta (Hance) Maxim.
• 　Pyrus serotina Rehder
• 　Prunus taiwaniana Hayata
• 　Rosa transmorrisonensis Hayata
• 　Rubus corchorifolius L. f.
• 　Rubus croceacanthus Lévl. var. glaber Koidz.
• 　Rubus formosensis Ktze.
• 　Rubus mesogaeus Focke
• 　Rubus pectinellus Maxim.
• 　Rubus pungens Camb. var. pungens
• 　Rubus pyrifolius J. E. Sm.
• 　Rubus rolfei Vidal
• 　Rubus taitoensis Hayata var. aculeatiflorus (Hayata) H. Ohashi & Hsieh
• 　Rubus trianthus Focke

　Rubiaceae

• 　Damnacanthus angustifolius Hayata
• 　Damnacanthus indicus Gaertn.
• 　Galium echinocarpum Hayata
• 　Galium formosense Ohwi
• 　Nertera granadense (Mutis ex L. f.) Druce
• 　Ophiorrhiza japonica Blume
• 　Rubia lanceolata Hayata

　Rutaceae

• 　Boenninghausenia albiflora Reichenb.
• 　Tetradium glabrifolium (Champ. ex Benth.) T. Hartley
• 　Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam.
• 　Zanthoxylum scandens Bl.

　Saxifragaceae

• 　Astilbe longicarpa (Hayata) Hayata
• 　Deutzia pulchra Vidal
• 　Hydrangea angustipetala Hayata
• 　Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata ex Matsum. & Hayata
• 　Hydrangea longifolia Hayata
• 　Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.
• 　Saxifraga stolonifera Meerb.

　Sabiaceae

• 　Sabia transarisanensis Hayata

　Salicaceae

• 　Salix fulvopubescens Hayata var. fulvopubescens

　Schisandraceae

• 　Kadsura japonica (L.) Dunal
• 　Schisandra arisanensis Hayata

　Scrophulariaceae

• 　Digitalis purpurea L.
• 　Ellisiophyllum pinnatum (Wall. ex Benth.) Makino
• 　Euphrasia transmorrisonensis Hayata
• 　Hemiphragma heterophyllum Wall.

　Solanaceae

• 　Lycianthes lysimachioides (Wall.) Bitter
• 　Solanum americanum Miller
• 　Solanum nigrum L.

　Stachyuraceae

• 　Stachyurus himalaicus Hook. f. & Thomson ex Benth.

　Symplocaceae

• 　Symplocos arisanensis Hayata
• 　Symplocos heishanensis Hayata
• 　Symplocos morrisonicola Hayata
• 　Symplocos stellaris Brand
• 　Symplocos wikstroemiifolia Hayata

　Theaceae

• 　Adinandra formosana Hayata
• 　Adinandra lasiostyla Hayata
• 　Camellia transnokoensis Hayata
• 　Cleyera japonica Thunb. var. longicarpa (Yamamoto) Ling & Hsieh
• 　Cleyera japonica Thunb. var. morii (Yamamoto) Masam.
• 　Eurya glaberrima Hayata var. glaberrima
• 　Eurya gnaphalocarpa Hayata
• 　Eurya hayatae Yamamoto
• 　Eurya leptophylla Hayata
• 　Eurya loquaiana Dunn
• 　Eurya strigillosa Hayata
• 　Gordonia axillaris (Roxb.) Dietr.
• 　Schima superba Gard. & Champ. var. superba
• 　Ternstroemia gymnanthera (Wight & Arn.) Sprague

　Trochodendraceae

• 　Trochodendron aralioides Sieb. & Zucc.

　Ulmaceae

• 　Ulmus uyematsui Hayata
• 　Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino

　Urticaceae

• 　Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen
• 　Elatostema lineolatum Wight var. majus Wedd.
• 　Elatostema microcephalanthum Hayata
• 　Gonostegia hirta (Bl.) Miq.
• 　Lecanthus peduncularis (Wall. ex Royle) Wedd.
• 　Oreocnide pedunculata (Shirai) Masam.
• 　Pilea angulata (Bl.) Bl.
• 　Pilea aquarum Dunn subsp. brevicornuta (Hayata) C. J. Chen
• 　Pilea funkikensis Hayata
• 　Pilea plataniflora C. H. Wright
• 　Urtica thunbergiana Sieb. & Zucc.

　Verbenaceae

• 　Callicarpa formosana Rolfe var. formosana
• 　Callicarpa randaiensis Hayata

　Violaceae

• 　Viola confusa Champ. ex Benth.
• 　Viola diffusa Ging.
• 　Viola formosana Hayata var. formosana
•    Viola mandshurica W. Becker

Vitaceae

• Ampelopsis glandulosa (Wall.) Mom. var. hancei (Planch.) Mom.
• Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep.
• Tetrastigma umbellatum (Hemsl.) Nakai

Monocotyledons

Araceae

• Arisaema consanguineum Schott
• Arisaema formosanum (Hayata) Hayata
• Arisaema taiwanense J. Murata

Cyperaceae

• Carex baccans Nees
• Trichophorum subcapitatum (Thwaites & Hook.) D. A. Simpson

Iridaceae

• Iris formosana Ohwi

Juncaceae

• Juncus effusus L.
• Juncus triflorus Ohwi

Liliaceae

• Aletris formosana Hayata
• Hemerocallis fulva L. var. aurantiacea (Baker) Hotta
• Lilium longiflorum Thunb. var. formosanum Baker
• Ophiopogon intermedius D. Don

　Orchidaceae

• Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Sw.
• Epigeneium nakaharai (Schltr.) Surnmerh.
• Platanthera brevicalcarata Hayata

Poaceae

• Bromus catharticus Vahl
• Festuca arundinacea Schreb.
• Miscanthus sinensis Andersson
• Oplismenus compositus (L.) P. Beauv.
• Poa annua L.
• Yushania niitakayamensis (Hayata) Keng f.

Smilacaceae

• Heterosmilax indica A. DC.
• Smilax china L. *
• Smilax menispermoidea subsp. randaiensis (Hayata) T. Koyama *
• Smilax vaginata Decne. *