taswegian wrote:@johnw
Are those flowers native? They're very pretty and I love the photo.
Hate to think I'm giving accolades to weeds though.
Thanks Taswegian, yes they are natives. I'm just below Mt Guthrie on Guthrie Ridge near Charlotte Pass in Kosciuskzo NP, looking up at the trig beyond the saddle, with Tate East Ridge/Mt Tate in the distance. The white flowers are Silver Snow Daisy (Celmisia spp.) - you see them everywhere in the alpine zone. Most of the purple/pink ones are Eyebrights (Euphrasia collina), also abundant. The reddish ones behind I can't identify. I thought they may have been one of the Richea spp. which grow widely in the general area (direct cousins of Tassie's R. scoparia and look much the same). But that's not it, these are far more delicate. Up close these look vaguely like a cross between Mountain Hovea (usually purple) and Stylidium (trigger plant - some of those in the photo as well). I've seen these things growing around bogs and fens up there. I'll try and dig up a close up in case someone can identify it. There are a lot of small alpine plants; there can be an absolute riot of them in boggy areas. I'm pretty sure this one is not a weed but you never know. Weeds can be a problem there, like many places, and it's a very sensitive location due to the extreme conditions and short growing season for natives. Orange Hawkweed has been a significant threat around KNP in recent years, but I believe is now largely under control.