#lignum

Large photo of a French country entryway with a blue front door, a travertine floor, and beige walls.

Tucked inside the historic D’Olier Chambers building in the heart of Dublin, D’Olier Street Restaurant offers a dining experience that feels both contemporary and rooted in tradition. The space itself is striking, with high ceilings and restored plasterwork that set the stage for a memorable evening. Guests can choose to sit in the elegant dining room or at the chef’s counter, where the artistry…

Tucked away in the picturesque village of Bullaun, Co. Galway, Lignum is a restaurant that redefines fine dining with its wood-fired cooking and deep respect for ingredients. With a Michelin star to its name, this establishment has quickly become one of Ireland’s most exciting gastronomic destinations. A Story of Passion and Heritage Lignum is the brainchild of Danny Africano, a chef whose…

First described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1847, who used the name "Polygonum (Muhlenbeckia) axillaris". AKA as Pseudanthus tasmanicus, Pohuehue and matted lignum. Named after H. G. Muehlenbeck, a 19th century French physician, and axillaris – meaning borne in the axil, referring to the position of the flowers in the axils of the leaves.

A low evergreen shrub, forming wiry mats up to about 1 metre in diameter, native to New Zealand, and SE Australia. Quite possibly the foodplant of the Lycaeana butterflies that were flitting about, going by the foodplants of the ones I actually managed to ID.

I found more of it later in the trip, including on top of the Tasman Glacier's terminal moraine. The fruit is very unusual.

It can be cultivated as a ground cover and grows well in rocky ground, as well as standard potting soil, and is hardy, drought and freeze-tolerant, and quick-growing, thriving in a range of light conditions.