Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group Menai Wildflower September 2017 Group

President's Report cheques or credit card payments and I will process them in the new system on your behalf. Chilly mornings have given rise to bright, Membership fees are: Individual $56, sunny, wintery days and the seasonal flowering Individual concession $48, Joint $66, Joint is quite spectacular with optimal rainfall and concession $58. If you wish, you can renew for temperature. 3 years. Sharon Pearson Our list of speakers has been quite exceptional for the year and our group was thoroughly New APS Logo entertained by David Eldridge in June on the You can see the new APS logo at top right of fascinating soil crust mosses, lichens and newsletter. liverworts from Australia's dry land. In July, Lyndal Thornburn showed our Contents members and guests the extensive range of Eremophilas which are available and seem to President's Report ______1 suit most soil types if you can provide good APS Membership ______1 drainage. For further information why don't you New APS Logo ______1 visit the Study Group, found in the Study Groups directory in the NSW APS Coming Local Events ______2 journal. Reports from Meetings ______2 The Five Islands project has been a big success Biological Soil Crusts in Australian Drylands ...... 2 with 1000 grown by the nursery group Eremophilas – not just for dry climates ...... 3 and then used to revegetate a large part of the Acacia suaveolens ______5 island in mid-June. Our next meeting is on Saturday 12 August, Special Interest ______5 starting at 1pm. So remember to come early to Nursery Report ______6 explore the garden mounds of the fire station, Joseph Banks Gardens Upgrade ______6 as there should be plenty of flowers on show. Our guest speaker will be presenting his talk on Looking for speakers ______7 Bladderworts. Garden News ______7 Hope to see you all there. Jason Cockayne

APS Membership APS NSW is creating a new on-line membership system. It will allow our members to log into APS NSW membership system direct and will make renewing and paying for membership much easier. It is planned that the system will go live from 7 August and members will receive either an email or letter explaining how this new system works. For those members who do not have access to the internet, I will be happy to collect your cash, The mounds at the fire station garden are looking great. P Forbes. Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017

Coming Local Events Reports from Meetings (More in Special Interest) Biological Soil Crusts in Australian 5 Aug Working Bee at IRFS 9-12 followed Drylands by Propagation from 1pm. In June we were fortunate to have David Eldridge share some of his extensive 12 Aug Prof Richard Jobson will be knowledge of lichens, mosses and liverworts talking about Bladderworts at this with the large audience at our monthly meeting. month’s meeting. From 1pm at IRFS. With the aid of some good photographic images and an easy way of imparting tricky scientific 2 Sept Working Bee at IRFS from 9am facts, David gave us the kind of talk that could then Propagation from 1pm only come from someone expert in his field. He told us how such tiny caretakers of the soil hold 2-3 Sept APS NSW Get-together at Coffs its surface together through extremes of heat, Harbour dryness and sudden, intense bursts of rainfall. They form a biological soil crust which is 2-3 Sept Grevillea Park Open Day actually a closely knit community of fungi, cyanobacteria, bacteria and the more visible 9 Sept Saturday meeting. Ross Jefree will mosses, lichens and liverworts. speak on Environmental Conservation Successes in Bhutan

9-10 Sept Grevillea Park Open Day

17 Sept Sutherland Council Bushcare Festival at Parc Menai

24 Sept Lucas Heights Waratah walk. Contact Lloyd if you are interested.

7 Oct Working Bee at IRFS from 9am then Soil Crust, photograph by M Graw, Microbes Propagation from 1pm in the Mud Blog

14 Oct Meeting 1pm. Pruning Grevilleas; a Lichens have the ability to take carbon dioxide workshop with Ray Brown from from the atmosphere, convert it to organic Grevillea Park carbon and store it in the soil. This organic carbon provides the glue which binds soils 4 Nov Working Bee at IRFS from 9am then together. Cyanobacteria and some lichens also Propagation from 1pm produce nitrogen after even small falls of rain. This nitrogen is used by flowering plants once 8 Nov Meeting Wednesday7pm AGM it is released from the crusts through digestion followed by a talk, topic TBA by small soil animals, bacteria and fungi. The cycle of life goes on, with small animals being 2 Dec Working Bee at IRFS from 9am then eaten by larger burrowing animals, whose holes Propagation from 1pm allow any water to penetrate to lower levels. 13 Dec Meeting Wednesday Xmas Social Farmers, please note! Evening These tiny organisms follow the “live hard, die young” method of survival in deserts. They have developed coping mechanisms to ensure survival, some in niches or furrows that collect

Page 2 Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017 water, where seeds may grow and soil animals present will surely tread lightly around any aerate the soil. Some lichens curl their lichens, mosses and liverworts that reveal to shade their stems in extreme heat, while themselves on our next bush walk. For those others produce acids to protect themselves from who missed out, or want to read more, I have ultraviolet light. Some liverworts form plate- extra information from David that I can lend to like scales that close up as they dry out, but you. Pam Pitkeathly retract when wetted, allowing the liverwort to soak up and store moisture, helping to provide Eremophilas – not just for dry a barrier against erosion. climates Land management practices can have an effect Lyndal Thorburn’s July talk covered 3 broad on soil crusts and their regeneration. Soil crust areas: the itself, growing Eremophilas organisms are destroyed by fire and by the and the Eremophila Study Group. trampling of stock in overgrazed areas. David’s slides showing a TSR (travelling stock route) The Genus Eremophila is part of what used to and a fenced, overgrazed paddock right beside be called but is now called it gave a telling picture for anyone who has not Scrophulariacae. There are half a dozen genera formed an opinion on current moves to open within that family (some of which occur in TSRs for grazing. Overgrazing can set back China, Japan and the Caribbean). They are: ecological recovery for decades, not a season or Calamphoreus two. It’s good to know that certain lichens that Pentacelium - with a single species in Japan and have blue-green alga are able to fix atmospheric China nitrogen and eventually pave the way for other Bontia - single species In Carribean lichens and mosses to re-establish and then Glycocystis - 1 species in W Australia these may be followed by flowering plants. Diocirea - 4 species in WA - 30 species in Australia,NZ Pacific, East Asia and Eremophila.

Lichens P Forbes

David’s research interests were glimpsed The Eremophila or the Emu Bush, is also called through slides of W.A. (bilby study north of the Poverty Bush - a name which comes from Roxbury Downs) Lake Mungo and erosion and its ability to survive in dry climates. It is areas of western N.S.W. from Walgett, Cobar distributed mostly over drier regions which and down to Mildura. Study of soil crusts is have around 400 mm or less of rainfall. It is yielding scientific information that will help us very widespread - being found in all states understand and manage better the land in drier except Tasmania - but particularly in a band parts of our continent. across the centre of Australia. Many of them are David’s talk was informative and entertaining found in the areas of 200 mm or less rainfall and those who were fortunate enough to be with very dry, very poor soil. (Lyndal recently

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Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017 acquired an E. exilifolia which she was told was greenish and may age to brown. All this variety frost hardy: it has just survived the -5ºC in colour and form gives lots of options for temperature that Queanbeyan had a few weeks designing a garden around them. ago!) Within the genus Eremophila, 25 groups have been described by Bob Chinnock and grouped by a number of characteristics - flowers, vegetation or fruits. Groups 1–6 are temperate species mostly found in the southwest of W.A.; 7, 8 and 9 are mostly found in Central Australia. 20–25 are bird pollinated and the remainder are grouped by flower, fruit and hair variation. The variability and the variety within the genus appeals to Lyndal: colours of greys

Range of flowers. All photographs by P Hempel Eremophilas are usually not grown from seed as it is very difficult to break the seed case without damaging the seed. Because a lot of eremophilas won’t grow from cuttings, a common method of propagation has been grafting. The stock species is generally a myoporum. Lyndal has recently sent out a survey through the Study Group to see what is being used This E. spectabilis is growing on its own roots successfully (though of course stock that is (ie not grafted) and often flowers for a long successful in SA won’t necessarily be time. Photograph by Phil Hempel successful in other states). Charles Farrugia (NSW) has very successfully used E. through to dark and/or glossy greens, plants of denticulata ssp trisulcata, itself a rare and varying sizes and size and colour of flower and endangered species from . calyces make them great garden subjects. Cuttings can be very successful with some The greyness of the leaves is caused by hairs species: there are now 52 species being sold and that is one of the main taxonomic features through the Canberra APS propagation group. that Bob Chinnock has used in distinguishing Some will root in 2 weeks: others may take 12 the species. The flower forms can be divided months. There is about a 30% strike rate. There into 2 main groups: insect- pollinated flowers are now 120 species in their data base that they with a type of platform for the insect to land on know will grow in Canberra. before walking in to fertilise (usually mauves, blues whites or cream) or bird-pollinated Eremophilas do quite well as tub specimens. flowers with longer over the top, and Lyndal often trials plants in large tubs using a pink, red or yellow in colour. mixture of coco peat and perlite which gives good drainage. It also makes it easier to move Calyces vary in colour as well - adding more the plants around as they like bright sunlight. colour to the garden e.g. E. oppositifolia, E. abietina, E. cuneifolia, E. platycalyx, E. fraseri In spite of occurring naturally in dry climates and E oldfieldii. Fruits are often globular, and with poor soil, eremophilas nevertheless seem

Page 4 Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017 to enjoy being watered and they do amazingly The sweet wattle as it is called, because of its well with the application of fertiliser e.g. blood sweet scent, is common in the Sydney bush. It and bone or camellia fertiliser. They also grows on the coast and ranges of eastern respond well to pruning. Australia from Queensland to Tasmania. It The purpose of the ANPSA Study Groups is to apparently can grow to 3 metres, but commonly organise visits, meetings and activities; sponsor it is 1.5 metres or less, and slender. It doesn’t and foster research; educate people, do field take up much room, you can shove one into a trips and publish information. In 1963 “Project narrow space. It likes to be fairly well-drained, Eremophila” was started in SA by Ken Warnes, but is not too fussy, will grow in light to heavy which in 1975 became the Eremophila Study soils, and dappled shade to full sun. It is pretty Group. Geoff Needham, then Colin Jennings in flower, and provides sunny pale took over leadership, then Lyndal from 2015, yellow/cream flowers when the weather is cold with currently 130 members on books. Through and not much else is in flower. It can be pruned the newsletter and website, workshops and to make a low screen or a wind-break. seminars, members are able to share It is long-flowering, but when not in flower it is information and thus contribute to the still a dainty little blue-green leaved shrub, not furthering of knowledge of this important very noticeable. It carries seeds for a long time, genus. Margaret Olde and the seeds provide food for seed-eating birds.

Acacia suaveolens I don’t think we’re growing any at the fire station – why not? Mary Hedges There are currently nearly 1000 species called Acacia in Australia. You can find a wattle in flower any time of year. They are all beautiful, Special Interest many large and showy. I think my favourite Deadline for contributions to the summer wattle is not large and not showy, but it is newsletter is Sunday 5 November. pretty, dainty, and it flowers right through winter and in part of autumn and spring. (April Any items suitable for inclusion in the to October according to Elliot and Jones). newsletter may be sent to the Editor (Post to Secretary or e-mail [email protected]) before the deadline. Preferred format is unformatted text in a Word file. Working Bees are held on the first Saturday of month at IRFB starting at 9am and include weeding, mulching and munching. Propagation days at Illawong Rural Fire Station on Saturday 1pm and Tuesdays 9am are a great opportunity to be involved in interesting projects and learn new skills. Members can assist in MWG ventures or propagate species for themselves. The Tip nursery group continues to work on Mondays. Please contact Lloyd (95431216) for more details on these opportunities. Keep up to date with our Facebook page or website, http://menaiwildflower.austplants.com.au/.

Meetings are held at the Illawong Rural Fire Brigade Headquarters each month except

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Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017

January. Most meetings are held on the second Joseph Banks Gardens Upgrade Wednesday at 7pm but over winter (June to On Saturday, 22 July I represented our group at September) this changes to the second Saturday the official opening of the recently completed of the month at 1pm. New members and friends upgrade to the picnic area at Joseph Banks are welcome. Native Gardens. I took along a friend who had As a member of Menai Wildflower Group you never seen these gardens, and together we are also a member of the NSW APS and enjoyed a beautiful crisp morning among the therefore are welcome at other APS group native plants, so faithfully cared for by the meetings, bushwalks, etc. Visit the APS NSW Sutherland APS Group’s volunteers and SSC website www.austplant.com.au/ to check out staff. what other districts are doing, particularly our The hard landscaping has made this section neighbours East Hills and Sutherland: easily accessible, although putting the free samples of brachyscombe up those steep but http://easthills.austplants.com.au/ beautiful stone steps at the side did mean that http://sutherland.austplants.com.au/ . yours truly did have to restrain herself and retain a measure of decorum, staying on the level ground. However, this led right past the SSC Bushcare Officer who was in charge of the sausage sizzle that was ready right after the official ceremony. Now that was a truly magnificent show, with beautifully prepared rolls and sausages of just the right shape and size to tempt the crowd to move to a sunny spot to munch happily whilst chatting. Then we moved on to look at the warmer parts Members enjoying lunch break on walk. of the gardens and found grevilleas, pimelia , that robust Banksia robur and some promising Lloyd Hedges Kangaroo paws. Would you believe that we Nursery Report also found tea, coffee and glorious homemade The nursery has quietened down as cakes and biscuits, with fellow APS people for unfortunately the National Tree Day campaign more chat, etcetera; as we soaked up the winter seems to be a fizzer. Last year was poor but I sun? Just like a MWG session! was hoping for a bounce back. Not to be; this year seems to be a non-event. A pity because we used to distribute thousands of plants and I would have a long list of schools to attend planting days. We still have plants for a Dharawahl planting in spring and some for Big Island next autumn. We are expecting to receive more seed for further sowings in the near future. At the moment we are nurturing a large number of Actinotus helianthii (White Flannel flower), and Actinotus forsythii (Pink Flannel flower) through the Tip Nursery for the spring sales. Grevillea preisii. L Hedges The first Saturday propagation days provides a steady trickle of interested community I understand that in 2020, it will be JBNG’s members. The Tuesday propagation sessions fiftieth anniversary. Now that will be a have been producing a steady stream of plants celebration worth noting in your diaries. particularly due to the efforts of Ruth, Sue and In the meantime, do go to Kareela and enjoy an Anne’s efforts. Lloyd Hedges easy stroll along the four kilometres of paths

Page 6 Newsletter of Menai Wildflower Group September 2017 that await you, with native plants on both sides planting, mulching and weeding is showing for you to practise your detecting skills on those dividends at the mounds thanks to Jason and his botanical names. Pam Pitkeathly Hurstville volunteers. Both the yellow and burgundy Banksia praemorsa have been flowering well and I hope they hold on for the next meeting.

Melaleuca fulgens, purple L Hedges

Looking for speakers The committee is always looking for speakers to entertain and educate you at our meetings. If you have any contacts who might fit this bill – a professional or well informed-amateur with an entertaining presentation style who is willing Eucalyptus caesia at fire station garden. P to speak for around 40 minutes in an interesting Forbes and informative way, now is a great time to approach them as next year’s program will soon Working Bees will be held on Saturday, 9 and be formulated. In general, we don’t pay 5 August followed by propagations session speakers, but they are thanked with a small gift. from 1pm We have much planting as well as weeding to do in the preparation for spring. Please lend a hand. Garden News On 26 August Sutherland region has arranged an open day showcasing the Hogue, McColl and Aitken gardens. All are well worth a visit and details can be found on the Sutherland website. We will have a stand at SSC Bushcare Big Day outPlease at address Parc Menai all correspondence on Sunday to 17 the September Secretary,. There POw illBox be3104 talks Bangor and NSW all 2234 sorts of entertainment.Website is www. menaiwildflower.austplants.com.au E-mail is [email protected] President Jason Cockayne 9570-8559 Vice President Pam Pitkeathly 9771-9789 Secretary Annette Tuckfield 9543-1490 Acacia denticulosa at fire station garden. P Treasurer Sharon Pearson 9570-8559 Forbes. Editor Pam Forbes Publicity Officer Marion Payne 9543-1040 In the front garden Eucalyptus caesia and General Committee Margaret Olde 9543-2242 Acacia denticulosa have drawn many passing Jan Riley eyes. But around the back a steady session of Mary Hedges 9543-1216

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