( BANCROFTII)4 May 2016 Chinaman's Creek STOP PRESS...... 6 Stuart Worboys WHO IS DR BANCROFT?. 5 May's SGAP excursion was originally planned for the area around Daintree BELL PEAK ADVENTURE...7 township. However, the exciting news of an internationally significant botanical discovery just three and a half kilometres from the Cairns Post WHAT'S HAPPENING...... 9 Office required a change of ideas. The decision to visit the recently CAIRNS BRANCH ...... 9 discovered hainesii population in the mangroves on Chinaman's

TABLELANDS BRANCH....9 Creek seemed pretty much unanimous. TOWNSVILLE BRANCH....9 A modest crowd gathered at the far end of Spence Street in Portsmith, not far from Cannon Park Racecourse. We were joined by Brian Venables, local birdwatcher and naturalist, who kindly acted as expert guide. You couldn't ask for better weather for visiting mangroves - overcast and windy. The cloud cover kept the temperatures down, and the wind blew away most of the biting insects!

Cairns City Council has recently invested in some substantial bicycle path infrastructure. This shiny new path and robustly engineered bridges provided us with a convenient and easy entrance to our destination. From the bridge, we were able to At this point, Brian took his Species List, watch fiddler crabs, waving their leave, and we pottered back to colourful and ungainly pincers in our cars. SGAP Cairns doesn't Portsmith territorial display. We could also often visit catch a rare closeup of the communities, but this trip mangroves white-flowered apple mangrove, reminded us what a diverse and Compiled by Stuart Worboys, Sonneratia alba, usually only interesting place they are. We Ing Toh, Brian Venables and seen by fisherfolk from the escaped with just a few insect Tony Roberts seaward side of the mangroves. bites. However, more importantly, We were privileged to glimpse a during our short excursion, we * indicates exotic species white-bellied sea eagle had seen 17 species of # indicates mangrove species apparently being harassed by mangroves - nearly half of the both a peregrine falcon and an Australian total! osprey. Ferns

Chinaman's Creek, although POLYPODIACEAE considerably cleaner in recent Pyrrosia longifolia (felt fern) years thanks to Cairns' new PTERIDACEAE waste treatment facility, still #Acrostichum speciosum seems to be a favourite place for (mangrove fern) disposal of shopping trolleys and other junk. We followed a grassed levee down the creek toward our target. To the left, we saw the southern-most recorded occurrence of Bruguiera cylindrica. Passing beneath some low slung powerlines, Brian pointed out a tall tree amongst the mangroves - this was Bruguiera hainesii. On close approach, we were able to see the true size of the tree - quite a massive individual for a mangrove, perhaps 50 cm in diameter, and surrounded by about 50 smaller of the same species. Twenty millimetre diameter orange-brown flowers, borne in groups of three confirmed the identification. It was growing right near the top of the tide, in a location that could be assured of freshwater input. Looking into the top of the tree, we could see the usual Conifers golden orchids (Dendrobium discolor), felt ferns (Pyrrosia CYCADACEAE longifolia) and a nice group of Cycas media ant plants (Myrmecodia beccarii).

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 2 Monocots MELIACEAE Melia azedarach (white cedar) COLCHICACEAE #Xylocarpus granatum *Gloriosa superba (gloriosa lily) MYRTACEAE ORCHIDACEAE Corymbia tessellaris (Moreton Bay Dendrobium discolor (golden ash) orchid) Corymbia torrelliana (cadaghi gum) POACEAE Melaleuca leucadendra *Eleusine indica PASSIFLORACEAE *Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea EUPHORBIACEAE *Passiflora foetida (stinking grass) #Excoecaria agallocha (blind-your- passionfruit) *Urochloa mutica (para grass) eye mangrove) POLYGONACEAE *Antigonon leptopus (coral vine) Eudicots mangium Acacia oraria PRIMULACEAE # ilicifolius (holly *Centrosema pubescens Aegiceras corniculatum (river mangrove) mangrove)

#Avicennia marina (grey mangrove)

AIZOACEAE #Bruguiera cylindrica Sesuvium portulacastrum #Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (large- leaved orange mangrove) AMARANTHACEAE *Alternanthera brasiliana #Cynometra iripa (wrinklepod mangrove) Dischidia nummularia (button Derris trifoliata orchid) *Leucaena leucocephala Cynanchum carnosum *Macroptilium atropurpureum (siratro) *Mimosa pudica (sensitive weed) #Bruguiera hainesii LAMIACEAE Clerodendrum inerme

MALVACEAE #Heritiera littoralis (looking glass mangrove) Hibiscus tiliaceus (cottonwood) oblonga

ASTERACEAE *Synedrella nodiflora (Cinderella weed) *Sphagneticola trilobata (Singapore #Bruguiera parviflora daisy) # australis COMBRETACEAE # #Lumnitzera littorea #Rhizophora ?mucronata #Lumnitzera racemosa Thespesia populnea RUBIACEAE Myrmecodia beccarii

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 3 BEAUTIFUL TREES OF THE TROPICS *Richardia brasiliensis (white eye) SAPINDACEAE Kuranda Quandong (Elaeocarpus Allophyllus cobbe Jagera pseudorhus bancroftii)

SAPOTACEAE Featured at the top of each newsletter is the Cairns SGAP floral emblem, Mimusops elengi drawn by former member and high school art teacher, Carol Leggett. The artwork elegantly represents a flowering twig from the imposing rainforest SONNERATIACEAE tree, Elaeocarpus bancroftii, or Kuranda Quandong (aka Johnstone River #Sonneratia alba (white flowered , Ebony Heart, Grey Nut, Nutwood, or Nut Tree). E. bancroftii is one of apple mangrove) 23 Elaeocarpus species in the Wet Tropics bioregion. It is a tall graceful VITACEAE rainforest tree, reaching heights in excess of 30 m, with a dense shady canopy Ampelocissus acetosa and glossy foliage. In open situations, it is equally attractive, but slow growing and somewhat shorter.

Stop Press... A scientific paper published on 20 May (five days after our excursion) reports "Bruguiera hainesii, a critically endangered mangrove species, is a hybrid between B. cylindrica and B. gymnorhiza (Rhizophoraceae)." A summary of the paper can be read by typing this web-address into your browser: doi.org/10.1007/s10592-016-0849-y Published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Conservation Genetics, the work by Junya Ono of Chiba University in Japan (and others), found that B. cylindrica was the likely female parent, and Flowers (above) and kernels (below) of Kuranda Quandong (R.L. Jago) B. gymnorhiza the male parent. Further, the hybridization had E. bancroftii was described in 1886 by Ferdinand von Mueller from "among occurred independently in the timber samples procured by Dr Bancroft, jun. with such praiseworthy zeal multiple locations. for the Indian and Colonial Exhibition, soon to be held in London." Mueller noted the kernels of the fruit, which "have an agreeable flavour, and are eaten The authors conclude "As the by the settlers" and that "the wood of the tree is hard and durable... IUCN Red List of Threatened resembling... the American lignum-vitae [Guaiacum officinale]". Species currently excludes hybrids (except for apomictic The Rainforest Key reports "Seeds were extracted and eaten by Aborigines hybrids), the conservation and special 'Nut-stones' were sometimes left status of B. hainesii should be beneath the trees and used to crack the very reconsidered." hard endocarp". The seeds are also very popular with rainforest rats - trees are often detectable by the scattering of gnawed seeds around their base.

It is certainly a grand and attractive tree to have as our mascot. SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 4 Brisbane. • 1930-1932 State Medical Officer, Palm Island. WWHO IS DDR • 1894-1904 Deception Bay. Married Cecilia • 1932 Retires to Wallaville BBANCROFT?? Jones in 1895. on the Burnett River. The previous discussion of • 1904-1906 Various State • 1933 Dies 10 November. Elaeocarpus bancroftii raises the Health Department Buried at Toowong question, who is this positions in Brisbane Cemetery, Brisbane. enthusiastically praised Dr • ?1908 State Medical Throughout his life, Bancroft Bancroft? The pioneering Officer, Stannary Hills. undertook many investigations contributions of Dr Thomas Lane His collections here ranging from blood parasites of Bancroft to medical and natural contributed much to the birds to Aboriginal food-plants sciences in Queensland are little Queensland Herbrium. and hybridization of cotton. From discussed today, even though a F.M. Bailey wrote to 1884 to 1932 he collected plants century ago this shy, modest rural Bancroft "I am really very for the Queensland Herbarium doctor was making and animals for the significant and lasting Queensland Museum, contributions to and freely provided Queensland science. material for fellow Bancroft was born in scientists. 1860 at Lenton in Dr Bancroft's Nottinghamshire. His contributions to botany family emigrated to are manifold. In north Brisbane in 1864, Queensland, we see his however he returned to name in several species Britain to undertake of the Stannary Hills medical studies. He and Innisfail areas, and graduated in 1883 with he is recorded as the a Bachelor of Medicine, collector of the types Master of Surgery, and for many more. Some bronze medal in botany. of his significant or Before returning to interesting collections , he spent a include: year in the Manchester Infirmary, where he Acacia shirleyi - became an expert Bancroft made the type photographer. collection of lancewood from Mt Rose, near He moved quite often, Eidsvold. but always seems to have taken an active Indigofera bancroftii - a north Queensland interest in the natural much obliged for the history of his surrounds. endemic herb, named for Dr specimens you sent. They Bancroft • 1885-1886 Worked in the are most interesting and Geraldton (now Innisfail) much better to work up Stenocarpus angustifolius - Dr Hospital. than the majority of what Bancroft collected the type whilst I receive from medical officer at Stannary Hills. • 1887-1888 Christchurch correspondents, of several Stephania bancroftii - type Hospital, New Zealand. I had no representatives in collected by Dr Bancroft from • 1889-1894 Worked in his the Herbarium." Stannary Hills. father's and cousin's • 1910-?1930 State Medical practice in Ann St, Officer, Eidsvold

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 5 BBELL PPEAK AADVENTURE Some photos from the Australian Tropical Herbarium's recent research expedition to Bell Peak. The goal of the research is to improve our knowledge of high- elevation endemic species in the Wet Tropics. One early result is the first specimen-based record of Bulbophyllum lilianae on the peak. Unfortunately, a loose rock crushed my left hand on day two of the expedition, and I had to be airlifted out. My colleagues Bulbophyllum lilianae, first Black and White Taxis radio continued the work and achieved specimen-based record for antenna on apex of Bell Peak. the expedition's aims. Bell Peak

Dr Fanie Venter and Prof. Darren Crayn (Australian Tropical Herbarium) on the eastern face of Bell Peak, overlooking the Coral Sea. The shrub in the foreground is Rhododendron lochiae.

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 6 The only way to transport equipment and Fitzroy Island at dawn. Cessna wreckage on the south face of camping gear. Bell Peak.

Is there a finer view in the Wet Tropics?

Mulgrave River valley from Bell Peak North.

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 7 WWHAT''S HHAPPENING

Cairns Branch Tablelands Branch Townsville Branch Meetings and excursions on the Meetings on the 4th Wednesday Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of 3rd Sunday of the month. of the month. Excursion the the month, February to following Sunday. Any queries, November, in Annandale 19 June 2016 – SGAP Excursion please contact Chris Jaminon on Community Centre at 8pm, and to Baal Gammon/Herberton 4091 4565 or email holds excursions the following Range. Meet 10am at corner of [email protected] Sunday. the Herberton-Petford Road in Herberton (see map). SGAP 5 June - SGAP Excursion to Baal See www.sgaptownsville.org.au/ Tablelands will be joining us! Gammon/Herberton Range. Meet for more information. 10am at corner of the July 2016 – SGAP Excursion to Herberton-Petford Road in Emerald Creek Falls Herberton (see map).

Meet on the Herberton-Petford Powerline corridor Road, opposite Mt St Bernard College, at 10 am, 19 June.

To Irvinebank

SGAP CAIRNS BRANCH 2016 COMMITTEE President: Tony Roberts ([email protected]) Vice President: Pauline Lawie Secretary: Coralie Stuart Treasurer: Val Carnie Newsletter: Stuart Worboys ([email protected]) Webmaster: Tony Roberts

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 8