Society for Growing Australian Cairns Branch

Newsletter 152 July 2015

In this issue...

JULY 2015 EXCURSION REPORT - CAIRNS SGAP VISITS GOLDSBOROUGH VALLEY...... 1 SGAP EXCURSION - 21 JUNE 2015 ...... 3 JARAGUN NURSERY SPECIES LIST...... 4 LOWER BABINDA CREEK – RAINFOREST REMNANT SPECIES LIST...... 5 BEAUTIFUL PLANTS OF THE WET TROPICS...... 6 – THE MAT RUSHES ...... 6 WHAT'S HAPPENING...... 7 CAIRNS BRANCH ...... 7 TABLELANDS BRANCH...... 7JULY 2015 EXCURSION REPORT - CAIRNS TOWNSVILLE BRANCH...... 7 SGAP VISITS GOLDSBOROUGH VALLEY Don Lawie A cool crisp winter day, sun shining, beautiful countryside, good company – all the ingredients were there for an enjoyable day out. Goldsborough Valley lies between two spurs of the Bellenden Ker range, runs south to north for about twenty kilometres and is drained by the upper reaches of the Mulgrave River. Formerly a rich source of gold, much of the area is now National Park. Vegetation is mostly tropical rainforest A National Park campground is established about 11 km in from the junction of the road with the Gillies Highway, and we met for lunch at the day use area . Lunch in a sheltered area led to an extended Show and Tell session, with a wide variety of botanical specimens that members had brought in for discussion. Dave Barrow produced a flowering branch of Bancroft’s Quandong Elaeocarpus bancroftii with its softly perfumed, pale cream bell-shaped flowers covering the stem and twigs most attractively. This is the floral emblem of Cairns Branch SGAP and so had particular significance to us. A tall rainforest , it is not often that one obtains a close-up of the flowers. The fruit has a very hard shell that is usually found gnawed open by the incisors of White Tailed Rats (Uromys caudimaculatus). If a fruit is found intact it takes about a year to germinate – if one is lucky. Dave’s wife Desley ventured out with us today for the first time – Welcome, Desley! Patsy Penny showed a branch of down from the in the Quandong (Elaeocarpus Bollywood (Neolitsea dealbata) surrounding forest and make a angustifolius),Poison Peach (Trema bearing numerous small delicious olfactory end to the day. orientalis), and Cairns Pencil Cedar inflorescences of tiny (Palaquium galactoxylum) flowers. This plant is fairly among many others. common, but I had never Boyd told us that he had previously seen it in flower. been working on the Cairns The leaves have conspicuous Pencil Cedar title and had veins and the underside is a found 12 quite different curious dirty white colour species with that name. which gives rise the species Regardless of name, the name which means timber is a beautiful flame “whitewashed”. The plant colour and works easily for a grows abundantly along the craftsman to make items of upper Gillies Range and is beauty. I have a Palaquium conspicuous at this time of that I grew from a seed year with masses of soft collected from this area velvety new leaves. about 25 years ago. It is Both Dave and Patsy had shooting for the sky and other interesting items to already commencing to show and discuss and we all produce the distinctive joined in to pool our rocket fin buttresses . collective knowledge. The forest floor is a mass of We set off on the 1.7 km fallen leaves, sticks and old rainforest walk to Kearney’s logs, well turned over by the Falls; the track is well Scrub Fowl (Megapodius defined and cared for by reinwardt), though we only NPWS with handrails and Zanthoxylum nitidum - Cat's Claw Vine saw one, old, nesting mound. strong steps in the steeper Kearney’s Falls are well places. The entrance was a worth the walk as they mass of vines – Merremia peltata, We strolled along the track, slither down the sloping granite Faradaya splendida (October identifying and discussing face in a mass of lacy spray. There Glory), and masses of separate numerous plants which ranged is a viewing platform where the plants of male and female Clematis from the scrambler longipes falls are framed by the leaves of a glycinoides (now C.pickeringii) with its leaf blade which extends tree which I did not I.D. but which climbing into the trees in masses of into a leaf-like flattened stem (to bore an extensive colony of flower. Male flowers are small and miniscule Dendrobium prenticei grow in chains that resemble bridal orchids – too high for us to tresses. The female flowers are appreciate the small yolk-yellow almost head size, fluffy and creamy flowers. coloured. They can be used to cure Few orchid species were seen for a headache by plunging one’s face the day, but there were more into the mass of flower – Rob says Cinnamon orchids (Corymborkis that is similar to a sudden veratrifolia) than I have ever seen inhalation of smelling salts. before; every few metres, on either A large Ylang Ylang (Cananga side of the track, were metre high odorata) tree grew adjacent to the spindly dark green plants, some toilet block and had a few bunches bearing fat fruit as proof of last of the curious, strap shaped butter Dendrobium prenticei (source summer’s flowering. By Christmas yellow flowers. The flowers are Dale and Deni Borders via time this walk will be a cinnamon highly perfumed, the species is orchidspecies.com/ perfumed delight as the orchids widespread in the tropics. They are denprenticei.htm) come into flower. It would be a plantation-grown in Malaysia as a obtain extra light) shaped just like a perfect place for a woodland source of the rich Ylang Ylang candle flame, to majestic Lords of wedding with a picturesque set of perfume. At our home, late on a the forest such as Spur Mahogany steps leading to a great granite summer day the perfume drifts (Dysoxylum pettigrewianum), Blue boulder...

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 2 The rainforest is Beauty and the costata) and blue thunbergia vine Beast country: if the Cinnamon (Thunbergia grandiflora) from the Orchids are Beauty, a definite Beast SGAP Russell River National Park, and re- lurks nearby. Zanthoxylum nitidum planting the disturbed areas with is one of the most confronting vines locally provenanced plants. I have seen, even rivalling Nicker EXCURSION - 21 Chosen species for re-planting will Nut (Caesalpinia bonduc) for its lean heavily in favour of cassowary confronting size and weapons. JUNE 2015 food plants in the hope of re- Zanthoxylum grows to 30 metres in energising the local, dwindling length with stems up to 40 mm across, with large corky spikes , population of the endangered bird. each tipped with a needle-sharp VISIT TO Cairns Branch of SGAP was invited brittle thorn, all over the stem. I to inspect the Jaragun plant foolishly tested the tip for JARAGUN RE- nursery at Gordonvale, then visit sharpness and was rewarded with a the re-vegetation site on the south bloody fingertip. EGETATION bank of lower Babinda Creek. The return walk was faster – for a V Jaragun directors Dennis and Liz SGAP walk, but we had to pause made us very welcome on a damp for Rob to expound on a fruiting SITE day and gave us a run-down on and flowering Pseuduvaria Don Lawie their achievements so far. Their mulgraveana subsp. mulgraveana. propagation unit, based on two Jaragun is a fairly new natural (shown on the front page). This well set-up shade houses and resource management small tree is only found in a small overflowing into the residence, organisation in the Wet Tropics. part of the Mulgrave-Russell River was close to mind-boggling; Started about ten years ago by Liz Valley and is remarkable for its Styrofoam boxes by the dozen flower and fruit. The flowers are Owen and Dennis Ah Kee, Jaragun were filled with propagating mix axillary and solitary, quite small, is supported by grants and its and their surfaces had dozens of and give rise to a cluster of fruits – associated charity, the Wet Tropics seeds of plants such as cassowary up to 15 – because the flower has Biodiversity Foundation. They've plum (Cerbera floribunda), an “apocarpous gynoecium”. (I employed several indigenous Onionwood ( alliiligneum) confess that I had to look that up in rangers, and have with some and an array of other, mostly my ancient textbook, so modern impressive aims: they are working cassowary food. Advanced terminology may differ). towards eradicating the invasive seedlings were bagged in a very aqautic glush weed1 ( We lingered for coffee and chat but interesting mix, based on the day was fading and the cool vermiculite, which looked as night was approaching so we made though the plants could not help our farewells until next month. but thrive. Not a weed was in sight.

Glush weed (Hygrophila costata) – a new and serious weed of the Russell River. Source: www.noosanativeplants.com.au

1 Named in ironic honour of the late John “Gary” Lush, who is reported to have released the species into the wild..

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 3 We drove to Babinda to inspect a adjoins a massive drain which was sufficiently to suppress weed site where WTBF are working, and formerly Niringa or Cope Creek, germination. An intriguing, and I paused for lunch at Rotary think very effective way to Park beside Babinda Creek. protect the young plants, was The park is at this time of the pinning of a square of year filled with travellers felt-like material about 30 cm from southern states square around the stem of escaping from winter. The each seedling. The site is park is a free camping, subject to flooding several Cairns Regional Council - times a year and these mats controlled area with coin should assist in anchoring the in the slot hot showers, plant. barbecues and a dump Another planting day is point, popular for most of planned for sometime in the year. The track to the Hessian felt pinned to the ground with wire - a August and I look forward to planting area involved clever way to protect new seedlings from attending on the day. Details some unmade road and frequent floods along the lower Babinda Creek. can be obtained by emailing sodden ground so we car- [email protected] . pooled into 4WD vehicles flowing from Miriwinni and for the short trip. Fortunately, the entering Babinda Creek shortly passing showers were light and before its junction with the Russell Jaragun Nursery brief and anyway, what would River. The confluence of the three Babinda be without a bit of rain? Species List streams results in frequent We donned light raincoats and Archonthophoenix alexandrae flooding of the bridge to East (Alexandra palm) soldiered on. Russell after only moderate rain. Beilschmiedia tooram (Tooram walnut) Preparations for planting had Castanospermum australe included clearing and poisoning a (black bean) rampant covering of Singapore Cerbera floribunda2 Daisy which had formed an (cassowary plum) Cerbera inflata impenetrable low mass on the (cassowary plum) ground. A good attendance of Endiandra montana volunteer planters put in over (coach walnut) 1 000 seedlings on the day. Our Garcinia warrenii visit was just 16 days later and so (native mangosteen) far almost all plants are surviving. Nauclea orientalis (Leichhardt tree) Weed regrowth in this area is Liz Owen and Dennis Ah Kee at Phaleria clerodendrum phenomenal, as I know from my Jaragun's Babind Creek (scented daphne) own experience at home nearby, rehabilitation site. Pleiogynium timorense and the wide spacing of plants will (Burdekin plum) Sterculia quadrifida (peanut tree) World Environment Day, 5 June Syzygium hemilamprum last, was chosen by WTBF for an (satinash) extensive re-planting of a degraded Syzygium tierneyanum creekbank area to link two (river cherry) remnant pieces of natural forest – an Alexandra Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) scrub and a swampy Leichhardt dominated (Nauclea orientalis) 2 How to tell these two species area. Before the 1970’s this area The beautiful fruits of Helicia apart at seedling stage? The was variously known as Babinda nortoniana seedling leaves of C. floribunda Swamp or the 47 Swamp. It was necessitate a lot of weed control are bullate, or textured like drained for cane planting and before the area canopies they're quilted; the seedling leaves of C. inflata are flat.

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 4 Inside a tiny fragment of remnant feather palm forest on lower Babinda Creek.

Calamus radicalis Lower Babinda (vicious hairy mary) fasciculiflora (northern white beech) Creek – Rainforest CYPERACEAE Faradaya splendida Thoracostachym sumatranum remnant species list (potato vine) FLAGELLARIACEAE Ferns and fern allies LECYTHIDIACEAE Flagellaria indica Barringtonia racemosa (supplejack) POLYPODIACEAE (freshwater mangrove or Pyrrosia longifolia ORCHIDACEAE cassowary pine) (felt fern) Dendrobium teretifolium MORACEAE (rat's tail orchid) WOODSIACEAE Ficus benjamina Diplazium deitrichianum (Benjamin fig) Ficus congesta Basal angiosperms (red-leaf fig) *Hygrophila costata (glush weed) LAURACEAE Ristantia pachysperma Beilschmiedia obtusifolia (blush walnut) Ichnocarpus frutescens PROTEACEAE Helicia nortoniana Monocots ASTERACEAE Sphagneticola trilobata RUBIACEAE (Singpore daisy) Atractocarpus fitzalanii *Dieffenbachia picta (brown gardenia) (dumb cane) CLUSIACEAE RUTACEAE *Syngonium podophyllum Garcinia warrenii Melicope elleryana (arriwgead vube) (native mangosteen) (pink euodia) COMBRETACEAE SAPINDACEAE ARECACEAE Terminalia microcarpa Toechima erythrocarpum Archontophoenix alexandrae (damson) (Alexandra palm) CUCURBITACEAE Calamus australis Trichosanthes pentaphylla VITACEAE (lawyer cane or hairy mary) Cissus hastata Calamus moti EUPHORBIACEAE Leea novoguineense (yellow lawyer cane) Macaranga tanarius (bandicoot berry) (macaranga)

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 5 BEAUTIFUL PLANTS OF THE WET TROPICS

Lomandra – the mat rushes One of the most widely planted native garden plants are the mat rushes, or Lomandra. These are a group of hardy, grass-like plants that seem to thrive on neglect. Over the years, the family placement of Lomandra has been uncertain – it now sits in the family . The recognises 50 species of Lomandra in Australia, with seven or eight of these occurring in the Wet Tropics. I'll focus on four of the most common species here. Two of these species, Lomandra hystrix and are widely planted, but quite difficult to distinguish to the untrained eye. However, there are other species that are appealing in their own way and worthy of cultivation. Lomandra banksii Straggly . Grows on coastal sands from Cowley Beach north. Grows from seed. An unusual and distinctive species, worthy of a native garden.

Lomandra filiformis Tufted growth form (i.e. all leaves originate from a central, basal stem), similar in habit to mondo grass. Leaves 0.5 – 4 mm wide, often rolled. Tip of leaf usually with 2-3 tiny teeth.

Lomandra hystrix Robust tufted growth form, with many leaves. Grows in rainforest near streams. Leaves flat, thin, 5 – 10.5 mm wide; 2-4 small teeth a couple of cm from the leaf tip. Inflorescences branched. Flowers fragrant – like port wine. Branches arise at nodes along the inflorescence stem – usually four branches at each node. Spine-like associated with branches 2-9.5 cm long.

Lomandra longifolia Robust tufted growth form, with many leaves. Grows in a variety of habitats, including open woodlands and sunny locations. Leaves flat or slightly () - shaped, 4.5-7.5 cm wide. Leaf apex with 2-3 teeth, the middle one larger. Inflorescence branched. Branches arise at nodes along the inflorescence stem – usually 2 branches per node. Spine- like bracts associated with the branches. Tablelands Townsville Branch WHAT'S Branch Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, February to November, in Meetings on the 4th Wednesday Annandale Community Centre at 8pm, HAPPENING of the month. and holds excursions the following Excursion the following Sunday. Sunday. Cairns Branch Any queries, please contact See www.sgaptownsville.org.au/ for Meetings and excursions on the Chris Jaminon on 4091 4565 or rd more information. 3 Sunday of the month. email [email protected] Sunday 16 August 2015 Gillies Range Lookout at the top To Cairns of Robson's Track - a Tablelands destination. To get there... 1. Drive up the Gillies Range. 2. About 1 km past the top of the range, turn right on to Boar Pocket Road - it's the first right turn, and is the road that takes you to Cathedral Fig. Cathedral Fig 3. Continue down this road towards Cathedral Fig. A little before you get to Cathedral Fig, a clearly signposted gravel track takes you down to the Gillies Lookout. You may have to go through a gate at the start of the track. 4. Be there at 12 noon on Sunday 16 August! Sunday 20 September 2015 To be advised.

To Atherton

SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 7