Carniflora Australis Journal of the Australasian Carnivorous Plant Society Inc. Number 4, October 2004 32 ISSN 1448-9570 PRICE $5.00 Free with Membership Subscription submersible pump housed in a large create a bio mass that, with the help All members, single, family and overseas $AU25.00 fiberglass pit that is connected by a of an inline sand filter, will dupli- 100mm PVC pipe to the bottom cate the Sphagnum bogs ability to Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Australasian pond. Water will continuously cir- purify water. A secondary advan- Carnivorous Plant Society Inc. Membership and correspondence culate through the system via a net- tage will be the ability of this sys- should be forwarded to the Secretary at work of pressurized soaker hoses tem to cool the water. The heating running along the contours of the up of water in the ponds is one of Riparian. The filtered water will the reasons for the failure of the www.carniflora.com gravitate through the Riparian and original Sphagnum bog. Shade PO BOX 4009 ponds, being drawn into the pit via from the vegetation will also help a deep, clear pool. All ponds have to minimize heat build-up in the Kingsway West NSW 2208 (Australia) valves that can be drained individu- medium. Meeting are held on the second Friday of each month ally and sectors of soaker hose can Time: 7.30pm—10.00pm also be turned off. The carnivorous The placing of a Riparian zone in Venue: Woodstock Community Centre pond can be isolated from the rest the design will duplicate nutrient Church St, Burwood of the system. depleted growing conditions as seen on sandstone. These condi- Contents The growing medium for this pro- tions will restrict and stunt growth Front Page: Nepenthes reinwardtiana Photo by Greg Bourke ject needed to produce acidic and in these plants that would otherwise Back Page: A typical European bog. Habitat of Drosera anglica (inset). nutrient free conditions. The Gar- outgrow this area if planted on the Photos by Helmut Kibellis dens’ policy of not supporting the Gardens’ rich basaltic soils. Title Author Page extraction of peat moss due to envi- ronmental sustainability issues, Three viewing areas will allow for The final Leg Greg Bourke 4 meant that we would need to find a various interpretation fixtures. Two suitable replacement material. Co- of these platforms can be wheel- A Novel Method for the Cultivation of William “Tamlin” 11 conut coir was found to be an ex- chair accessed. The bottom viewing Drosera regia and Drosera graminifo- Dawnstar cellent substitute and when used in area will incorporate a dripping lia the system should hold its structure. rock ledge that can be viewed Coarse sand was incorporated into close-up. My Journal of Carnivorous Plants in Helmut Kibellis 19 the coconut coir at a rate of 3:1. A South Germany series of pH tests were performed This compact thematic plan with Byblis liniflora the northern rainbow Robert Gibson 24 with the ph slowly reduced to 6.5. its multi faceted features has the plant When plants are established and the potential to be the ‘jewel’ of the Mt system balanced the pH will, in Tomah Botanic Gardens, providing turn, reduce further. both individual snippets of wonder- The Sphagnum Bog: A brief construc- Michael Carle 30 ment which when in combination, tion overview The ponds and Riparian Zone will educate and tell a story. 2 31 The Sphagnum Bog: A brief construction UPCOMING SPEAKERS AND EVENTS FOR 2003/2004 overview Month Subject Speaker/co-ordinator Michael Carle October 12th Trigger plants Greg Bourke After a long consultation and re- help visitors understand and appre- search period to find a model that ciate the complexities of hanging would both serve in an aesthetic swamps and bogs. November 28th Christmas swap meet Kirstie Wulfe and educational form, the recon- struction and refurbishment of the In an attempt to eradicate the intro- January 8-9 Display at the Royal Bo- Peter Biddlecombe Sphagnum Bog at Mt Tomah Bo- duced Equisetium, the existing bog tanic Gardens tanic Gardens commenced. was drained, some plants removed for later use and then a considerable February 19-27 Display, sales and talks at Greg Bourke An interpretation of an Upper Blue attempt made to remove it. the Mount Tomah Botanic Mountains hanging swamp with a Gardens Riparian Zone was the inspiration With the threat of further infesta- for the project, a project which will tion a waterproof membrane was also incorporate a Carnivorous sec- chosen. The liner not only covered Committee 2004 tion. the areas of the 3 ponds but also encompassed the Riparian Area. A President: Peter Biddlecombe Wetland areas have always been layer of sand covered the excavated considered unproductive and man area to reduce the possibility of the Vice President: Kirstie Wulfe has endeavoured to make them pro- liner being punctured. A geo- ductive by draining them. We now textile mat was placed both under Secretary: Jessica Biddlecombe know how important swamps are. and on top of the liner. The top They hold water in reserve during matting will aid in the flow of water Treasurer: Steve Moyle drought, polish our drinking water and stop the potential threat of soil and significantly reduce erosion medium slippage. Web Design: Chris McClellan downstream. Little known and ap- Librarian: Kirstie Wulfe preciated, due to ignorance, sphag- The Riparian Zone was terraced num bogs are a wealth of biodiver- and contoured to produce flat areas Seed Bank: Helmut Kibellis sity and fascination. that would support both large basalt rocks, some up to 2 tonne, and also Events/Publicity: Louis Mendeta, Brendan Walker This design will allow for the dis- help to reduce the slippage of the play of a varied range of plants that medium. Editors: Greg Bourke, Dr. Chris Schell will both inspire and educate. The mechanics of its workings will also The system uses a solar powered 30 3 References: The Final Leg Greg Bourke Australian Virtual Herbarium Website (Accessed 30 March 2004). Erickson, R. (1968). Plants of Prey in Australia. University of Western Australia E-Mail: [email protected] Press, Perth, pp. 94. Sarawak is the larger of the two the bats fly out in swarms and make Hartmeyer, S. (1997). Carnivory in Byblis Revisited - A Simple Method for Enzyme Malaysian states in Borneo. Run- their way into the surrounding jun- Testing on Carnivorous Plants. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 26: 39-45. Lowrie, A. (2002) A Revision of Byblis (Byblidaceae) in south-western Australia. ning approximately 700km along gle to feed. This site was incredible. Nuytsia 15: 11-19. the northern side of Borneo and Clearwater cave is another interest- Lowrie, A. and Conran, J. (1998). A taxonomic revision of the genus Byblis inland some 250km this state is ing cave with a river running (Byblidaceae) in northern Australia. Nuytsia 12: 59-74. home to a diverse range of plants through it. Other attractions include Lowrie, A. (1998). Carnivorous Plants of Australia: Volume 3. University of West and animals. In recent years it has climbing Gunung Api, and the Pin- ern Australia Press, Perth, pp. 288. attracted some attention from Ne- nacles (limestone structures). Schnell, D. (1995). Heliamphora: The nature of its nurture. Carnivorous Plant penthes enthusiasts seeking new Newsletter 24: 40-42. species in the highland areas near Due to the lack of time we opted to van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (1953). Byblidaceae in Flora Malesiana 4, series I, p 135. the Kalimantan (Indonesian) bor- explore the lowland areas in search Studnika, M. (1994). Byblis – a Botanical Problem Once Again. Carnivorous Plant der. There are only a handful of of Nepenthes ampullaria, bical- Newsletter 23: 93-95. mountains over 2000m so speci- carata, rafflesiana, and veitchii. To ation in Sarawak is relatively low. get to the peat swamp forest where The time Richard Riles and I had these species grow we had to make PLANTS WITH BITE BOTANICAL allowed for this final leg was rela- our way up river for a few kilome- tively short but we were still able to tres by long boat then walk a fur- ILLUSTRATION COURSE see 12 species and two natural hy- ther 8 km to camp. We were lucky brids. that there was a good flow in the river allowing us to make it so far Saturday 12 and Sunday 13th of February, 2005 From Kota Kinibalu we flew into by boat. There were some places Miri, a small city in the north. From we had to get out and push but the Cost: $160 for the weekend course here we transferred to an 18 seater cool water was welcome relief from plane and headed inland to Gunung the lowland heat. Time: 10am—4pm. Bookings 4567 3014 Mulu National Park. This is one of the most famous National Parks in Our guide showed us various edi- Learn the tricks to capturing carnivorous plants on paper. This course Sarawak as it contains some spec- ble plants along the way including a is suited to beginners through to the experienced artists. Acclaimed tacular caves. Deer cave and the small black berry that tasted like botanical artists, Barbara Duckworth and Marion Westmacott will adjoining Lang’s cave are the larg- sherbet. The only downside was lead the class covering both drawing and painting techniques. est cave system in the world. The that the seeds were deadly if swal- opening to Deer cave is also the lowed! We were also lucky to see a Mount Tomah Botanic Garden largest in the world and is home to Flying Squirrel, the giant Helmeted millions of Free-tailed bats.