By Botanist Greg Kighery

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Blutt Knoll,the highestpoint ol the StirlingRange and homeof Darwiniasquaffosa and Darwinia collina.

by Botanist Gregkighery

It was one of the more rewardingmoments of my many visits to the Stirling Rangewhen in September 1981after a long, har4 wet climb I first saw,in full flower on Mt Success,a previouslyunknown species of mountain bell.

' The Stirling Range,rising to flowering plants,including 6o work began to otrtain more a height of over 1,OOOmetres, is that occur nowhere else. information about the total the nearestapproximation to a As a scientistI have been flora of the range,with special mountain rangethat the associatedwith the range since attention being paid to the subdued topography of Western 1977 when I first became mountain bells.The results of Australiahas produced.Now interestedin the lovely and seven years' work are now to enclosedin a magnificent varied plants,mountain bells hand, revealinga fascinating National Park, the range is (Danoiniaspecies\. At this time history and descriptionof the home to almost 1,OOOspecies of their nameswere confused,so DanDiniasn this region. -

P o This unnamedDarw,nla species ditfers Irom Darwiniasquarosa (opposite)in thatthe bractsare slightly more red in colour,and the flowersprotrude. Thrs is the only bell confined to a single peak.

All of the mountain bells genus,a member of the Ruta- belong to the genus Dararinia ceae family, has pale yellow, (named after Erasmus Darwin, slender bells and is endemic to grandfather of Charles Darwin). the range. It can be distin- The genus is a member of the guished from Datwiniosin family Myrtaceae, and is closely having a solitary flower per bell, related to the Ceraldton waxes and in flowering in autumn and (Chamelaucium), Albany swamp early winter, not spring and daisy (Adinodium)and the feather early summer. All speciesof flowers (Verlicordid.The genus Danoinin atlract birds who feed b Danoiniain Western Australia is on the nectar produced by the comprised of approximately 60 plant and who pollinate the species(about 1,5-20 are flowers. Muiriantha is also E unnamed),and can be divided pollinated by honey-eating birds into several very discreet and has probably mimicked the The talse bell, Muiriantha hassellii sections. One of these sections shape of the Daruinitrsin order mimics the Darwinia torm. However the bell is actuallya single flower, contains the mountain bells and to attract pollinaters. unlikethe bellof the Da.wfla whichis the very rare Donuiniocarnea, Ihe The distribution of each composedof flower-like leavescalled only member of the group speciesof mountain bell is bracts. found outside the Stirling shown in the accompanying Ranges. map. One popular misconcep- Close-up tion is that the bells are con- fined to particularpeaks. This is The bell of the Daruinie is in not generally true, although fact a cluster of flowers that most occur within well defined hang down and are enclosedby regions, either upon several colourful petalJike leaves peaks or in the valleys between referred to as bracts. One plant them. Always they occur above frequently mistaken as a Dal- the 300 metre contour level, winia is Muiri,tnthahassellii, This and on acid sandy clay soil.

Figurc1 0islribution0I DanrviniaSpecies in theStirling Range National park

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Darwiniameebotdii E Darwiniasquarrosa Eil Darwiniamacrostegia Darwinialejostyla Bunbury Darw!niaoxylepis Darwiniawittwororum Darwiniahypericifolia Darwiniacollina N Darwinia speciesnova NationalPark E

The simplestway to consider western margin of the range. forms be preserved, as the each speciesis to discussthem Originally this specieswas Hamilla Hills form is the Cran- in a geographicalsequence from thought to be confined to brook emblem and is characrer- the driest area (Cranbrook) to Donnelly Peak, but our sub- istic of this group of mountain the wettest (Bluff - Knoll sequent searcheshave failed to bells. East). The first bell encountered locate it on this peak There are The second speciesis Gill- is the Cranbrook bell (Dsnoinia two distinct colour forms, the ham's bell, (Danoiniaoxyleptst, meeboldii)which is the emblem of yellowish Hamilla Hills form long considereda form of the Cranbrook Shire and occurs and the paler Western Stirlings Donoiniolejostyla, but always on the Hamilla Hills and the far form. It is important that both considereddistinct by longtime Cranbrook resident Alf Gillham. Our studiesshow it to be deserving of separate species status,and we then discovered that JamesDrummond had collectedit on his visit to the range in 1848.His material had been described as a speciesof Cenetyllisby Russian botanist Turczaninow in 1852,and subsequentlyignored by English and Australian botantists. However, the original name has now been resurrected as this speciesis considered to be closely related lo Dnrutinin neeboldii.not D. leiostyla.lt is confined to lowland regions rather than the peaksof the Stirlings.

B Darwinia meeboldii is the emblem of the Cranbrook Shire and shows the characteristicbe shape of the O specres.

5 The third speciesencountered In the central part of the is the tulip darwinia or the range grows the lowland Mondurup bell (Danoinismacro- species,D anoinio wiI lwer or um, slegia),a plant with an untidy named after Ernst and the late straggling habit, but with large Magda Wittwer. This is a small bells showing red veins that erect shrub, which occurs on may vary from almost white to only a few sites in the central nearly pure red. In Europe Stirlings,and can be easily its almost during the nineteenth century distinguished by small this specieswas widely cultivat- closed bells, tinged red at the previously ed from seedssent back by base. It too was placedin Dnnoinialejoslyln. JamesDrummond, but ii is rarely grown now. Dnruininma- On all larger peaks of the crostegioprefers high wet slopes central Stirlings, one finds the of the larger western peaks. widespread Dnrwiniahypericifolin. Closely related to Daruinia. mocrostegia.it shares the same scrambling habii, but differs in Darwinia wittwerorum was named having narrow few-flowered Wittwerin 1981. afterErnst and lvlagda heads covered by pure red Notethat the bell structureis rounder than most other mountainbells. bracts. Finally, just before the high eastern peaks, Danoinialejostyla (note: Iejostylanot lerbsfyln)can be found, west of Chester Pass on Mt Trio and Tolls Peak. This is the second widespread sPecies,

The Mondurup bell, Darwinia macrostegia. This bell was most lrequently grown in nineteenth- century Europe from seeds sent to Londonby JamesDrummond in 1850. It gainedthe nametulip bell because of the resemblanceof the bracts to a variegatedtulip flower.

Belaw: Datwi nia oxy lepis growin g beautifully on the slopesnear the easternend of the StirlingRange National Park

3 = o Figure2 and the only one that crosses ChesterPass. Danoinia lejostyla has two distinct forms, a montane form with long, bright pink bracts,and a valley form, with upturned lighi pink spreadingbracts (known only to occur in the valleysbelow Bluff Coloured brocis Knoll). Our studiesindicate that thesetwo forms should be Brqcts recognizedas separatesub- speciesof Darwinialejoslyk. James Drummond found the valley form during his visit to the range, then climbinghigher he Nole f ound Dntwinia sq ua nosa, individuol However, sincehe normally z f lowers found only one bell per peakon A Typicol MountoinBell Showrnq Clusterof Flowers Surrounded Hong-ing the western hills he did not by Brocts climb further. Hencehe never saw the montaneform of Dnnoiniolejwtyla, nor Darwinin rollira,which was not named until the late 1920s.

Righland Betow: Darwinia hyperificolia occurs on Mt Hasseiland other peaks in the central part of the Stirling Range National Park.

. .9 I The other mountain bells are all confined to the high, wet eastern peaks. Darwiniasquarrosa occurs generally at lower levels than Danoiniarollifla which is confined to the high plateau. The two speciesdo not norm- ally occur together. Dnrwinia squarrosadescends the wetter valleys and, for example, occurs in a very localized position just above the waterfall on Bluff Knoll. This specieswith its fringed leaves and pink bracts is very distinctive. Darwiniacollina (aptly named in Latin as "dweller on hills'l is the most spectacularspecies of all the bells. In placeswhere the soils - are very shallow it grows as a dense shrub covered in large lemonlime bells (they are often P tinged with red o on Bluff Knoll The valley form ol Darwinia leiostyla was once con- and Coyanerup Peak). fusedwith membersof the genusGenetylrs but has The final species,discovered now beenconfirmed as a Darwlnla.Note the beautitul on Mt Successin 1981 and pink colour ol the bracts. currently unnamed, is probably the rarest mountain bell. It is Belaw The mountain form ot Darwinia teiostyla.This bell is probablythe most commonlyencountered by touristswho climb the peaks arouid Chester Pass{especially Blufi Knoll).

z. I o closely related to Darwinict squarosabut differs in having a smaller bell, short red bracts and a scrambling habit (see photo on page 4). New Discoveries One final point of interest to note in the mountain bells is the presence of interspecific hybrids. As can be seen from the distribution map and notes on each species,the bells rarely occur together, being separated either geographically or altitud- inally. ln caseswhere two speciesdo meet, hybrids can be found. So far, two hybridizing - populations are known, Dnraririn ollina x Darwinia lejoslyln,and the P unnamed specieshybridizing o with Dnrwinia leiostyls.The latter Darwiniacollina occurs high in the range,in thevicinity of Ellens hybrid is a very attractive plant, Peakand Coyanerup. lts almost translucent colour and protusion and the population is one of the makethis one of the mostsoeclacular of the mountainbells. largest naturally hybridizing populations of wildflower known in Western Australia.

Belaw: Ranger Martin Loyd shows one oflhe Darwinia witterorum plants growing in the StirlingRange National Park.

3 o The delight of working in the range, apart from the scenery and the flowers, is that one is able to make new and exciting discoverieseven on well trodden territory. As an example,while climbing Tolls Peak to check flowering of the only bell recordedon this peak for a visit by a group of overseasbotanists in 1984, we discoveredthree hybrids between Dnruinin lcyostylaand, Doruinin hypericifolia.These phantom hybrids, in a large populationof normal DanoiniaIe- lejoslyla,were found on or near a track on a deep valley opposite Mt Hassell (where Drrrroinia hyptritif olin grows). Apparently birds vjsit Daru:iniahyperitifolio on Mt Hassell,then fly acrossthe intervening valley floor, up the gully and into the Dnnoinrn lejostylnpopulation to feed. Along the track edgesthe hybrids can grow and survive. This sort of hybrid has only been document- ed in the genus Dnruirin in this area in Western Australia. Who knows what other unusual and exciting discoveries This phantomhybrid was lound on Tolls Peak.lt is a await us cross between Darwinia lejostyla and Darwiniahype- with the mountain bells of the ricitolia. Stirling Range?

I would like to aclonwledgethat the work undertakm in the Stirling Belaw Rmge National Park was, lor a This lovelyhybrid is a cross betweenthe unnamed number of years, a tt-operatioe effort species and Darwinia lejostyla. lt is currently being hefusemmyself and Dr Nmille prove good garden cultivatedand should a very plant. Marthant the Western Beinga hybrid,this plantgrows easily from cuttings. from Aushaliqn Herbqium.

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10 Landscope vorumelJune1e85

Contents Minister'sMessage

WesternAustralia's land is amongthe most ancientin the world,and becauseof our RediscoveringMountain Bells isolationand climate,much of our flora and tauna - GregKei9 he ry...... paoe is unique evidencedby the 80OO 3 planl speciesthat are indiqenousto lhis State. The WesternAustralian Governmenr nas a responsibilityto protectour uniquelandscape Torour currentuse and, in particular,for the The HamersleyRange - useof futuregenerations a photographicessay To help us achieveour objectivethe Government Clitt Winfie1d...... paoe hasamalgamated the Forests 11 Department,the Nationalparks Authority and the WildlifeBranch of the Departmentof Fisheriesand Witdlifeto form the Department of Conservationand Land Management. The new Departmentwill co-ordinatethe The Lane-PooleJarrah Reserve functionsof its predecessorsand will utilize the combinedresources at its WayneSchmidt and disposalto encourageeffective and lastingland Peter Kimber...... page19 managementpractices in WesternAustralia. To operateeffectively the Departmentof Conservationand Land i,4anagementwill encouragepublic participation jn its operataonsand at the sametjme will keepthe TheSearch for the Western Brisilebird publicinformed of jts practices. The publicatron - Ma l c o l m Ta y 1 o r...... paae29 . of lhis magazine Landscope- will play an importantrole in keepingthe publicand statf inlormedabout Editor: Marianneft. L. Lewis 8.A.. M.A.(Hons). the valuablescientific work beinq Assistant carriedout Editor: Helen K. Bradbury B.A., l\r.phit. in WesternAustralia by the Designer:Trish Rvder DepJrtmenr. The publication All maps by Departmentof Conservationand Land Manage_ of this,the first issueof ment Mapping S€ction. Landscope,indicates the successthat can be Page preparationTvpoqraphix-perth achievedthrough the combinedefforts of Offset ptatesbv phototithd-pM. peoplewho werepreviously employed by the amalgamated Printedjn.Western Australia by the Government printing Departments. Ofiice ISSN 0815-4465 I commendthem on the successof this magazrne Articles.inthis publicationmay be lulty reprinted_ wrth and I look forwardto reading acknowtedgement. except in lhe case of commercial futureeditions. promotion matedal,when permissionrnust be obtained. The Departmentof Conservationand Land Manaqement acknowledgeslhe cont butionby Dr lonn Snarptrim,ttre Associale Director of AcademrcAlfatrs at the Western Austral.ianInstitute ol Technology.In the preparaionof rnrspuotcalron Ron Davies Minisler tor Conservationand Fronl Cover land Management WesternAustralia