BUDAWANGIA* AN E-NEWSLETTER FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE NATIVE PLANTS OF THE NSW SOUTH COAST Contact: Dr Kevin Mills – [email protected] No. 33 - December 2014 Aims: To connect those interested in the native flora of the NSW South Coast, to share up to date information on the flora of the region and to broaden the appreciation of the region’s native plants. Editorial The month of December started off quite wet; we had more rain in the first two days than all of November; the rain kept coming in passing storms for most of the month up until the weekend before Christmas. The weather alternated between hot and humid days to stormy afternoons and nights. Certainly, the plants in my garden are responding accordingly and the bush is looking pretty good with all the spring/summer growth. This Christmas issue contains an assortment of pieces, including an article on some small local epiphytic rainforest orchids and a note on those stone walls one sometimes finds in the local forests. Also inside are last month‟s mystery weed answered, a piece on an unusual parasitic weed, another plant of the month and wetland plant no. 9. This edition also has an extra two pages, upon which I describe a walk along the Kiama Coast Track, one of the best coastal walks you will find; I recommend it over the coming holiday season. Merry Christmas I wish all readers a happy and safe Christmas and New Year and look forward to hearing from you next year. Cooksonia, a genus of five fossil species, is considered to be the oldest known plants to have a stem with vascular tissue, i.e. a vascular plant. A vascular plant is one that possesses a well-developed system of conducting tissue to transport water, minerals and sugars. The fossils, mainly in Britain from around 400 million years ago, were first discovered and recognised as recently as 1937. I would be pleased to receive appropriate articles, however small, on interesting observations, new discoveries, plant name changes, etc., up to two A4 pages, including some photographs. Deadline is one week before end of month. Make it a New Year’s resolution to send in something next year! Kevin Mills, Jamberoo, NSW. Tel. 02 4236 0620 All photographs ©Kevin Mills 2014, unless otherwise stated. * Budawangia is a monotypic, endemic genus restricted to the Budawang Range on the western edge of the South Coast region. The genus was named by Telford in 1992; the species Budawangia gnidioides (Ericaceae) was previously Rupicola gnidioides. Page | 1 Local epiphytic orchids Careful inspection of rocks and tree trunks in and near rainforest may discover one of the tiny epiphytic orchids to be found in such places. Two species of Bulbophyllum are quite common in the region, namely Autumn Bulbophyllum B. exiguum (syn. Adelopetalum exiguum) and Wheat-leaved Orchid B. shepherdii (syn. Oxysepala shepherdii). Both species have been renamed and placed in new and separate genera (the synonyms provided above), but these names are not universally accepted by all plant taxonomists. Above. Flowers and leaves of B. shepherdii. Right. The rough-barked trunk of an Ironwood tree Backhousia myrtifolia covered in B. shepherdii. Photographs taken near Belmore Falls. Right. The tiny leaves, pseudobulbs and flowers of B. exiguum. A single leaf is produced on each small „bulb‟, which are joined by a thin rhizome. A third species of Bulbophyllum, Red Bead Orchid B. minutissimum (syn. Oncophyllum minutissimum), is extremely rare on the South Coast and there are only a couple of records, one from the Milton area where it is at its most southern known limit of distribution. Page | 2 Mystery Weed Answered Last month‟s weed is Small-flowered Catchfly Silene gallica (Caryophyllaceae). There are about 700 species in this genus, with twelve species that are introduced to Australia. S. gallica seems to be the most common locally. This species is native to Eurasia and North Africa. Some species are utilised as garden plants. Orobanche minor – a parasitic exotic herb The Common Broomrape Orobanche minor (Scrophulariaceae) is a native of Europe and is introduced to Australia. The species is widespread in the country and grows in many different environments. The species produces an erect stem from an underground tuber, leaves that are scale like and is only seen when flowering in spring-summer. The plant is generally a brown colour and is not photosynthetic, but parasitises the roots of other plants, particularly those in the Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Large populations cause concern when growing in agricultural crops. A native species, Orobanche cernua, occurs in far western NSW. Above. Inflorescence of Orobanche minor, showing the generally brownish plant with whitish-purple flowers. Right. Specimen of O. minor after digging it up; note tuberous base to stem, scale like brown leaves and lack of green parts. Photographs: Jamberoo, September 2014. Page | 3 Mystery of the stone walls Many years ago I was contacted by the Illawarra Mercury after someone reported Aboriginal stone arrangements in the rainforest near Robertson. I was certain of what they were referring to as the reporter drove me to the site, and they had nothing do with Aboriginal activity. Despite often being present in well developed forest, the walls and piles of rocks seen in the Jamberoo Valley and around the highlands were once in farmland, or at least in semi- cleared forest. The forest around these features is often composed of small diameter trunked trees and/or multi-stemmed trees, the latter a result of cutting down the trees but not following up with clearing the sucker shoots. The constructions had a dual purpose; rocks were moved from the land to facilitate farming, while useful fences could be constructed. Many stone wall fences can still be seen across farmland on the hills behind Kiama. Photographs were taken in the Minnamurra Rainforest valley, September 2014. Plant of the month – Solanum celatum Solanum celatum (Solanaceae), one of many native and exotic Solanum species in the region, is the only one listed as a threatened species. Described by Queensland botanist Tony Bean in 2001, the species is only found from Wollongong south to the Nowra area. The Type specimen comes from Yellow Rock near Albion Park and was collected by E. J. McBarron in 1967. The specific epithet, meaning „concealed‟, is in reference to the author‟s difficulty in finding this species in the field. Recently, several populations have been found in Kangaroo Valley, where the accompanying photographs were taken in September 2014. Care is required in differentiating this species from other species in the group, such as Solanum silvestre, which occurs on the southern edge of the range of S. celatum. I would be interested in examining any specimens of similar looking plants from the above area. Page | 4 Above. Flower and leaves of Solanum celatum. Left. Shrub of Solanum celatum. Wetland Plants No. 9 - Cotula coronopifolia The distinctive yellow flower heads of the introduced Water Buttons Cotula coronopifolia (Asteraceae) is a common sight on coastal wetlands, including saline estuaries. The species is widespread and is sometimes considered to be native, although PlantNet states that it is native to South Africa. This species is widespread throughout NSW and occurs in most Australian states. The compound flower head of C. coronopifolia. The prostrate, sprawling habit of C. coronopifolia. Cordyline stricta follow-up Garry (North Nowra) sent in the following after last month‟s note on Cordyline stricta. “I was very interested to read that Cordyline stricta was located at Minnamurra. I suspect that this plant has naturalised as you state that you found just one individual. I located huge plants along the northern Illawarra escarpment some 35 years ago that were probably associated with a garden in a disused coal mine. I have also noticed that the species has naturalised on our place as consequence of my plantings. I would say they are a part of the anthropocene. A good one to record.” Page | 5 DAIRY FARMS TO MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION THE KIAMA COAST WALKING TRACK Kevin Mills The rugged coast between the Minnamurra River in the north and Gerroa in the south is unique in New South Wales. High cliffs and broad rock platforms at sea level along these 22 kilometres of coastline reflect the volcanic origin of the underlying rocks. The scenery of this district was formed by successive volcanic eruptions from large volcanoes located somewhere offshore and subsequent weathering from around 250 million years ago. The rocks on this part of the coast are called the Blow Hole Latite, a volcanic flow like basalt, and the underlying Westley Park Sandstone, formed of particles of weathered volcanic rock. The famous Kiama blow hole to the north, discovered by explorer George Bass in December 1797 while exploring the coast south of Sydney, is formed in this latite rock. A long period of erosion cut valleys into the sequence of volcanic flows and intervening sandstones to produce the typical Kiama landscape we see today. The most spectacular scenery is to be seen along the coast, where vertical cliffs up to nearly 40 metres high fall directly into the sea. Glimpses of this coast can be seen from the highway, high above to the west; there is now an opportunity to get up close to this marvellous coastal scenery. Thanks to the efforts of Kiama Council and land purchases by the NSW Government, much of this coast is now available to the public, the most southern section, known as the Kiama coast walk, is a well defined walking track with signposts and information plaques. The walk has become very popular with locals and visitors alike since it opened in late 2009.