Newsletter SGAP Cairns September 2013 Society for Growing Australian , Cairns Branch

Botanic this issue Gardens

Jahdo Freechild of Australian Raw Cacao will be speaking at the Cairns Botanic Gardens on Saturday 7 September at the new Visitors Centre. Entry price is $10, presentation commences 1:30 pm. More information at: australianrawqacao.com and the gardens’ website: www.cairns.qld.gov.au/cbg/ whats-on/events-calendar

Treeforce

By Don Lawie

Our run of perfect winter weather continued wit h a Out on the beach the above-tidal area was September Sunday 22nd – warm sunny day for the beach. We met in time for interlaced with many golden stems of the root Great Northern Clean Up a walk along the beach before lunch and wandered parasite Dodder Laurel ( Cassytha filiformis ). Day & AGM into the behind-dune vegetation. Beachfront What their host could be on the open beach is a The Far north’s version of houses are set well back and most occupiers have bit of a mystery –perhaps the plentiful beach ‘Cleanup Australia Day’. semi-cleared the vegetation, making an open vines Canavallia rosea or Ipomoea pes-caprae , The Great Northern Clean woodland glade. Retained trees are a mix of open which also covered much of the beach. An Up is aimed at providing an forest and rainforest, and most supported a variety intriguing little was Pineapple Sedge opportunity for the of epiphytes. An old Melaleuca leucadendra had a (Cyperus pedunculatus ), which look very similar communities within the good variety of ferns: Asplenium australasicum (or to the Bromeliad Tillandsia cyanea , and may northern parts of Australia so we decided from the midrib showing strongly have some use as a potted specimen. Small to participate in the Clean beneath the frond), associated with a Ribbon Fern seedlings of the exotic weed Pond Apple Up Australia experience at a (Vittaria elongata ), Drynaria rigidula ,and Pyrrosia (Annona glabra ) dotted an area doubtless as a time more suitable to the result of a fruit washing ashore. Many dried out tropical climate. longifolia. The Bramston area is noted for the profusion of Golden Orchids ( Dendrobium discolor ) seeds/fruits such as Looking Glass Mangrove This year’s cleanup will be at and we saw masses of blooms on specimens (Heritiera litoralis ), Cerbera sp., Calophyllum Lower Freshwater Creek (off probably emplaced by residents. A Noni tree inophyllum, Poison Laurel ( Cryptocarya Kamerunga Road, behind (Morinda citrifolia ) had a few knobbly compound pleurosperma ), and the Monkey Puzzle Nut the Freshwater train station). fruit which smell and taste of old cheese. These are (Xylocarpus sp.) littered the tide line. The herb Contact Treeforce on 0458 “Old People” medicine for coughs and colds – biflora , one of the plants collected 245 142 for more perhaps the taste is so bad that one dose effects a by Banks and Solander at Cooktown in 1770, information. psychological cure? The scrambling vine Vandasina also thrived at the top of the beach. retusa is also a feature of the area and contributed to the damage of the low behind-dune trees of North Bramston during recent cyclones. Today the vine is a healthy rampant green, showing off its beautiful purple pea shaped flowers. NEWS FROM THE ATH

Coming up in view of sea, sand and estuary that November, the I’ll August excursion a resort owner would kill for. Liz again be running the commented “I’ve just travelled Australian Tropical It was a good day for birding: Back on the road verge Stuart the world and look at this at our Herbarium’s Rainforest Three Beach Stone Curlews found a large patch of Herbert doorstep!” Plant ID courses. frolicked along the waterline, and River Cherry ( Antidesma bunius ) These courses are we almost stood on a pair of Bush presenting their juicy fruit to the Stuart had a super surprise for us Stone Curlews stretched out on world. Cooper says that on the way home: his eagle eyes designed to train the the ground leaf litter, their cryptic Antidesma is Cassowary tucker, had spotted some Pitcher Plants interested lay person in colouring and the dappled light and the small fruit bearing at this (Nepenthes mirabilis ) growing on the techniques of rendering them almost invisible. time of year when Cassowary the roadside. We found that they recognizing rainforest were disguised by masses of fern chicks hatch, would be a valuable plants. You’ll learn that (Dicranopteris linearis ) clothing an food resource for the young birds. recognizing rainforest exposed road cutting. These After lunch we drove to the Pitcher Plants are usually plants requires you to northern end of the road, waded associated with the Iron Range look, smell, touch, even the surprisingly deep North area of Cape York Peninsula taste a plant to identify Bramston Creek (no crocs visible hundreds of kilometres north of what it is. Recognising today!) and explored the ancient here. How did they arrive? There plant families is an rocks along the mangrove fringed was an extra bonus: Masses of the Pretending to be a stick - bush essential part of the shoreline. A steep granite tor rises day-flying moth Alcides zodiacus stone-curlew at Bramston Beach course. sheer from the beach and were hovering about a large

supports a strong population of emergent clump of Russell River The three-day course in trees, shrubs and epiphytes with a Vine Omphalea queenslandica November course will growing over some large trees behind the cutting. The vine is the be held at Paluma, moth’s host plant where they lay nestled the upland their eggs which eventually rainforests north of develop into the familiar large Townsville. Food and Bandy-Bandy moth which flies as dormitory style far as the Atherton Tablelands and accommodation will be after a few years returns to the supplied, but you will Russell-Mulgrave Valley to need to bring your own continue their life cycle. warming drinks. Omphalea fruit are large – bigger than a big grapefruit – and contain Only ten places are 3 -4 edible nuts which are good available for this course. Cassowary tucker. Stuart’s eagle More information on eyes spotted two of these fruits which we usually associate with price and dates can be the month of May. What a finish found at to the day. www.ath.org.au/JCUP RD1_069169.html We were pleased to welcome

Dave Barrow, whose knowledge Online enrolments are and enthusiasm promise to possible through enhance future outings. https://alumni.jcu.edu. au/PIC2013

Nepenthes mirabilis with red and green pitchers, clambering over Zodiac moth in flight roadside regrowth. 2

Few plants in the world can match the sinister beauty and carnivorous appetites of the pitcher plants. Their adaptations for acquiring nitrogen in their swampy, low nutrient natural habitats make them fascinating objects for study, and attractive features in a pot or hanging basket. By Stuart Worboys The genus Nepenthes is the sole genus in the family Nepenthaceae, with 85-90 species distributed across humid tropical Asia from Madagascar to New Caledonia. Two other groups of pitcher plants are known – Sarraceniaceae in North America, and Cephalotus in south-west Western Australia. Despite similarities in appearance and insectivorous behavior, these groups are not related – Cephalotus’ closest relatives are a family of Andean trees called Brunellia , whilst the kiwifruit family Actinidiceae is thought to be the closest group to the Sarracenias . Perhaps unsurprisingly, the tropical pitcher plants are most closely related to another carnivorous group – the sundews ( Drosera ). I should also say that some bromeliads also manage to trap Wild Nepenthes mirabilis with green pitchers. Male flowers and digest insects, but lack the shapely sophistication of true vine reaching 10 m tall. and females on separate plants. (such as peat moss or tree bark) pitchers. Seeds are wind-borne. for moisture retention and Leaves are broad and glossy, inorganic ingredients (such as Three species of Nepenthes are reaching 40 cm long and 8 cm N. mirabilis is widespread on pumice, perlite, or granite chips) now known to occur in wide, with a long tendril at their northern Cape York, where it for soil aeration. I Despite their Australia. The most tip. The tendril wraps around typically occurs in swamps and in reputation as being beasts of widespread and commonly nearby objects and uses them as thickets along creeklines. South ever-wet swamps, they are encountered of these is N. climbing supports. Some tendrils of Coen, it is only known from tolerant of occasional lapses in mirabilis. N. rowanae and the (not all!) produce at their tip an Yarrabah and Bramston Beach, watering. recently discovered N. tenax elongate cup-shape structure, the where populations are are confined to crocodile pitcher. The pitcher is patterned considered endangered and Don’t overfeed Nepenthes, lest habitat in the swamps of the with red and green, and with a protected by law. they stop producing pitchers! lower Jardine River, right at the glossy lip surrounding the Gary Sankowsky suggests a single top of Cape York. The story of opening (the peristome) and a Cultivation pellet of slow-release fertilizer in the explorations leading to red lid (operculum), which the pitchers every couple of their rediscovery by Rodney prevents rainwater from diluting Being a vine, pitcher plants make months. Kruger and Charles Clarke is the digestive fluids contained great hanging basket plants. A When stems get too long, or start somewhat hair-raising. within. suitable potting media for to die, cut them off near the Nepenthes should be well- base, making sure you retain a Description Flowers are produced at the end drained, slightly acidic, and poor few leaves. New stems will of the growing stem, in racemes in nutrients. A simple well- sprout from the base of the plant. Nepenthes mirabilis is a about 30 cm long. Flowers are balanced recipe can be made by small, red or green, with male compact shrub or non-woody mixing equal parts of organic 3 BRAMSTON BEACH SPECIES LIST GOODENIACEAE Scaevola taccada (beach lettuce) FERNS HEMEROCALLIDACEAE ASPLENIACEAE Dianella ?caerulea Asplenium australasicum (birds nest fern) LAURACEAE POLYPODIACEAE Cassytha filiformis (dodder laurel) Drynaria rigidula (basket fern) Cryptocarya cunninghamii (coconut laurel) Drynaria sparsisora Cryptocarya vulgaris (northern laurel) Platycerium hillii (elkhorn fern) Litsea fawcettiana (brown bollywood) Pyrrosia longifolia (felt fern) MYRTACEAE OPHIOGLOSSACEAE Corymbia intermedia (pink bloodwood) Ophioglossum pendulum Corymbia tessellaris (Moreton Bay Ash) Melaleuca leucadendra (weeping paperbark) PTERIDACEAE Rhodamnia macrocarpa Vittaria sp. (tape fern) Syzygium forte subsp. forte

FLOWERING PLANTS ORCHIDACEAE AMARYLLIDACEAE Dendrobium canaliculatum (tea tree orchid) Crinum pedunculatum (mangrove lily) Dendrobium discolor (golden orchid) Dendrobium smillieae (bottlebrush orchid) ANNONACEAE *Annona glabra (pond apple) PHYLLANTHACEAE Antidesma bunius (Herbert River cherry) ARALIACEAE Polyscias australianum (ivory basswood) Polyscias elegans (celerywood)

ASTERACEAE Melanthera biflora

BURSERACEAE Canarium australianum var. australianum (scrub turpentine)

COMBRETACEAE Terminalia arenicola Terminalia catappa (beach almond) Breynia stipitata (fart bush)

CYPERACEAE PITTOSPORACEAE Cyperus pedunculatus (pineapple sedge) Bursaria tenuifolia Gahnia aspera POLYGALACEAE EUPHORBIACEAE *Polygala paniculata Excoecaria agallocha (blind-your-eye mangrove) PROTEACEAE FABACEAE Grevillea baileyana Acacia crassicarpa Acacia flavescens RUBIACEAE Canavalia rosea (beach bean) Morinda citrifolia Cynometra iripa (wrinklepod mangrove) SAPINDACEAE Vandasina retusa Guioa acutifolia GENTIANACEAE Fagraea cambagei (porcelain fruit)

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CAIRNS SGAP TABLELANDS SGAP TOWNSVILLE SGAP OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST

th nd Saturday 21 September 2013 - Meetings on the 4 Wednesday of Meets on the 2 Wednesday of 10-16 August 2013 Stoney Creek. Meet at Car Park 10 the month . the month , February to ANPSA Biennial Conference, am. November, in Annandale Excursion the following Sunday. Community Centre at 8pm, and Sunshine Coast. Held every two Saturday 19 October - Fitzroy holds excursions the following years, this is the conference of our Any queries, please contact Chris Island – When booking, don’t Sunday. national parent organization. Jaminon on 4091 4565 or email forget to ask for a locals discount. [email protected] See www.sgaptownsville.org.au/ See www.sgapqld.org.au/anpsa20 Book for the Fitzroy island fast cat for more information. 13.html for more information. on 40446700. Boats leave at 8.00, and 11.00am. We will meet at the

Jetty at 8.50 and at 11.50am. Options to stay overnight at resort or book a camp site with council, or on the number above.

SGAP CAIRNS 2013 COMMITTEE Chairperson Rob Jago Vice-chairperson Mary Gandini Treasurer Stuart Worboys Secretary Boyd Lenne Newsletter Stuart Worboys Webmaster Tony Roberts