Australian Plants Society South East NSW Group
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Australian Plants Society South East NSW Group Newsletter 144 November 2018 Corymbia maculata Spotted Gum and Macrozamia communis Burrawang Contacts: President, John Knight, [email protected] Secretary, Vacant, Newsletter editor, John Knight, [email protected] Next Meeting Saturday 3rd November 2018 What plant is that? Presented by Di Clark Meeting at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens (on the highway, 5km south of Batemans Bay) commencing at 10.30 am Have you ever been out for a walk and found an interesting plant that you would like to have identified? Well help is at hand ! There are now apps available that enable you to download a photograph of the plant and submit it to a group called Atlas of Life in the Coastal Wilderness or to the Atlas of Life Budawang Coast. These two apps cover different regions. From across the border into Victoria up to Moruya for the Coastal Wilderness and North of Moruya almost up to Kiama for the Budawang group. For this meeting I would like to show you how these apps work and share some examples of plants that other people have submitted. I will briefly explain the history of these apps, and look at how we could all be contributors to the understanding and documenting of our region’s biodiversity. Citizen Science at play. A screenshot of the Atlas of life Budawangs Coast app. Australian Plant Society South East NSW Newsletter 144 November 2018 Page 1 The location information for Elaeodendron australe var. australe Recently I submitted a sighting of Elaeodendron australe and had a notification the next day confirming my sighting as Elaeodendron australe var. australe (Red Olive Plum) There is a wealth of information to be found with these apps and great possibilities for documenting our plant trips and walks. Following this presentation, Di will show us around the developing ‘Bush Tucker’ walk. There might also be time for some discussion on the recent FJC Rogers Seminar held in Horsham Victoria, which a few members attended. The seminar featured plants in the Goodeniaceae family, focussing on the horticultural potential of many small plants, including Scaevola, Dampiera and Lechenaultia. As always, members are advised to bring morning tea and lunch, or alternatively, purchase from the Chefs Cap Cafe. Wear sensible clothing and shoes suitable for the planned outdoor activities, and, a sunhat might be a wise inclusion to encourage fine weather on the day. Not that we are complaining about the recent spell of damp overcast conditions. Note also that dogs are not permitted at APS activities. Last Meeting, With the promise of rain for most of the day, it was a pleasant surprise to greet the 23 members who braved the journey towards Clyde Mountain. Rain was in fact falling as we left Batemans Bay, and dry roads were unexpected but welcome the further west we travelled. On reaching the property, set in a valley surrounding the Currowan Creek catchment, in the foothills of Budawang Range, members were thankful to have heeded the warning of travelling in 4WD vehicles, or at least all wheel drive, as parking in the paddock was a slippery experience. Australian Plant Society South East NSW Newsletter 144 November 2018 Page 2 Following a convivial morning tea, Vice-President Geoff addressed the need of more commitment by members to running the group to maintain viability. He suggested that more members must be willing to join with current committee members to add new ideas and share the load. The tasks are certainly not onerous, but with travel plans of at least half the current committee over the next 12 months, we urgently need support. Geoff reported later that he was approached by a couple of members to discuss possibilities. Certainly, more members must get involved in planning and running the meetings so we are offering content from which members can benefit. This issue will be further explored at the next meeting, with members canvassed for comments. As Geoff pointed out, our AGM is to held in February 2019, and by that time we must find sufficient members to guide our group into the future. Please give this matter serious consideration. Contact a current committee member, listed on the last page of the newsletter, to discuss possibilities. Following, members were invited to participate in our ‘Show and Tell’ segment. Although it has been a generally cool start to spring, the range of flowers on show was quite diverse. Since he already had the floor, Geoff kicked off with some Callistemons which are prolific at present. Ever reliable, C. citrinus “Endeavour” , which is probably the same plant known previously as C. citrinus ‘Splendens’ was in 1970 released to promote the bicentennial of Cook’s landing. A large shrub, it can reach 3m x 4m over time, although pruning can keep it contained. Old plants can be reinvigorated with a chainsaw. Next, Callistemon salignus, cream flowered form, with brilliant red new growth. This is a rewarding tree to grow, flowering heavily in spring and autumn. Then Geoff showed a form of Callistemon viminalis, with pendent red flowers and light green foliage. A number of possible names came to light, such as C. ‘Dawson River Weeper’ and C. ‘Hannah Ray’, but no one could be adamant as to variety. Geoff’s is a small tree about 4m high, a spread about 2.5m and with slightly weeping branches. As he noted, all Callistemons prove reliable in cultivation. Callistemon citrinus 'Endeavour' shrub Catriona graciously allowed Phil to discuss the treasures they brought along. First up was the very rare, and very prickly Hakea aculeata, a WA species from the south west wheatbelt. It is known as the Column Hakea for its very erect, columnar branches. Phil has grafted this onto Hakea saligna. Hakea aculeata flowers. Note the sharp needles at the tip of each leaf Australian Plant Society South East NSW Newsletter 144 November 2018 Page 3 Eremophila mackinlayi ssp spathulata Eremophila mirabilis. The showy part is the calyx which holds the flowers Another couple of grafted plants appeared next, Eremophila mirabilis, a stunningly flowered shrub from the dry country north of Kalgoorlie, and E. mackinlayi ssp spathulata from the hot inland Gascoyne and Murchison regions inland from Geraldton. With lovely blue grey foliage and stunning purple flowers, everyone dreamed of including one of these in their garden. Although not offering, I’m sure if Phil grafted some, there would be no shortage of takers. Jenny Vine decided she would do her own graft, and the specimens went to her. Lesley Hulands continues to show some of the plants she has grown from seed following the trip to WA. She brought along a single specimen of Rhodanthe chlorocephala ssp rosea (Thanks David), syn. Helipterum roseum. Due to the rain all the flowers had closed up. However the one she did bring opened fully on the drive up, and she wished she had brought a posy to show off. Not happy ? No just waiting for the sun Lesley noted that just before flowers open, they hang, looking forlorn and in need of a drink, but as the flowers mature they stand up proudly, bright and showy in the sun but quickly hiding if the weather is damp. Quite a number of plants in the daisy family have this same habit. Also Lesley showed a little Grevillea “Scarlet Sprite’ a small shrub which flowers brilliantly for much of the year. Be warned though, it can get a bit bigger than the suggested 1m x 1m. Anne Phillips brought along a special plant from her garden in Canberra, noting that it was described in the recent article on the Larapinta Walk, in Australian Plants journal. Hakea grammatophylla (referring to the prominent veins of the leaves),is a stiffly upright shrub with long, grey, flat linear leaves and distinct longitudinal veins. The flowers were not quite open, but are bright pink. The plant is closely related to H. multilineata and H. francissiana. On its own roots, this plant has been in the garden for many years, flowers regularly and produces viable seed. Phil stole the specimen to practice grafting, but not before others got some seed. Hakea grammatophylla. Named in 1868 by Mueller as Grevillea grammatophylla, and the debate continues as to whether in fact all Grevilleas should be transferred to Hakea. Maybe a topic for a future meeting. Australian Plant Society South East NSW Newsletter 144 November 2018 Page 4 John discussed a few smaller plants which will cope with drying weather patterns. Tetratheca thymifolia is a reliable plant, growing about 60cm high with a slight suckering habit, and flowers for many months. Likewise the attractive arching habit of Micromyrtus ciliata, shown on the right, low growing but spreading to 1.5m holds its flowers through winter into summer. A dwarf form of Westingia fruticosa, ‘Jervis Gem’ grows less than a metre high with a similar spread. It is smaller in all its parts, leaves, branches and even flowers, but is an attractive and accommodating shrub. For a shaded garden, the local Olearia erubescens, the new growth of which is somewhat reddish, produces large white daisy flowers on a small open branched shrub. Although the flowers have few ‘petals’, this is more than compensated by the prominent terminal display, which is particularly pleasing in a shaded situation. Plants cope well with dry conditions, but need to be pruned to develop a bushy habit. It is easily propagated by firm new cuttings over summer. Rarely grown but deserving much wider attention is another white flowered plant, is Pseudanthus pimelioides. Growing in similar dry and shady conditions it has grown to about 60cm high after about 6 years.