BUDAWANGIA* AN E-NEWSLETTER FOR ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN THE NATIVE OF THE NSW SOUTH COAST

Contact: Dr Kevin Mills – [email protected]

No. 34 - January 2015

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 first month of 2015 is already over; they say that the older one gets, the faster time seems to pass. The first halve of the month was wet and kept all inside, the rain returning towards the end of the month and resulting in above average rainfall for the start of the year.

This edition contains a piece on the Asparagus genus in our region, a genus that has undergone various name changes over time, including the Family in which it is placed. A new mystery weed is presented and Les (Kangaroo Valley) provides photographs of the epiphytic orchids. There are many observations of the vegetation in the Illawarra, usually referring to the as it was so different to the vegetation to be found on the sandstone around Sydney. I particularly like the descriptions by botanist Allan Cunningham in the Illawarra; a quote from his visit on 21 October 1818 is presented below. Lastly, there is a piece on a newly described wattle, a species endemic to the Yalwal area to the west of Nowra.

The term anthropocene was used in a piece in the previous newsletter, but space did not permit me to explain. The word is an informal term, used to denote a recent period of geological time, defined as the period when humans significantly influenced the environment. Also, the word anthropozoic is the period of geological time within the Quaternary since the appearance of humans.

A note from Steve (Bundanoon) reminds us that the featured in the last edition, Solanum celatum, is a listed threatened species and must not be picked without a licence. Let me know if you have seen it, but do not take a specimen – photographs are good to send.

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.

Kevin Mills, Jamberoo, NSW. Tel. 02 4236 0620 All photographs ©Kevin Mills 2015, 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.

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Asparagus is familiar to most people as a delicious spring vegetable; having grown in for many years, I can vouch for its tastiness when cut fresh from one‟s own garden. The genus Asparagus (syn. Myrsiphyllum and Protasparagus), family Asparagaceae, includes some 170 species worldwide. contains at least 12 species, all but one of which is introduced. Nine species are naturalised in NSW, although some species sparingly so on the far North Coast and around Sydney. The species were introduced for ornamental reasons and now several have become serious bushland weeds. Distribution is mainly by birds and possibly other animals dispersing the seeds following ingestion of the fruits. Garden waste dumped into bushland also results in establishment of plants. The Edible Asparagus Asparagus officinalis is very occasionally naturalised. All but one species dealt with here produce small scale-like leaves and cladodes, which are leaf- like and larger. With a few exceptions, Asparagus species are declared noxious in in at least some local government areas. The most common species on the South Coast, and well known to bush regenerators, is Asparagus aethiopicus, which has invaded coastal forests and shrubland and become a very bad weed. You may remember your granny or great aunt having a hanging basket of this species, as it used to be common for that purpose. The common name „Asparagus Fern‟ is applied to this species, which is a misnomer as it has nothing to be with ferns; this common name should be avoided. This species grows from a crown located just below the ground, from which many stems are produced. Root tubers can be found below the crown, these are storage units and cannot re-sprout so that their removal is not required to eliminate the plant. However, the crown at the base of the stems does need to be dug up and disposed of appropriately. This is a shrub with sprawling stems to at least one metre long, with small spines along the stems. The small flowers are whitish and the fruit is a red berry. Page | 2

Previous page: The underground tubers of A. aethiopicus. These are storage organs and will not re-sprout if left in the ground.

Right. The stems, crowded „leaves‟ (cladodes) and small white flowers of A. aethiopicus.

Two other species are occasionally found naturalised on the South Coast, both of which readily climb. Climbing Asparagus Asparagus scandens has been located in a few places near rainforest. This species has wider cladodes than the other species and there are three cladodes in each axil. Another Climbing Asparagus Asparagus plumosus can become a very troublesome weed, such as it once was on Lord Howe Island before a major control program was instigated. The species can climb high into trees and smothers understorey vegetation. This species produces fine foliage with 8–15 cladodes in each axil.

Asparagus scandens Asparagus plumosus

Bridal Creeper Asparagus asparagoides produces ovate cladodes and is quite distinct from the other species discussed here. This species is only second in abundance to A. aethiopicus. It grows along the coast, often in forest on dunes near the sea.

Right. The broad cladodes and ripe red fruit of Asparagus asparagoides.

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Mystery Weed

This weed is moderately common in paddocks and other disturbed places such as roadsides. The flowers are yellow.

Sarcochilus Orchids Les (Kangaroo Valley) sent in a note and a couple of images of the epiphytic orchid genus Sarcochilus (). Les writes “Thought you might be interested in these photos of Sarcochilus hillii and S australis. Together with S falcata (not flowering), they all occur on the same Myrsine howittiana [Brush Muttonwood] growing on my neighbour's property. Have you ever seen 3 species of the same genus of orchid growing on the one tree?” It is a bit unusual to find all three together. S. hilli is rather uncommon, and is mostly encountered growing on the very rough bark of the tree Ironwood myrtifolia.

Sarcochilus hillii. Photograph by L. Mitchell. Sarcochilus australis. Photograph by L. Mitchell.

Government Botanist Allan Cunningham in the Illawarra – 21 October 1818 “About 2 o'clock we arrived at what is termed the Mountain Top, along the ridge of which the road runs before it strikes down to the sea coast and country in the vicinity of Five Islands, 1 of which we have a bird's eye view from the immediate edge of the mountain summit. A sudden change again takes place, for, in an instant, upon leaving the morass with stunted small Eucalypti, we entered as it were, within the dark shades of a tropical forest, composed of very lofty timber of the red cedar Tristania albens [Syncarpia glomulifera] or Turpentine Tree; large Eucalypti, of the species called Blue Gum, and many other trees - only existing in such situations. Epacrideae (Trochocarpa laurina), with large specimens of Corypha australis [Livistona australis] and Alsophila [Cyathea australis], a tree-fern of New South Wales, the whole being strongly bound together with immense scandent and volubilous plants, that cannot fail to arrest the attention and admiration of the most indifferent observer. After settling myself beneath a hut of cabbage tree thatch (Corypha), where we intend passing the night, and having secured my plants in paper, I took a walk down the side of the mountain, by the little beaten steps of the Government sawyers, and was much struck with the abundance of the Filices [ferns], whose great exuberance is wonderfully promoted by the perpetual humidity that exists in these deep woods, which the solar ray never has any direct chance to exhaust.”

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New Acacia for the region A re-examination of the of a tree Acacia growing in the Yalwal area to the west of Nowra has recently been undertaken, leading to its description as a separate species. The species, a bi-pinnate wattle previously included under Acacia oshanesii, only grows in the Yalwal area (with a few remote specimens of dubious natural occurrence). The species, not surprisingly, has been named Acacia yalwalensis, the suffix meaning origin or place, i.e. of the Yalwal area. The plant grows around the old mining area at Yalwal and has been found in Bundundah Creek to the west. Old collections have also been made from Nowra (street trees only?) and Wandandian (transported by motor vehicle?).

The description by wattle expert Phillip Kodela can be found in Telopea (taxonomic journal of the National Herbarium of New South Wales), Volume 18:27-31, January 2015. The paper is titled “Acacia yalwalensis (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae sect. Botrycephalae), a new species from the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia”. The paper is available online at the website of the National Herbarium of New South Wales. The photographs below are the first published as the newly named species. The species was included in the book Native Trees of the NSW South Coast (page 144), which contains the only other known illustration of the plant. I would be very interested if anyone comes across this species away from the Yalwal area. The tree can be identified by the abundant long whitish hairs over leaves and stems (see photograph at left below.)

The bipinnate leaves and young pods of Acacia The pilose (soft) hairs on the new shoots of yalwalensis. Photographs taken at Yalwal on 25 Acacia yalwalensis. August 2014.

The species can grow to a quite large tree when in sheltered gullies, while plants readily colonise cleared areas such as the old township site at Yalwal. Based on current knowledge, its conservation status is likely to be threatened due to its very limited distribution. Some plants occur in with many within the Danjera Dam Reserve managed by Shoalhaven City Council.

Fastest growing plants The fastest growing plant in the world is reported to be a species of bamboo, which can grow at a rate of 91 cm per day, which is apparently 0.00003 km per hour. The Guinness Book of records states that the fastest growing tree is the Empress Tree or Foxglove Tree Paulownia tomentosa (Paulowniaceae), which originates from China. This tree is commonly cultivated for its rapid timber production. Paulownia tomentosa is naturalised in a number of countries, and is reported to be naturalised in Queensland and Victoria, but this is not very common.

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