Society for Growing Australian Plants Cairns Branch Newsletter 157 March 2016 In this issue... EXCURSION REPORT – ISABELLA FALLS, 21 FEBRUARY 2016..................1 ISABELLA FALLS SPECIES LIST ...........................2 EXCURSION REPORT – OFF TO CHILLAGOE WITH TABLELANDS SGAP..............3 CHILLAGOE SPECIES LIST..5 WHAT'S HAPPENING...........6 CAIRNS BRANCH ...........6 TABLELANDS BRANCH......6 TOWNSVILLE BRANCH......6 EXCURSION REPORT – ISABELLA FALLS, 21 FEBRUARY 2016 Stuart Worboys SGAP Cairns' first trip for 2016 took us to Isabella Falls. Located on McKinnon Creek, in the headwaters of Wrights Creek, this is a very accessible short walk located in beautiful rainforest at the foot of the Lamb Range. We had a great turnout for the first walk of the year, and were pleased to be joined by Val Carnie, Ing Toh and Nicole Kenyon as well as the regulars. The rainforest was relatively cool and shady, a pleasant contrast to the extreme heat and humidity of nearby suburbia. The rainforest here is a “complex notophyll vine forest”, typical of the hillslopes around Cairns. Canopy species we saw included Terminalia microcarpa (damson), Chisocheton longistipitatus, Cryptocarya hypospodia (northern walnut), Elaeocarpus grandis (quandong) and Castanospora alphandii (brown tamarind). In the shadowed understorey of this forest grow two interesting plants. One of these, Corymborkis veratrifolia (cinnamon orchid), we were privileged to catch in flower. The other, Acalypha lyonsii is extremely rare, found only on the Cairns hillslopes west of Edmonton and Redlynch. This attractive small shrub has proved amenable to cultivation, and can be seen in some of the more tasteful gardens around town. After our walk, we all sat down for a drink and Mary's home-made biscuits (thanks Mary). With it's proximity to Cairns, pleasant creek and tall rainforest, Isabella Falls was a very pleasant way to start off 2016. SMILACACEAE Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum (ivory Isabella Falls Species Smilax australis mahogany) ZINGIBERACEAE MORACEAE List *Zingiber spectabile (beehive ginger) Ficus hispida Including species used in Eudicots Ficus pantoniana (climbing fig) rehabilitation. * indicates an Ficus virens (banyan fig) introduced species ACANTHACEAE NYCTAGINACEAE *Sanchezia parvibracteata Ferns and fern allies Pisonia umbellifera (birdlime tree) ANACARDIACEAE OLEACEAE DRYOPTERIDACEAE Buchanania arborescens Chionanthus ramiflora (northern olive) Coveniella poecilophlebia *Mangifera indica (mango) Jasminum simplcifolium subsp. Rhus taitensis australiense (native jasmine) POLYPODIACEAE Microsorum punctatum APOCYNACEAE PASSIFLORACEAE Basal flowering plants Ichnocarpus frutescens *Passiflora suberosa (corky Melodinus australis passionfruit) Wrightia laevis (white cheesewood) LAURACEAE PITTOSPORACEAE Cryptocarya hypospodia ASTERACEAE Pittosporum ferrugineum Cryptocarya laevigata *Ageratum conyzoides (bluetop) RHIZOPHORACEAE MYRISTICACEAE ARALIACEAE Carallia brachiata Myristica ?insipida (nutmeg) Polyscias australiana (ivory basswood) Polyscias elegans (celerywood) RUBIACEAE PIPERACEAE Piper caninum BIGNONIACEAE Monocots Pandorea pandorana (wonga vine) CANNABACEAE ARACEAE Celtis paniculata Epipremnum pinnatum Pothos brownii CELASTRACEAE Hedraianthera porphyropetala ARECACEAE Calamus caryotoides COMBRETACEAE Terminalia microcarpa (damson) ASPARAGACEAE Cordyline cannifolia ELAEOCARPACEAE Elaeocarpus angustifolius (blue COMMELINACEAE quandong) The deep blue, almost metallic *Tradescantia spathacea (Moses in a fruits of Lasianthus kurzii (blue cradle) EUPHORBIACEAE Acalypha lyonsii rubi). FLAGELLARIACEAE Codiaeum variegatum subsp. Lasianthus kurzii (blue rubi) Flagellaria indica (supplejack) moluccense Tarenna dallachiana Macaranga tanarius HEMEROCALLIDACEAE Mallotus philippensis SAPINDACEAE Dianella bambusifolia Castanospora alphandii (brown ORCHIDACEAE FABACEAE tamarind) Derris sp. Daintree (D.E.Boyland 469) Cupaniopsis flagelliformis *Mimosa pudica (sensitive weed) Ganophyllum falcatum (Daintree hickory) ICACINACEAE Guioa acutifolia (northern guioa) Gomphandra australiana Mischocarpus lachnocarpus LAMIACEAE Synima cordierorum Faraday splendida VITACEAE LOGANIACEAE Cissus hastata Strychnos minor (snakewood) Leea novoguineense (bandicoot berry) Tetrastigma nitens MALVACEAE Argyrodendron peralatum *Triumfetta rhomboidea Corymborkis veratrifolia (white MELIACEAE cinnamon orchid), rarely seen in Aglaia sapindina flower. Chisocheton longistipitatus (cream Corymborkis veratrifolia mahogany) SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 157 2 Notoleptopus decaisnei at the north- limestone outcrop into a large deep EXCURSION east limit of its range, and I spotted a swimming hole, known locally as the gorgeous little Brunoniella australis “Bogey Hole”. We were surprised on the road's edge. Further up the (and perhaps a little relieved) that the REPORT – OFF TO hill, the limestone rock outcrop place wasn't full of wet noisy happy offered protection from fire and has kids. In the cool shade of CHILLAGOE WITH allowed the development of dry overhanging Melaleuca fluviatilis, rainforest communities. Here, fire- Pandanus, and Timonius timon, we sensitive species like Ficus, settled down for lunch and a chat. TABLELANDS Brachychiton australis, Flueggea After lunch, it was time to head back leucopyrus, Glossocarya calcicola east, but not without one last stop. and Gyrocarpus americanus find a SGAP About 50 km from Chillagoe, on a refuge. Stuart Worboys wide sweeping bend of the Burke Tablelands SGAP newsletter last Developmental Road, is a small patch month mentioned an excursion to of Macropteranthes montana. These Chillagoe on Sunday 28 February, so unusual little trees look like natural we seized the opportunity to head bonsais. In their natural habitat, they west for a pleasant weekend in the always appear gnarled and hard-done- Gulf Country. Now, although by. Their twisted branches are lined Chillagoe's a long drive for us coastal with tufts of tiny silver leaves. Their people, it offers a vastly different flowers are tubular with a pair of landscape to the dazzling green of the large wings at the base, varying in tropical coast. Once you cross the colour from pale green to red. We Great Dividing Range and leave spent some time admiring these behind the irrigated farmland around unusual twisted trees. Peter Radke Dimbulah, you enter the rugged, pointed out their rarity, with a range infertile hills of the oddly named extending roughly from Mt Carbine Featherbed Range. There's nothing to Einasleigh to Ravenshoe. Nearby, soft and comfy about this landscape. in the shade of scattered Eucalyptus The last few kilometres into melanophloia (silver-leaved Chillagoe are marked by the ironbarks) was a thicket of large- Gnarled and twisted, like a natural leave wattles, Acacia meiosperma, imposing grey pinnacles of limestone bonsai - Macropteranthes montana. covered by dry rainforest – the very which have a similarly narrow thing that makes the district so distribution. exciting for biologists. When the Tablelands crowd Further downhill, towards broad gully eventually arrived, we pottered off to We arrived in town late on Saturday crossed by a rail bridge, we found a a nearby limestone pinnacle, where a afternoon, and overnighted in the patch of attractive flowering spectacular surprise awaited. A simple comfort of Chillagoe succulents, including Portulaca barely visible track wound its way up Obervatory and Eco Lodge. The bicolor, Sarcostemma viminale and through the dry rainforest to an Lodge was full of chatty grey Polycarpaea spirostylis. Hidden overhang high on the pinnacle. The nomads, so it was just as well be amongst the grass was a delicate little rocks scattered around the floor were booked ahead. fern, Cheilanthes pumilio. Across the polished by generations of human railway line were trees with bright The next day we headed out to the occupation, and overhead white lines yellow trunks that turned out to be pre-ordained meeting spot on the and stars were painted in mysterious Corymbia leichhardtii eastern edge of the Ramparts Section patterns. The overhang was open to (yellowjackets). of Chillagoe National Park. Around cooling breezes, and offered the foot of the limestone outcrops wasspectacular views to the north and After thorougly exploring the bush at a woodland of Eucalyptus cullenii, west. One could imagine generations this isolated location, we piled into Eucalyptus leptophleba and of the country's original occupants our cars for the long ride home. bloodwoods. In response recent sleeping, eating and looking out over Thanks to Tablelands SGAP for rains, the ground layer was a rarely their land from this beautiful location.organising the trip and welcoming us. seen green, with grasses and herbs Lunchtime was rapidly approaching, beginning to sprout and flower. In so we leapt into our cars and drove disturbed areas there were lawns of into town. On the edge of town, Indigofera linifolia. Along the road, I Chillagoe Creek flows over a found the foetid ephemeral herb SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 157 3 Happy lunchers on the banks of Chillagoe Creek. Flower of Macropteranthes montana Silver-leaved ironbark, Eucalyptus melanophloia Mysterious rock art in a limestone overhang Brunoniella australis Portulaca bicolor Tephrosia Indigofera linifolia SGAP Cairns Branch Newsletter 157 4 COMBRETACEAE Corymbia leichhardtii (yellowjacket, A) Macropteranthes montana (A) Eucalyptus cullenii (Cullen's ironbark, Chillagoe Species Terminalia aridicola subsp. chillagoensis NP) Eucalyptus leptophleba (Molloy