Newsletter SGAP Cairns October 2013 Society for Growing Australian Plants, Cairns Branch this issue The long awaited Fitzroy Island trip is at hand! The beautiful continental island is just 45 minutes boat ride from Cairns. If you haven’t been there for a couple of years, you’re in for a surprise. The resort has been completely rebuilt. Perhaps somewhat too large and ostentatious for its surroundings, the redeveloped resort covers a large area. Beer and snacks are still available to casual visitors, and Getting there and home - Fitzroy Island Resort Fast A small but elite group met for lunch at the Cat services depart from of the dray road which is quite clear – a weir at the end of Stoney Creek Road, Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal wide open patch now studded with large at 8:00 am and 11:00 am. accompanied by the pleasant sound of the trees. A giant, canopy-emergent mango creek flow and the invigorating scene. We set tree was a sure marker of former human Services returning from off on the short walk to the old water intake habitation and a similarly large Cairns Fitzroy to Cairns depart (see photo above) but, having done it before, Pencil Cedar ( Palaqium galactoxylum) may Fitzroy's jetty at 12:15pm decided to take the link track that meets the and 5pm. have witnessed the busy site when still a Douglas Track that eventually goes past seedling. John Robb also established a Book for the Fitzroy island Kuranda to Speewah “Trailhead”. Pauline and hospital on this site in 1887 since the Fast Cat on 40446700. I had walked the top part of the Douglas railway builders were dying of various When booking, don’t Track from Speewah recently with Tablelands fevers. forget to ask for a locals Branch SGAP and had met several groups of discount! walkers heading for “the bottom”. We agreed to follow the pack track uphill to the Stoney Creek Hotel site – once the You can choose stay Rob was in historical mode and suggested overnight at resort (self- “world’s best accommodation outside that we look at some of Robb’s track, made catering or take advantage Charters Towers”. After an hour’s walking of the restaurant), or book to enable construction materials for the and marvelling at the diversity of plant a camp site with council, or Kuranda railway to be built – well over a growth we got to a massive Mackay Cedar on the number above. hundred years ago. The old track is faint but (Paraserianthes toona) and decided to give still discernible and easy to follow. The pack the pub a miss. Bring a camera and togs! track ascends by easy gradients and we back- tracked to the creek where Rob pointed out a clearing where goods were stored at the end NEWS FROM THE ATH Last month, a group from the ATH took an informal trip to the Stockwellia s at Stony Creek, September 2013 Boonjie. Although changed a little We then backtracked to the stand known, and this one, chance at the light and we from my last visit, the creek and enjoyed the deep in the forest is safe from noted two small Kauri Pines access track was very clear, coolness and some interaction all but cyclones. (Agathis robusta) - worth re- and without trouble we with the many young people visiting in a century or so. found our way into the walking and swimming in the Recent cyclones which have patch of these huge, pools. devastated nearby forest in The forest felt timeless and majestic trees. I always the Kuranda-Speewah area must have looked the same forget how large these The above all sounds pretty seem to have bypassed the to the men of the railway as trees really are. prosaic but in fact we had a Stoney Creek forest and very they toiled upwards, making very exciting day; after all we large, old trees were frequent. passable roads and in one had Bob Jago as our guide! Sovereignwood ( Terminalia spot a still-stable stretch of He showed us a stand of small microcarpa) exhibited the stone- pitching to cross a trees and saplings of “one of typical bumps on the trunk gully. The Governor of the planet’s rarest trees” that they develop in old age. Queensland traversed this Wetria australiensis Other large trees were Milky track on horseback while on (Euphorbiaceae), known only Pine ( Alstonia scholaris), a a visit for Christmas 1887. We were reminded that Stockwellia quadrifida is the from this locality and PNG. variety of fig species – butt- The railway men utilised sister group to the Mature leaves are a lime green ressed and intertwined with locally-available timber for eucalypts – this means that, colour with a mildly serrated surface roots veining along both sleepers and bridges. long ago, they shared a margin and young leaves are the rocky ground, Daintree Dorothy Jones in Trinity common ancestor – they an attractive amber colour. Hickory ( Ganophyllum falcatum) Phoenix lists hickory, are both descended from Mature trees are not large and Tulip Oak ( Argyrodendron satinwood, redwood, an ancient rainforest the bark has typical small perulatum) and nearer the mountain ash, resin wood, Myrtaceae tree. The fate of dimples which make the tree creek, River Cherry( Syzygium white gum and bean tree, the eucalypts was to dominate a dry, fire prone easy to find. Rob says that tierneyanum) became emerents. “and were to regret the continent. The fate of the there is only one other small Smaller trees awaited their decision within a few years as Stockwellias was to survive they replaced bridges”. in tiny patches around the skirts of Queensland’s highest mountains. The fascinating story of Stockwellia’s discovery by Keith Gould and Vic Stockwell is told in the ASBS December 2002 Newsletter, to be found at www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/ne wsletter/pdf/02-dec- 113.pdf Although discovered in 1971, it was not formally named until 2002. It is heartening to note that the scientists who named the tree remem- bered its co-discoverer when naming the tree. 2 A friend recently complained that he had never been able to get an orchid to flowe r. I would guess he’s never tried growing Spathoglottis ! This is an incredibly easy orchid to grow, and rewards a little care with strongly coloured long-lasting blooms and attractive foliage. The genus Spathoglottis through to April). Flowers are sometimes goes by the pink, purple or rarely white. common name “Ground Orchid”, an unfortunately Cultivation prosaic name which I will ignore. The genus occurs from As I’ve already said, this is one India, through south-east Asia, orchid that requires little the Philippines, Micronesia, attention to bring it to flower. Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Various websites suggest these and the Pacific Islands as far plants love a well-drained, east as Tonga. David Jones compost-rich medium. Following reports two species for this advice, the specimens in my Australia – S. paulinae , garden were planted into well occurring from Ingham to composted cow manure. They’re Cooktown, and the Northern also given monthly doses of a low Territory, and S. plicata , nitrogen fertilizer when in flower. occurring from Cooktown to My plants get full sun, which the tip of Cape York. The results in the occasional burnt distribution of both species leaf, but otherwise they are extends overseas as well. thriving. Mulching and an occasional prune to remove burnt Description leaves and spent flower racemes are important maintenance Both native species of measures. Spathoglottis grow in grass-like clumps joined by underground Finally, take care with non-native stems. They often grow in Spathoglottis. This genus has grassy areas, which can make proven quite weedy in Hawaii. them hard to spot except when in flower. Spathoglottis Further reading paulinae is the smaller of the two, with flower ing stems up to Anonymous (2008) Spathoglottis 15 cm high, and flowers 20-30 plicata Blume. culturesheet.org mm across. In contrast, S. URL: culturesheet.org/orchidacea plicata produces flowers 35-55 e:spathoglottis:plicata mm across on stems up to a metre high, and is probably the Jones, D.L., Hopley, T. and Duffy, most desirable native S.M. (2010) Australian Tropical Spathoglottis for cultivation. Rainforest Orchids. URL: keys.trin.org.au:8080/key- Leaves are long, sometimes server/data/08090a09-0d0e- more than 1 m, narrow and 410b-860c- pleated, with each flowering 020705070e0e/media/Html/inde stem producing 3-4 leaves. x_species.htm The flowering season is prolonged, (late dry season 3 Mystery Musa David Barrow, a new member from Silkwood, has sent through photographs of a rather lovely Musa that has appeared in his garden, in the hope that someone can identify it. Is this the native Musa jackeyi , or an attractive exotic species? 4 CAIRNS SGAP TABLELANDS SGAP TOWNSVILLE SGAP OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST th nd Saturday 19 October 2013 Meetings on the 4 Wednesday of Meets on the 2 Wednesday of 10-16 August 2013 the month . the month , February to Fitzroy Island. See front page for November, in Annandale ANPSA Biennial Conference, details on booking. Excursion the following Sunday. Community Centre at 8pm, and Sunshine Coast. Held every two holds excursions the following years, this is the conference of our Any queries, please contact Chris Bring lunch, plenty of water, towel, Sunday. national parent organization. walking gear, sunscreen. Jaminon on 4091 4565 or email [email protected] See www.sgaptownsville.org.au/ See www.sgapqld.org.au/anpsa20 for more information. 13.html for more information. www.sgapcairns.org.au SGAP CAIRNS 2013 COMMITTEE Chairperson Rob Jago Vice-chairperson Mary Gandini Treasurer Stuart Worboys Secretary Boyd Lenne Newsletter Stuart Worboys Webmaster Tony Roberts 5 .