Plants of Main Range National Park – Goomburra Section Poplar Flat Camping Area Greg Spearritt Dalrymple Creek rises in the hills to the east of Poplar Flat Camping Area. Apart from a few invasive species, vegetation beside the creek (the bank) and on the verge (the area up to 30m either side of the creek) consists of native plants in good condition. © G. Spearritt 2020 (Photos by G. Spearritt unless otherwise acknowledged) 2 Acacia irrorata (Green Wattle) TREE • Fern-like leaves • In campground and beside creek Angophora floribunda (Rough-barked Apple Gum) TREE • Rough bark • Opposite leaves • In campground 3 Acronychia oblongifolia (White Aspen) TREE • Leaves wavy, shiny, opposite • Tiny oil dots obvious on underside of leaf • Small swelling where leaf stalk joins leaf • Beside track to creek (near top of track) Diospyros australis (Black Plum) TREE • Leaves wavy, shiny and very pale underneath • Leaves alternate • Beside track to creek 4 Eucalyptus nobilis (Giant White Gum) TREE • Usually rough bark at base, smooth white/grey above • Typically has long loose strings of bark, often caught in branches • Buds/fruit in clusters of 7 • In campground and on creek verge Ficus coronata (Sandpaper Fig) TREE • Leaves shiny, paler underneath and rough (like sandpaper) • Leaf veins prominent on underside of leaf • Beside creek and track to creek 5 Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) TREE • Leaves shiny and crowded in groups or whorls at the end of branches • Trunk and lower limbs rough-barked, upper smooth • Beside creek Neolitsea dealbata (Bolly Gum) TREE • Leaves shiny – dark green when mature, light green new growth • Leaves discolourous: whitish underneath • Beside track to creek 6 Syzygium smithii (Lily Pilly) TREE • Leaves small, shiny green and opposite • Beside creek and track to creek Exocarpos cupressiformis (Cherry Ballart) TALL SHRUB • Weeping habit • Leaves very small, triangular, on new growth • In campground near fence 7 Lantana camara* (Lantana) SHRUB (WEED) • Leaves shiny green, opposite • Leaves and stems slightly prickly • In campground / near fence Homalanthus populifolius (Bleeding Heart) TALL SHRUB • Leaves heart-shaped • Leaves discolourous (whitish underneath) • Beside creek 8 Trema tomentosa (Native Peach) SHRUB • Leaves soft, with finely serrated margins • Veins more prominent on underside of leaf • Beside creek Cissus antarctica (Native Grape) CLIMBER • Leaves alternate • Leaves have toothed edges • On fence and beside track to creek 9 Dioscorea transversa (Native Long Yam) CLIMBER • Leaves shiny green and heart-shaped • Main leaf veins all radiate from where the stem joins the leaf • Beside creek and track to creek Pandorea pandorana (Wonga Vine) CLIMBER • Leaves shiny green; mature leaves have 5-9 leaflets (juveniles have more) • In campground/on fence/beside track to creek 10 Smilax australis (Wait a While Vine) CLIMBER • Leaves tough and shiny • Stems have prickles • Beside track to creek Stephania japonica (Snake Vine) CLIMBER • Leaves heart-shaped and peltate (stems join under leaf) • Beside track to creek 11 Adiantum sp. (Maidenhair Fern) FERN • Leaves more or less fan-shaped, with feathery edges • Stipe (stems) dark brown • Beside creek Doodia aspera (Prickly Rasp Fern) FERN • Fronds have leathery texture • Frond edges toothed • Fronds widest in middle • Beside track to creek 12 Pteridium esculentum (Bracken Fern) FERN • Arching branches on a firm stem • Fronds stiff • Fronds widest at base • Beside track to creek Ageratina adenophora* (Crofton Weed) OTHER (WEED) • Leaf edges toothed • Leaves more or less triangular with broad base • Beside creek 13 Ageratina riparia* (Mist Flower) OTHER (WEED) • Leaf edges toothed • Leaves taper towards base and tip • Beside creek Alocasia brisbanensis (Cunjevoi Lily) OTHER • Leaves large, with ‘elephant ear’ shape • Beside track to creek and beside creek 14 Commelina diffusa (Wandering Jew) OTHER • Weak-stemmed, trailing groundcover • Leaves wavy and hairy underneath • In campground Hydrocotyle laxiflora (Stinking Pennywort) OTHER • Trailing groundcover • Leaves lobed and margins toothed • In campground 15 Imperata cylindrica (Blady Grass) OTHER • Leaves have a light-coloured midrib vein • Leaves have sharp edges • In campground Lobelia purpurascens (White Root) OTHER • Trailing groundcover • Leaf margins toothed • In campground 16 Lomandra longifolia (Spiny-headed Mat Rush) OTHER • Tufting plant with strap-like leaves • Leaf tips often jagged • In campground/near fence Pollia crispata (Pollia) OTHER • Leaves long, narrow, tapering towards base and tip • Leaves have a sheath at base • Beside creek 17 Rubus parvifolius (Pink-flowered Raspberry) OTHER • Leaflet margins have jagged teeth • Leaves whitish underneath • Prickles on stems • Beside track to creek Rubus rosifolius (Rose-leafed Raspberry) OTHER Photo: Trish Gardner • Leaflet margins have jagged teeth • Prickles on stems • Leaves longer, narrower than R. parvifolius • Beside creek and track to creek Photo: Trish Gardner 18 Urtica incisa (Stinging Nettle) OTHER • Leaves have jagged edges • Leaves triangular/heart-shaped • Stinging hairs on leaves and stems! • Beside creek Wahlenbergia sp. (Native Bluebell) OTHER • Leaves narrow with clear midrib vein • In campground 19 Tick the plants you see TREES FERNS Acacia irrorata (Green Wattle) Adiantum sp. (Maidenhair Fern) Acronychia oblongifolia (White Aspen) Doodia aspera (Prickly Rasp Fern) Angophora floribunda (Apple Gum) Pteridium esculentum (Bracken Fern) Diospyros australis (Black Plum) Eucalyptus nobilis (Giant White Gum) Ficus coronata (Sandpaper Fig) GROUND LAYER PLANTS Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) Ageratina adenophora* (Crofton Weed) Neolitsea dealbata (Bolly Gum) Ageratina riparia* (Mist Flower) Syzygium smithii (Lily Pilly) Alocasia brisbanensis (Cunjevoi Lily) Commelina diffusa (Wandering Jew) SHRUBS Hydrocotyle laxiflora (Stinking Pennywort) Imperata cylindrica (Blady Grass) Exocarpos cupressiformis (Cherry Ballart) Lobelia purpurascens (White Root) Lantana camara* (Lantana) Lomandra longifolia (Lomandra) Homalanthus populifolius (Bleeding Heart) Pollia crispata (Pollia) Trema tomentosa (Native Peach) Rubus parvifolius (Pink-flowered Raspberry) Rubus rosifolius (Rose-leafed Raspberry) Urtica incisa (Stinging Nettle) VINES Wahlenbergia sp. (Native Bluebell) Cissus antarctica (Native Grape) Dioscorea transversa (Native Long Yam) Pandorea pandorana (Wonga Vine) Smilax australis (Wait a While Vine) Stephania japonica (Snake Vine) What do many of these plants have in common? The verge and creekbank areas at Poplar Flat feature many rainforest plants. Since it’s a closed forest where not much sunlight reaches the ground, a good number of the plants have large leaves, often held more or less horizontally, or leaves with very many small leaflets, to make the most of the light energy available. It’s also an area of above average rainfall. The leaves of plants here very often have a ‘drip tip’ and a shiny, waxy surface so that moisture doesn’t stay on the leaf. This helps the plant avoid the growth of fungus on the leaf surface. 20 .