LOCAL PLANTS IN FLOWER - December 2009

The list below is what has flowered in December in previous years.  Don’t forget to check out the website to see photos of many of these plants – and some not described here - www.flickr.com/photos/carwoolaplants/

• White/cream flowers
• Yellow/orange flowers
• Blue/purple/mauve flowers
• Red/pink flowers
• Green, inconspicuous flowers

White/cream flowers

Acacia mearnsii (Green Wattle, Black Wattle) – a tree to 15m with dark green, bipinnate foliage and velvety branchlets covered with soft grey hairs, pale cream flowers, perfumed. Widespread.

Cassinia aculeata (Common Cassinia, Dogwood) - a medium shrub 2m high, 1m wide with narrow, dark green leaves to about 15cm long and white flower clusters, often can be pink when in bud. Cuumbeun Nature Reserve.

Cassinia longifolia (Dogwood, Cauliflower Bush) - a tall shrub with clustered tiny white flowers and sticky, linear leaves. Very similar to C. aculeata except leaves are longer and sticky. Between Wanna Wanna Road and Kings Highway.

Kunzea ericoides (Burgan, previously Leptospermum phylicoides) - you can't miss this one - parts of the area are covered in it - a medium-tall shrub, often with a weeping habit, with small, aromatic leaves and pretty white, frilly flowers. Lots on Widgiewa Road and Whiskers Creek Road and parts of Clydesdale are completely covered in it.

Leptospermum brevipes – a shrub to 5m with a weeping habit, with grey, oblong leaves, purple when new. Covered in white flowers with 5 petals. A small population on the southern side of the Captains Flat Rd between the Kings Highway and Wanna Wanna Rd.

Leptospermum juniperinum – a shrub to 3m with prickly foliage and white flowers with 5 petals and woody fruit. A small population on the western side near the start of Widgiewa Rd and also on some properties in Widgiewa Rd. Also in Cuumbeun Nature Reserve.

Leucochrysum albicans ssp albicans var tricolor (Hoary Sunray) – white daisy with purple tinged buds, yellow centres and grey, furry foliage. Usually noticeable along the Captains Flat Road.

Poranthera microphylla - a small, spreading plant to 10cm high with a rounded habit, dense clusters of small, white flowers. Reminds me of Alyssum. Often on hard baked soils and in open areas.

Yellow/orange flowers

Calocephalus citreus (Lemon Beautyheads) - a tufted perennial with silver-grey, tall stems (to 30cm) ending in small, lemon-yellow globular heads.  Opposite Clydesdale Road and opposite entrance to Widgiewa homestead.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons, previously Helichrysum apiculatum) - low growing, silver foliage with yellow to orange button flowers, found in grassland, on roadside verges and in wooded areas.  There is also a tall, green leafed form which we have here in Widgiewa and Whiskers Creek Road both on roadsides and on properties.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum (Clustered Everlasting) - a number of stems (to about 50cm) coming out from the base topped with yellow/orange clusters of flattish flowers, fine foliage which can be dark green, grey-green or silver-grey.  Similar to C. apiculatum.  Wanna Wanna Road to Kings Highway.

Goodenia hederacea (Ivy-leaved Goodenia) - a small, low growing plant with trailing stems and yellow flowers with 5 petals.

Hibbertia obtusifolia (Grey Guinea Flower) – a shrub to about 0.5m usually with grey-green foliage and has large, flattened, bright yellow flowers with 5 petals.  Widespread.

Hypericum gramineum (Small St John's Wort) - a soft plant, about 30cm tall with opposite, stalkless leaves and a yellow-orange flower with 5 obvious petals.  Stems are often reddish.

Hypoxis hygrometrica (Golden Weather-grass) – has a bright yellow star-shaped flower; grass-like leaves, usually found in wet, grassy areas such as around dams or soaks.

Velleia paradoxa – a medium sized perennial with a basal rosette of broadly spoon-shaped leaves; flower stems to 30cm tall, yellow flowers with 5 petals.  There is a patch at the beginning of Wanna Wanna Road on the western side.

Blue/purple/mauve flowers

Brachyscome rigidula (Leafy Daisy) - fine feathery foliage with pale mauve and yellow daisy flowers, tends to sprawl.  Captains Flat Road from Clydesdale Road to Kings Highway.

Cullen microcephalum (Mountain Psoralea, formerly Psoralea adscendens) – a trailing or spreading perennial to 45cm tall with trifoliate (clover-like) leaves.  Flowers are pea-shaped in long spikes, pink or purple.  Found in woodland near Stony Creek.

Cullen tenax (Emu-foot, formerly Psoralea tenax) – a sprawling perennial when not grazed with glossy green leaves divided into 3-5 leaflets each to 6cm long and 5mm wide. Flowers are purple, pea-shaped in long spikes.  Found on a Wanna Wanna Road property and along Whiskers Creek.

Dianella revoluta (Flax Lily) - a clump of stiff sedge-like leaves to 60cm tall with rolled under leaf margins; flowers occur along stems about 60cm tall and have 6 blue petals folded back from the anthers.  Glossy purple berries appear after flowering.  Several patches opposite Clydesdale Road.

Dipodium species (Hyacinth Orchid) – 2 species locally – D. punctatum and D. roseum.  Both are tall (to 80cm) leafless stems, green to dark red, with up to 40 pink, spotted, orchid flowers.  D. roseum has the petals and sepals curved strongly backwards but D. punctatum does not.  They are saprohpytes and appear at random.  We have had several on our block, also on Wanna Wanna Road and Taliesin.

Eryngium rostratum (Blue Devil) - fleshy, spiky plant with metallic blue prickly flowers.  Often mistaken for a weed but is a very important grassland plant.  Some on properties in Radcliffe and Captains Flat Road and there are lots opposite Clydesdale Road.

Thysanotus tuberosus (Fringe Lily) – grey-green, grass-like leaves; flowers with 3 broad purple petals densely fringed with long purple hairs, interspersed with 3 narrow purple sepals.

Vittadinia species - 3 in the local area. V. muelleri (Narrow-leaf New Holland Daisy) - a small perennial to 10cm tall with multiple stems; leaves are bright green, narrow (to 4cm long) and deeply divided into 3 pointed lobes; flowerheads are tiny with a fringe of purple petals; fluffy seed.  Is often found in disturbed areas such as along a driveway or roadside. V. gracilis (Woolly New Holland Daisy) is larger and more woody, with soft, furry grey foliage and similar tiny mauve flowers.  V. cuneata (Fuzzy New Holland Daisy) is very similar to V. gracilis but has bristly hairs rather than soft ones.

Wahlenbergia species (Bluebell) - three local species - W. communis grows in open sites particularly in clumps along roadsides and has alternate leaves; W. stricta is usually taller that W communis and has larger flowers with the basal leaves opposite, becoming alternate up the stem; W. gracilenta has a sprawling habit and very small flowers.

Red/pink flowers

Convolvulus erubescens (Australian Bindweed) - a ground hugging creeper with pale pink flowers.

Stylidium graminifolium (Trigger Plant) – rosette of grass-like leaves and a tall flower stem with a number of pink flowers on it which are “triggered” by insects.  Widespread.

Green, Inconspicuous or Things That Don’t Look Like Flowers

Hydrocotyle laxiflora (Stinking Pennywort) – recognised by its smell when flowering (similar to a piggery!).  A robust ground cover which creeps everywhere, particularly through mulch, putting out roots at each node.  Leaves are nearly circular and the flowers are green/yellow and ball-like.

Microtis unifolia (Onion Orchid) – onion-like leaf which splits to reveal a flower stalk with tiny, greenish-yellow orchid flowers.  Widespread.