Botany Nerds Ahoy
Thanks for the name check on the Bribie Pine.
Some lovely groves of Callitiris on the Suffolk side of Byron and up Broken Head I always enjoy visiting.
yeah, they're great trees hey. They can really stand out amongst the other 'wallum' when they occur in those areas. And the forester in me often sees a decent straight tree with timber potential (if it was pruned a bit)
GreenJam wrote:yeah, they're great trees hey. They can really stand out amongst the other 'wallum' when they occur in those areas. And the forester in me often sees a decent straight tree with timber potential (if it was pruned a bit)
Greenjam Hi. Hope you are well and coping with those tick problems. My partner is involved with a large mob who are culturally connected to Bunyas, fascinating stuff, they are plotting the dispersion of remnant trees from FNQueensland and further south.
It takes 1-5 years for a seed to develop seed leaves and enter this world, , they tend to like 25c as a mean temperature to germinate.
FNP cooked the seeds and kept them close and planted when they went on their way.
Majestic trees take decades to hundreds of years to mature into large stands.
Please don’t chop them down, FNP are spiritually connected to them as Freeride76 said recently. AW
@greenjam. My apologies, I thought you were talking about Bunyas. Oops.Aw
AlfredWallace wrote:blackers wrote:Portsea rose, nice name GF. Here's a new one starting to show up a bit. Another Saffa import
Blackers Hi, hope you are well.
I’ve been meaning to ask .What are these daisies ? I could go around in a daze suggesting many, many Asteraceous names.
They are macro shots so its not always easy to identify without seeing them ‘in situ’ and in their spatial context.
Cosmos ?, i think not.
Thanks again. AW
Hi Alfred, a poor photo taken with my phone. Senecio elegans, purple groundsel according to Plantnet. They are popping up in the dunes on the peninsula back beaches. Fairly recent arrival because I dont recall ever seeing them before.
blackers wrote:AlfredWallace wrote:blackers wrote:Portsea rose, nice name GF. Here's a new one starting to show up a bit. Another Saffa import
Blackers Hi, hope you are well.
I’ve been meaning to ask .What are these daisies ? I could go around in a daze suggesting many, many Asteraceous names.
They are macro shots so its not always easy to identify without seeing them ‘in situ’ and in their spatial context.
Cosmos ?, i think not.
Thanks again. AW
Hi Alfred, a poor photo taken with my phone. Senecio elegans, purple groundsel according to Plantnet. They are popping up in the dunes on the peninsula back beaches. Fairly recent arrival because I dont recall ever seeing them before.
Blackers. Hi. Thanks. Fortunately we haven’t go it around this side of the coast, yet, have had very light influx of Polygala myrtifolia but not out of control, unlike your side where its rife. AW
wow. wash your hands if you forage warrigal greens.
8cm parasite (probably python poo origin) pulled from 64 year old's brain:
https://www.wionews.com/science/from-snakes-to-humans-live-parasitic-rou...
Another plant most would/should know
GreenJam wrote:just catching up...
some absolute favourites of mine being mentioned. Bunyas - awesome trees, I grow a batch every year, well actually, we just dump a heap of seed under some mulch and come back some months later and dig our all the seedlings and pot them up. Much easier than waiting for them in the nursery.
and I'm with you FR - love all the native pines. I've actually got a cluster on the deck thatI call my ode to the pines - potted specimens of bunya, hoop, kuari, plum pine (podocarpus), callitris (sometimes called Bribie Is pine). Got a rarer Daintree pine (Gymnostoma) in the ground - they look beautiful.
and the hovea - also beautiful. Some years seem better for the depth of colour in the flowers. This year was ok, I recall last year was epic. And I did have a white flowering variety for a while, but it died off.
and fully agree AW - the Bunya Mts are amazing. So many massive trees, not just Bunyas. The 'whitewoods' (Eleaocarpus kirtonii) are great too (I actually stayed in a wicked little place called 'Whitewood Cottage' - the birdlife on the deck was incredible, it all just came to you if you just sat there and waited). I was there in 2019, it was still in drought, so just trickles in all the waterfalls, but at least no leeches. Hope to get back there soon.
Greenjam. Very enjoyable discussing plant/bird life with all who are interested.
I’ll be back at Bunya Mountains NP in the third week of October, can’t wait.
Fully share your view, in some locations it’s clever to immerse yourself in a pocket, or on a deck , elevated verandah etc. and let birds come to you.
If the strata of vegetation is intact and plant community not disturbed, we humans can lap it up.
I sometimes spend 10-12 hours sitting, drinking tea, binoculars or scope in hand and recording birds back to a global database .It’s serene and rewarding when you don’t disturb birds daily activities .
Last year in Indonesia on Sipora, many areas of the forest were impenetrable for pedestrian bird recording, so I resolved myself to just sitting down in the shade, battling 1000,s of ants that were trying to package me up and carry me away and waited, not very long, for birds to show up, many species did and I’m more the wiser for it. AW.
GreenJam wrote:just catching up...
some absolute favourites of mine being mentioned. Bunyas - awesome trees, I grow a batch every year, well actually, we just dump a heap of seed under some mulch and come back some months later and dig our all the seedlings and pot them up. Much easier than waiting for them in the nursery.
and I'm with you FR - love all the native pines. I've actually got a cluster on the deck thatI call my ode to the pines - potted specimens of bunya, hoop, kuari, plum pine (podocarpus), callitris (sometimes called Bribie Is pine). Got a rarer Daintree pine (Gymnostoma) in the ground - they look beautiful.
and the hovea - also beautiful. Some years seem better for the depth of colour in the flowers. This year was ok, I recall last year was epic. And I did have a white flowering variety for a while, but it died off.
and fully agree AW - the Bunya Mts are amazing. So many massive trees, not just Bunyas. The 'whitewoods' (Eleaocarpus kirtonii) are great too (I actually stayed in a wicked little place called 'Whitewood Cottage' - the birdlife on the deck was incredible, it all just came to you if you just sat there and waited). I was there in 2019, it was still in drought, so just trickles in all the waterfalls, but at least no leeches. Hope to get back there soon.
Greenjam. A nice little collection of southern hemisphere Gondwanan plants on your deck, i can picture it from here, beautiful .I love Podocarpus elatus as well as all the other plants you mentioned.
I wish we (society, not aimed at you) stop referring to any plant that looks like a conifer, as a pine.
Just a bit of Plant Trivia.
Of all the plants above, none are actual pines (Pinus sp.) Pinaceae family
Bunya, Hoop, Kauri , pines they are not, as you know.
All members of Araucariaceae family. Araucaria bidwillii, Araucaria cunninghamiana, Agathis robusta.
Plum Pine , not a true pine, Podocarpus elatus. Podocarpaceae family.
Native Cypress Pine, not a true pine, Callitris sp. Cupressaceae family
Gymnostoma , not a true pine or even a conifer, it’s actually a type of she-oak, in this instance , Casuarinaceae family.
Gj, here at home I’m growing Callitris columellaris , started from seed 7 years ago, trees 3m high and robust, great plant, resistant to termites and it’s wood has a general in-ground decomposition rating of 35 years. Love the smell when the wood is cut.
Sorry to bore others, I’m just forever pining for correct botanical nomenclature. AW
Greenjam.
Hi mate. Thanks again for your recommendation . It truly is a fine botanical publication.
Arrived yesterday, head buried in it today
The Keys to Groups is excellent.
I like botanical books that have black and white line drawings.
You learn to identify leaf and floristic characteristics morphology through different eyes compared to colour photographs .
In earlier years of learning to identify, I mostly looked at black and white line drawings, so, if you can identify plants from that starting base, well, imagine how easy it becomes to identify plants from coloured photos or in real life.AW
udo wrote:
Udo. Thanks. Interesting. A bit of success for some people in a very contrived landscape, low levels of food production that’s about all. Good on them for experimenting to serve their needs.
Geographically semi-arid, the local plant communities found naturally in that system don’t struggle at all, it’s not harsh to them, in fact conditions are favourable, otherwise they wouldn’t occur there. AW
Magpie question: we've had a pair become familiar with us over the last few months and they have been nesting. We thought we heard the chick(s) hatch, but in the last few days the rhythm of them being around has stopped, after being away for a couple of days.
No magpies in the nest, not visiting either. I've seen other parents around on ground level with their chicks and kind of hope that's been the fate of our little friends. What's the chance something got their chick and they've left now? Which other birds eat magpie chicks?
Crows will eat them if they get a chance. Goannas are another predator they have to worry about.
If they've only just hatched and aren't fledglings, then I doubt there living on the ground.
Hey vj, magpies are awesome and not actually part of the botany kingdom (which I'm sure you know), but hey, cross thread digressions are part of what makes these forums interesting! Most of time they do eventually find their way back to the theme. I do have fond memories of spending quality time with magpies, but I can never forget having to carry my push bike on top of my head through a particular section of a bush track years ago! Anyway last weekend my cuz reminded me of an app that I haven't used in months (but mostly had forgotten about) that he's currently into. For some reason I remembered so I logged in and cut and pasted your post above, response below:
Magpies are known for their strong parental instincts and protective behavior when it comes to their chicks. However, there can be various reasons why the magpies you observed have stopped visiting their nest and may have abandoned it. It's important to note that while some bird species do prey on the eggs or chicks of other birds, magpies are not a common target for such predation.
Here are a few possibilities for why the magpie parents may have abandoned their nest:
Predation: While it's not common for other birds to prey on magpie chicks, it's possible that some other predator, such as a larger bird or a mammal, may have raided the nest and taken the chicks. Magpies can be territorial and protective, but they are not immune to predation.
Failed Nesting Attempt: Nesting can be a challenging and precarious time for birds. Sometimes, environmental factors, food scarcity, or disturbances can lead to a failed nesting attempt. If the parents felt that the conditions were not suitable for raising their chicks, they may have abandoned the nest.
Chick Health Issues: If the chicks had any health problems or deformities, the parents might have abandoned them, as it's a common survival strategy in the bird world to focus resources on healthy offspring.
Human Disturbance: If there has been consistent human activity or disturbance near the nest, the parents may have been discouraged from returning. Magpies can be sensitive to human presence, especially during the nesting period.
It's difficult to determine the exact reason without direct observation. However, if the magpie parents have indeed abandoned the nest, it's a natural response to challenges they may have faced. Nature can be unpredictable, and not all nesting attempts are successful. If you are concerned about the well-being of the magpie family, you may want to observe the nest from a distance to see if the parents return or if any other activity occurs. If you find any signs of distress or injured birds, you could contact a local wildlife rescue or rehabilitation organization for assistance.
Cheers!
velocityjohnno wrote:Magpie question: we've had a pair become familiar with us over the last few months and they have been nesting. We thought we heard the chick(s) hatch, but in the last few days the rhythm of them being around has stopped, after being away for a couple of days.
No magpies in the nest, not visiting either. I've seen other parents around on ground level with their chicks and kind of hope that's been the fate of our little friends. What's the chance something got their chick and they've left now? Which other birds eat magpie chicks?
VJ & TS. Corvids- Australian or Little Raven and Grey Butcherbirds in the south. North , Corvids-Ravens, Crows and both Grey and Pied Butcherbirds. AW
Magpies are vehemently defensive of their spatial boundaries, kill thy neighbour no problem. AW
Currawongs, how could i forget those murderers.AW
Thank you everyone. Yes AW, two days ago I saw two Currawongs visit the tree and nest uncontested and figured something was wrong as I'd expect the maggies to give them hell.
So it looks like our little friends might have lost their baby, sad. Do they then fly far away in mourning?
Edit: I know it's botany. Here's some total porn for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athrotaxis_selaginoides
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/king-billy-pines-reveal-tasmanias...
velocityjohnno wrote:Thank you everyone. Yes AW, two days ago I saw two Currawongs visit the tree and nest uncontested and figured something was wrong as I'd expect the maggies to give them hell.
So it looks like our little friends might have lost their baby, sad. Do they then fly far away in mourning?
Edit: I know it's botany. Here's some total porn for you:
VJ Thanks. Magpies will have another go. Unfortunately, at present, birds are way ahead of schedule with knowing serious heat is about to frown upon us. All our breeding/nesting data are indicating most species have dropped eggs and already have broods some 3-4 weeks earlier than usual.
This would have been internally chugging away triggered by above average Winter temps, simply , they know before we do. Aren’t we meant to be the smartest? Don’t think so. I do hope your Maggie’s get up again. Thanks for the reads, i, like you, love that Tassie flora, mind boggling we keep chopping it down. All the best .AW
VJ. We’ve collectively agreed thats its most things biological on this thread.
I dont know how to do it.
I was thinking a new thread/topic could be, ‘Birds, How Absurd’ !!!
AW.
Agree that everything is about 4 weeks ahead of schedule. What kind of fuel load have we got out in the parks at present on the SC? Is it still too wet to do an Ash Wednesday come February if we have a really hot summer around here? That northerly/westerly change with the dry front (shudders)
velocityjohnno wrote:Agree that everything is about 4 weeks ahead of schedule. What kind of fuel load have we got out in the parks at present on the SC? Is it still too wet to do an Ash Wednesday come February if we have a really hot summer around here? That northerly/westerly change with the dry front (shudders)
VJ. It’s drying quickly, dams around us are evaporating quickly, i watch three in particular, places I observe plants/birds and everything else, it’s still a little moist but if it’s going to be as hot as forecast, who knows, it will dry very quickly in the right prevailing winds as you’ve highlighted. Local native flora has definitely taken advantage of the 3 wet years, I’m predicting rapid biomass accumulation, it’s a wait and see, I think. AW
velocityjohnno wrote:Thank you everyone. Yes AW, two days ago I saw two Currawongs visit the tree and nest uncontested and figured something was wrong as I'd expect the maggies to give them hell.
So it looks like our little friends might have lost their baby, sad. Do they then fly far away in mourning?
Edit: I know it's botany. Here's some total porn for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athrotaxis_selaginoides
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-07/king-billy-pines-reveal-tasmanias...
VJ, I visited the Giant Sequoias and Coastal Redwoods in California in 2019, some trees 2500 years old.
Worlds oldest trees are the Bristle Cone Pines, 4-5000years old,AW
The noisy miners in my area have been very active in harassing the ravens lately, they do it every nesting season. Amazing how the little buggers can totally intimidate a much larger bird.
The last goanna I watched heading for a nesting tree was attacked by all and sundry. The noisy miners sounded the alarm and proceeded with some incredible low flying distractions while the maggies flew slightly higher with full wing spread attack mode. The kookaburras made some noise but did fuck all. The butcher birds harassed and pecked at the big reptiles tail, inviting the inevitable tail swipes.
All up, it worked. Some great teamwork to distract the goanna and move it on.
Ahh nature.
tubeshooter wrote:The noisy miners in my area have been very active in harassing the ravens lately, they do it every nesting season. Amazing how the little buggers can totally intimidate a much larger bird.
The last goanna I watched heading for a nesting tree was attacked by all and sundry. The noisy miners sounded the alarm and proceeded with some incredible low flying distractions while the maggies flew slightly higher with full wing spread attack mode. The kookaburras made some noise but did fuck all. The butcher birds harassed and pecked at the big reptiles tail, inviting the inevitable tail swipes.
All up, it worked. Some great teamwork to distract the goanna and move it on.
Ahh nature.
Tubeshooter
Love it also. Biologically free entertainment for all who care. Sure beats having your face buried in a mobile for most of your day and missing life along the way. We are a nutty mob.AW.
VJs story about the Magpies moving on from his place reminded me of the Tawny Frogmouths in our garden. There have been between two and four the whole time we have lived here but we are now down to one.
Could be lots of reasons the others have moved on but there is a lot research demonstrating rat poisons in urban areas are impacting Tawny Frogmouths and owls.
https://theconversation.com/rat-poison-is-killing-our-beloved-native-owl...
From the article…….Try to approach the problem without using poisons. In particular, avoid any SGAR-based products (those containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone and flucoumafen as the active ingredients).
Distracted wrote:VJs story about the Magpies moving on from his place reminded me of the Tawny Frogmouths in our garden. There have been between two and four the whole time we have lived here but we are now down to one.
Could be lots of reasons the others have moved on but there is a lot research demonstrating rat poisons in urban areas are impacting Tawny Frogmouths and owls.
https://theconversation.com/rat-poison-is-killing-our-beloved-native-owl...From the article…….Try to approach the problem without using poisons. In particular, avoid any SGAR-based products (those containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone and flucoumafen as the active ingredients).
Distracted. Hi. Rodenticides are destroying our birds, sadly Powerful Owls and other nocturnal birds are suffering big time, how nasty we are us humans,AW
AlfredWallace wrote:VJ, I visited the Giant Sequoias and Coastal Redwoods in California in 2019, some trees 2500 years old.
Worlds oldest trees are the Bristle Cone Pines, 4-5000years old,AW
There's a certain tree on a certain southern isle that you need to get the keys to a track for work to get near, that has an unusual habit - it clones itself upon death. And they worked out it did that 4 times or so now. So the genetics are around 10,000 years old...
Update on the maggie - I saw the fella magpie today. He was a bit away from our home and he recognised me as I walked past. He sang for me, as he often does, but it was kind of quiet, and mournful. I could tell something really terrible has happened to him. I wonder where the girl magpie is? It was just so sad. Hope he gets his mojo back, cos he could be pretty funny, going full bore song right on your fence, and always a song for my son on his way to work in the dark in the morning.
velocityjohnno wrote:AlfredWallace wrote:VJ, I visited the Giant Sequoias and Coastal Redwoods in California in 2019, some trees 2500 years old.
Worlds oldest trees are the Bristle Cone Pines, 4-5000years old,AW
There's a certain tree on a certain southern isle that you need to get the keys to a track for work to get near, that has an unusual habit - it clones itself upon death. And they worked out it did that 4 times or so now. So the genetics are around 10,000 years old...
Update on the maggie - I saw the fella magpie today. He was a bit away from our home and he recognised me as I walked past. He sang for me, as he often does, but it was kind of quiet, and mournful. I could tell something really terrible has happened to him. I wonder where the girl magpie is? It was just so sad. Hope he gets his mojo back, cos he could be pretty funny, going full bore song right on your fence, and always a song for my son on his way to work in the dark in the morning.
Vj. Hi mate, hope ya well. Thanks i will check out that secret tree, ive got a bit of an idea , from something i read years back, where and what it is, just going get some facts together.
Well, it’s well known that Australians voted magpies as their number one bird.
They are omnipresent and great harbingers of Spring in coastal, rural, suburban and urban landscapes , conductors really, always the first bird I hear at light. They often independently compete with Kookaburras to win the dawn or dusk vocal battle, it’s all about boundaries as you’d know.
Go Pies. AW
AlfredWallace wrote:velocityjohnno wrote:AlfredWallace wrote:VJ, I visited the Giant Sequoias and Coastal Redwoods in California in 2019, some trees 2500 years old.
Worlds oldest trees are the Bristle Cone Pines, 4-5000years old,AW
There's a certain tree on a certain southern isle that you need to get the keys to a track for work to get near, that has an unusual habit - it clones itself upon death. And they worked out it did that 4 times or so now. So the genetics are around 10,000 years old...
Update on the maggie - I saw the fella magpie today. He was a bit away from our home and he recognised me as I walked past. He sang for me, as he often does, but it was kind of quiet, and mournful. I could tell something really terrible has happened to him. I wonder where the girl magpie is? It was just so sad. Hope he gets his mojo back, cos he could be pretty funny, going full bore song right on your fence, and always a song for my son on his way to work in the dark in the morning.
Vj. Hi mate, hope ya well. Thanks i will check out that secret tree, ive got a bit of an idea , from something i read years back, where and what it is, just going get some facts together.
Well, it’s well known that Australians voted magpies as their number one bird.
They are omnipresent and great harbingers of Spring in coastal, rural, suburban and urban landscapes , conductors really, always the first bird I hear at light. They often independently compete with Kookaburras to win the dawn or dusk vocal battle, it’s all about boundaries as you’d know.
Go Pies. AW
Velocityjohnno. Hi mate. To my surprise, brain hasn’t failed me, yet, it’s what I was thinking .
The clonal plant is Lomatia tasmanica, King’s Lomatia from SW Tasmania, still alive after 43,000 years of genetically cloning itself.
Discovered in 1934.
It’s well worth searching for the article about this plant, it’s on the ABC website, I’ve no idea how to upload it, other tech gurus will probably do it with ease.
It’s from an area of Tasmania that’s also in the vicinity of another rarity, the Orange-Bellied Parrot.
Lomatia tasmanica is a member of the Proteaceae family , related to Grevillea sp., Hakea sp, Banksia sp, Telopea sp. and so on, list is long in Oz.
The photo below I took a few days ago not far from where I live.
It’s Lomatia ilicifolia. Holly Lomatia, grows 1-3m high has typical Proteaceous flowers, in this case, creamy white.
When it flowers in a few weeks, I’ll get some photos.AW
A plant from the other side of the country found over a small geographical range. It’s much loved in a lot of gardens in W.A., as well as the South East and Eastern states of Oz.
A great bird attracting mallee species..
Mallee species are multi stemmed arising out of a basal lignotuber, they don’t exhibit straight singular trunks like many other species in this iconic plant genus. The lignotuber is comprised of basal meristem, so if the plant is burnt by fire, or the stems are cut and broken, the plant simply regenerates from it. Many others species do this as well (and many don’t also, simply in a wild fire the plant dies but in the moment, rains down 100,000’s of seeds). A worthy plant for a dry, windy, warm to hot location that is surely an eye catcher for anytime of the year.AW
Silver Princess AW?
goofyfoot wrote:Silver Princess AW?
Goofyfoot. Hi mate. Great identification, again.
Plant Trivia
Eucalyptus caesia ssp.magna ‘Silver Princess’
Not to be confused with Eucalyptus caesia Gungurru
The former has big large flowers and the latter, same coloured flowers but much smaller. (caesia, the species, name taken from the man made chemical element, caesium, referencing the grey colour that is on the fine branches and branchlets. AW
Want to take a swing at this beautiful rainforest tree in full flower AW?
freeride76 wrote:Want to take a swing at this beautiful rainforest tree in full flower AW?
Freeride76. Morning. Hope you are well.
Firstly, what a great stately specimen, thanks for sharing it, whatever it is.
I love your keen eye for the natural world, something we both enjoy.
From that distance to your camera, I’d be only guessing, I’d need to see flowers to identify it.
As a local in your area, i’d imagine most would recognise it straight up.
Does it have a semi-deciduous nature over Winter, then mass flowers ? Can’t seem to see much foliage.
Flindersia australis ?
Before giving me the news. Any chance of a photo of a flower/s ? Thanks AW.
Sorry, this was just a quick street snap.
Pretty sure not deciduous (possibly semi-deciduous before flowering). Loves rainforest margins, re-growth and some wet sclerophyll environments.
This is an exceptional specimen, a heritage listed tree saved from the developers bulldozers when they built the homes you see in the frame.
Much loved by beetles, butterflies and birds.
Used medicinally by Bundjalung people (and others).
AlfredWallace wrote:goofyfoot wrote:Silver Princess AW?
Goofyfoot. Hi mate. Great identification, again.
Plant Trivia
Eucalyptus caesia ssp.magna ‘Silver Princess’
Not to be confused with Eucalyptus caesia Gungurru
The former has big large flowers and the latter, same coloured flowers but much smaller. (caesia, the species, name taken from the man made chemical element, caesium, referencing the grey colour that is on the fine branches and branchlets. AW
They don’t seem to like the alkaline soils we get down here on the coast I’ve noticed, seem to do better up around Red Hill, Flinders areas
goofyfoot wrote:AlfredWallace wrote:goofyfoot wrote:Silver Princess AW?
Goofyfoot. Hi mate. Great identification, again.
Plant Trivia
Eucalyptus caesia ssp.magna ‘Silver Princess’
Not to be confused with Eucalyptus caesia Gungurru
The former has big large flowers and the latter, same coloured flowers but much smaller. (caesia, the species, name taken from the man made chemical element, caesium, referencing the grey colour that is on the fine branches and branchlets. AW
They don’t seem to like the alkaline soils we get down here on the coast I’ve noticed, seem to do better up around Red Hill, Flinders areas
Goofyfoot. Hi. The geology in their small range area in W.A. is compromised of granitic soils, acidic by nature, so, a great observation by you regarding they don’t like your coastal underlying geology of ,sandstone, limestone and calcified limestone and all of the soil borne from those three.
In Torquay they power away in light grey sandy loam, but on most occasions you must bury a few rocks or bricks etc. so the mallee root structure can bind and prevent them from blowing over. Equally grow well in other soils providing they are not incessantly wet or over compacted, once established, they can attain heights from 6-12m.AW
udo wrote:
speaking of compacted soils, I enjoyed this udo. 'jackhammer farming'.
Given up AW?
Wow Steve, beauty!
freeride76 wrote:Given up AW?
Freeride76. I’ve nothing to go on.
I’d be guessing Flindersia australis or Agyrodendron sp ?
Put me out of my misery mate, pistol to the temple, I’m gone. AW
hahaha, sorry mate. Pretty scant evidence.
It's a pink ash or sarsaparilla tree, Alphitonia petriei.
Around the world there are 20 species of this distinctive tree, mostly in tropical Asia, while in Australia there are seven or eight species, found in eastern northern Australia.
Alphitonia petriei is a pioneer species which grows rapidly on the edge of the forest or in a gap where sunlight can reach. Trees can grow to a height of 40 meters and sometimes look grotesque with gnarled and twisted limbs and branches which reach out impossible distances laterally from the trunk. Trees in spring are particularly eye-catching as most are densely covered in white flowers, often with a tiered effect and, from a distance, appear like snow-laden Christmas trees.
Flowering is usually from September through to March. Pollination is by beetles. Butterflies are also attracted to Alphitonia. The fruit is produced from February to July; globular, dark capsules, which ripen to reveal three orange to red seeds surrounded by a powdery flesh. Many birds, including King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, feast on these while fallen fruit is eaten by cassowaries (in N. QLD).
The bark on the trunk and limbs of this tree is grey, flaky, almost tessellated and if torn gives off a liniment-like odour. This is a distinctive feature of the tree. The strong liniment smell of broken twigs and leaves is methyl salicylate, produced in the cambial layers of the limbs. Some people liken the smell to sarsaparilla, hence another popular name for this tree. Indigenous peoples used the Alphitonia petriei medicinally, probably as a liniment.
freeride76 wrote:hahaha, sorry mate. Pretty scant evidence.
It's a pink ash or sarsaparilla tree, Alphitonia petriei.
Around the world there are 20 species of this distinctive tree, mostly in tropical Asia, while in Australia there are seven or eight species, found in eastern northern Australia.
Alphitonia petriei is a pioneer species which grows rapidly on the edge of the forest or in a gap where sunlight can reach. Trees can grow to a height of 40 meters and sometimes look grotesque with gnarled and twisted limbs and branches which reach out impossible distances laterally from the trunk. Trees in spring are particularly eye-catching as most are densely covered in white flowers, often with a tiered effect and, from a distance, appear like snow-laden Christmas trees.
Flowering is usually from September through to March. Pollination is by beetles. Butterflies are also attracted to Alphitonia. The fruit is produced from February to July; globular, dark capsules, which ripen to reveal three orange to red seeds surrounded by a powdery flesh. Many birds, including King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, feast on these while fallen fruit is eaten by cassowaries (in N. QLD).
The bark on the trunk and limbs of this tree is grey, flaky, almost tessellated and if torn gives off a liniment-like odour. This is a distinctive feature of the tree. The strong liniment smell of broken twigs and leaves is methyl salicylate, produced in the cambial layers of the limbs. Some people liken the smell to sarsaparilla, hence another popular name for this tree. Indigenous peoples used the Alphitonia petriei medicinally, probably as a liniment.
Freeride76. Thanks for all that information, hopefully i can store that for future reference.
Magnificent specimen, no wonder there was a great push to have it retained when it was in close proximity to a new housing development. All the best.AW.
No worries AW.
Lots of beautiful flowers in the heath at the moment.
Must have been 15 or 20 yellow-tailed black cockatoos munching away on dwarf banksia cones and other delights.
Very magical morning.
Freeride76. It’s always fun, love it, if i learn something new everyday, im a happy man.
The Alphintonia petriei and other rainforest remnants must be giving town a bit of a spring vibe, heralding the new season. Would be amazing around those coastal hinterlands at present.
One of my favourite birds for sure, that flat horizontal flight pattern and the random calls, instantaneously you know what bird it is without even looking up.
Yep, heathlands are impressive this time of year, i love just poking around hoping to find a little gem here or there.
Pea flowers, gobsmacking after 3 years of rain. Vivid colours. Good stuff. AW
seeds wrote:Seems a keen interest for some, so why not.
Golden Bamboo make great hidey holes in the garden, well I liked it.
Probs impossible to get rid of
Clumping varieties only Daryl.
We’ve given the world a lot of good things but this icon maybe not
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-09/wildfires-portugal-greece-califor...
And this is interesting reading. There’s also a link to an eucalyptus quiz for the botany nerds.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-07-31/eucalyptus-native-trees-e...
Seems a keen interest for some, so why not.