My second masked venture into sunshine and Spring, this time at coastal Kattang Nature Reserve. And look at this surprise!
Never seen before, and the only one visible to me on the walk. It did look a bit like a grass tree or Xanthorrhoea, but the flower spike was too fluffy and there was no trunk. There are none of the common Xanthorrhoeas in the reserve, or none that I have seen.
But I am told by the always amazing Facebook group for NSW Plant Identification that this is Xanthorrhoea macronema, or bottlebrush grass plant, and the trunk is below the ground.
What a special solo Spring surprise!
Also new to me was this shrub, where the yellow flowers cluster at the ends of the branches, many with a green cone above their modestly folded golden skirts. The Facebook boffins tell me it’s Phyllota phylicoides, or Common Phyllota. Only it’s not common here, and amongst the thousands of other different yellow-pea-flowering bushes here, its other common name of Yellow Peabush has me laughing aloud.
Another less common shrub here, with most un-pea-like flowers, was partly familiar, as I could see it was an Isopogon, but which one? Could be anemonilfolius or petiolaris, the experts say. With so little information, I am always surprised any identification is possible.
Of course there were many other flowers out, as well as the masses of yellow pea shrubs like Dillwynias, but it seemed that whatever other shy flowers apeared, a pink boronia was nearby.
Their vivid deep pinks were in such profusion amongst all the greys of fallen timber and dead bracken that it was almost an embarrassment of boronias. Such beauty, freely offered…
Several clumps of our dainty Native Iris or Flag, a Patersonia, seemed to be preferring the sunnier open track edges, serenely showing their yellow centres from each three-petalled purple bloom.
And a boronia not far away…
Nature walk touche in honour of a late Peter McRae (Outback Bath-tub Wizard). Astrebla (Mitchell grass) was a jester name for a National Park in Queensland, suggested by some-one who didn’t spend enough time in the sun. An official name courtesy people who also hadn’t. Fortnight wet table-drains Logan west through green, green, win budgie green, to no man’s land. Thence deep crack moat, over some ancient saline forest to Bilby headquarters still the colours of Jupiter. Letter-wing kites factually the whitest white in the sun. 300 adult long-haired rats on the wane in 14.5km. The number of witnesses to seeing more bilbies in one night equaled the number Pete ever saw in one night. Sshhh. beautiful dragons were found by children, probably sub-adult. The dusty Diamantina (nee Mueller) had channels fringed with yellows; he being a man of purple. Hats. Touche PM, when Jupiter was closest to Earth, SE. For any who didn’t witness the occasion, this was followed by a smoking purple rocket.
so inspiring Sharyn! thanks for noticng and sharing all the boronial beauty!