We wish all our Members, their families and friends a Happy Healthy and Productive New Year
The New Year
So we look at our priorities for 2018. We have our family priorities up front but I hope we can include an intent to improve our environment. I wonder about the environment my seven great- grandchildren will experience as they grow older.
We hope that this Group and our Australian Plants Society NSW will assist us to learn more about our beautiful Australian flora and how to use them to fulfil our objective of a better environment.
Age and other incapacities may limit our achievements but every little bit helps.
The trees and shrubs enhance the appearance of our district and, of course, improve the quality of the air we breathe and hence our health.
Can you help our Group this year in any way? Your Committee has their responsibilities but we invite new ideas from members. Speak up! Nominate for the new Committee!
Calendar
January
Wed 10 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am *The plants don’t have holidays!
February
Sun 4 Deadline for Calgaroo news / articles
Wed 14 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am
Sat 24 Our meeting at Gumnut Hall, Gumnut Place, Cherrybrook at 2pm. The Speaker will be Narelle Happ whose topic will be Bush Tucker Gardens. And we hold our AGM.
Next Month’s Meeting on 24 Feb 2018
We will commence the afternoon sharp at 2pm with our regular bimonthly meeting after which we will hold our Annual General Meeting which includes the Committee’s Report, followed by the Treasurer’s Report and the Propagation Officer’s Report. The election of the Committee for 2018 follows. These AGM matters do not normally take much time to complete but we do need to start on time to ensure we finish on time.
At our bimonthly meeting on 24 February 2018 we are delighted to have Narelle Happ as our guest speaker. Her talk is titled Bush Tucker Gardens. Narelle is a horticulturist and garden designer, with a special interest in edible native plants. She has loads of knowledge and practical advice on this group of plants, because she grows them in her garden and regularly uses them in her family meals. She knows which plants will grow well in Sydney, how to care for them and how to use them in the kitchen. She will have specimens to show and maybe a few to sell at the meeting.
Narelle has delighted several other Groups with her presentation – don’t miss it!
Opposite is a Walking Stick Palm, Linospadix monostachya which is a small palm growing in rainforest understorey in SE Queensland and NE NSW. The red edible fruit is shown growing up the stems.
It was named the Walking Stick Palm because the canes were used to make walking sticks for disabled returned soldiers after WW1 and 2.
The Time has Come
I have been given an opportunity to learn more about and promote our Australian native flora long after most my age have retired from an active role and I thank the Group and our Society for the opportunities that I have had during my membership of nearly 44 years including my three years as President of our Society.
But the time has come! I think it is in the interests of the Group that I retire as Editor of Calgaroo, a task I accepted in 2010 when Joan Hayes moved away from our area. I anticipated I would fill the role for a few months at most as I had done in previous years when the editor of the day was away or incapacitated.
I trust someone will offer to fill the position at next month’s AGM. These days there is so much info on line the task is not difficult. If the new editor seeks my help it will be given as requested but I promise not to interfere.
Next APS Gathering
This will be held in the Loftus Community Hall, Sutherland on 3 March 2018 commencing at 12 noon. It is opposite the Loftus railway station at 129R Loftus Avenue, Loftus. Program details will be included in the next issue of Calgaroo or may be seen in the APS NSW web site at http://austplants.com.au/.
A Segment of Gardening Australia
We saw a beautiful native garden in Toowoomba in the ABC’s Gardening Australia program on 10 September 2017. Many native gardens are left as bush gardens with plants growing wherever they can be placed but in this case their plantings were carefully designed. As the camera panned around one area we caught a glimpse of beautiful Grevilleas among many other plants.. To see this segment visit http://iview.abc.net.au/and enter “Gardening Australia” in the “Find a Program” box. Choose Series 28, Episode 28.
Studying the critically endangered Purple Wattle
*Paul Williams
Acacia purpureopetala is a small wattle with attractive pink/purple flowers – it’s the only Australian wattle with purple flowers in fact! It has a restricted distribution in north Queensland, growing in the Atherton to Mt Garnet district. Acacia purpureopetala is listed as critically endangered and is one of the Australian Government’s 30 priority threatened plant species.
In association with CSIRO, NSW Herbarium and Vegetation Management Science, we’re undertaking an evaluation of Acacia purpureopetala populations to better understand the management requirements of this unique wattle. Funded through the Australian Government Threatened Species Recovery Plan, this project is documenting the current extent of Acacia purpureopetala populations and searching for undocumented, additional populations. So far our surveys have uncovered 200 new plants, which increases the total known population to 700!
We’re also evaluating the plant’s responses to disturbances and threats to long-term population stability. We’ll use DNA analysis to understand the species genetic variation across its range and undertake a seed germination trial to assess the propagation requirements of this rare species.
This Acacia is a sprawling ±prostrate shrub to 0.5 m high; new growth is purplish. Branchlets are puberulous to pubescent. Stipules are 2–3 mm long, normally recurved.
Phyllodes are slightly asymmetric, narrowly oblong-elliptic, sometimes oblanceolate, 15–35 mm long, 4–6 mm wide, l:w = 4–7, excentrically mucronate, with 0.5–2 mm long mucro, coriaceous, finely puberulous with hairs often confined to margins when old; midrib and margins prominent; lateral nerves scarcely evident; gland 1–6 mm above pulvinus.
Inflorescences are simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 7–15 mm long, puberulous, ebracteate at base, sometimes with a single bract above middle; heads globular, 15–20-flowered, mauve-pink. Flowers 5-merous; sepals ±free.
Pods are narrowly oblong to elliptic, to 30 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, normally 1–3-seeded, thinly coriaceous- crustaceous, brown, glabrous or subglabrous.
Seeds are longitudinal, circular to widely elliptic, compressed, 4–5 mm long, exarillate; funicle filiform
*Paul Williams for the Publisher, Bush Heritage Australia, Sep 2017 Thanks to Maria Hitchcock for the link. Visit http://worldwidewattle.com/imagegallery/image.php?p=0&l=p&id=20588&o=4
Another Special Acacia
Alex Smart
Many botanic gardens are involved in conserving rare or threatened plants. A wonderful success story is the involvement of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’. In 1995 a single specimen of this striking red flowered Cinnamon Wattle was found by bushwalkers in state forest in the Kinglake area north east of Melbourne. Plant conservation staff from the RBG Melbourne were able to propagate cuttings and the plant was registered under plant breeders rights as Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’. Perhaps this will be seen as one of the most surprising and significant discoveries of twentieth century Australian horticulture.
With the demise of the single specimen in the wild the conservation at RBG Melbourne became work critically important. The success of that work enabled this plant to be selected as Victoria’s floral emblem for the Centenary of Federation celebrations.
Now in commercial production plants are available in native plant nurseries for around $20. It will grow to 4 or 5 metres in full sun or dappled shade in well drained moist soil and does not need to be pruned. It can make a spectacular ornamental garden specimen.
*Alex Smart was President of Friends of RBG Cranbourne in 2007 when he wrote this.
The image is featured in the ANPSA Gallery. To see the Gallery article by Esther Brueggemeier and image visit http://anpsa.org.au/APOL2008/dec08-2.html
Water expensive as climate change and population bite *David Twomey It really should not come as a surprise but a major report just released warns the next big drain on household budgets will be water.
Water and sewerage expenses could double by 2040, to around $2500 a year, according to findings by Infrastructure Australia in the report Reforming Urban Water.
At the same time the shock to households could pressure governments to sell off water supply businesses, one of the few public utilities not yet privatised. Ageing infrastructure is costing more to maintain with the extra expense being passed on, while climate change and growing populations will further strain supplies of clean water.
“If Australians want continued access to safe, reliable and affordable water in the future, we need to begin a staged approach to reforming the sector now, starting with a new national urban water reform plan,” Infrastructure Australia CEO, Philip Davies, said.
Ed. It is obvious we can’t afford to water our gardens so often in the future. The answer is clear – choose dry country species. Indeed, it may be wise to plan now as it is doubtful whether anyone can be very precise as to when and by how much our climate will change.
*David Twomey is Editor of Eco News which is published on-line daily. Visit www.econews.com.au
APS NSW Quarterly Get-together
We have accepted an invitation from the Board to host the APS NSW Get-together on Saturday, 26 May 2018. Details are to be finalised but it will be held in Gumnut Hall, Cherrybrook. We hope members will be willing to assist us in our hosting responsibilities which may include a bush walk, garden display, sale of plants, preparation and provision of morning and afternoon tea/coffee. Please let us know of any other innovative activity we could consider.. Phone numbers of our current Committee members are shown on the final page.
APS/SGAP Receive Recognition on Internet Pages
Recently I have seen recognition and promotion on my Internet pages of APS Victoria Groups and on another occasion SGAP Queensland Groups. Below is an image, probably new to most of us, from SGAP Cairns Group.
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Elephant foot yam, is pictured below as a mature flower in an SGAP Qld Cairns Group pictorial document and along side is an image from the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, of the same flower taken as it begins to open. It is the report associated with the latter image from the ANBG that convinces me that it is a native not only of South Eastern Asian nations but also Australia.
The plant blooms annually around the beginning of the raining season. This plant produces a single inflorescence followed by a solitary leaf. The plant is deciduous, dying back to a large underground corm, weighing up to 8kg, after the growing season.
The flower bud emerges from the corm as a purple shoot, and later blooms as a purple inflorescence. The pistillate (female) and staminate (male) flowers are on the same plant and are crowded in cylindrical masses as an inflorescence. The top part is responsible for secreting mucus that gives off a putrid, pungent smell that is used to attract pollinating insects, the middle part of the inflorescence contains the staminate, and the base of the inflorescence contains the pistillate.
The stigmas of the female flowers will be receptive on the first day of the bloom, when the pungent smell will draw pollinating insects inside, and the inflorescence will close, trapping them for a night to allow the pollen deposited on the insect to be transferred to the stigmas. Later in the second day, the female flower will no longer be receptive of pollens, the male flowers will start to bloom, and the inflorescence will open again. This allows the pollen to be deposited on the emerging insects to be pollinated on different flowers, while preventing the pollens from the same inflorescence to fertilize itself, preventing inbreeding.
Some 24-36 hours after the first bloom of the inflorescence, the inflorescence’s female flowers will start developing into berries, bright red fruiting bodies, and other parts of the inflorescence will start wilting away. The berries are red when ripe and are not quite round, being subglobose or ovoid. It is understood that these berries are edible though a little acidic. (Continued next page)
Some people regard the inflorescence as bizarre. Another states that it is the ugliest and most foul smelling flower that exists. It comprises a large spadix crowned with a bulbous purple knob, encircled by a fleshy purple and green-blotched spathe up to 50cm wide. On successful pollination of the female flowers the spadix can extend to 2m tall. The fresh inflorescence emits an odor reminiscent of rotting flesh to attract pollinating carrion flies and beetles. However the foul odour apparently exists for only a few hours as implied above after which the plant is used in some communities in Asia in foods. The red berries are used as a mash, in curries, and in pickles and chutnies, and the green leaves are eaten in a leaf based curry. The base is considered a type of yam and is eaten fried or even as a green vegetable.
The solitary leaf resembles a small tree. The leaf blade is much divided into hundreds of leaflets and can reach over 1m wide. This blade sits atop a thick fleshy stem up to 13cm diameter and 2m tall. The pustular surface of the stem is attractively blotched with paler shades of green.
It is classified as an Arum of the family Araceae and Eurasian plants of this family have arrow-shaped leaves and a showy spathe partially enclosing a spadix. These terms may not be familiar but the spathe is a large, leaflike, often showy bract that encloses a flower cluster or spadix. Think of a lily – the white outer part is the spathe and the yellow centre is the spadix.
And there were a number of other plants in the Cairns Group document that were unfamiliar to me – but they need to show themselves again. When on-line keep an eye on odd promotions on the side and read more of these strange plants. The above is for your information – I don’t recommend you attempt to grow one.
Prostanthera Sp.
The genus Prostanthera is one that has been a favourite of mine and, I believe, a favourite of most lovers of native plants, and when I saw the short article in the Sutherland Group newsletter re a specimen brought to their October meeting I just had to write.
Prostanthera is a genus of about 90 species and lies within the family Lamiaceae, the mint family of flowering plants, with 236 genera and more than 7,000 species, the largest family of the order Lamiales. Lamiaceae is distributed nearly worldwide, and many species are cultivated for their fragrant leaves and attractive flowers. The family is particularly important to humans for herb plants useful for flavour, fragrance, or medicinal properties. Outside of APS members, English lavender may be the best known of the species in the Family.
Peter Shelton, editor of the APS Sutherland newsletter, wrote of Prostanthera lasianthos (Victorian Christmas Bush)., saying, “This is a very common plant in NSW, despite the common name, and you can find it in places such as the headwater creeks of the Nepean River (Robertson etc), in wet and dry sclerophylla forest up to 5 m tall! The species is highly variable and a range of forms can be found across eastern NSW and Victoria with some growing to a much lower height. It is very attractive with lanceolate leaves and white to pale mauve or pink flowers produced in summer. Prune after flowering and give an enriched but well draining soil.”
Prostanthera melissifolia (Balm Mint-bush) is a plant native to the far south coast of NSW and Victoria,. It grows to 2m high with strongly aromatic leaves which are largeish and about 1cm wide with toothed margins. It will produce axillary and terminal flowers, and is a very attractive mint bush. Prune after flowering. It likes a moist enriched soil with good drainage.
I would have guessed that P. ovalifolia was the most common of the species in our gardens but whether that is so is immaterial, it is another lovely one. But so are two red flowered species, P. aspalathoides, the Scarlet Mint Bush, and P. calycina, the West Coast Mint Bush. P. cryptandroides, the Wollemi Mint Bush, although not common, is another beauty. And the list goes on! Indeed there are some 23 species found within the Sydney Region alone.
Because of their wide spread environment refer to your book of native plants or visit your preferred reference on-line to seek specific information on Prostanthera species. Remember there are some 236 genera – that’s a lot. As a general guide they like some moisture in an enriched soil but they like good drainage.
Illawarra Grevillea Park, Bulli
Open Days for 2018
For those who plan ahead, pop a note in your diary that the Illawarra Grevillea Park, Bulli, Open Days for 2018 will be: Saturday and Sunday, May 5, 6, 12, 13; July 7, 8, 14, 15; and September 1, 2, 8, 9.
Admission charges are $5 per adult, children accompanied by adults free.
Should you wish to see the beauty of Grevillea Park you may visit their web site https://illawarragrevilleapark.com.au/ or their Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/Illawarragrevilleapark or an article in GardenDrum at https://gardendrum.com/2016/10/16/illawarra-grevillea-park-plant-lovers-paradise/ and then drive down to Bulli on an Open Day.
Please let us know of any great garden you visit so we can pass it on to others.
Alloxylon pinnatum, the Dorrigo Waratah
Scanning some magazines and books at my Aged Care Facility I came across an encyclopaedia of garden plants. I searched for natives and to my surprise found many. Among the trees I found a reference to Alloxylon species including both A. flammeum and A. pinnatum.
These trees were named Oreocalis wickhamii and O. pinnata prior to research some 30 years ago by Peter Weston, speaker at our last meeting, M D Crisp and colleagues,
A. flammeum is probably the better known and its common name is the Queensland Waratah. It is smaller than the A. pinnatum, in the wild reaching only about 10m. Like its big brother it is glorious when covered in red flowers.
When the image of the A. pinnatum (above)popped up unexpectedly on my computer I had to include reference to it.
As indicated in the title, A. pinnatum is commonly known as the Dorrigo Waratah and is found on the Dorrigo Plateau, but is also found in the MacPherson Ranges on both sides of the Queensland-New South Wales border. It is a rainforest tree that in the wild reaches about 25m high, with a non-buttressed trunk of about 1.5m dia at about 1.5m above ground. In cultivation A. pinnatum reaches a height of only about 6m.
A. pinnatum has bright green pinnate leaves and large beautiful pink or red flowers, which occur in clusters at the ends of branchlets. The tree also attracts a lot of nectar-feeding birds and insects over its flowering period from October to January, and has been known to flower from Spring to early Autumn under good conditions.
Despite being naturally found in warm temperate rainforest at high altitudes of 700-1250m, A. pinnatum has been successfully grown in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra for over 25 years. This has been achieved by providing the tree with a sheltered, semi-shady position with an abundant mulch layer. The tree can withstand short cold spells and frost, though it should not be allowed to dry out particularly when newly planted.
Propagation is most successful by seed which is ripe between February and June and which is viable for about 12 months. Cuttings will also strike but not with ease.
Scientists urge, plant more trees to combat climate change
*David Twomey
An international study has shown that planting forests and other activities that harness the power of nature could play a major role in limiting global warming under the United Nations sponsored 2015 Paris Agreement. Natural climate solutions, also including protection of carbon-storing peat lands and better management of soils and grasslands, could account for 37 per cent of all actions needed by 2030 under the 195-nation Paris Agreement, it said.
Reuters Newsagency reports it said that combined, the suggested “re-greening of the planet” would be equivalent to halting all burning of oil worldwide. “Better stewardship of the land could have a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought,” the international team of scientists said of findings published in the United States journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
*David Twomey is the Editor of Eco News available to all on-line.
Australian Native Spices
Ever alert, Chris Coe has spotted an ad for Australian Native Spices, indeed Herbie’s Spices. It is not usual to promote commercial products but the availability of native spices and products using them is rather rare although as I am no cook and don’t search for such items in a store, I may be wrong. For those who may be interested visit
http://www.herbies.com.au/product-category/herbs-and-spices/australian-native-spices/
Banksia seminuda
Quite accidentally I came across a blog by a Rick McCain, unknown to me. He wrote, “I originally planted one seedling of Banksia seminuda 15 years ago and now have dozens around the farm (3-6m tall) which have both yellow and red/orange flowers.”
This was enough to send me to my computer to seek more information on B. seminuda which I recall having first sought more than 10 years ago.
A recent description of Banksia seminuda, commonly known as the River Banksia, by WA Herbarium staff states that it is a tree 6-13 m high with hairy branchlets. The leaves are petiolate, whorled, 55-110 mm long, 4-14 mm wide, hairy; the petiole 2-4 mm long; lamina flat, clearly widest above the middle, once divided, pinnately divided, entire or shallowly divided, teeth distinctly pointing towards the apex, with 7-11 lobes on each side, the margins recurved. The inflorescences are tomentose (with matted or tangled, soft, woolly hairs), yellow, hairy. The perianth is 16-22 mm long, glabrous, without awns; pistil 26-35 mm long, hooked, style glabrous. The follicles are hairy, tomentose (with matted or tangled, soft, woolly hairs), elliptic, 10-15 mm long. It flowers in March, April, May, June, July or August. It occurs in the South-west Botanical Province and in the Jarrah Forests of the South-west of Western Australia along the coastal region around the south-west corner of WA. from just east of Albany around to a little south of Perth..
Like so many WA Banksias this is an interesting tree. Another source states that some reach 25m in height. In simpler terms than the formal description above, it usually has a brown to grey trunk covered with a hard grey furrowed bark. Images suggest the flowers may occasionally be orange to red.
It grows in forest areas. It is generally found on the sandy banks of streams so one would expect that it copes with water by growing where it benefits from good drainage. Indeed B. seminuda is a vigorous and adaptable plant and may grow in the Sydney region where drainage is good and with ample water. The leaves are arranged on the stems in whorls. Its leathery leaves are between 70mm and 120mm long with fine teeth. Flowering occurs between late summer and late winter. The yellow (occasionally red) flower spikes grow up to 200mm high by 70mm wide. The fruiting cones can remain on the trees for many years after shedding the flowers early.
Greening Our Cities and Our Country
Some time back we emailed a story telling you of the Open Letter to the Premier and the launch of Protect Sydney’s Green Spaces led by the Total Environment Centre with support from 15 more prominent organisations or people. They were seeking further support from the public. I know some of our members stepped forward to help.
But why only cities? Why not the nation? Below you will find a report on an initiative strongly supported by Officeworks, a major retailer with a local store in Castle Hill, who are partnered by Greening Australia in a 2- for-1 tree planting program in Sydney – Restoring Australia. Will other major businesses step forward?
And Sydney is not the only city. Under plans set out by the city’s Mayor, London could become the world’s first “national park city” by 2019. What an objective!
Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled a £9 million greener city fund to help improve green spaces for communities, as he launched his draft environment strategy for the capital. The funding will help make more than 50 per cent of London’s area green by 2050, he said.
The UK article in full is at http://econews.com.au/55130/london-mayor-launches-bid-to-improve-citys- green-credentials/
Our new APS NSW web site
Visit our new APS NSW web site at http://austplants.com.au or go direct to our section at http://austplants.com.au/Parramatta-and-Hills following the directions of the letter sent to all members some weeks ago to see the new site and as members access the “Members only” section to find all the Group information including newsletters. While on-line also check your membership details and when sooner or later you are required to renew your membership, do so on-line. If you don’t have a computer you may renew as you do at present. And remember, in future you will receive a reminder when membership renewal is due, a great asset.
Scientists urge, plant more trees to combat climate change
*David Twomey
An international study has shown that planting forests and other activities that harness the power of nature could play a major role in limiting global warming under the United Nations sponsored 2015 Paris Agreement.
Natural climate solutions, also including protection of carbon-storing peat lands and better management of soils and grasslands, could account for 37 per cent of all actions needed by 2030 under the 195-nation Paris Agreement, it said.
Reuters Newsagency reports it said that combined, the suggested “re-greening of the planet” would be equivalent to halting all burning of oil worldwide. “Better stewardship of the land could have a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought,” the international team of scientists said of findings published in the United States journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
*David Twomey is the Editor of Eco News available to all on-line.
Brachyscome Sps
Looking through a soft cover book of general plants for Australian gardens, I noticed reference to two Brachyscombe cultivars, B. ‘Blue Star’ and B. ‘Outback Sunburst’.
B. ‘Blue Star’ is a cultivar of B. iberidifolia and B. ‘Outback Sunburst’ is a cultivar of B. chrysocephalum.
Related Plants for Brachyscome [Cultivars]. ‘Amethyst’ · ‘Blue Brazil’ · ‘Blue Daisy’ · ‘Blue Haze’ · ‘Blue Star’ · ‘Blue Zephyr’ · ‘Bravo Series’ · ‘Bright Eyes’ · ‘City Lights’ · ‘Clarence Coast Gem’ · ‘Delight Series’ · ‘Enduring Blue’ · ‘Happy Face’ · ‘Harmony’ · ‘Hot Candy’ · ‘Lavender Mist’ · ‘Lemon and Ice’.
Having viewed the details of the two cultivars above I found a page attributed to the University of Minnesota that revealed the names of 48 Brachyscombe cultivars, yes, 48. And Angus Stewart lists 20 for B. chrysocephalum at
http://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/index.php?s=native+daisy&search-by-term=Submit
How can we know our plants of the future if there are so many cultivars?
Parramatta and Hills District Group
Email: apsparrahills@gmail.com
Website: https://austplants.com.au/Parramatta-And-Hills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APSPARRAHILLS/