The APS NSW 2017 Get-together
The APS NSW 2017 Get-together will be held in Coffs Harbour 2-3 September 2017 with the theme Rainforest Riches Revealed. The guest speaker will be Lawrence Smith AM, Landscape Architect.
Alex Floyd OAM, a Life Member of APS NSW, who has written one of the most influential rainforest guides, Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia, will open the Get-together. Alex has been at the centre of rainforest identification and preservation for nearly 50 years.
The details provided by the APS President were forwarded to members on 16 May together with the Registration form. A Registration form is also included in the centre of the last edition of Native Plants for NSW. The program is discussed on pages 14 – 17 of that publication.
If anyone wishes to attend but is having a difficulty registering please contact the editor, Gordon Brooks (email address and phone no on the last page).
Our Activity this Month
Our members who advised last month that they wish to attend the Mt Annan Seed Bank will visit the Australian Botanic Gardens on Thursday, 27 July. As we had to notify Mt Annan in advance of those going and pay the fees in advance no one else can be taken. Hopefully another opportunity will arise in the future.
Wattle and Pollen — Fact or Fiction
Wattle pollen is often believed to be the culprit when people get the sneezes and snuffles – hayfever – or asthma. Wattle gets the blame but is it really the cause?
Medical researchers who specialise in allergies say that although some people are undoubtedly allergic to wattle pollen, asthma due to wattle pollen is uncommon! The Asthma Foundation of NSW supports this view.
You may be able to enjoy some of Australia’s most beautiful and characteristic plants – wattles. Find out if wattle is the real culprit by being tested. Ask your family doctor for a referral to the: Allergy Clinic, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, in Sydney, or contact: The Secretary, Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, PO Box 204, Mt. Albert, Victoria, 3127. Ph. (03) 9890 4374, Fax (03) 9899 6920 for the name and address of the nearest allergy clinic or private allergist who will arrange your test.
Calendar
July
Tue 4 Deadline for Calgaroo news / articles
Sat/Sun 8/9 Blue Mountains Group Annual Seminar. See the details below. Wed 12 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am
Thu 27 Visit to the Seed Bank at the Australian Botanical Gardens, Mt Annan (Bookings made)
August
Thu 3 Deadline for Calgaroo news / articles
Wed 9 Propagation at Bidjiwong Community Nursery at 10am
Sat 26 Our meeting at Gumnut Hall, Gumnut Place, Cherrybrook at 2pm. Speaker will be Sharon Bowen whose topic will be Wetlands
Sun 27 Orange Blossom Festival at Bella Vista Farm – we are selling plants; help wanted to set up and to man the stall
Next Meeting
Sharon Bowen will take Wetlands as her topic at our next meeting on Saturday, 26 August 2017, at 2.00pm at Gumnut Hall, Gumnut Place, Cherrybrook.
Not surprisingly we have rarely considered plants of a wetland but many wetlands have distinctive plants which are adapted to the wetting and drying cycles of wetlands. The types of plants found in a wetland depend on:
- whether a wetland has mostly fresh, saline or brackish water
- surface and underground drainage
- frequency of inundation
- other factors such as soil, temperature, rainfall and topography.
Some coastal wetlands have plants adapted to estuarine conditions, such as mangroves and seagrasses. Others have freshwater plants such as paperbarks, reeds and sedges. Inland floodplain wetlands are often in low rainfall areas and have a few hardy eucalypts such as river red gum, coolabah and black box, which can tolerate years of drought or low river flows.
Wetlands are not rainforests although possibly there are some similarities. So, we have much to learn and to consider from Sharon.
By the way, please invite other family members and friends to our meeting
Have You Visited our Facebook Pages or our Web Site?
Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/APSParraHills or on the web at http://www.apsparrahills.org.au/
Discover what’s on, read the stories and look at the pictures – and learn about native plants.
We would love to see you at our meetings and other activities and to receive from you material for one or another of our on-line sites.
If you have come across this by chance and are not yet a member, join our Australian Plants Society NSW Ltd. See page 8.
Within a short time our web site will be appended to the APS NSW web site and of course we will advise you of this as soon as we hear. The Society’s site has been upgraded and should appeal to young and old alike. It makes one wonder what we may need to do.
If you have images of native plants or of views that incorporate native plants that may appeal to folk, particularly young people, who know little of our native flora, please send them in to me so we can include them in the web site, Facebook and Calgaroo at suitable times. We need an image library to illustrate all sorts of plants, the manner in which they grow and the presentation they may make in the garden and as cut flowers inside.
The Sydney Rainforest — Talk by Deidre Jinks
Sue Gibbons
At our June meeting we were very lucky to have Deidre Jinks come to us from The Sydney Rainforest Nursery, which is based at Ourimbah. Deidre bought quite a number of rainforest plants for us to examine. Her passion, experience,and knowledge of rainforest plants kept us fascinated.
The nursery provides plants for people who enjoy rainforest plants, or locals who want to revegetate creeks. Bush tucker plants are also in high demand from preschools and schools. The Butterfly Houses at Darling Harbour also take plants as they are free of pesticides, and can be put straight into the Butterfly Houses.
The nursery grows plants from seeds, and uses natural pollinators. The plants need to meet insects etc, hence no pesticides are used.The pollinators come for a variety of reasons. Some come for the flowers, or come for the fruit. Deidre stressed the need for genetic diversity, with plants also needing to be robust. The local wildlife can then be supported by the diversity of the forest.
Deidre spoke of the learning process and patience needed to develop and grow the plants. It took her 15years to learn about and grow from seed Helmholtzia glaberrima (Stream Lily — an endangered plant). She found the secret is maintaining the flowers, the quantity of seed, and collecting the seed at the right moment.
Many rainforest plants are adaptable for use in gardens. Usually the height of the rainforest plant does not exceed a third of the tall forest tree height. She showed us a variety of lillipillies,(which are the backbone of the forest) eg,Acmena smithii, Acmena ingens. Some good jams can be made from the fruits of Sygyzium paniculatum, or Sygyzium luehmannii. Tamarinds (which grow all the way up the coast) are used as a substitute for lemon.
We also saw Gymea lillies, Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Maiden’s Blush (Sloanea australis), Leichhardt Bean (Cassia brewsteri), Firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus), Tuckaroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), White Booyong (Argyrodendron trifoliolatum) and Davidson’s Plum.
Deidre talked in great detail about the many samples on show, sharing her considerable knowledge about each plant. She said she could not pick a favourite as she loved them all! Thank you Deidre for widening our Group’s knowledge regarding rainforest plants. The Sydney Rainforest Nursery is located at 125 Dog Trap Road, Ourimbah.2258. The phone number is 02 4362 2499 or visit visit www.sydneyrainforest.com.au
Ed. We thank Sue Gibbons for the report above
In my 42 years as a member of APS/SGAP I don’t recall a talk at which rainforest plants were the specific topic although, of course, rainforest plants have been mentioned in the course of several talks. And Deidre spoke convincingly and made me want to try several in my garden. But I’m in Aged Care and don’t have a garden.
The thing I could do was to research features to which she referred. Perhaps I may submit this at a later date.
Meanwhile I include several pictures of plants to which Deidre referred during her talk, namely Acmena ingens (Red Apple Lilly Pilly), Davidsonia pruriens (Davidson’s Plum), Argophyllum nullumense (Silver Leaf), Doryanthes excelsa (Gymea Lily), Syzygium wilsonii (Powderpuff Lilly Pilly), and Syzygium
Ed. If you would care to see more images of our native Rainforest plants go on-line and use Google or your own search program and search for “Australian native rainforest plants”. There are many with lovely foliage, flowers and fruit.
If you choose to try some in your garden remember they prefer a south facing aspect with protection from sun and wind, but require water and in many cases good drainage.
Please let us know whether you achieve your goals.
Where the old things are: Australia’s most ancient trees
Cris Brack and Matthew Brookhouse
They say that trees live for thousands of years. Like many things that “they” say, there is a germ of truth in the saying (even though it is mostly false).
The vast majority of trees that burst forth from seeds dropped on the Australian continent die before reaching maturity, and in fact most die within a few years of germination. But depending on how you define a tree, a very select few trees can live for an astoundingly long time.
Ed. The full article will be published next month but these few lines are to test your knowledge or may be your ability to find on-line the life of Australia’s oldest tree. Is it 100, 200, 500, or 1,000 years old or more?
I also discovered two new books on Eucalypts which were published last year. Small or tall eucalypts are a mainstay of many gardens in Australia and two new books by Dean Nicolle provide a wealth of information on planting them. Together, these books, Smaller Eucalypts for Planting in Australia and Taller Eucalypts for Planting in Australia cover 164 Eucalypt species suited to growing here. They are available at most bookshops
Brian Walters in our APS web site writes, “The Gum tree is as Australian as bush flies in summer and the corks’ on a swaggies hat.”
Royal Botanic Garden applies Genetic Sequencing to Bush Regeneration
*Marcus Strom
The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is embarking on a four-year program to genetically map native plants in NSW that it says will revolutionise land restoration. Read more Here:
*This article appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald and was written by Science Editor, Marcus Strom.
From Another Group
As always Jane March has produced a most interesting Caleyi for the APS Northern Beaches Group.
Read about their walk through Mount Penang Gardens in Kariong on the Central Coast when members went up for the APS get-together on 20 May, the article on Sennas, and the strange case of pine trees that always lean towards the equator.
Access these via the APS web site at http://austplants.com.au/
Boosting Biodiversity Seeds the Future
*Carolyn Rance
“It’s a journey of discovery,” says David Taylor, describing where he works and what he does at the Australian National Botanic Gardens….
Read more here:
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/boosting-biodiversity-20170201-gu2qvd.html
* Carolyn Rance is a reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald in which this story first appeared.
Most Australians want energy system dominated by renewables
David Twomey
Australians overwhelmingly want their country’s energy system to be powered by renewable energy because they see it as the “economically smart” thing for Australia’s future. That’s the result of the environmental think tank, The Climate Institute’s Climate of the Nation 2017 report (click on the report to read it yourself) states that “Ninety-six percent of Australians want our nation’s primary energy to come from renewables, with 58 per cent wanting it supported by storage technologies and 38 per cent by fossil fuels,” said Acting CEO of The Climate Institute, Olivia Kember.
Listen to Barbara Briggs — Sunday Extra
The APS Sutherland Group newsletter edited by Peter Shelton included reference to a presentation on ABC TV by Dr Barbara Briggs who worked for more than 50 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.. The program was presented by Robyn Williams on ABC Radio National on 21 May 2017 and is available on-line.
The Plants of the Southern Hemisphere story was introduced as follows: “We know that the southern continents were once united as the supercontinent Gondwana. So does this explain the links between the plants of the southern hemisphere? One of Australia’s great plant scientists, Dr Barbara Briggs, went to Madagascar to explore further.”
You can listen to the audio or read the transcript at the Sunday Extra web site.
Visit http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/plants-in-the-southern- hemisphere/8527624
Interesting Plants – a Peek at the APS Newcastle’s newsletter
Mark Henley, editor of the APS Newcastle Group newsletter, included the pictures above in their newsletter. The Burmannia sp. was unknown to me. I can’t help Mark with what I suspect is a fungus.
Burmannia disticha grows in shaded sites, in swamps and wetlands, chiefly in coastal districts north from Gosford and into Queensland, inland to Torrington. It is an erect herb to c. 70cm high with 1–3 unbranchedleafy peduncles, ± glabrous and flowers all year. Has any member of our Group either of these?
Threatened Species Translocation Information Day
This event is to be held on Tuesday 1 August, 9.30am – 5pm, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney It is being organised by the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC) and the Threatened Species Recovery Hub, with support from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.
Interested folk are invited to join local and national experts for a range of presentations on provenance, orchids, the science of translocation, licensing, policy and numerous case studies. The day will cover the “how to” of threatened plant translocation, and present a range of case studies (including on Persoonia pauciflora and Wollemia nobilis). Speakers will include Lucy Commander (ANPC), Jen Silcock (University of Queensland), Leonie Monks (Department of Parks and Wildlife, WA), Cathy Offord (Australian Botanic Garden), Tony Auld (OEH) and more. The day is aimed at people planning threatened plant translocations, in particular Saving our Species project coordinators with species for which translocation (and or population augmentation and or establishment of new populations) has been identified as an action. The event is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about translocation. Registrations open soon!
ANPC has received funding from the National Environmental Science Program’s Threatened Species Recovery Hub to support the Hub’s larger Project 4.3 – ‘Improving threatened plant reintroduction success and species recovery’ . A final draft report is to be produced by mid-2018.
Eucalypts that may be a Danger
Some years ago Jeff Howes, a regular contributor to our APS NSW web pages, wrote an article telling of an experience he hopes never to have again.
While working in his garden near the fence to the neighbouring property, a substantial branch of a next door Eucalyptus citriodora (Lemon Scented Gum) suddenly broke away and fell just missing him.
Following is a list from the APS publication ‘Grow What Where’ of eucalypts that may drop branches. They should not be planted near houses or play areas and are better suited to larger gardens.
Eucalyptus ….
- camaldulensis
- citriodora
- maculata
- mannifera ssp maculosa
- regans
- rubida
- viminalis
Please be careful. The garden is normally a wonderfully serene place but there are potential dangers.
Mulch Ado About Nutting
Alan F
Dogs like macadamias but macadamias DO NOT like dogs. The nuts, if chewed and ingested, are toxic to dogs. If not chewed and swallowed whole they can cause a blockage.
Every time our macadamia tree has a flush of flowers we constantly monitor the progress of any ensuing nut production. So far we have been lucky that only two flowerings out of ten have actually nutted.
Ed. The full article may be seen on the APS Menai Wildflower Group website via the APS web site at http://austplants.com.au/
Alan F is a member of that Group.
We suggest P&H members who need to renew their membership complete the form in the centre of Native Plants for NSW and post it to Pip Gibian at her address above or choose the direct deposit option, follow the directions carefully and advise Merle Thompson and Gordon Brooks by email. Alternatively just pay Pip at the next meeting. Please ask if you are unsure of your membership status which is shown at the top of the address label affixed to the APS publications package received quarterly. Note the fact that you may now renew for three years. A simpler membership renewal system will be introduced soon, perhaps within a month. Check your membership number in readiness.
An Attachment to Calgaroo July 2017
To the members of APS Parramatta and Hills District Group
We have culled another category from our library. This is the “yellow” category which covers locality, ecology, bushland and wildflowers. It is quite a large category so it has been divided into two halves for ease of handling.
Please find below the first half of the list. Should any titles appeal, you can pick them up at the next meeting. Otherwise feel free to ring 9634 1823. Sue will find a way to deliver them to you. We ask that you make an offer for each book.
The second half of the list will appear attached to a future Calgaroo.
Sue Gibbons
on behalf of the Committee
Library Cull – Category 5 – Yellow, Locality, Ecology, Bushland and Wildflowers
| Title | Author | Year |
| The Alps in Flower | McCann, I R | 1987 |
| Flowers and Plants of NSW and Southern Queensland | Briggs, BG, Blaxell, DF, Carolin, RC | 1975 |
| Australian Flora in Colour – Flowers and Plants of Victoria | Cochrane, GR; Fuhrer, BA; Rotherham, ER; Willis, JA | 1973 |
| Australia’s Wildflowers | Morecomb, M | 1970 |
| The Bushland of Bidjigal Reserve (and Adjoining Reserves) | Baulkham Hills Shire Council | 2004 |
| The Bushland of Fred Caterson Reserve | Baulkham Hills Shire Council | 2007 |
| Canberra Botanic Gardens | Department of the Interior | 1970 |
| Car Touring and Bush Walking in East Gippsland | de Costa, Grant | 1988 |
| Common Native Plants of the Kalbarri and the Murchison Sandplain | Bellairs, D; Blake, T | 1985 |
| A Complete Guide to WarrambunglesNational Park | Fairley, Alan | 1996 |
| Exploring Outback Australia | Tobin, MB | 1988 |
| A Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers | Hodgson, M; Payne, R | 1987 |
| A Field Guide to the Grampians Flora | Elliot, R | 1979 |
| A Field Guide to the Wildflowers of South Eastern Australia | Galbraith, Jean | |
| A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Hills Region, Western Australia | Marshall, J | 1990 |
| Fifty Walks in the Grampians | Thomas, TT | 1986 |
| Flora and Fauna, Cockayne Reserve | Baulkham Hills Shire Council | |
| Flora and Fauna, Fred Caterson Reserve | Baulkham Hills Shire Council | |
| Flora and Fauna, Toongabbie Creek Headwaters | Baulkham Hills Shire Council |
Parramatta and Hills District Group
Email: apsparrahills@gmail.com
Website: https://austplants.com.au/Parramatta-And-Hills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APSPARRAHILLS/