Plant of the month 05/2023: Corymbia serendipita

Corymbia serendipita, common name Newcastle Range Bloodwood, is a new record for the Burra section (eastern side) of White Mountains National Park, discovered by Peter Horsfall during our NPQ May outing. Pete’s sharp eyes picked out these trees as something different among many diverse eucalypts in the Burra area, and he took on the challenge …

Plant of the month 04/2023: Hibbertia advena

Guest post by Dr Betsy Jackes with photos courtesy of Rigel Jensen/Australian Wildlife Conservancy This rare Hibbertia from Taravale has just been named Hibbertia advena by Tim Hammer, Helmut Toelken and Kevin Thiele. The Latin ‘advena’ means outside, foreigner or stranger. This is a reference to the fact this Hibbertia is clearly related to species …

Plant of the month 03/2023: Heliodendron basalticum

Thanks to John for pointing out this Heliodendron basalticum (photo above) on our recent outing beyond Hervey Range. It was another “new” species for many of us! Heliodendron basalticum (Fabaceae) synonym Archidendropsis basaltica is an endemic Queensland species with leathery bi-pinnate leaves, sometimes deciduous in dry seasons. This small tree grows naturally across a wide …

Plant of the month 02/2023: Sannantha papillosa

Sannantha papillosa (previously called Babingtonia papillosa) was a Show and Tell item at our February meeting – thanks to Charles! We didn’t have time to discuss this interesting species then, so we’ll give it Plant of the Month attention instead. Sannantha papillosa (Myrtaceae) is listed as Vulnerable under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act because the …

Plant of the month 01/2023: Scleria sphacelata

Photos by Russell Cumming, text by Julia Hazel Thanks to Nanette for identifying this interesting sedge during a recent walk around the top of Mount Stuart. Scleria sphacelata (Cyperaceae) is a dioecious species, unlike most other Scleria species, so it bears distinct male and female flowers on separate plants. Flowers of a female Scleria sphacelata …

Plant of the month 10/2022: Lagunaria queenslandica

On our October visit to the riverside “Bush Garden” in Mundingburra, we spotted pink hibiscus-like flowers high up in the foliage. Greg identified the tree as Lagunaria queenslandica (Malvaceae). It’s a species endemic to Queensland that occurs naturally in open forest and riparian vegetation along seasonal streams. When it grows in open areas, Lagunaria queenslandica …