Sesuvium portulacastrum (Aizoaceae) was an unexpected find during our September visit to the Bushland Beach Channel Naturalisation Project. It is the first saltmarsh species in our Plant of the Month series. Sesuvium portulacastrum is a sprawling perennial plant, green and succulent (above) during the wet season, turning reddish (below) during extended dry periods. Sesuvium portulacastrum …
Continue reading “Plant of the month 09/2025: Sesuvium portulacastrum“
Drosera finlaysoniana (Droseraceae) was just one of many species we found in flower during our recent outing to White Mountains National Park, but it was a bonus for the Editor who is a long-term Drosera enthusiast. Unlike compact Drosera species with their leaves arranged in a rosette close to the ground, Drosera finlaysoniana is a …
Continue reading “Plant of the month 08/2025: Drosera finlaysoniana“
Melhania oblongifolia (Malvaceae) got the Editor’s vote as the prettiest small flowering plant spotted on our recent outing to the Mingela Range. From late morning onward its brilliant flowers were displayed to full advantage (photo above) after unfurling very slowly earlier in the day. Melhania oblongifolia is a small understorey plant adapted to open woodland, …
Continue reading “Plant of the month 07/2025: Melhania oblongifolia“
Many native plant enthusiasts will readily identify the tall trees in the above photo as Paperbarks, but can you say exactly which species? If you’re unsure, you are with the majority. On a recent outing, we learned from expert botanist Russell Cumming that these trees are Melaleuca aff. viridiflora (Myrtaceae), actually a new species hiding …
Continue reading “Plant of the month 06/2025: Melaleuca aff viridiflora“
In Australia, Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) grows naturally as a large shrub or small tree near the coast from Central Queensland to the Top End and across to the northern Kimberley. Morinda citrifolia usually occurs just behind the beach, sometimes fully exposed as we’ve seen at Magnetic Island (first photo above) and also in dense beach …
Continue reading “Plant of the month 05/2025: Morinda citrifolia“
This month we put the spotlight on two lovely little plants in the Violaceae botanical family. Pigea enneasperma (photo above) was spotted on our April outing to Bluewater Range, and we found Pigea stellaroides (photo below) a few days later on the rocky slopes near Cape Cleveland. At a glance the flower shape provides a …
Continue reading “Plants of the month 04/2025:
Pigea enneasperma and Pigea stellaroides“