While the hills around Townsville are still very green, not many species are flowering or fruiting now. An attractive exception is Aidia racemosa. Its colourful fruits caught John Elliott’s attention this week (mid-May) out at Cape Cleveland, and earned it Plant of the Month status. The strongly perfumed flowers were photographed in January.

See our species page for more details about Aidia racemosa

Our regular meetings and outings remain suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. To lighten the mood we chose a Plant of the Month that represents the cause of the global pandemic. But don’t worry, the plant presents NO infection risk!

Nauclea orientalis, the Leichhardt tree, was dubbed the “coronavirus tree” by our friends at the Bush Garden Nursery. They noticed a curious visual similarity between a coronavirus image and the tree’s spherical flower heads.

The size difference is vast. Nauclea flower heads are golf ball-sized, while coronavirus particles are so tiny you would need an electron microscope to see them. But that’s not something to try at home.

Nauclea orientalis is an impressive tree in its own right. You can find botanical details and more photos on our species page.

* Image “Australia’s ‘coronavirus tree’ ” created by Julia Hazel as a derivative of “Nauclea orientalis” by Tony Rodd used under CC-BY-SA, and “Computer render of SARS-CoV-2 virus” by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the public domain.

The flowers of Abelmoschus moschatus, very familiar as our group’s logo, are currently making a bright show on hillsides around Townsville, prompting nomination as our Plant of the Month.

These plants were almost invisible during our prolonged dry season but their hardy underground tubers (below) survive in a dormant state. They quickly sprout new growth with the onset of the wet season and have an impressive ability to find their own space amidst dense clusters of native grasses.

The local wild form of this species is a low-growing, trailing plant with usually watermelon-pink flowers. Its prolific flowering habit makes it an attractive addition to a sunny garden or large pot.

A different variety, also attractive but not of local provenance, can be seen in some Townsville gardens. It has taller, more erect stems and somewhat darker red flowers and was sold previously as a ‘native’ species. The true provenance of the more erect/red variety remains unknown.

See our species page for more details about Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus.

The bright red fruit of Vitex melicopea, usually appearing during February in our region, make it easier to spot this otherwise rather elusive tree.

More information is available on our species page for Vitex melicopea.

In celebration of the New Year we have a double feature this month!

Brunoniella acaulis and Curculigo ensifolia are fairly inconspicuous small plants until their bright flowers emerge. Then they prompt questions: what species is that?

These are often among the first plants to flower after rain. Both species are flowering now, mid-January 2020, at Clevedon, a fortunate location that received very localised rain recently while Townsville remained dry.

For more detail see our species pages Brunoniella acaulis and Curculigo ensifolia

When its fruits mature, typically during December in our area, Mallotus nesophilus provides an extremely attractive display.

An inconvenient detail: Mallotus nesophilus has separate male and female trees and these cannot be differentiated until they flower. To ensure future displays of showy fruit, one would need space to plant multiple specimens.

For more details see our species page.