On our Magnetic Island outing last month we noticed an attractive native tree in fruit (photo above) but we failed to identify it. Later the photo was scrutinised by one of our very knowledgeable members who is currently working far from home. He sent back the answer: the tree is Harpullia hillii, commonly called blunt-leaved tulipwood. Thank you Cam, for your sharp eyes and botanical expertise!

Harpullia hillii (Sapindaceae) is endemic to eastern Australia, occuring naturally in dry rainforest, gallery forest and littoral rainforest in Queensland and New South Wales. There are only a few records near Townsville, including Russell Cumming’s observation near Cape Cleveland (photo above) and ours at Magnetic Island. It seems we are close to the northern limit of this species’ natural range.

Harpullia hillii bears panicles of small whitish flowers (photo above) that develop into showy clusters of orange fruit (photo below).

When ripe, each lobe of the fruit contains a single large seed wrapped in a red aril (photo below).

Propagation from fresh seed is reported to be straight forward. With its dense leafy crown and attractive fruits, Harpullia hillii could be a desirable shade tree in a park or large garden.

Lithomyrtus obtusa, also known as Beach Myrtella, is a very attractive small shrub, native to Queensland. It draws extra attention during the winter months when it is covered in flowers ranging from pale pink to bright magenta (photo below).

Lithomyrtus obtusa (Myrtaceae) occurs naturally along undeveloped parts of the Queensland coast, typically in heathland, open woodland and sandy dunes behind the beaches (photo below). Its range extends from the tip of Cape York to about Bundaberg.

The leaves of Lithomyrtus obtusa have distinctive recurved margins and pale undersides due to a coating of fine matted hairs (photo below).

Lithomyrtus obtusa fruits change from green to brown as they mature (photo below). They were eaten by some Indigenous communities.

Lithomyrtus obtusa could be a delightful garden subject but it is rarely seen in cultivation, probably due to difficulty in propagating it. If you’ve had success with seeds or cuttings of this species, please let us know!

Pandorea linearis (Bignoniaceae) is an uncommon Queensland endemic, known to occur naturally only between Paluma Range and Stannary Hills near Herberton.

Finding Pandorea linearis flowering and fruiting in the Mt Zero area was a highlight of our recent outing.

Vigorous twining stems of Pandorea linearis had spiraled their way up burnt tree trunks (photo above) and held clusters of creamy flowers high up above our heads (photo below).

Concurrently with flowers on some Pandorea linearis vines, other vines had already developed sturdy pods (photo above) and one had ripe seeds (photo below).

Pandorea linearis can of course be grown from fresh seed and it has also been successfully propagated from cuttings by some of our members.

For our May outing to the lower slopes of Bluewater Range, the first objective was to find Xylomelum scottianum. The species is commonly called Woody Pear although it is quite unlike edible pears that originate from Europe and Asia (Pyrus species).

Xylomelum scottianum (Proteaceae) is endemic to northern Queensland, occurring from Townsville to the tip of Cape York. However, it is not abundant anywhere and it tends to blend in amongst other open forest trees (photo above).

Sharp-eyed experts in our group quickly found several Xylomelum scottianum, noting the diagnostic needle-pointed leaf tips of mature trees (photo above) while seedlings have spiky holly-like leaves (photo below).

Xylomelum scottianum bears short spikes of small cream flowers (photo below) in a distinctive arrangement technically described as a ‘conflorescence’.

The flowers are followed by hard woody fruits (photo below) that split to release winged seeds. Xylomelum scottianum seeds usually germinate readily but the species is rarely seen in cultivation, probably because the seedlings tend to be very slow growing.

Micromelum minutum got our attention by putting on luxuriant clusters of fragrant flowers (photo above) during the first half of April. This attractive species, commonly called Lime Berry, will often flower and fruit several times a year under good conditions.

Micromelum minutum (Rutaceae) occurs naturally across much of northern Australia, growing as an understorey shrub or small tree (photo above) in drier rainforest, monsoon forest and coastal vine thickets.

After a particularly good Wet Season Micromelum minutum may bear flowers and fruits concurrently, making a stunning display (photo above). The flowers attract many bees and butterflies while the leaves host larvae of several butterfly species. The fruits, initially bright green, gradually turn orange and then deep red (photo below). When ripe, they are favoured by native fruit pigeons and other birds.

On our March outing we drove from Mingela to Fanning River, en route finding numerous Bursaria incana in full flower. Close up, their dense clusters of small flowers (photo above) are sweetly scented. In the middle and far distance their snowy canopies stand out while flowering (photo below) although at other times Bursaria incana is fairly inconspicious.

Bursaria incana (Pittosporaceae) is one of only 8 species in the genus Bursaria, all of them endemic to Australia. Bursaria incana grows naturally across a wide range in Queensland and the Northern Territory, usually in open forest and sometimes in monsoon forest and vine thickets.

The foliage is helpful for identifying Bursaria incana when not in flower. The leaves (photo above) appear to be arranged in alternate clumps along the twigs and the leaf blades have pale-coloured undersides covered in fine matted hairs. Seedlings and young Bursaria incana plants have tiny sharp spines in the leaf axils (approach with care!) but the spines are lost as the plant matures.

In young specimens the bark is pale grey and fairly smooth but older Bursaria incana develop rough, dark grey bark (photo above).

The flowers (seen close-up above) produce distinctive flattened, purse-shaped capsules (photo below) that gradually change from pale green to brown as they mature. Inside these capsules are flat brown seeds that usually germinate fairly easily.