During our August outing to a private property north of Rollingstone we encountered a most bizarre organism, Balanophora fungosa (photo below). At a glance it might be mistaken for some kind of mushroom emerging from the leaf litter. However, this is actually a Queensland native plant and our group had the rare opportunity to see it “in full flower”.

Balanophora fungosa (Balanophoraceae) develops an irregular tuberous underground mass attached to the roots of other plants. Its rounded inflorescences emerge above ground (photo above).

Small male flowers encircle the base of each inflorescence while minute female flowers are densely arranged over the domed part. The female flowers are so tiny that they look like finely scattered dust. A photo taken by callumjpaul at Redlynch (see below) shows a closer view.

Balanophora fungosa has no chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize. Instead it grows as a parasite, depending on host plants for all nutrients. Particular host species for Balanophora fungosa have not been identified as yet.

Balanophora fungosa was understood to be pollinated by beetles but additional possibilities emerged from a 2017 study* at Speerwah. Motion-detection cameras recorded feeding on Balanophora fungosa flowers by some vertebrates including Musky Rat Kangaroos, Bush Rats and a few Honeyeaters, although their potential role in pollination was not investigated.

There is surely scope for more research on these mysterious plants!

* Pierce R, Ogle C. 2017. Musky Rat Kangaroos and other vertebrates feeding from the flowers of the root parasite Balanophora fungosa. North Queensland Naturalist 47: 14-20.

Above: Close-up view of Balanophora fungosa flowers at Redlynch, copyright callumjpaul via iNaturalist (CC_BY_NC).

This month we were delighted to see the start of flowering for Grevillea parallela, the Silver Grevillea, on Castle Hill. The flowers emerging now are just as beautiful as those in the photo above, but not quite as abundant, perhaps due to prolonged dry weather. In some areas, Grevillea parallela can flower very abundantly later in the year, if there is sufficient rain to promote new bud formation.

Grevillea parallela (Proteaceae) typically grows as a slender small tree (photo above) in woodland and open forest across northern Queensland, NT and northern WA. Be sure to look UP to see the panicles of creamy-white flowers that emerge from the ends of branches near the top of the tree.

Grevillea parallela has long thin leaves (photo above) sometimes divided into narrow irregular lobes.

Grevillea parallela leaves (photo above) have distinctive longitudinal parallel veins, as the species name implies. The leaves are dull green above and paler underneath, giving distant trees an overall silvery-green appearance.

The bark of Grevillea parallela is hard and deeply furrowed (photo above).

Grevillea parallela develops pale green seed cases that ripen to dark brown and split open (photo above) to release two flat winged seeds, perfectly adapted for wind dispersal. The seed is correspondingly challenging to collect for nursery propagation, probably the reason that Grevillea parallela plants are seldom available for purchase.

A fine specimen of Geijera salifciolia (photo above) was a highlight of our recent outing to parts of Bowling Green National Park south of Townsville.

Geijera salifciolia (Rutaceae), also known as Scrub Wilga or Green Satinheart, is native to north-eastern Australia, typically seen in monsoon forest and drier rain forest. It also occurs in New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Geijera salifciolia has shiny green leaves (photo above) with numerous small oil dots, mildly aromatic when crushed. The leaves are arrayed in a dense rounded canopy that maintains a healthy green appearance through long dry periods.

Geijera salifciolia flowers abundantly (photo above) between March and May in our area, coastal north Queensland. A different flowering period (September to November) is given by several online sources, without geographic qualification. Possibly Sept-Nov flowering applies for southern parts of Geijera salifciolia range – can anyone confirm?

In mid-June the Geijera salifciolia we inspected (top photo above) was carrying a dense crop of small fruits (photo above) many of which were changing colour from green to light brown. Some of the fruits were already open, exposing glistening round black seeds (right hand side of photo above).

Pomaderris canescens (Rhamnaceae) is a Queensland endemic, typically growing as a medium-sized shrub in the understory (photo above) of seasonally dry tropical woodlands and open forests.

During our recent outing to the area west of Paluma and north of Mt Zero, we found many Pomaderris canescens making a beautiful show with their terminal clusters of dainty white flowers (photo above) contrasting against attractive deep green foliage.

The underside of Pomaderris canescens leaves (photo above) are very pale green with distinctly raised veins.

Pomaderris canescens is rarely seen in cultivation but it can be propagated from seed (photo above) and might do well in a well-drained, semi-shaded garden.

Murdannia graminea (Commelinaceae) is a small tufting native plant that grows naturally in many parts of Queensland and northern Australia, typically in moist locations within in woodland habitat.

Also known as native Grass Lily, Murdannia graminea was found in flower on Mount Stuart during our April outing this year.

When it’s not in flower, Murdannia graminea is inconspicuous and blends in amongst surrounding plants. Its grass-like linear leaves may die back completely during a long dry season. However, the plant survives due to its thick, fleshy roots, and it re-sprouts quickly when rains return.

This close-up photo of a Murdannia graminea flower reveals its bearded (hairy) stamen filaments and distinctive arrangement of three pollen-bearing stamens and three that do not produce pollen, the latter botanically called staminodes.

This beautiful Native Peanut Tree, Sterculia quadrifida (photo above), was in full flower when it caught our attention during a recent outing with the local Wildlife Queensland group.

The species Sterculia quadrifida was historically classified in the botanical family Sterculiaceae. Now, on the basis of molecular analysis, it is part of the Malvaceae, in the sub-family Sterculioideae.

While Sterculia quadrifida is a local native in our region, it has a wide natural range across northern Australia extending down the east coast to north-east NSW, typically growing in vine thickets and drier rain forest.

Sterculia quadrifida has glossy leaves clustered towards the ends of its branches, and it bears panicles of small cream-coloured flowers (photo above) with a light scent.

Viewed close up, the inflorescence of Sterculia quadrifida is densely hairy (photo above). Individual trees have both male and female flowers in complex arrangements. Botanical enthusiasts can find details about flowering and pollination of Sterculia quadrifida on the website of the Rare Fruit Club of Western Australia.

Eye-catching mature fruits of Sterculia quadrifida (photo above) split open to display velvety black seeds. With proper preparation, these seeds are edible and reportedly taste a bit like raw peanuts, hence the tree’s common name.

Sterculia quadrifida seeds have traditionally provided a valuable food resource for Indigenous Australians who also used crushed leaves and infusions of bark from this species for therapeutic treatments.