Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Lechenaultia species

The genus Lechenaultia is named after a French botanist who accompanied the Baudin expedition to Australia 1800-1804.

Lechenaultia is part of the large flora family of Goodeniaceae. Other better known genera include, Goodenia, Scaevola, Dampiera, etc. As a family of fan-flowers there are hundreds of species occurring throughout Australia, their flowers come in all colors and the plants are usually very common after fire or when there has been soil disturbance. Most are small shrubs, although there are also many non-woody species (herbs); the Esperance region species grow in a variety of habitats, from coastal dunes, to sandy heath and dry mallee.

Most Goodeniaceae species have a distinctively fan shaped flower, although some need close examination to appreciate this feature, the foliage varies greatly from tiny leaves to large fleshy ones, some armed with sharp spines, but normally it is the shape of the flowers and their bright colors that draw the attention.

Of the four Esperance region Lechenaultia species, Lechenaultia formosa would be one of the most spectacular of all fan-flowers. Its common name is "Red Lechenaultia," but around Esperance it comes in many colors.

Lechenaultia formosa grows in a sandy soil around seasonally wet depressions and flowers best when the soil is moist.

The flowers come in an amazing array of colors. These illustrated are only a few examples.

The "Heath Lechenaultia," Lechenaultia tubiflora does not initially look like a fan-flower, but has all the necessary features to place it well and truly within the genus. This species likes the deep sandy soils, obviously preferring better drained sites, but like Lechenaultia formosa above, has an interesting although less varied range of color variations. Commonly the flowers are either red or a cream/green color as shown below.

But not satisfied with these colors, it produces bicolor ones that combine the two. Either the red or the cream can be at the top, with the other color making up the remainder of the flower. These color forms are at a guesstimate, a third fully red, a third fully Cream/green and the remaining third a bicolor between the two.

Lechenaultia brevifolia does not occur in the Esperance coastal region, but can be found further inland, usually in a sandy soil over a heavier clay base. Here the temperature is warmer than in coastal regions and surface rainfall drying quickly, but the heavier soil under the sand would probably retain moisture for some time. It is usually a very open small shrub, with the flowers resembling Lechenaultia biloba. It was described in 1987, so only a recently recognised species.

This last Lechenaultia also only occurs inland, and usually after fire where it might persist for a few seasons. It is a low shrub and a prolific flowerer, favouring a sandy/clay soil in seasonally (winter) damp depressions, or seepage zones. Its name is Lechenaultia papillata and like the blue flowering species above was first described in 1987.

These plants are often considered difficult to grow in the garden, but given similar conditions to where they normally occur, they are quite hardy. However soil type and moisture availability are critical requirements.

Bush Christmas

What does the WA bush have to offer this festive season?

Firstly, the WA Christmas Tree has the most spectacular flowers of any plant, they being an iridescent orange. It grows to around 6-10 metres and similar in width, with branches spreading outward almost horizontally and except for the tips, are usually bare of any foliage, giving it a clean open structure. Most years, only the larger trees will flower around the Christmas/New Year period, but all flower profusely after a bushfire, when the brilliant orange flowers are contrasted against the blackened trunks.

This Christmas Tree is no ordinary tree. It is a mistletoe! But instead of growing on the branches of host plants, this tree sends out very long roots (to 100 metres), seeking the roots of potential hosts. When it encounters one, it produces a hard white calcium-like ring with a sharp inner edge, once the root is encircled, it cuts into the outer layer to where the sap can be reached and plundered. This feature makes the Christmas Tree very unpopular near fruit orchards, or where small-unprotected plastic water pipes, electric cables or telephone lines have been buried, as these discs will also cut through them, requiring their replacement.

Found in sandy soils from Israelite Bay (200 km east of Esperance) to the Murchison River (500 km north of Perth), it is very common and can even be seen providing shade in grazing paddocks with nothing other than grass and sedges (on which to parasitise). This habitat (devoid of other trees and shrubs) indicates it is not fully parasitic, but can survive for prolonged periods without the need to access the roots of other large plant species.

Its name is Nuytsia floribunda, from the mistletoe family Loranthaceae, but is better known as the WA Christmas Tree. It is named after Pieter Nuijts from the Dutch East India Company, who visited Australia in 1627 in the ship "Gulde Zeepard."

So who else in the bush is enjoying Christmas?

How about all the little animals that believe in the true spirit of Christmas. Santa and the receiving of gifts!

You would think with such a beautiful Christmas Tree, there would be no need for further decoration, but some still try. Here is Froggie the Tree-frog practicing hard to be the tree-fairy.

And Mr T. the Tiger Snake arranging more decorations. At least when he does it, there are fewer arguments.

Shorty the Long-horned Grasshopper is a wildlife 'hippy' who after a session on the grass, wishes everybody love.

As for Santa; Storena the Zodariidae Spider is always a good sport and takes on the role. Mind you she has the advantages of being red and having a big soft tummy, she can also spin the required white wig and beard. Plus nobody has ever fallen off her knee!

Mrs Western Spinebill did her bit, by making a strong toy sack for Santa.

But who is going to pull the sleigh? Fortunately the Crickets bounded in at the last minute. 'Crikey the Cricket' is playing Rudolf the Green-nose Reindeer and is just rearing to go.

However, there are always last minute problems as 'Wicket the Cricket,' stubbornly refused to be called Rudolf the Brown-nose Reindeer.

And what is all this preparation in aid of? The big doe-eyed little ones of course!

So when you go into the bush this Christmas, remember there are lots of little critters that call it home. Therefore be good and watch your step!

Smokebush

Conospermum or Smokebush belong to the spectacular Proteaceae family.

There are more than sixty smokebush species occurring in most Australian States, but are most numerous and diverse in the SW region of WA (the wheatbelt). Generally they are low to medium sized shrubs, often with striking floral displays that are used in the cut flower industry. There are several species in the Esperance region, but two outshine the others when it comes to display. These are Conospermum distichum and Conospermum teretifolium.

The Conospermum distichum smokebush is a bushy shrub growing to less than a metre and usually (in the Esperance region) occurring in small colonies on deep sandy soil. It mass flowers during spring producing a striking bluish grey (smoky) floral display.

Conospermum teretifolium the Spider Smokebush grows to over a metre, also on deep sandy soils, but as scattered plants or only a few individuals. The flowers form in dense creamy white heads during late spring to early summer.

Like most people interested in botany, I have often been caught out on identification. On occasion I have seen (to me) a new species and on keying out the botanical features, it eventually indicates that it belongs to this or that family. But being familiar with some species and genera within that family, I think it can't be as it looks nothing like them. So believing I have made an error, I retrace my steps, only to arrive back again at the highly suspicious family. So reluctantly I investigate, only to find the key was correct and I had encountered yet another variation of the taxonomic features.

These two Conospermum species are also very dissimilar, but now have a look at the flowers, first the C. distichum smokebush. Note the small petals and densely woolly flowers.

Now the Conospermum teretifolium the Spider Smokebush, see how large the flowers are in comparison, with no hairs and the long thin petals.

So how come these completely different plants have been placed in the same genus? The secret is in the structure of the flowers, and this applies not only to these two species, but also to the hundreds of other species in the large Proteaceae family. These Proteaceae plants are found in several countries, although Australia and South Africa have the greatest diversity of species. These include the Australian Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, Isopogon, Persoonia, Conospermum, etc, also the Protea, Leucospermum, Leucadendron, etc, from South Africa.

The similarity of these plants world wide, is they all have four perianth-segments (4 petal-like structures), with four stamens that are either attached directly to the petal-like structures, or to the perianth (flower) tube itself. There are other features like a superior ovary (where the floral tube runs uninterrupted to below the seed bearing structure, ie the ovary), but basically you have 4 petals + 4 attached stamens.

Now the main differences between the genera relate to the seed and/or, the seed bearing structure, which with Conospermum is a hairy obconical seed/nut. Conospermum in Latin means a cone [shaped] seed.

Therefore both these very different looking plants, have with close examination, 4 petals + 4 attached stamens + obconical seed/nuts!

Why not checkout the above features on the Proteaceae plants in your garden or bush? Then look at the different seeds and seed carrying arrangements. So now you should be able to recognise any Proteaceae plant from anywhere in the world, even if you have never seen them before.