23 Dec 2014

Camels Hump

Blotched Blue-Tongue Lizard Tiliqua nigrolutea.


Trigger Plant Stylidium graminifolium. Spiky leaves all at the base of the plant.


Blanket Bush Bedfordia aborescens.  The underside of the leaves is like flannelette. Shrub/tree to 6m.


View west from Camels Hump



18 Dec 2014

Fisher Parkland

Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra


Common Everlasting Chrysocephalum apiculatum.  These everlastings are short plants growing to about 60 cm max with a spreading habit, with grey green leaves.

Detail of the flowers


This guy is a Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae). Sadly lacking in beautiful expensive insect field guides so don't know any more about him.

A really long-legged fly


15 Dec 2014

Bullen Range II

Slender Westringia Westringia eremicolia


Narrow-leaf Bitter Pea Daviesa mimosoides with triangular pods


These guys look like final instar larvae of some kind of leaf-beetle (Chrysomelids). When the camera came close they waved their false-head tails around. The larvae and adult beetles live on the trees but pupate in the soil.


12 Dec 2014

Redeye Cicada

At the Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa today there were plenty of Redeye Cicadas Psaltoda moerens.



3 Dec 2014

Tidbinbilla Sanctuary

Burgan Kunzea ericoides in flower. The leaves and flowers are tiny, smaller than those of surrounding tea trees. Also, stamens are longer than the petals whereas in tea trees they are smaller.


Woolly tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum, with the flowers nearly finished.  The underside of the flowers are very fuzzy.



 Hop Bush Dodonaea viscosa. There are many subspecies of this plant. This one has long thin leaves.




30 Nov 2014

Sticky Everlasting

Sticky Everlasting Xerochrysum viscosum. The flowers are quite dry- I remember calling these "paper daisies" as a child.  The leaves and stems are sticky.


24 Nov 2014

Clustered Everlasting

Clustered Everlasting Chrysocephalum semipapposum. Shrub to 1m. The leaves are very like Cassinia.

Close up of the dry flowers.



10 Nov 2014

Mountain Dragon

Mountain Dragon Rankinia diemensis in Namadgi. About 20cm.



9 Nov 2014

Square Rock

Clematis Clematis aristata.


Twining Glycine Glycine clandestina.  Note leaves in threes.


Mountain Pepper Tasmannia lanceolata.



3 Nov 2014

Small-fruit Hakea

The Small-fruit Hakea Hakea microcarpa in masses of spidery flowers...


...and tiny wooden pods. Shrub to 1.5m. Spiky leaves.


And just because this is another amazing place... "The Thumb" at Gibraltar Rocks.


23 Oct 2014

Buttercups

Buttercups Ranunculus spp.  Any yellow flower with five petals that shines like it has been lacquered. Apparently there are 15 Australian species which are not easy to tell apart.

22 Oct 2014

Drumsticks

Narrow-leaf Drumsticks Isopogon anethifolius.

Named for the woody cones left after the flowers...
Sandstone escarpments, Morton National Park..just because this place is so amazing..

16 Oct 2014

Mountain Kangaroo Apple

The Mountain Kangaroo Apple Solanum linearifolium is a large bush up to 4m and quite striking covered in purple flowers, looking a bit like an exotic garden escapee. The fruit will be yellow and is apparently edible when very ripe only.

12 Oct 2014

Bullen Range

Prickly Starwort Stellaria pungens. Tiny groundcover.


Daphne Heath Brachyloma daphnoides. Shrub to 1.5m.


Bitter Pea or Narrow-Leaf Bitter Pea Daviesia mimosoides.  The leaves are long and wattle-like.  Yellow flowers with a red centre.


8 Oct 2014

Yam Daisy

The tuberous root of the Yam Diasy Microseris lanceolata is edible.  One flower per bare stem and long thin leaves at the base of the plant.