First field trip for BZ3620 we went out to Stannary Hills and Irvinebank out near Herberton.
Stannary Hills represents a tropical heathland environment, typified by Casuarinaceae, Fabaceae, Proteacae, Myrtaceae, Mimosaceae, and Epacridaceae. Heathland in the south east of Australia has a much greater diversity of Epacridaceae, whereas those in the north, like Stannary Hills, usually only have one or two species present.
Silver daisies (above, below) are very common in the area.
Native bluebells (Wahlenbergia) are also very prevalent in the area.
Above shows what the newest flowers of the silver daisies looks like.
Above, flowers of Hakea plurinervia, and below, the unopened seed capsules.
There were also lots of Stylidium graminifolium (above), a type of trigger plant. Insects that land on the flower trigger a hammer mechanism which swings down and slams pollen onto the insect. Pretty cool stuff.
The top left flower in the above photo shows the hammer the best
Plant habit, and hand for scale.
There were also lots of grass trees (Xanthorrhoea) wit spent flower spikes, like the one below.
Sundews (Drosera spatulata...maybe) are present in areas with poor drainage, indicating that the area has poor soils.
I noticed more fringe lilies (Thysanotus tuberosus, above) on the downhill slopes than anywhere else.
Mirbelia speciosa (above, below) looked amazing when flowering together. Also a typical heath species - fabaceous, and with thin firm leaves similar to northern hemisphere Ericaceae heaths.
And now for my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, Thelymitra, the sun orchids (below). I don't know if these are nuda or aristata but I don't really care, because I finally got to see a Thelymitra!
Went trekking a bit further and found another orchid on my botanical bucket list - Caladenia carnea (below).
In one area there was a large patch of Borya septentrionalis. I had never even heard of this plant, but it is pretty cool! It is a type of resurrection plant, so when times are tough, nutrients and fluid are extracted from the leaves to keep the system ticking over, then when it rains they burst back into life. And the leaves are VERY VERY SHARP.
In a hill cut area where groundwater was seeping out, baldderworts (Utricularia caerulea, below) were growing. Another carnivorous plant, and the traps are borne along the roots as little air filled bladders that suck in little critters.
From Stannary Hills we moved up the road to Irvinebank, where it was more of an open woodland than heath. Here there were plenty of grevilleas, and acacias, as well as poison peas.
Above, Grevillea pteridifolia. Below, a Gastrolobium species, also called, poison pea as it contains the poison 1080 which poisons stock.
Below, Grevillea glossadenia, which is found only in Irvinebank.
Below, Acacia purpureapetala, the ONLY purple Acacia, and it is only found in Irvinebank.
So yeah, that was the Stannary Hills/Irvinebank trip. Going to Davies Creek tomorrow so that should be interesting.
