Category Archives: Vegetation

Australian Native Violet

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Australian Native Violet

Even Australia gets their very own Australian native violets.

  • Australian native violets are small, perennial flowering plants, native to mostly eastern areas of Australia.
  • ‘Australian native violets’ are also known as ‘native violets’, ‘ivy-leaved violets’ and ‘Australian tufted violets’.
  • The scientific name of an Australian native violet is Viola hederacea, from the Violaceae family, the family of pansies and violets.
  • The flower of Australian native violets is a combination of purple and white in colour, and it generally sits above the plant on a thin stalk.
  • Australian native violet plants reach a height of 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) and grow approximately 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter.

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  • The blooms of Australian native violets are roughly 1 to 2 centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches) in diameter, while the leaves are 0.5 to 3 centimetres (0.2 to 1.2 inches) across, and are shaped as a semi-circle or like a kidney.
  • Australian native violets bloom mostly during summer and spring months, and the flowers are edible and are sometimes used in salads.
  • Australian native violets can be grown in gardens or in pots, and they grow in shade, partial shade or sunny areas, and prefer moist soil.
  • Australian native violets are commonly used ornamentally, in hanging baskets, as a ground cover, and can also be used as an alternative lawn, although it is less popular plant than some other violet species, as the flowers are somewhat pale in colour compared to others.
  • Australian native violets grow in clumps that can be readily divided, and they tend to spread via runners, that new plants are formed from.
Bibliography:
Australian Native Violet – Plant of the Week, n.d, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/flowering-plants-shrubs/australian-native-violet-plant-of-the-week
Viola Hederacea, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_hederacea
Viola Hederacea, 2016, Gardens Online, http://www.gardensonline.com.au/GardenShed/PlantFinder/Show_1052.aspx
Viola Hederacea, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Viola_hederacea.htm
Viola hederacea Labill., n.d, PlantNET, http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Viola~hederacea

 

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Flying Duck Orchid

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Flying Duck Orchid

The flying duck orchid is a bit of an impersonator.

  • Flying duck orchids are perennial plants of small size, native to areas in the south and east of Australia.
  • The scientific name of flying duck orchids is Caleana major and it is from the family Orchidaceae, the family of orchids.
  • Flying duck orchids typically bloom between September and January and the flowers range in length from 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres (0.6 to 1 inch).
  • The flowers of flying duck orchids are usually coloured a deep red to purple, with some parts green, and have the appearance of a duck in flight, and compared to most other orchid flowers, sit on the plant upside down.
  • One of the first specimens of a flying duck orchid obtained by Europeans was from where the Sydney Opera House of Australia sits, located at Bennelong Point in Sydney, retrieved in 1803.
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Flying Duck Orchid
Image courtesy of Doug Ford/Flickr
  • Flying duck orchids are pollinated by insects such as sawflies, that are attracted to the flower and are temporarily trapped to collect and transfer pollen.
  • Flying duck orchids are extremely difficult to grow or propagate, thus they are virtually exclusive to woody forests or shrubby habitats.
  • The height of flying duck orchid plants can reach 50 centimetres (20 inches), and they grow from a tuber and have long narrow leaves.
  • The flying duck orchid was pictured on a 90 cent Australian postage stamp, released in 1986, as one of a set of four stamps featuring Australian orchids.
  • Due to what seems to be a lack of pollinating insects, as well as habitat destruction, the flying duck orchid plant is listed as vulnerable in the state of South Australia.
Bibliography:
Australia’s Most Popular Orchid, n.d, NOSSA, http://nossa.org.au/tag/flying-duck-orchid/
Caleana major, 2014, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caleana_major
Flying Duck Orchid, 2015, AuseMade, http://www.ausemade.com.au/fauna-flora/flora/magnoliophyta/liliopsida/asparagales/orchidaceae/caleana-major/caleana-major.htm
Large Duck Orchid, 2008, Adelaide Department of Environment and Heritage, pa-fact-pafactcaleanamajor.pdf

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Corpse Flower

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Corpse Flower

You get more than you bargained for with the corpse flower.

  • Corpse flowers are large flowering plants native to the Sumatra rainforests of Indonesia, in Asia, and they may also be found in nearby areas.
  • The scientific name of a corpse flower is Rafflesia arnoldii and it is from the family Rafflesiaceae, a family of parasitic plants.
  • Corpse flowers have five large petals that can grow to be up to 1.05 metres (3.4 feet) in length and they are the largest known extant flower recorded.
  • The flower colour of corpse flowers ranges from red, oranges and browns, and is spotted with white.
  • Corpse flowers excrete an odour compared to that of a dead corpse, which serves as an attraction for flies to pollinate the plant.
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Corpse Flower
Image courtesy of Tamara Van Molken/Flickr
  • The buds of corpse flowers reach a length of approximately 0.3 metres (1 foot) and have an appearance similar to a cabbage.
  • There was a race between the French and the British to publish a scientific name for the genus of the corpse flower, as both countries obtained specimens at various times, however it was the British who named the genus in 1820, and in 1821 they named this particular species.
  • Tree shrews eat the fruit produced by corpse flowers, that contain numerous small seeds, which the shrews help to disperse.
  • Corpse flower plants do not have leaves or roots, and instead, they feed from a vine host plant as a parasite, and remain hidden until ready to bloom.
  • Corpse flowers will only bloom when ready for pollination, a period that may last for only a couple of days, though it can take months for the buds to mature and open.
Bibliography:
Rafflesia Arnoldii (Corpse Flower), n.d, KEW Royal Botanic Gardens, http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/rafflesia-arnoldii-corpse-flower
Rafflesia Arnoldii, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafflesia_arnoldii
World’s Largest Flower, Raffelsia Arnoldii, 2013, Facts List, http://factslist.net/2013/04/worlds-largest-flower-rafflesia-arnoldii/

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Giant Kelp

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Giant Kelp

Don’t mistake undersized kelp for young giant kelp.

  • Giant kelp is a species of large seaweed, native to the waters of the eastern Pacific, as well as southern South America, South Africa and Australia.
  • ‘Giant kelp’ is also known as ‘giant bladder kelp’ and ‘string kelp’, and the plant has large leafy blades that grow on long stems known as ‘stipes’, and to assist the plant to float or stay upright in the water, there is a ‘pneumatocyst’ (a bladder filled with gas) at the bottom of each blade.
  • The scientific name of giant kelp is Macrocystis pyrifera and it is from the family Laminariaceae, the family of brown algal seaweed.
  • Giant kelp can grow up to 40 to 65 metres (44 to 71 yards) in height, and as such, is the earth’s largest ocean plant.
  • With a potential growth rate of up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) daily, giant kelp is among the fastest growing wildlife known.
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Giant Kelp
Image courtesy of NOAA Photo Library/Flickr
  • Young giant kelp grow from the trillions of spores released from the reproductive blades near the bottom of the mature kelp plant, and the young kelp will latch onto a sturdy base, such as a rock, using a root-like system, known as a ‘holdfast’.
  • Giant kelp is common among ecosystems in providing shelter for numerous aquatic life in the form of kelp beds and forests.
  • Giant kelp can be eaten by humans, and contains a high potassium and iodine content, and the plant has historically been used to create potash, while in modern times it is used as a fertiliser; commonly as an emulsifier; and for chemical purposes in various industries.
  • Typically, giant kelp is found at depths of 5 to 20 metres with a water temperature of 6°C to 20°C (43°F to 68°F).
  • Giant kelp is a perennial seaweed, however the blades, or ‘fronds’ as they are also known, last only for a few months or up to a year, after which they die, although the plant continues to grow new ones.
Bibliography:
Bushing W, Giant Bladder Kelp, n.d, Star Thrower, http://www.starthrower.org/research/kelpmisc/kelp_mp.htm
Edyvane K, Conservation, Monitoring & Recovery of Threatened Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) Beds in Tasmania – Final Report, 2003, Australian Government Department of Environment, https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/f250cead-de41-4b9d-9a52-91d5cb66f6b1/files/co01kelp.pdf
Macrocystis Pyrifera, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocystis_pyrifera

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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

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Kalanchoe Blossfeldina

Kalanchoe blossfeldina is a toxin in disguise.

  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a species of succulent plant that is perennial and also evergreen.
  • ‘Kalanchoe blossfeldiana’ is also known as ‘florist kalanchoe’, ‘kalanchoe’, ‘Christmas kalanchoe’, ‘flaming Katy’ and ‘Madagascar widow’s-thrill’.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is known as the scientific name of the plant, which is from the family Crassulaceae, the family of stonecrops.
  • The height of kalanchoe blossfeldiana generally reaches around 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) although smaller varieties are available.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is native to the plateaus of Madagascar, Africa, and the plant is slow growing.

Kalanchoe Blossfeldina, Vegetation, Flower, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Pink

  • The flowers of Kalanchoe blossfeldina have four petals, though they can have more if they are a double variety, and they bloom numerously in clusters for long periods during autumn and winter months.
  • The colours of Kalanchoe blossfeldina flowers ranges from yellow, red, orange, purple, pink and white.
  • Kalanchoe blossfeldina is commonly used for ornamental purposes, particularly as a pot plant or in gardens.
  • The best growing conditions for kalanchoe blossfeldina is full sun and warm climates, while the plant needs significant exposure to light to thrive.
  • On consumption, Kalanchoe blossfeldina is toxic, particularly to animals, and the flower contains the highest concentration of toxins.
Bibliography:
Care of the Kalanchoe Plant, 2005, Al Krismers Plant Farm, http://www.krismers.com/Kalanchoe_care.pdf
The Flaming Katy, 2015, Our House Plants, http://www.ourhouseplants.com/plants/flaming-katy
Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalanchoe_blossfeldiana
Smith G, Toxicology Brief: Kalanchoe species poisoning in pets, 2004, dvm360, http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/toxicology-brief-kalanchoe-species-poisoning-pets?rel=canonical

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Broadleaf Stonecrop

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Broadleaf Stonecrop

Broadleaf stonecrops certainly hide stones when growing among them.

  • A broadleaf stonecrop is a variety of a small, perennial and evergreen plant, and is classified as a succulent.
  • Broadleaf stonecrops are native to the rocky sections of mountainous regions in western parts of North America.
  • The scientific name of a broadleaf stonecrop is Sedum spathulifolium and it is from the family Crassulaceae, the family of stonecrops.
  • ‘Broadleaf stonecrops’ are also known as ‘Pacific stonecrops’,  ‘Purdy’s stonecrops’, ‘Yosemite stonecrops’, ‘spoon-leaved stonecrops’, and ‘blood leaf sedums’.
  • A variety of broadleaf stonecrop, the Cape Blanco, has received the Award of Garden Merit from the United Kingdom’s Royal Horticultural Society for its decorative nature, while the species in general is commonly grown as a ground cover.

Broadleaf Stonecrop, Vegetation, Plant, Flower, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Green, Succulent,

  • The leaves of broadleaf stonecrop plants are thick, powdery or waxy on touch, and range from green, to pink and red in colour, and they are roughly 1 to 2 centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches) in length.
  • The small broadleaf stonecrop flowers are star-like in shape, and are of a yellow colour, and they bloom throughout the summer months.
  • Broadleaf stonecrop plants grow roughly 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) in height, and they spread up to 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter.
  • A wide variety of soils can be used to grow broadleaf stonecrops, and the plant thrives best in full sun and is drought tolerant.
  • The leaves of broadleaf stonecrops can be eaten both cooked and raw in small quantities, best picked before the plant blooms, while the plant has been used for a number of medicinal purposes.
Bibliography:
Pacific Stonecrop, Broadleaf Stonecrop ‘Cape Blanco’, 2015, Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/37066/#b
Sedum spathulifolium – Hook., Plant For A Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Sedum+spathulifolium
Sedum Spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/sedum-spathulifolium-cape-blanco.html
Sedum Spathulifolium, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum_spathulifolium

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