Australian Native Plants at the ANBG Canberra

[Lvandelft]

This is an Australian bulb called Proiphys cunninghamii (at least I think ti is that species anyway).  Flowers are about 4cm across and grows to about 18 inches to 2 feet tall.  Leaves are a bit similar to a Eucharis

Wow!! Paul does it smell too?? Never heard of it before.

[Lesley Cox]

That bulb is certainly beautiful!

Yes please Paul, re the Swainsona. It's on our permitted list so should be OK in a commercial packet. Put on the envelope that it contains seed though thanks and let me know how much it costs. Our dollar almost up with yours at the present time, don't know why as it's plummeting against the pound and the US dollar, yet I'd hardly want those as a gift lately.

[Paul T]

Will do, Lesley.  Won't be costing you anything though, as it will be a gift!   Will let you know when I have sent it.

[Paul T]

Luit,

Will stick my nose into a flower next time I am up in the glasshouse and then tell you whether it is perfumed.  No idea.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Paul, very kind. There's a Clianthus puniceus out here at the moment so there will be seed in due course. I might try the cotyledon grafting you mentioned, with a few, see what happens.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I got you a packet today.  It suggests on the packet that the smoke treatment should be used, but I have never heard of that for Swainsonia before so I haven't bought you a packet of the smoke treatment stuff.  I an always pick one up on Monday if you're wanting it as well.  Any other Aussie natives you're wanting while I am at it and can check for seed?

Luit,

I dropped up there today to check on perfume of the Proiphys and couldn't detect much perfume at all.  A very vague scent, but quite elusive and not enough to bother looking for really. 

[Joakim B]

Paul thanks for the information about the Waratahs (Telopea sp). I did not notice that it was flowers in the middle I thought it was one flower looking a bit like Protea so to say.
Living and learning.
Kind regards
Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

Very much like a Protea, but I think that the floral arrangement of the Protea is pretty similar to the Waratah, although not as obvious.  I'm nearly certain that the Protea flowerhead contains lots and lots of tiny flowers, but the Waratah ones are much more visible.  Today I photographed T. mongaensis x speciosissima and in it the individual flowers were even more obvious as it doesn't have the surrounding bracts that look like the petals.  I'll try to get pics processed this evening or tomorrow so I can show you what I mean.

[Joakim B]

Paul that is what happen when I try to show my wisdom I just show my ignorance but now I learned more
Looking forward to the picture
Kind regards
Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

There are heaps of different Proteaceae family members amongst the Australian flora.... Banksia, Grevillea, Telopea to name but a few.  We and Africa are I think the only two areas that have them?  Not sure whether they extend anywhere else... do they have any of them in NZ?

[Gerdk]

There are heaps of different Proteaceae family members amongst the Australian flora.... Banksia, Grevillea, Telopea to name but a few.  We and Africa are I think the only two areas that have them?  Not sure whether they extend anywhere else... do they have any of them in NZ?

Paul,
There are Proteaceae in South America - Embotrium coccineum for instance.

Gerd

[Paul T]

Thanks Gerd, I hadn't realised that.  Makes sense of course as we were all once connected.  I guess the higher numbers are from Aus and Africa, or at least the better known ones?  It certainly is a variable genus, although the basic floral structure amongst all of them remains fairly standard, with different proportions etc.  I'd not realised there were any in Sth America, so Joakim isn't the only one learning new things. 

[Cephalotus]

I was really amazed with the uniqueness of Australian plants. Once in the past accidentally I have found one site where I could see many photos of different habitats ans plants in Australia. I think it was about Victoria, but I am not sure. I tried to find any site where I could watch many photos like in an album, but with no results. I could find only very few photos on them. Can any one help me with that, please? These topics with Australian native flora photos made my aesthetic experience hunger only bigger. I need MORE! Much MORE!

[Casalima]

I have really enjoyed seeing all these plants!!!! I  truly appreciate them!

If/When one day I have a real garden, I would seriously think of creating an Austrialian corner - there are so many irresistible plants!

[Paul T]

As a collector of anything rare and unusual I fully understand. Seeing things that you don't usually see brings out the collector in you and you just have to have it.    You should see some of my reactions to some of the postings elsewhere on these forums.