MORE COASTAL PLANTS - part five

LOTUS AUSTRALIS                        Fabaceae Austral trefoil An erect perennial herb that grows up to 60cm tall, blue-green in colour and covered with short hairs. Leaves:  composed of 5 leaflets,  long, narrow and wedge-shaped. Upper 3 leaflets 1-4cm long, the lower 2 are small and reduced. Flowers: pea-like, between 14-20mm long, white to pink colour,  in clusters of 3-8 on long stalks in the leaf axils. Flowering  from spring to early summer. Fruit:  a straight pod between 3-5cm long (description from Cunningham et al 1992, Woolcock 1991). Occurs in all Australian states, but in Tasmania is found in Poa tussock grassland, low coastal shrubbery and on dunes around the State. Status: considered rare in Tasmania but known reserves are as follows: Well reserved in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area, Denison Rivulet Conservation, Foster Islands Nature Reserve, Mt Field National Park, Narawntapu National  Park, Pieman River State Reserve, Rocky Cape National Park, Southwest Conservation, St Helens Point Conservation Area, Tooms Lake Forest Reserve and the Waterhouse Conservation Area. (Information Dept. Primary Industries, Water and Environment)

Special Note:  The interesting plant at left, and in the top picture, is Calystegia soldanella (Convolvulaceae) found on the east coast, and is also classified as Rare and Threatened

ERYNGIUM VESICULOSUM                                                  Apiaceae Blue Devil Prostrate perennial plant with branches to 30 cm. The leaves have deeply divided lobes each of which ends in a sharp spine. The base of the stem has a rosette of leaves and the branches have a pair of small leaves at each node. A flower head grows from the central rosette and others from nodes on the branches. Flowers are white to pale blue in an oval to globular head which is surrounded by bracts and sepals with sharp or spinous tips. Flowering period: October to February Distribution: Sandy and marshy flats near the coast. Cultivation: Suitable for containers and is attractive when in flower. Propagate from seed or by division. Tas, Vic, NSW, SA.