More Montane Plants

MONTANE PLANTS (2)

RUBUS GUNNIANUS Rosaceae
Alpine Raspberry

A small alpine perennial herb with rosettes of stalked usually trifoliate leaves and white
flowers, producing new plants from underground runners. Leaves dark green, shining, leaflets lobed and margins serrate; flowers shortly stalked with 5 sepals, 5 white narrow tongue-shaped petals, stamens numerous. Edible fruits 1 cm diameter, 4-5 red juicy segments, clustered as in raspberry.
Flowering November-December. Forms mats in open mountain areas 1000 - 1750 m.
Cultivation - Would require ample moisture and some overhead shade in warmer areas and peaty soil.

Tas endemic.

PODOCARPUS LAWRENCEI Podocarpaceae
(Plum Pine)

Photo of fruits, and information courtesy of Launceston Field Naturalists Club

Photo of new growth J & R Coghlan

A small tree at moderate altitudes and in sheltered positions but reduced to a low ascending shrub between boulders near the summit of mountains. The 'leaves' are flattened stalks, 6-12mm long, dark green, linear-oblong, flat, hard and leathery. Male cones are small pinkish-red, rather long, one or two together on very short stalks in terminal axils. Female cone of a single-stalked fleshy scale carrying a blackish green seed. When mature the seed scale and its stalk become red and succulent.

Grows on stabilised talus at altitudes between 1000m and 1500m and at lower altitudes along the banks of some rivers such as the Mersey. Tas, Vic, NSW

OZOTHAMNUS HOOKERI Asteraceae
(syn. Helichrysum hookeri)

One of several plants commonly called "Kerosene bush" as it produces a pleasantly sweet aroma if the leaves are rubbed. A compact, rounded shrub to about 60 cm with minute leaves to 3 mm long, resembling a conifer when not in flower. Clusters of insignificant white flowers appear en masse during summer. It grows in rocky terrain in temperate areas on composted soil in full sun.

Occurs in alpine areas in Tas. NSW. ACT. Vic.

ASTELIA ALPINA var. ALPINA Liliaceae
(Pineapple Grass)

Astelia alpina

A densely tufted or mat-forming plant with coarse erect leaves which have a silvery appearance. The leaves are covered with long hairs, especially underneath. The flower spikes, which are either male or female, are insignificant and largely hidden in the leaf tufts. The red fruit is more easily seen. Flowering period is variable and it is widespread and abundant in wet
peaty heaths. Although it is feasible to collect seed, it is not commonly propagated.

Photo: Christine Howells

A small rhizomatous perennial blue-flowered lily of alpine herbfields, creeping and forming grass-like mats in swampy areas.Leaves linear, stiff, grey-green 3-4cm and 2-4mm wide. The shortly stalked flowers, nestling among the leaves, are blue or bluish-white, large, 2cm across with 6 stamens and 3-celled ovary. Capsule spherical with few smooth black seeds.
Flowering December-January. Common in central and western mountains of Tasmania. Also occurs in Victoria, New South Wales and New Zealand.

HERPOLIRION NOVAE-ZELANDIAE Liliaceae
(Sky Lily - growing among pineapple grass)

Herpolirion novae-zelandia
Photo: Christine Howells

MICROCACHRYS TETRAGONA Podocarpaceae
(Strawberry Pine)

Microcachrys tetragona
Photo: Christine Howells

This prostrate creeping pine appears to have square stems because the tiny, thick opposite leaves overlap closely, each pair fitting into notches between the previous pair as if in a square plait. Male and female cones are on different plants, the male very small at the end of the branchlet, little wider than the foliage. The female cone of about 24 scales is ovoid, a little less than 1cm long, red and fleshy when ripe, the seeds buried beneath the red scales, one seed per scale. Ripe cones are found in January-February. On central, western and south-western mountains between 1350 m and 1500 m, on ridges and in high moorland. Tas.endemic.

Tufted plant with wide grass-like leaves 15-30cm long, 2.5cm wide, clustered at the base of the flowering stalk. Flower stalk covered with felted hairs; underside of leaf base, floral bract and perianth densely hairy. Flower stalk 15-30cm high, bearing one or two bracts, inflorescence branched. Flowers cream, numerous, tubular with 6 blunt lobes about 1cm long, 6 stamens and 3 lobed ovary. Flowering November-December. A plant of mountain hillsides and rocky banks. Tas endemic.

Photo: Christine Howells

MILLIGANIA DENSIFLORA (Liliaceae)

Milligania densiflora

EUPHRASIA COLLINA ssp. DIEMENICA Scrophulariaceae
(Eyebright)

Euphrasia collina
Photo: Christine Howells

A herb with lilac flowers having faint striations on the lower three petals. The massed flowering stems are very showy, especially on a well-developed plant. Flower colour varies from white through to dark lilac; sometimes very attractive two-toned flowers are found.
Plants are fairly inconspicuous when not in bloom. They are root parasites on surrounding plants. Flowering early summer, but a few will often be found later. They are locally abundant on a few mountains; many different forms occur in alpine areas. The seed is easily collected but difficult to propagate due to its parasitic nature.

BELLENDENA MONTANA Proteaceae
(Mountain Rocket)

Bellendena montana
Photo: Christine Howells

(Mountain Rocket Fruits)

Bellendena momtana (fruits)

Photo: Launceston Field
Naturalist Club

Small sub-alpine shrub 10-60cm high with erect or low spreading branches. Leaves stalked, obovate or cuneate, 2.5cm long, entire or with 3 blunt lobes bright green or blue-green. Cream flowers in pyramid terminal racemes 4-6cm long on 4-6cm stalks. Individual flowers have 4 segments, 3-4mm long, at first spreading, then curling back. Fruit brilliant red or yellow, obovate, flattened and hanging, giving rise to the common name of Rocket. Flowering December-January. Widespread on montane grasslands and on mountains. Tas. endemic.

MONTANE PLANTS (1)