| MELALEUCA SQUAMEA
Swamp Melaleuca Myrtaceae A shrub or small tree 1-3m high with stiff semi-erect branches. Leaves 4-8mm long, lanceolate, alternate and crowded, with long soft points and apex slightly curved towards stem. Flowers usually pink-purple; less commonly white or yellow, without stalks, in terminal clusters approximately 15mm across. Fruit, woody capsules persistent for several years. Flowering: October - February. Widespread in wet heaths, sea level to approximately 1500m. Tas. Vic. NSW and SA. |
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| CLEMATIS ARISTATA
Ranunculaceae
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An attractive climbing plant with opposite leaves which are divided into three moderate-sized leaflets. Clematis is frequently seen climbing just a metre or two above the ground, but may reach heights of up to 6m. The flowers are showy, being up to 5cm across and very numerous. The fruits have a long fluffy awn. The seedlings are distinctive on a shady forest floor, having a few purplish leaves with silvery markings. It's thought that this coloration confuses herbivores, and adult leaves are certainly quite green when out of reach of browsing. Flowering is in late Spring. Germination from seed. Although Clematis is common through a range of altitudes, |
| and favours shady cool
forests, it tolerates a wide variety of situations in the garden.
Related species: The other Tasmanian climbing species is C. mycrophylla which is restricted to sand-dunes near the north coast; this has its leaves divided into three parts which are themselves divided into three leaflets. The non-climbing C.gentianoides has similar white flowers. The introduced "old man's beard" C.vitalba is common in settled parts of Tasmania. The seed heads of this species are prominent and give rise to its name. |
| OXYLOBIUM ELLIPTICUM Golden Rosemary Leguminosae-Papilionatae A spreading much-branched shrub to 2.5m with smooth
branches. Leaves elliptical 1.4cm long, dark green, leathery, reticulate
veins and mid-rib obvious, margins recurved. Leaf apex blunt, often
with an abrupt point; lower surface brownish with short hairs. The golden-yellow
pea flowers are in dense terminal clusters. Pods 7-8mm long, rounded,
grey-brown covered with long silky hairs. |
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|
MONOTOCA GLAUCA
Epacridaceae A densely branched shrub or small tree to 8m with slender branches. Leaves shortly stalked, linear-elliptical, pointed but not sharp, striate and pale underneath. Flowers are very small, solitary or in axillary spikes; trees often unisexual. Fruit a greenish drupe. A common understorey shrub at edges of wet forest and in previously logged areas. Flowering in summer. Tas endemic. |
| ATHEROSPERMA MOSCHATUM
Monimiaceae Southern Sassafras |
|
Maturing
seed pods |
| A conical tree to 45
m with spreading, rather drooping, branches. Oil glands in the
bark and leaves give a distinctive sarsparilla-like smell and taste.
The bark is grey and white, smooth. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pointed
and toothed, in opposite pairs, green and shining above, the other
side all white. Stalked flowers on the underside of branchlets
face downwards. Trees often unisexual, male flowers about 2 cm across with 8 white perianth members and about 12 short stamens. Female flowers smaller, less round and less showy with many hairy carpels embedded in the centre, bristly styles protruding. Sometimes both male and female flowers are on the same tree. Fruit dry - a blackish, woody knob with feathery styles protruding and gradually decaying. Bark is used for flavouring beverages, timber for craftwork. Flowering time September-October. Widespread in rainforest. Not often cultivated as it requires cool, damp conditions, but forms a handsome tree in the right site. Sassafras is the only species in the genus Atherosperma. |
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