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Newsletter

of the

Society for Growing

Australian Plants

Townsville Branch Inc.

PO Box 363, Aitkenvale, Qld. 4814.

sgaptownsville.org.au Abelmoschus moschatus

subsp. tuberosus

Chairman ….. Janice Lough j.lough@aims.gov.au

Vice Chairman Rex Grattidge rgr57487@bigpond.net.au

Treasurer ….. Keith Townsend noeltownsend@bigpond.com

Secretary ….. John Elliott jw-elliott@aapt.net.au

Newsletter … Val Colquhoun crabfami1@bigpond.com

Librarian ….. Rex Grattidge

Provedore …… Jane McLean

On Wednesday 8th October at 8pm

Rex Grattidge

will present a talk entitled

‘Grafting’

OctoberOctoberOctoberOctober

2014201420142014

Next Meeting

8.00pm Wednesday

8thOctober

Community Centre, Annandale Shopping

Centre

Committee Meeting

27thOctober

7.30pm

Dates to Remember

12thOctober- Sunday

Outing to Palmetum

See pg 6 for details

This Issue

From September

meeting 2

SGAP in flower 3

The Tech spot 4

September outing 4

Species list Alli Ck 5

Communications 6

From Elsewhere

1&2 6-8

Membership 9

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From the September meeting

Wongaloo……

True to his word Mark Stoneman and his wife appeared at the September meeting.

What an interesting well-presented talk! Mark’s talk was titled “The Journey continues”

The main points addressed were:-

–The habitat – very late ‘wet’ flood.

Cyclone Dylan – high salt weed reduction.

Apparently normal – but – tidal salt intrusion.

Open water-

Changes in 2014

No geese nesting

Swans

No swamp hens.

Huge black duck numbers

No Caspian terns

Jabiru ‘chick-failure’

Feral pig reduction.

Habitat Rehabilitation

Pink Bauhinia removal-forest fringe

Lantana clearing- woodlands

Constrain- control fencing

Weed spraying regime

Control benefit

Birds / swamp / cattle

Tourism progress – slow

‘Blue Goose’ bus

Glamping

Hold ups with rail crossing

Grey nomad access

Many thanks to Mark for taking the time to come to the meeting and share his enthusiasm with us.

We look forward to the next progress report. Many of us who are new to SGAP did not previously know of

the plans for this wetland project.

SGAP is glad to be able to provide an up to date species list.

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SGAP in flower –

Acanthaceae Graptophyllum excelsum

Graptophyllum ilicifolium

Amaryllidaceae Proiphys amboinensis (Cardwell Lily)

Annonaceae Fitzalania heteropetala

Caesalpiniaceae Maniltoa lenticellata

Cassia sp. ‘Paluma Range’

Cochlospermaceae Cochlospermum gillivraei

Dilleniaceae Dillenia alata

Lecythidaceae Barringtonia acutangula

Pittosporaceae Bursaria tenuifolia

Myrtaceae Xanthostemon verticillatus

Xanthostemon youngii

Leptospermum flavescens ‘Cardwell’

Syzygium australe

Callistemon 'Captain Cook'

Callistemon 'Pink Alma'

Proteaceae Grevillea banksii

Grevillea 'Birdsong'

Grevillea 'Dorothy Gordon'

Grevillea 'Flamingo'

Grevillea 'Firesprite'

Grevillea 'Little Honey'

Grevillea 'Moonlight'

Grevillea pteridifolia

Grevillea venusta

Darlingia darlingiana

Rubiaceae Gardenia psidiodes

Timonius timon

Larsenaikia ochreata

Rutaceae Flindersia brayleyana

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The TECH SPOT organised by KeithAt the September meeting – a

practical investigation!

The members who participated in the

flower parts identification really enjoyed this learning (or re-learning for

some) experience.

“These are the stamens.’

‘It is inferior isn’t it?”

“Oh, it is attached to the petal!”

“Ah look, that’s the female parts.”

Outing in September:- To Alligator Creek (Mt Elliot Section) of Bowling Green Bay National Park

We had very pleasant weather for our walk along the bank and the boardwalk and back through the bush road to

the picnic table where morning tea was enjoyed. There were not a lot of plants in flower but armed with a list

provided by Scott we managed to check off quite a few and were even able to add some more (efficiently recorded

by Jane). Nanette tweaked the list and for the complete version please consult the Townsville SGAP website. The list

below is quite incomplete, due to lack of space, in addition I have removed the introduced species. Charlie provided

the following few photos which you may like to identify.

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Abutilon auritum Denhamia disperma Mallotus polyadenos

Abrus precatorius Diospyros geminata Marsdenia microlepis?

Acacia holosericea Dodonaea viscosa Melaleuca fluviatilis

Acacia leptostachya Drypetes deplanchei Melaleuca leucadendra

Acacia spirorbis subsp. solandri Elaeodendron melanocarpum Melaleuca viminalis

Aidia racemosa Erythrina vespertilio Melia azedarach

Albizia procera Eucalyptus crebra Memecylon pauciflorum

Alchornea thozetiana Eucalyptus platyphylla Micromelum minutum

Alectryon connatus Eugenia reinwardtiana Milletia pinnata

Alectryon tomentosus Euroschinus falcata Mimusops elengi

Alphitonia excelsa Evolvulus alsinoides Mnesithea rottboellioides

Alstonia scholaris Exocarpos latifolius Myrsine variabilis

Alyxia spicata Ficus congesta Nauclea orientalis

Amyema cambagei Ficus hispida Pachygone ovata

Antidesma parvifolium Ficus opposita Passiflora aurantia

Aphananthe philippensis Ficus racemosa Phyllanthus novaehollandiae

Atractocarpus fitzlanii Ficus virens Physalis angulata

Breynia cernua Fitzalania heteropetala Pipturus argenteus

Bursaria incana Flueggea virosa Planchonia careya

Cajanus marmoratus Ganophyllum falcatum Pleiogynium timorense

Cajanus reticulatus Geijera salicifolia Pogonolobus reticulatus

Canarium australianum Geitonoplesium cymosum Polyalthia nitidissima

Capparis sepiaria Glochidion lobocarpum Polyscias elegans

Castanospermum australe Gossia bidwillii Pseuderanthemum variable

Casuarina cunninghamiana Grevillea parallela Psydrax odorata

Cayratia trifolia Grewia latifolia Pterocaulon sphacelatum

Cheilanthes sieberi Grewia retusifolia Rapanea variabilis

Chionanthus ramiflora Guioa acutifolia Sauropus albiflorus

Cissus oblonga Harpullia pendula Scleria sphacelata

Claoxylon tenerifolium Helicteres semiglabra Senna gaudichaudii

Cleistanthus xerophilus Heteropogon contortus Sida subspicata

Clerodendron floribundum Heteropogon triticeus Smilax australis

Cochlospermum gillivraei Indigofera sp.(australis or pratensis) Sorghum nitidum

Commersonia bartramia Ipomoea sp. Spermacoce sp.

Cordia dichotoma Jagera pseudorhus Stephania japonica

Corymbia clarksoniana Jasminum didymum Syzygium australe

Corymbia dallachiana Jasminum didymum subsp.racemosum Tacca leontopetaloides

Corymbia tessellaris Larsenaikia ochreata Terminalia sericocarpa

Crotalaria calycina Litsea glutinosa Themeda triandra

Croton arnhemicus Livistona sp. Trophis scandens

Cryptocarya triplinervis Lomandra longifolia Turraea pubescens

Cupaniopsis anacardioides Lophostemon grandiflorus Tylophora williamsii

Cycas media Macaranga tanarius Vachellia bidwillii

Cymbopogon sp. Mallotus philippensis Xenostegia tridentata

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COMMUNICATIONS OCTOBER OUTING:-

We have decided, as it is now getting

warm, to visit the Palmetum for our

outing on Sunday 12th October.

We will meet at 9am in the car park,

and will explore the rainforest section

in order to complete our species list

which we began in May 2014.

Please bring morning tea, hat,

mosquito repellent, etc.

From elsewhere -1

At the SEPTEMBER meeting John brought along a couple of local young palms of a

vulnerable species called Livistona lanuginosa. These palms were placed in the care of

two of our more established members.

Some information provided by the Palm Specialist Group follows.

Livistona lanuginosa Rodd

Status: Vulnerable (Dowe 1998; Rodd 1998; Henderson 2002)

Common name:- Wooly Livistona, Wooly Cabbage-Palm, Cape River Livistona, Burdekin Livistona.

Natural range Livistona lanuginosa is confined to the Burdekin River catchment in north eastern Australia between S20º19’20.8” to

S21º36’23.9” and E145º36’11.18” to E147º19’20”, with an altitudinal range

of 140–270 m. It is a riparian species occurring primarily along the banks of

braided stream systems and adjacent floodplains in sandy alluvial soils

mostly derived from granite. The climate of the Burdekin River system is

strongly seasonal, with unreliable monsoonally influenced summer rain

patterns. The average annual rainfall is 600–700mm, and extreme

temperatures range from 5–45ºC, in an otherwise semi-arid tropical

environment. The total population of Livistona lanuginosa consists of not

more than ca. 700 mature adults. The main occurrence is in the lower Cape

River system (which is an inland tributary of the Burdekin River), on both

the Cape River and most of its primary and secondary tributaries.

Populations most commonly occur in more or less linear stands along

stream edges. There are a few disjunct populations away from the Cape

River within the Burdekin River system, but no further than 40 km from the

main population on the Cape River and its tributaries.

Recognition characteristics Livistona lanuginosa is a single stemmed fan-palm,

growing to a maximum height of 18 m and a diameter at breast height of 25–35 cm. The

leaves, about 40, are produced in a rounded crown. The petioles are armed on the

margins with single curved spines in the proximal portion. The leaf blade is circular in

outline, pale gray-green above, and a lighter gray-green below. The leaf blade is regularly

divided into 70–90 segments in mature palms. Segments have a thin coating of w wax on

both surfaces. The paniculate inflorescences are borne within the leaves and are about

200 cm long but not extending beyond the crown.

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The bracts on the inflorescence are covered in a dense woolly

tomentum [lanuginose = woolly], hence both the scientific and

common names. Bisexual flowers, yellow to about 3 mm long,

are abundant, and crowded onto thin rachillae.

Fruit are globose, to 25–35 mm diameter, and brown to black at

maturity. The endocarp is ca. 2 mm thick and woody. The seed is

globose, about 25 mm in diameter. The hard endosperm is

partially intruded on one side by a kidney-shaped seed coat

intrusion. Apart from some minor horticultural applications, the

palm has no known uses.

Natural history The few targeted ecological studies of Livistona lanuginosa were those conducted by the author in general

investigation of the genus Livistona in Australia (Dowe 2001), and a survey to determine population structure and

dynamics of the species (Pettit & Dowe 2003). Livistona lanuginosa is functionally dioecious and appears to be

primarily wind-pollinated. Flowering occurs in the driest part of the year (Spring), and fruiting usually coincides with

the Summer rains some 4–6 months later. Fruits are mainly dispersed by flood waters and settle in debris piles on

the stream banks where seeds germinate and seedlings become established. It is not known if mammals or birds are

involved in additional seed distribution.

Seed germination occurs in the summer following seed-set, and seeds require relatively deep burial as the emergent

seedling roots can extend for as much as 100 cm downward into the soil. Subsequent growth is initially slow and, at

least in cultivated plants, maturity is reached in 15–20 years. Population structure at most sites follows the reverse-J

curve model, with large numbers of seedlings and subsequent decreasing numbers of juveniles, subadults and

adults. Individuals in populations are usually closely grouped with numerous seedlings and juveniles beneath the

parent palms.

Threats to survival There are no parts of the population of Livistona lanuginosa included in either National Parks or designated

conservation reserves, as the entire area covered by the species is privately owned or leasehold tenured, and given

over to beef cattle grazing. There are a few ex situ populations in botanical gardens, such as the Palmetum and

Anderson Park Botanical Garden, Townsville, Australia, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and Montgomery

Botanical Centre, Florida, USA. The primary threat to L. lanuginosa is browsing and trampling by cattle, and

subsequent habitat alteration such as bank erosion and soil compaction. There are no significant water

impoundments upstream of the main population, and water-flow regimes are natural. About half of the individuals

in the studied populations are in a senescent state (Pettit and Dowe 2003) with only limited or no regeneration and

unbalanced recruitment between class sizes. Overall, regeneration is severely restricted by the impact of cattle.

Current Conservation Measures The species is recognized as Vulnerable by the Queensland Government’s Environmental Protection Agency, and it is

therefore legislatively protected (Henderson 2002). In effect, no action regarding conservation of the species has

been implemented despite the population being in decline and under increasing pressure from grazing. However,

with respite from grazing, recovery would be expected in most populations.

Additional Necessary Conservation Actions Additional field work is required to determine the total population coverage, as some areas where it is suspected to

occur are inaccessible and remote. There are legislative provisions within the Nature Conservation Act (Queensland)

to declare some populations as conservation reserves, or possible National Parks, but this action would require a

concerted effort by multiple government departments and the cooperation of land owners and lease holders. An

investigation of genetic diversity across the population is presently being conducted, and this project hopes to

achieve some recognition of the vulnerability of the species.

Scientific Contributor

Dr John Leslie Dowe, Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater research, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.

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From elsewhere - 2

Source: Website address: http://linearlegume.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/washout-paper-pots.ht

Thanks to Delmar Colquhoun for this clever little article

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Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc.

P.O. Box 363 Aitkenvale, Qld. 4814

Membership Application or Renewal Form

Membership Year is from 1st April to 31st March

(Initial half yearly membership is available for those joining around October)

Name: _________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________

Email address: _________________________________________

Fee: $_________________

If claiming full time student fee please quote Student No………………….

Additional household members may be registered for a nominal fee of $2.00 per person but they will not receive newsletters or magazines.

Society for Growing Australian Plants Townsville Branch Inc. ABN 92 312 012 800

Membership Fees:

New Ordinary Member $45.00

New Student Member $35.00

Renewal Ordinary $40.00

Renewal Student $30.00

New Member (Half Year from Oct.) $25.00

Additional Household Member $ 2.00

Membership fees as above should be paid to Townsville Branch rather than to Brisbane - the most efficient

method is by direct credit to our bank account, but they may be paid to the treasurer by post to P.O. Box 363,

Aitkenvale, or at meetings.

If paying electronically please quote ’Membership and your name’

Bendigo Bank BSB 633-000 A/C 113462386

The Society for Growing Australian Plants promotes

the conservation of Australian native flora

by encouraging its introduction into gardens.