In Flower This Week

24 January 2003

How fortunate the devastating fires in Canberra have spared Black Mountain and our Botanic Gardens. This walk is in the Mallee Section, so colourful and interesting, above the Nursery. However if the weather is hot, you may prefer last week’s cooler walk in the Rainforest (ask the Visitor Centre staff for a copy).

Edging the road past the Nursery leading to the Mallee area, Alyogyne hakeifolia [Section 100] is yet a small plant with lovely mauve hibiscus flowers. Leaning over the road, Eremophila glabra [Section 100] has burnt orange tubular flowers mingling with the grey velvety leaves. Opposite, Grevillea lanigera [Section 34] is a dense prostrate plant well covered with pink and cream spider flowers. Halgania anagalloides var. preissiana [Section 100] is small and upright with its many branches covered with deep blue flowers. Opposite, Brachycome multifida ‘Breakoday’ [Section 34] is another groundcover, dense with small mauve daisies brightening the soft foliage. At the corner of the next bed are many small plants, including Frankenia sp. [Section 41], dwarf yet covered with tiny pink open flowers, and Goodenia varia [Section 41], a prostrate plant with yellow flowers along its radiating stems.

From the central boardwalk, walking in a clockwise direction, Scaevola platyphylla [Section 100] is semi-prostrate showing its white-throated, deep purple fan flowers. Verticordia mitchelliana [Section 100] is low and open with bright red feathery flowers. In the center of the bed Banksia burdettii [Section 100] stands upright with two terminal soft orange flower spikes. Sollya fusiformis [Section 100] is a multi-stemmed upright plant covered with blue bell-shaped flowers while, edging the path, Correa reflexa var. reflexa [Section 100] blends its slim green tubular flowers with the foliage. Eremophila bignoniiflora x polyclada [Section 100] has quite a spread with large bugle-shaped white flowers, tinted mauve with dotted purple throats. Beside is a patch of Lechenaultia biloba [Section 100] with pale blue flowers over the small plants. Hypocalymma sp. [Section 100] is small and dense with clusters of pink fluffy flowers.

At the curve, Eucalyptus ligulata [Section 100] is a small mallee tree with lots of insects invading the nectar of the clusters of white flowers. Nearby, Eucalyptus ficifolia [Section 100] has large clusters of bright red fluffy flowers. In the inner garden Banksia epica [Section 100] is a low, misshapen shrub with juvenile green flower spikes mixed with old, almost round, fuzzy grey spikes. Eremophila oppositifolia [Section 100] is of medium size and abounds with curved white tubular flowers. Another banksia, Banksia ornata [Section 100], reveals its immature brownish flower spikes. Note the large patches of Porcupine Grass, Triodia scariosa [Section 100], so dense with sharp pointed stiff leaves. Verticordia blepharophylla [Section 100] is a dwarf plant pretty with pinkish mauve feathery flowers.

At the top of the boardwalk, Lambertia sp. [Section 100] is an upright shrub revealing its bright orange-red flowers of its own interesting design. And in the distance you can see the bright orange fruits on Auranticarpa rhombifolia [Section 96]. 

Another colourful area of these Gardens...                                  Barbara Daly.