Indigenous PLants
By Bullarto Primary school
BLUE GRASS LILY The botanical name is Caesia calliantha. The common name is Blue grass Lily. The size is 10-50cm by 10-50cm. It is a tufted herb. The foliage is crowded and grass like. The flowers are blue to lilac blue from October to December. Its habitat is plains grassland, red gum woodland and valley sclerophyll forest. The soils are most soils which dry out in summer. The blue grass lily is distributed in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. The aboriginal people used this plant as bush tucker. The tubers are eaten fresh. The tuber hibernates during autumn. |
Centipeda Cunninghamii / Old Mans Weed
Old mans weed is a small plant and grows to 25cm high and 50cm wide. It is a short fast growing perennial herb. It has oblanceolate and maybe hairy leaves. It also has toothed leaves. Centipeda Cunninghamii has a greenish yellow flower head in summer. It lives in grassy wetlands and riparian scrub. It needs very moist soil and requires a lot of water. It can survive floods. It grows in all mainland states. People use this plant for eye, skin and chest infections. It is also used for eczema and colds. Pruning is good for the plant and leaves give a pungent sickly sweet smell. |
Melaleuca Parvistaminea The Melaleuca Parvistaminea (also known as rough barked honey myrtle) is a fast growing plant that grows 1 to 4 metres high and up to 5 metres wide. It is a dense evergreen shrub with narrow dark green leafs. It has creamy coloured flower. It likes swampy with lots of moisture with full sun or semi shade. It found in Victoria and New South Wales. The melaleuca is manly used for bird and butterfly attractions. |
Chocolate Lily My plant is a Chocolate lily. Its botanical name is Arthropodium Strictum. It has grass like leaves up to 40cm long. Wow! That is awesomely long. It looks like it has long purple flowers that flower from October to December. It is chocolate scented. It likes to live in full sun. It is found in grasslands, redgum and sclerophyll woodland , valley and damp sclerophyll forests and grassy low open forests. It likes well drained soil. It is found in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. The roots are eaten after they are roasted. Acrotriche Prostrata
Family: Epacridaceae Acrotriche Prostrata, also known as the Trailing Ground Berry, is a one to two metre wide plant that clings to the ground and grows low. It has dark, green and small leaves, which grow close to the stem. The leaves are triangle-shaped, and grow to twenty millimetres long. The Trailing Ground Berry has a green, tube-shaped flower. This flower is around from May to September. The flower is thin and light will shine through it. The nectar, as well as the fruit, is edible. Aboriginal people would eat the nectar. The plant can also be used as decoration in gardens. The nectar and the fruit attract birds. This plant grows in wet areas. It can live in damp – and valley – sclerophyll forests. It can also thrive in sclerophyll woodlands. Damp, friable soil is a good choice when placing this plant. The Acrotriche Prostrata is only native to Victoria. The Trailing Ground Berry can be planted as a cutting and is good with ferns. It isn’t affected by frost. The plant can be grown in partial sun to full shade. Silver Wattle. Acacia dealbata is the silver wattle. It grows from 5 to 10 metres. The tree is fast growing and open. The leaves are a kind of bluish-greenish. Creamish flowers grow in Spring. Silver wattles like most soils and aspects. They like wet, damp and valley sclerophyll forests, riparian scrub, red gum woodland and grassy low open forest. Silver wattles like the deep moist soil. They grow in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Aboriginal people eat the seeds. They made handles for axes from the wood and they might have used it for firewood as well. Aboriginals used the bark for water bowls. Aboriginals used the sap to make sweet drinks with flower nectar. Aboriginals used the gum as ointment and glue by adding ash. Their roots stop the soil blowing and washing away. Now people in France make perfume from silver wattle. . Trailing Ground Berry by Josh Crooks
The trailing ground berry or the Acrotriche Prostrata is prostrate and grows up to 1-2 metres. It is an open trailing plant with small dark green triangular leaves (20mm long) with flowers that are green and translucent May to September. There flowers are full of nectar. It lives in damp and valley sclerophyll forests, woodland and grassy low open forests. The soil it likes is moist and friable. You find them around Victoria. Aboriginals ate the fruits and used its nectar for making sweet drinks. The trailing ground berry likes not too much sun light. Dianella Admixta / Dianella Revoluta
Dianella Admixta or commonly known as Flax Lily/Blueberry Flax lily/ Spreading flax lily Flax lily can grow up to 0.8 – 1m. It is a tufted perennial herb. It has blue flowers in Spring and Summer, it also has dark green linear. It has dark blue, shiny berries in Autumn and Summer. Dianella Admixta tolerates poor soil and adapts to most conditions. It also can live in plains grassland, box and red gum woodland, dry, valley and damp sclerophyll forests and tea tree heath. Dianella Admixta tolerates salt spray. It likes well drained soil. Blueberry flax lily lives everywhere in Australia except for N.T. It can be used for blue dye, it’s bird attracting and has fibre berries. Aborigines ate the berries. Derwentia Perfoliata The Derwentia Perfoliata is also known as Digger’s Speedwell. It is a small perennial sub-shrub with semi woody stems that grows to about 60cm tall. The foliage is like the blue green juvenile foliage of a eucalypt. When the plant is growing in drier areas the leaves will be narrower but in cooler places they will be broader. This plant has pretty mauve flowers in the form of nodding sprays in summer. Usually, you will find Digger’s Speedwell in drier areas. They like heavy clay or humus rich soil but are also happy to grow in gravelly soil. So you can use it in rockeries or embankments when landscaping. It has also been suggested that the Digger’s Speedwell will be advantageous in water treatment areas. When placing your plant, remember that it prefers shady or partially shady spots. Melicytus dentatus Written by Eden Clifford The common name of Melicytus dentatus is tree violet. It grows to 4m high and 1.25m wide. The Melicytus dentatus is a tall spreading shrub. It’s spiny and rigid. It has got dark green oblong toothed leaves to 50 mm long. It’s paler below. The Melicytus dentatus’ flowers are pale yellow fragrant bell flowers. The flowers grow from August to November. The berries are pale green through to purple. This plant lives near wet areas like a swamp, creek or a lake such as riparan scrub and box woodland. Tree Violets like any well drained soil. It plant lives in VIC, NSW, TAS, and SA. Melicytus dentatus’ uses are waste water treatment, landscaping and as flora for fauna.This plant needs semi shade or sun. Thank you Eucalyptus Rubida The Eucalyptus Rubida is commonly known as the Candlebark gum. Its name is derived from its smooth white trunk after it sheds it bark in strips. It is a large tree that grows to 25m high by 20m wide. It is upright and has a dense crown that can be either spreading or rounded. When it is young the leaves are round and silvery but as it grows up the leaves become long, narrow and dark green in colour. Candlebarks flower from November to February with white flowers that are very good for honey production. Then domed fruit are produced. The Candlebark likes a higher rainfall and cooler climate so you can find them in parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. It prefers fertile, well drained soils that get drier. It is used for firewood and timber so are often used in farm forestry. Koalas like eating candlebark leaves so I planted lots on my farm. By Bruce Rolfe. Centella Cordifolia
By Tommy Ellinger Centella Cordifolia is also called the Swamp Pennywort. It is 1-2 metres wide and prostrate. This creeping perennial herb has light green heart shaped leaves to 40mm long. The flowers are small, white or pink. They flower from August to June. They like to live in wet boggy areas in full sun or part shade. You can find them growing in swamp and riparian scrub, damp, valley and dry sclerophyll forest. They also like grassy low open forest. The soil needs to be moist to wet. You can find them in all states except the Northern Territory. They are good because they are fast growing, ACACIA MEARNSII
The Common name for this plant is the Late Black wattle. Its size ranges from 8 x 6m to 25 x 10m. This tree takes the form of a hardy open tree. Its foliage consists of bipinnate dark green 20cm leaves that are pale underneath with fine hairs. The cream balled flowers are scented and appear in spring. The black wattle is widespread in dry and valley sclerophyll forests, grassy low open forests, Red Gum/riparian woodland, plains grassland and escarpment above riparian areas. They prefer well drained soil. They are distributed throughout VIC, NSW, TAS and SA. The flower, the bark, the leaves and the seed pod can be used for dyes. The bark is used for making twine and medicine. The sap can be used for adhesives, food and drink. The timber can be used for weapons, furniture and firewood. The tannin from the trees is used to make leather all over the world. It is useful for shade, shelter and fodder. The Acacia Mearnsii is a fast growing tree, it prefers full sun and is drought hardy. Borers are a problem. Plant seeds grow after a bush fire. The pollen is used in beekeeping (apiculture) and lastly it is food for birds, butterflies and Sugar gliders. THE END Ozothamnus obcordatus
Ozothamnus Obcordatus (also known as Grey Everlasting) is an erect slender shrub with broadly elliptic shiny dark green foliage that is 15cm and has a white underside. Its flowers are brownish yellow and grow in dense clusters. They are in bloom from October to January. It can tolerate salt, drought and frost, and likes dappled shade. The Grey Everlasting is a showy shrub for a difficult spot. Insects live in the Grey Everlasting’s foliage and eat the pollen and the seeds that drop down onto the ground. The Ozothamnus Obcordatus likes dryish conditions such as in dry sclerophyll forest and box and box ironbark woodland. They like shallow stony soil with root protection. They are useful in dried flower arrangements. It can be found in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania. |
Billardiera Cymosa Billardiera cymosa also known as sweet apple berry is a climbing plant growing up to two metres high and three metres wide. If it is growing in an open place it grows as a shrub up to sixty centimetres high. It has slender, evergreen foliage. Billardiera cymosa has red/purple/blue/pink/white bell flowers that flower in spring. Later they develop in to edible, oblong berries that start off green then turn dark red or blackish purple when ripe. The berries have a faint aniseed flavour, from the seeds inside it, and the flesh has the same texture as kiwi fruit. The sweet apple berry grows in woodland and coastal heath. It likes a sunny spot with medium to light well drained sandy soil with neutral PH. Its original habitat was in South Australia and Victoria. Aborigines would use sweet apple berry for trading. They would also eat it raw or dry it out then eat it. Billardiera Cymosa tolerates a light frost and it attracts birds and lizards. It is good to plant it in spring. It comes from the family of Pittosporaceae. Hardenbergia Violacia
Hardenbergia Violacia is from the family of Fabaceae. It’s often known as Happy Wanderer or Sarsparilla. It is a fast growing dense creeper or wiry vine. It has dark ever green leathery ovate leaves. If Happy Wanderer is used for a ground cover it can grow up to one metre squared but if it is planted to climb then it can grow up to 6 metres high. Sarsparilla has bright purple pea flowers that flower from July to November in big bunches. Because it is such a popular garden plant you can also get blue and white flowers. It likes well drained soil in full sun or semi shade. Hardenbergia Violacia is found in Central Victorian Uplands, the Goldfields and the Victorian Riverina. It is used for landscaping and flora for fauna. Its leaves can also be used to make tea. Bulbine Lily
By Manu Scheltema The bulbine lily’s botanical name is bulbine bulbosa. It grow from about 20 to 60cm .It is a densely tufted perennial herb. The erect green to grey-green rush-like leaves are to 40cm long. It has quite pretty yellow star flowers. There are lots of them in plains grassland, red gum woodlands and dry and valley sclerophyll forests. It needs moist well-drained soils. This plant lives in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. It is a perennial herb with bulbous tubers eaten steamed. The family is lillaceae. When it is dry it dies back. The bulbine lily gores from 20 to 60ch with yellow star flowers botanical name bulbine bulbosa. Denslee tufted Silver Banksia The silver banksia is also known as banksia marginate. It grows from 1m to 10m high by 1m to 5m wide. It can grow as either a woody shrub or a tree. Its foliage can be dense or open depending on its habitat. It has a greenish upper surface and is silver on the underside. The leaves are up to 100mm long and are quite spiky. Silver banksias have bright yellow flowers. This plant is able to grow in subtropical climates to cool temperate climates. Carex appressa Carex appressa, or tall sedge, can grow from 0.5m to 1.2m tall. It is 0.5m to 1m wide. It is a robust dense tuft, and its stems are tough. Its leaves are triangular and solid. Tall sedge has bright green leaves that grow from 2 to 12mm. They are arching, triangular and slender. Its spikes are bisexual. Its flowers come out from August to January, (and when they do they are yellowish brown) while its fruit is egg shaped. It lives in dry and valley sclerophyll forest, red gum woodland and grassy low open forest. The soil it likes is wet soil - the kind near water areas. It tolerates some drying out and is frost tolerant. It comes from all states in Australia except for the Northern Territory. As well as that it doesn’t come from New Zealand. Aborigines used carex appressa’s leaves for making baskets. Tall sedge is used for stabilising eroded stream banks and makes a good frog habitat and a bird habitat. Olearia Argophylla Olearia Argophylla or Musk Daisy Bush, Musktree, Muskwood and Silver Shrub can grow from 3 to 8 metres tall to 3 to 5 metres wide. It is evergreen and is a fast growing tall shrub. It has shiny dark green large leaves with a musky aroma. Its leaves are slightly toothed and elliptical. Its flowers come out from October to December, and when they do they are large terminal white ones. They live in moist gullies, dry and wet sclerophyll forest, in mixed forests and they like part shade. The soil the Musk Daisy Bush likes is moist rich well drained soil, and sand clay and loam. Muskwood is draught sensitive. It lives in New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria. Animals eat it. Might have been named after Musk, or Musk named after it. THEMEDA TRIANDRA© KANGAROO GRASS The Themeda Triandra is soft, erect and sprawling. It is dense, tussocky and perennial. The flowers in early summer are purple and green and turn rusty brown when the seeds ripen. It can grow to 40cm by 90cm. The foliage is narrow and linear with limp, green, purple and blue foliage and a size of 30cm long and 3-4mm wide. Kangaroo grass is a little salt tolerant and there is no watering needed. It likes most well drained soil. Its favourite habitats are grassy wetlands, grassy low open forest, dry and valley sclerophyll, red gum and box woodland, plains grassland and sclerophyll. Pomaderris Aspera The Pomaderris aspera is commonly named hazel pomaderris. It can grow to 3-12m high and 2-4m wide. It is It is a slender leafy shrub or small tree and has large soft lanceolate dark green leaves that are paler below. They grow to 140mm long with deep brownish veins and pinkish-brown hairs. From October to December there are masses of yellow green flowers. Pomaderris aspera likes wet, damp and valley sclerophyll forest and riparian scrub where the soil is moist, well drained and humus rich. They like to live in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Aboriginal people used it for pegs to stretch skins. It is a mid storey plant and the bark is interesting. Dianella amoena
Dianella amoena is also known as the matted flax lily. The plant can grow to 45cm x 5m, it takes the form of a tufted mat forming perennial. The foliage is narrow tapering grey green leaves to 45cm, often dull crimson at the bottom, edges and midrib with small irregularly shaped teeth. The leaves can be deciduous in summer if water stressed. The mauve flowers are beautiful and produce pale berries. This plant likes to live in plains grassland, grassy wetland and Red Gum woodland. The plant prefers well drained seasonally wet soils and is distributed in Victoria and Tasmania. You can use this plant for landscaping. If you want to know any extra info here it is: This plant is considered rare and endangered. POA LABILLARDIERIE
Poa Labillardierie is also known as the common tussock grass which grows from 0.3-0.8 metres wide and 1.2 metres tall. This plant takes the form of a dense perennial tussock. The 80cm rough leaves hold the colour from green, greyish green to blue green leaves. This plant flowers in summer and the flowers are greenish purple. The plant is best to live in Riparian woodland and moist/shady open areas. It also accepts most soil. It is distributed in Vic, Qld, NSW, TAS and SA. The uses for this plant are as flora for fauna and it is attractive as a garden feature. Also, it can be used in waste water treatment. It is fast growing and very hardy. |