Plants of the Victorian High Country: A Field Guide for Walkers [2 ed.] 9781486309023, 148630902X

Table of contents :
Cover
Title
Copyright
Contents
About this book
The second edition
How to use the book
Aboriginal people in the High Country
Acknowledgements
Other useful books
The environment
Flower types
Plant descriptions
Herbs (other than daisies)
Daisy herbs
Low woody shrubs
Tall shrubs and trees
Eucalypts
Glossary
Plants listed by family
Index

Citation preview

Plants of the Victorian High Country

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SECOND EDITION

Plants of the Victorian High Country A Field Guide for Walkers

JOHN MURPHY AND BILL DOWLING

© John Murphy and Bill Dowling 2018 All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO Publishing for all permission requests. A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia. Published by: CSIRO Publishing Locked Bag 10 Clayton South VIC 3169 Australia Telephone: +61 3 9545 8400 Email: [email protected] Website: www.publish.csiro.au Front cover: (main image) Bogong high plains; (thumbnail images, left to right) Orites lancifolius, Linum ­marginale, Grevillea victoriae, Bossiaea disticoclada, Brachyscome nivalis. Back cover: (left to right) Isotoma axillaris, Bulbine bulbosa, Exocarpos cupressiformis, Caladenia alpine, ­Chiloglottis valida. Photographs are by Bill Dowling unless otherwise noted. Set in 9.5/12 Minion Edited by Joy Window (Living Language) Cover design by James Kelly Typeset by Thomson Digital Printed in China by 1010 Printing International Ltd. CSIRO Publishing publishes and distributes scientific, technical and health science books, magazines and journals from Australia to a worldwide audience and conducts these activities autonomously from the research activities of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of, and should not be attributed to, the publisher or CSIRO. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Acknowledgement CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands that we live and work on across Australia and pays its respect to Elders past and present. CSIRO recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made and will continue to make extraordinary contributions to all aspects of Australian life including culture, economy and science. Original print edition: The paper this book is printed on is in accordance with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council ®. The FSC® promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Contents

About this book vii The second edition viii How to use the book ix Aboriginal people in the High Country x Acknowledgements xi Other useful books xii

The environment

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Flower types

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Plant descriptions 7 Herbs (other than daisies) 9 Daisy herbs 55 Low woody shrubs 69 Tall shrubs and trees 125 Eucalypts 141 Glossary 145 Plants listed by family 147 Index 151

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About this book

Our aim is to allow walkers with little botanical knowledge to identify the plants they are most likely to encounter. The book is mostly written in plain English, but we have included a glossary and diagrams to explain those botanical terms we could not avoid. The three basic plant categories are family, genus and species. So the alpine ash, Eucalyptus delegatensis, is: • in the Myrtaceae family (all family names end in ‘aceae’) • of the Eucalyptus genus (all genus names are italicised, with the initial letter in capitals) • the species delegatensis (all species names are italicised, with no capitals). While the family name is important to help you determine what goes with what, it is not usually given, so scientific names generally consist of two words – in this case, Eucalyptus delegatensis. Common names like alpine ash are also given where appropriate, but please

remember that there are no agreements about common names and that they are often unreliable labels. For example, the Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian blue gums are actually three different species. In some cases, individual species can be difficult to distinguish. In these cases we have only identified the genus. Grasses and sedges can be very difficult to identify, so we have not included them in this publication. Warning: Many of the fruits of plants are often beautifully coloured and look edible. However, many species are extremely poisonous and we strongly advise that none should be tasted without expert advice. That birds and mammals eat a fruit is not an indication that it is safe for human consumption. Animals feed on many species that are poisonous to us. The same applies to leaves, flowers and root structures.

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The second edition

A field trip in December 2017 produced improved and additional photographs for many of the book’s species and 15 new plants have been added. One hundred and thirty-three species are now described. The original plant descriptions have been revised and expanded. They are now up to date and consistent with Vicflora,

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the plant database of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. There have been numerous name changes and family assignments since our first edition. Where appropriate, information on the Aboriginal use of the plants has been added as noted in ‘Aboriginal people in the High Country’ below.

How to use the book

We have selected the most common High Country plants. The book has 133 plant descriptions accompanied by 155 photographs. For ease of identification we have sorted them into five easily distinguished groups: • • • •

herbs (other than daisies) daisy herbs low woody shrubs tall shrubs and trees (other than eucalypts) • eucalypts. To identify a plant: 1. Determine to which of the five groups the plant belongs. 2. Go to the key for that group and follow the key. 3. Go to the page or pages indicated by the key and compare the plant with the descriptions and photos.

Within the descriptions and photos, the plants are arranged by family. The families are in alphabetical order. This allows those who know their plant families to go straight to the family group and look for a particular plant. This arrangement is also useful for those with less knowledge of plant families, as the common characteristics of a family are frequently (though not always) apparent. For example, all the Goodeniaceae have zygomorphic flowers. For words like ‘zygomorphic’, go to the glossary. For convenience, a list of the plants by family and an index are provided at the end of the book.

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Aboriginal people in the High Country

Senior Kurnai man, Russell Mullet, notes that Aboriginal people living in the valleys during winter moved up to the high Alps in summer not only for food, but also to avoid wild fires. It is estimated that ~2000 Aboriginal people lived in the Alps in summer during the mid-1800s. They were almost wiped out by the guns, diseases and customs of Europeans by the end of the 19th century. One author’s (John Murphy) great grandmother remembered a solitary Aboriginal man walking through the Lawler family farm at Snowy Creek near Freeburgh in the 1890s. The farm was at the foot of Mt Feathertop. Aboriginal people moved up to the Alps from the Bundara Valley and Omeo plains (Yaitmathang people), the Dargos and Gippsland (Kurnai people) and the

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Kiewa Valley (Duderoa people). The coming together of these groups provided the opportunity for exchanging stories, trade, marriages and settling disputes. The summer arrival of Bogong moths (cori) provided a rich supply of protein and fats. The moths collected en masse on the surfaces of rock outcrops where they could be easily collected in nets made from the bark of Pimelea axiflora. The moths were then cooked in hot coals and eaten whole or ground with a smooth stone into a paste to eat as cakes. Basalt grinding plates can still be seen near Mt Jim. Russell Mullet is a heritage project officer with Aboriginal Victoria and a ­senior member of the Kurnai Nation. He provided most of the information on Aboriginal plant use for this book.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the following people for expert advice and the provision of additional photographs: • Leon Costermans • Gilbert R. M. Dashorst, for the flower illustrations • Rodger Elliott, Australian Plants Society, Victoria • Herbarium Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria • Lachlan Garland, Australian Plants Society, Victoria • Briana Melideo, CSIRO Publishing • Greg Jordan, University of Tasmania • Sarah Kelly, Biodiversity Extension Officer, DSE, Wangaratta, Victoria • Annie Marlow, Nursery Manager, Mt Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board

• Michael Marmach, Australian Plants Society, Victoria • Pat Morrissey • Russell Mullet, Heritage Project Officer, Aboriginal Victoria • Clare Murphy • Clyde O’Donnell, AUS Global Soft Adventure, Porepunkah, Victoria • Cathy Powers, Australian Plants Society, Victoria • Barbara Ridley • Frank Scheelings • Ian Stapleton, author, historian and hiker of Harrietville • Neville Walsh, Senior Conservation Botanist, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria The first edition of this book was produced with funding from the Australian Plants Society Victoria.

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Other useful books

Corrick M, Fuhrer B (2000) Wildflowers of Victoria and Adjoining Areas. Bloomings Books, Hawthorn. Cosgrove M (2014) Photographic Guide to Native Plants of the Australian Capital Territory. Meadow Argus, Giralang. Costermans L (1983) Native Trees and Shrubs of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

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Fraser I, McJannett M (1998) Wildflowers

of the Snow Country: A Field Guide to the Australian Alps. Vertego Press, Canberra. McCann I (2001) The Alps in Flower. Victorian National Parks Association, Melbourne.

The environment

The popular Victorian walking tracks, such as those from Harrietville to Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham, start in river or creek valleys. Average annual temperatures range from 15°C in the valleys to 5°C at the summits, while average annual rainfall increases from 1100 mm in the valleys to 2200 mm on the mountain tops. As you reach an altitude of ~900 m, you move into the montane zone where the eucalypt trees become taller and closer together. Beneath the trees and in the wet gullies there is a diverse array of smaller trees, shrubs and herbs. At ~1400  m (the upper limit of the montane zone) alpine ash, the tallest of the trees, suddenly appears. These magnificent trees grow close together to form a dense forest canopy that reduces the amount of light reaching the ground. Because of this, there are fewer under-­ storey plants here than in the montane zone. Ground temperatures are high enough for soil microbes to decay the leaf litter, forming deep and fertile soils which remain moist for most of the year. Alpine ash grows rapidly under these conditions. With increasing altitude, the alpine ash suddenly disappears and is replaced by an open woodland of snow gums. These gums are much shorter than the ash and are usually multi-stemmed. This area is called the sub-alpine zone. Soil temperatures are too low to enable plants to grow long woody trunks and extensive root systems. The low

temperatures also slow down the rate at which soil microbes decompose leaf litter. Hence soils in this zone tend to be shallower and less fertile. Water shortages can also occur as the water often exists in the solid state as snow or ice and so is unavailable to plants. Beneath the snow gums, woody pea plants grow to waist height. Their branches are springy to reduce the likelihood of snow damage to the plant, but are hazardous to bushwalkers. They tend to grow in sheltered spots near rocky outcrops where it is warmer. At ~1700 m, the snow gums disappear and you move into the treeless alpine zone. Here water is frozen for more than four months of the year, the temperatures are very low and the winds strong, frequent and cold. High on the exposed ridges, the soil is thin, infertile and dry. Little ground-hugging heath plants can be found. Their woody branches are often bare if exposed to the windward side. On the more sheltered southern and southeastern slopes where snow can persist for six months of the year, daisies and buttercups can be found. On the gentler slopes and rounded hill tops, tussocks of grasses, daisies and a variety of herbs occur. Plants at these high altitudes sometimes have a red pigment in their stems to absorb heat. Mountain pepper is an example of this. Bogs, which are permanently wet, have their own array of plants such as mosses and small heaths.

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Flower types

ANTHER STYLE DISC FLORET (FLOWER)

BRACTS

PAPPUS ACHENE (FRUIT)

RAY FLORET DISC FLORET

OPEN FLOWER

Daisy flower.  A daisy ‘flower’ is a composite of many tiny flowers called florets. The central florets pack together to form a head and are called disc florets. The outer petal-like florets are called ray florets or rays. The bracts sometimes enlarge to replace the rays and are often papery in texture.

STANDARD (1)

WING (2) KEEL (2)

Pea flower.  Peas have 5 petals.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

DORSAL SEPAL ANTHER POINT ANTHER

COLUMN

STIGMA LATERAL LOBE CALLUS

LATERAL PETAL

LABELLUM MID LOBE LATERAL SEPAL

OVARY

Orchid flower.  Orchids have 3 petals (2 laterals, 1 labellum) and 3 sepals (1 dorsal, 2 laterals).

FREE PETALS

FUSED PETALS FORMING TUBE

SEPALS

Tubed flower.

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COROLLA

CALYX

Flow er t y pe s

PETAL SEPAL

BACK

FRONT Actinomorphic (regular, symmetrical) flower.

SEPAL

PETAL FRONT

BACK

Zygomorphic (irregular, asymmetrical, lipped) flower.

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Plant descriptions

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Herbs (other than daisies) Herbs are low, short-lived, non-woody plants. If your herb has a daisy flower, go to the key for Daisy herbs. It is important to remember that herb ‘flowers’ are often inflorescences of several individual

flowers. Note that the descriptions in this key refer to the individual flowers within the inflorescence. These flowers may be quite small; a hand lens will be a useful tool here.

Key to herbs (other than daisies) Tubed flowers (the petals unite to form a tube): Stackhousia, p. 25; Isotoma, p. 19 Lipped flowers (the petals are arranged in different-sized lobes, e.g. 2 smaller upper petals and 3 larger lower petals (numbers can vary)): Goodenia, p. 34; Euphrasia, p. 45; Pelargonium, p. 33; Viola, p. 52 Cupped flowers: Gentianella, p. 30 Orchid flowers: Caladenia, p. 41; Dipodium, p. 43; Diuris, p. 44; Chiloglottis, p. 42 Regular, symmetrical flowers with:

4 petals: Cardamine, p. 18; Asperula, p. 50



5 petals: Wahlenbergia, p. 20; Drosera, p. 29; Trachymene, p. 12; Ranunculus, p. 48; Psychrophila, p. 47; Colobanthus, p. 22

6 petals: Burchardia, p. 27; Wurmbea, p. 28; Herpolirion, p. 17



10 petals: Stellaria, p. 24

Fan-shaped flowers: Scaevola, p. 35 Pink flower with a trigger and 4 petals: Stylidium, p. 51 Palm-like leaves: Geranium, p. 31 Star-like arrangement of basal leaves: Plantago, p. 46 Fern-like leaves: Oreomyrrhis, p. 11; Acaena, p. 49 Onion-like leaves: Bulbine, p. 15 Red-brown stems: Aciphylla, p. 10; Gonocarpus, p. 36; Epilobium, p. 40 Tussock plant: Dianella, p. 16; Linum, p. 38; Lomandra, p. 14; Arthropodium, p. 13 Cushion or mat-like plant: Scleranthus, p. 23; Montia, p. 39 Grows in water: Utricularia, p. 37

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Apiaceae Aciphylla glacialis, mountain celery

A herb to 0.6 m which has been selectively grazed by cattle and is now making a slow recovery. It has a celery-like smell. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. It is mostly found in grassland and alpine herbfields, rather than in wooded areas. There are 2 Australian Aciphylla species and both can be found in the High Country. A. simplicifolia may be distinguished by its simple, strap-like leaves. Zone: alpine, especially the summit areas of Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham.

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Leaves: pinnate with 2 or 3 leaflets, crowded in dense, fan-shaped clusters, dark green, stiff, prickly pointed, 25  cm long, arising from the bases of red-brown flower stems. Flowers: small, white-green, appearing at the ends of red-brown stems. Flowering time: December and January. Fruits: small, grey. Aboriginal use: eaten as a salad vegetable.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Oreomyrrhis eriopoda, Australian caraway

A perennial herb to 0.5 m high. Look for it in open areas and amongst the snow gums, particularly around the trunks of the trees. This plant is widely distributed beyond the High Country, occurring throughout south-eastern Australia and as far west as South Australia’s Mt Lofty Ranges. Oreomyrrhis comes from the Greek words for mountain and fragrant herb, while eriopoda is from the Greek for wool and foot, referring to the woolly flower stem which can be seen in the picture above.

Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, widely distributed amongst the snow gums. Leaves: divided, feathery, fern-like. They occur in a rosette at the base of the plant. Seeds: red-brown and tasting of caraway. Flowers: clustered, white to faint pink, on hairy stalks which lengthen to carry the flowers well above leaf level. Flower buds: pink. Flowering time: summer. Aboriginal use: seeds are eaten.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Araliaceae Trachymene humilis, alpine trachymene

A herb which often forms a mat. Its underground structures are not as thick as those of Trachymene incisa, the wild parsnip of New South Wales. There are several dozen Trachymene species, most of them native to Australia. Zone: sub-alpine, among grasses and snow gums along creek-flats. Alpine, among damp areas in lower part of zone.

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Leaves: with teeth or 3–5 blunt lobes, all radiating from the base of the plant. Flowers: rather flat, white to pink, in clusters at the ends of thick, 20 cm stems. Flowering time: December and January.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Asparagaceae Arthropodium milleflorum, pale vanilla-lily

A widespread, slender, tufted herb to 1 m with vanilla scented flowers and tuberous roots. It sometimes has a few spreading stems. Zone: occurs in grassy, damp, low-lying areas often in rocky situations in the subalpine and alpine zones. Leaves: linear, grass-like, up to 40  cm long, growing from the base of the plant. They are fleshy with a distinct mid-rib. Flowers: occur on jointed flower stalks in clusters of 3. Petals are white, lilac or

pink. Purple anthers occur on white hairy filaments. The flowers have 3 broad petals and 3 narrow sepals. Flowering time: December to March. Aboriginal use: the egg-shaped tubers, which grow to ~3  cm long, are plump, juicy and edible. The fruits are also used, after drying, to form a little ball that is used as a hunger suppressant. After a fire, the pale vanilla-lily spreads rapidly and widely and becomes an important source of food.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Lomandra longifolia, spiny-headed mat-rush

A dense, tussocky, grass-like plant. Zone: montane in forests, sub-alpine amongst heaths. Leaves: long, flat, blade-like, 50–100 cm long. Flowers: separate but similar male and female flowers (dioecious), yellowish, arranged in long clusters, with spiny ­projections from bracts at the base of the cluster. Flowering time: October to December. Aboriginal use: the seeds are chewed as a thirst suppressant, nectar is obtained from flowers by licking them and the white inner bases of the leaf clumps are chewed raw, tasting like green peas. The leaves are split into strips by rubbing them against the thigh. The resulting fibres are then used in weaving to make baskets, mats and eel traps.

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HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Asphodelaceae Bulbine glauca, rock lily

Bulbine glauca – the filament hairs are well below the anthers

Bulbine bulbosa – the filament hairs are just under the anthers and the anthers are bunched together

A tufted, perennial, lily-like herb to 1  m high. Zone: high montane forests and woodlands, alpine grasslands in wet or seasonally inundated soils such as near swamps and wet crevices in rocks. Leaves: onion-like, smooth, hollow, succulent, bright green, cylindrical in shape and up to 40 cm long. Flowers: an inflorescence in the form of an erect spike or raceme with up to 50 flowers in various stages of development. Each flower lasts for about a day. The bright yellow flowers are fragrant and star-like with

6 petals each having a green, prominent mid-vein. Very similar to B.  bulbosa, but the latter has clusters of hairs at the apex of the filaments which obscure the anthers. Flowering time: September to March. Aboriginal use: this plant has a swollen subterranean stem called a corm from which stems, leaves and flowers regenerate annually. The corms, which are rich in starch, are harvested and then roasted before eating. They can be stored for up to a year. The corms, which are also rich in iron and calcium, are regarded as the sweetest of the lily and lily-like plants. 15

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Dianella revoluta, black-anther flax-lily

Dianella tasmanica, showing the all-yellow anthers

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This lily forms dense clumps up to 1  m high. Dianella tasmanica (Tasman flaxlily) is a similar plant, but has yellow stamens only and occurs at higher altitudes amongst snow gums in sheltered valleys. Zone: montane, in dry situations. Leaves: ~30  cm long, stiff, sedge-like and prickly along the edges. Flowers: pale to deep blue with prominent dark brown and yellow stamens. Flowering time: October to December. Fruits: green berries changing to a deep blue. Aboriginal use: the berries are eaten and the roots can be roasted and eaten after pounding. The flax-like leaves are woven to make baskets.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Herpolirion novae-zelandiae, sky lily

Barbara Ridley

A herb which forms loose turf-like mats ~2 m wide. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine in damp, peaty herbfields and grasslands. Leaves: form mats consisting of grasslike, flat, linear leaves to 5 cm long.

Flowers: the single and almost sessile flowers look large and have 6 white-mauvepinkish petals. Flowering time: December, January.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Brassicaceae Cardamine lilacina, common bitter-cress

A slender herb to 50 cm. The leaves have a spicy taste. This plant is a member of the cabbage family, which includes many edible vegetables like cauliflowers, radishes and cabbages. Within the family there are around 200 Cardamine species worldwide, many of them with the common name ‘bitter-cress’. Zone: sub-alpine, in moist areas, often amongst snow gums. Leaves: divided into round leaflets, usually pinnate. Flowers: usually in 4s, white, yellowcentred, 4 petals, 7 mm long. The flowers are attached by stalks above the leaves. Flowering time: summer. Aboriginal use: the leaves are eaten. 18

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Campanulaceae Isotoma axillaris, showy isotome

A bushy, perennial herb growing to a height of up to 30 cm. Iso, meaning equal,

refers to the roughly equal sizes of the petals. It produces a milky sap that is unpalatable and often toxic to stock. The sap is also irritable to the skin and eyes of humans. Zone: upper montane and sub-alpine zones where it is found growing in drier situations amongst granite boulders. The photo was taken on the road up to Mt Buffalo. Leaves: 10–20  cm long and deeply cut into narrow segments. Flowers: trumpet-like and solitary on slender stalks. They are mauve to bluish in colour. Flowering time: spring, summer flowering over many months.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Wahlenbergia ceracea, waxy bluebell

A perennial herb with underground rhizomes and tall flower stalks which can be over 1 m high. At least 10 Wahlenbergia species can be found in the Victorian Alps and they can be difficult to identify and separate. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine. Leaves: alternate, not hairy, broader lower down the stem, up to 5 cm long.

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Flowers: pale blue to pale violet, 5 ­ etals, single, stalked, with a style which p initially is unbranched and then splits into 3 (usually) branches at the tip. Flowering time: summer. Aboriginal use: the rhizomes can be eaten.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Wahlenbergia gloriosa, royal bluebell

A slender, semi-erect herb to 40  cm. It resembles native flax (Linum marginale), but the latter has branching flower stems while the royal bluebell does not. This flower is the floral emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine in rocky sheltered sites. Leaves: in opposite pairs, dark green, toothed. Most of the leaves will be found at the base of the plant.

Flowers: a deep purple with 5 petals, occurring on leafless 40 cm flower stalks. The tip of the style is initially unbranched, but with maturity it splits into 2. Flowering time: November to March. Aboriginal use: the rhizomes can be eaten. The flowers can also be eaten for their nectar and the seeds can be ground and eaten.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Caryophyllaceae Colobanthus affinis, alpine colobanth

Frank Scheelings

A small herb growing in clumps. It is usually found amongst grasses and open heath. Zone: alpine. Leaves: narrow, to 4 cm long.

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Flowers: small and pale with 5 triangular petals (which are actually sepals), orange-brown centres, growing at the ends of long fleshy stalks. Flowering time: summer.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Scleranthus biflorus, twin-flower knawel

A sprawling mat-like or cushion-like herb with a dense, compact habit. Scleranthus diander, the tufted knawel, is also found in the Alps. It can easily be distinguished from S. biflorus as it is more sprawling, less mat-like and its flowers occur in clusters.

Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in damp areas. Leaves: thin, generally 4–10 mm long. Flowers: very small, green, found in pairs. The flowers themselves have no stalks, but each pair sits on a stalk 2–10 mm or more long. Flowering time: summer.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Stellaria pungens, prickly starwort

A soft, but prickly herb whose leaves and flowers have a pungent smell. It looks like a daisy, but has no disc florets. There are at least 100 Stellaria species and they are found all over the world. This one is restricted to south-eastern Australia. Zone: montane, in forests; sub-alpine, alpine, in sheltered sites.

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Leaves: narrow, hairy margins, pointed at the tips. Flowers: white and star-like, long stamens, 5 petals each divided into 2, thus giving the appearance of 10 petals. Flowering time: October to February.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Celastraceae Stackhousia monogyna, creamy candles

Several erect stems up to 60  cm, often branched, arise from a perennial rootstock. The plant releases a sweet smell at night to attract nocturnal moths. Zone: montane, sub-alpine where they are common in open forest, woodland and heathland in grassy, well-drained sites. Leaves: small, linear, 10–30 mm, alternate along the length of the stem. They are narrow at the base. Flowers: creamy white to yellow, sweetly scented, starry, small, numerous in cylindrical spikes along the ends of the flower stems. The petals are fused forming a tube, 4–7 mm long. Flowering time: September to February. 25

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Stackhousia pulvinaris, alpine stackhousia

A prostrate herb to 3  cm high, forming a dense mat ~20 cm in diameter. The solitary flowers distinguish it from S. monogyna, which has flowers arranged in racemes. It has many short branches. Zone: sub-alpine in grasslands, alpine in herb-fields. It prefers wet areas such as small depressions that are seasonally inundated. Leaves: thickish, narrow, 0.5–1  cm long, yellow-green. Flowers: solitary, cream, 1  cm across, petals are fused into a tube which then separates into 5 lobes, sweetly scented. Flowering time: November to January.

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HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Colchicaceae Burchardia umbellata, milkmaids

Barbara Ridley

A small herb to ~50  cm in height which dies back to a tuber in summer. It is known as a ‘harbinger of spring’. Zone: montane where it is found in grasslands, open heath woodlands and dry sclerophyll forests. Leaves: 2–3 linear, grass-like, strappy leaves to ~30 cm long and found at the base of the plant. Sometimes there are 1 or 2 smaller leaves up the flower stem and around the flower head. Flowers: occur as terminal umbels of 1–10 creamy white, honey-scented,

star-like flowers borne on a tall (60  cm) narrow flower stem. Each flower has a pink ovary in the centre and 6 large, pink to purple anthers. There are 6 petals. Flowering time: July to October. Aboriginal use: clusters of up to 10 starchy, crisp tubers occur at the base of the plant. They resemble carrots, but are white and fleshy. They can be eaten raw, but are usually cooked. The flavour is non-descript.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Wurmbea dioica, early Nancy

Barbara Ridley

A small (up to 20 cm) herb which dies back to a tuber over summer. It is also known as a ‘harbinger of spring.’ This plant will rapidly colonise sparse grassland with 100s to 1000s of small white flowers. Zone: open sub-alpine grassland. Leaves: 3 small (6–8  cm long), narrow, tapering leaves with broad, sheathing bases that clasp around the flower stem.

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Flowers: occur on single flower stalks as umbels of 2–7, sessile, star-like flowers. The white, sometimes greenish, petals have a purple nectar band towards their base giving a ringed appearance. The flowers have 6 petals and 6 red to purple anthers. Flowering time: June to October. Aboriginal use: tubers are roasted and then eaten.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Droseraceae Drosera peltata, common sundew

Ilma Dunn, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

This small, carnivorous herb has distinctive sticky leaves which trap insects. The plant produces enzymes which digest the insects. Look for it in wet areas and be aware that its form can vary considerably. This Drosera is found across Australia and in most of south-east Asia. Zone: montane, in moist areas. Leaves: usually along the upright stem, shield-shaped with 2 horn-like structures,

covered with tiny sticky hairs. The leaves have tentacles with shiny, sticky droplets along their edges. There may be a basal rosette of leaves in some forms. Flowers: white to pink, 5 petals, symmetric, held on a long stem away from the sticky leaves. Flowering time: summer.

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Gentianaceae Gentianella spp., mountain gentian

Clyde O’Donnell, Neville Walsh

A small herb with reputed medicinal properties. In the first edition of this book we noted that the mountain gentian had been transferred from the Gentianella genus to Chionogentias. Further botanical investigation using DNA techniques has now led most authorities to move it back to Gentianella. There are several Australian species of  Gentianella and they are difficult

30

to  distinguish. The genus, however, is ­distinctive and easy to identify. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in herb-fields and tussock grasslands. Leaves: oval to lanceolate in a rosette. Flowers: relatively large, 5 petals, white with distinctive mauve streaks, on 10–15  cm stems rising from the centre of the leaf rosette. Flowering time: late summer.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Geraniaceae Geranium antrorsum, rosetted cranesbill

Neville Walsh

A low compact herb. It can be confused with G. solanderi, the austral cranesbill, which is a more sprawling herb with paired flowers. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine. Leaves: erect, arising on stalks from the base, stalks longer than the flower stalks,

divided into lobes making them palm-like. Flowers: single, pink (sometimes with yellow streaks), actinomorphic. Flowering time: early summer. Aboriginal use: the fleshy roots are eaten after roasting.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Geranium potentilloides, soft cranesbill

A low, soft, scrambling herb. A single plant can cover a deceptively large area as the stems can be up to 1 m long. This Geranium is also found in New Zealand, New Guinea and some sub-­ Antarctic islands. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in moist and sheltered sites.

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Leaves: deeply lobed on stalks shorter than the flower stalks. Flowers: white or pink, 1 per flower stalk, actinomorphic. The flower stalks are slightly longer than the leaf stalks. Flowering time: summer. Fruits: long (1.2–2  cm) and slender, resembling a crane’s bill.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Pelargonium australe, native storksbill

A small, hairy herb growing to around 0.5 m high. Pelargonium and Geranium species are members of the same family and have many similarities. The best way to distinguish them is to look at the flowers. Pelargoniums generally have zygomorphic flowers, while most geraniums are actinomorphic. At first glance, this Pelargonium resembles commonly cultivated geraniums found in plant nurseries. It also resembles Geranium solanderi, but the latter has less deeply lobed leaves and actinomorphic flowers.

One of a small number of Australian native Pelargonium species, P. australe has a wide range of habitats and is found in all states. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine. Leaves: opposite, hairy, oval but deeply lobed, 3–8 cm long. Stems: covered with dense, short hairs. Flowers: generally pink or white with red streaks, in umbels of 4–12, 2 petals on top and 3 below (zygomorphic), appearing in spring. Flowering time: a long one – October to March.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Goodeniaceae Goodenia hederacea, ivy-leaf goodenia

This herb is usually prostrate, but may grow to 30 cm high. The flowers are typical of Goodenia – bright yellow and symmetrical about a single axis. This Goodenia has 2 subspecies. If the stems are rooting at the nodes, the plant is usually the subspecies alpestris, which has larger leaves and smaller flowers than the subspecies hederacea. Zone: sub-alpine, in woodland; alpine, in grassland.

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Leaves: variable in shape, glossy green with irregular teeth along the edges, sometimes softly hairy below, on long stalks. Flowers: yellow, 1–1.5  cm long, occurring in racemes on longish stalks, 2 petals on one side and 3 on the other (zygomorphic). Stems: long, hairy and trailing. They can be up to 80 cm long. Flowering time: summer. Fruits: egg-shaped, up to 1 cm long.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Scaevola hookeri, creeping fan-flower

Frank Scheelings

This is a common, creeping, perennial herb which may form a mat. Like all Scaevola species, the flower looks as if it was once a larger flower that has been sliced in half with a scalpel. One or 2 other Scaevola species are found in the Alps, but this one is by far the most common. Zone: sub-alpine, in grassland; alpine, in woodland.

Leaves: alternate, variable in shape, often with toothed edges folding inwards. Flowers: zygomorphic on short stalks in leafy racemes, white or blue with a yellow throat, fan-shaped with all 5 petals on the same side. Flowering time: summer.

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Haloragaceae Gonocarpus montanus, mat raspwort

Greg Jordan

A prostrate perennial herb to a height of 10–15 cm with multi-branched, red-brown stems. Zone: alpine and sub-alpine zones in open, heathy and swampy areas. Leaves: ovate, thickened on the margins, opposite and with toothed margins.

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Flowers: small, red, resembling clusters of tiny berries. Flowering time: November to February. Fruits: dull silver to grey.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Lentibulariaceae Utricularia dichotoma, fairies’ aprons

Pat Morrissey

Pat Morrissey

A low, purple-flowering perennial herb which can colonise wet areas. This plant has numerous underground stolons that are modified to form ‘bladders’ which trap aquatic invertebrates. The

invertebrates are sucked into the bladders and digested in a similar way to sundews living in nitrogen deficient soils. The stolons also act as roots. Utriculus is a Latin word for little bladder. Zone: alpine bogs, shallow water and the peaty margins of sub-alpine heathland swamps, such as near Lake Catani on Mt Buffalo. Leaves: vary from small (2–4 mm) oval, basal rosettes to long (up to 40  mm) and narrow in submerged habitats. Flowers: thin flowering stems, ~10– 30 cm long, terminate in a pair of flowers. However, the first impression is of a single, spade-shaped, mauve petal with a yellow or white raised patch at the base of the petal. Less prominent dark purple streaks also occur in the petal. Flowering time: February. 37

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Linaceae Linum marginale, native flax

Frank Scheelings

A slender, erect, perennial herb to 60  cm high. It is reported to be toxic to stock. This is one of the few Linum (flax) plants endemic in the southern hemisphere. Zone: montane and sub-alpine amongst drier grassland and snow gum woodland. Leaves: 1.5–2 cm long, linear, thin and blue-green.

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Flowers: pale blue with fine, dark blue stripes. They occur in clusters on the ends of long flowering stalks, each flower having 5 thin petals. The anthers are white. Flowering time: November to February. Fruits: papery capsules with 10 seeds in separate segments.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Montiaceae Montia australasica, white purslane

Barbara Ridley

The distinctive stems help with identification when Montia australasica is not flowering

A low (no more than 3  cm high), dense, mat-forming plant which has a stabilising and soil building function similar to Psychrophila, Plantago and other snow-patch plants. Zone: wetter alpine areas such as snow patches, swamps and seepage areas often amongst gravelly, rocky ground. Leaves: strap like to 12 cm long, bright green and alternate. Stems are often pinkish. Flowers: stalked, white to pink flowers similar to Stackhousia pulvinaris. The ­latter, however, has no flower stalk and short fleshy leaves. Flowering time: October to January. 39

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Onagraceae Epilobium billardierianum, variable willow-herb

An erect herb to 60  cm high with redbrown stems. Zone: montane on rocky slopes and sub-alpine and alpine in wet areas such as bogs and the sides of watercourses. Leaves: linear to 4 cm long, opposite on lower parts of stems and alternate near the flowers.

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Flowers: white to pale pink streaked dark purple. They have 4 petals but each is deeply notched, giving the appearance of 8 petals. Flowering time: November to March.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Orchidaceae Caladenia alpina, caladenia orchid

Like all orchids, Caladenias are highly evolved with specialised features to attract pollinators.

Zone: upper montane in forests, subalpine in snow gum woodland and in alpine tussock-grassland. Leaves: it has a large (28  cm long), fleshy, elliptical to narrow leaf, much larger than other species of Caladenia. The leaf is dark green to reddish. Flowers: 1–3 white to pink flowers with 4 similar, flat, spreading petals, an erect dorsal sepal bent forward over the petals and a woolly, striated labellum. The labellum is white with reddish purple spots and bars. Flowering time: November to January. Aboriginal use: the tubers of most orchids are eaten.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Chiloglottis valida, common bird-orchid

Four to 10  cm high when in flower, this orchid can form small colonies although the flowers are not obvious. It was previously known as C. gunnii, which is now regarded as endemic to Tasmania. Zone: occurs in all zones in wet gullies amongst snow gums and around moist alpine heathlands and bogs, particularly on the Bogong High Plains. Leaves: 2 (the photo shows the leaves of more than one plant), arranged flat to the

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ground, dark green above, lighter below. They are ovate and up to 10 cm long. Flowers: occur on short stalks, are single and greenish- purple-brown in colour. The labellum is heart-shaped with black to reddish calli (see the orchid flower diagram in ‘Flower types’). Flowering time: October to February. Aboriginal use: the tubers are eaten after roasting.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Dipodium roseum, hyacinth orchid

This almost leafless plant, growing to a height of up to 80 cm, has no chlorophyll. It relies on nutrients collected by soil fungi associated with its roots. Its stems are dark reddish to black. Zone: montane in forests with nutrient deficient, sandy soils especially in sheltered rocky sites. Leaves: reduced to brown scales, giving the plant the appearance of asparagus when the shoots first appear.

Flowers: pink with dark spots on slender stalks attached to the long, single, erect, reddish-black stem. The tips of the petals curve backwards. The lower and smallest petal (labellum) is pink with dark pink lines. Flowering time: December to April.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Diuris spp., donkey orchids, snake orchids

Diurus refers to ‘double tail’, meaning the 2 hanging sepals, although many species in this genus are recognised by their ear-like petals. These orchids have short, erect and unbranched stems. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine, in moist grassy areas. Leaves: 2–10 leaves, basal and grass-like.

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Flowers: terminal racemes of lemonyellow to purple and white. Donkey orchids have 2 yellow sepals resembling donkey ears. Snake orchids have long sepals resembling fangs. Flowering time: July to November. Aboriginal use: the lobed tubers are eaten.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Orobanchaceae Euphrasia crassiuscula, thick eyebright

The stems of this attractive herb are redbrown and square. Plants are 6–30 cm high. Eyebrights have been used as a cure for some eye diseases. They are partially parasitic on the roots of other plants, making them difficult to propagate. Thick eyebright is listed as vulnerable by the federal Department of the Environment and Energy. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine amongst grasses on gentle slopes and hilltops where soils are moderately deep and well drained.

Leaves: stalkless, often covered with hairs, opposite, occur in separate clumps along the stem. The margins of the leaves are toothed. Flowers: white to pink with purple stripes and often with a yellow throat, clustered together at the ends of the stems. The upper lip of the flower has 2 lobes; the lower lip has 3 longer lobes. Flowering time: late summer.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Plantaginaceae Plantago muelleri, star plantain

A perennial herb with adventitious roots connected to numerous small, star-shaped rosettes of leaves forming an extensive, dense turf. This plant is fed upon by the larvae of some species of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). It has been used for herbal remedies since prehistoric times. These include antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents as well as external poultices, and for the treatment of coughs and colds.

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Zone: alpine and sub-alpine on damp sites such as near snow patches. It can also be found in drier situations amongst snow gums. Leaves: 2–4 cm long, linear leaves that are glossy green and have conspicuous mid-veins. Flowers: reddish-brown on short (up to 20 cm) stalks. Flowering time: November to February. Fruits: yellow-brown.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Ranunculaceae Psychrophila introloba, alpine marsh-marigold

Neville Walsh, Michael Marmach

A low (10  cm) perennial herb growing in clumps from underground stems (rhizomes). It is one of the first plants to flower in early spring. This plant was formerly known as ­Caltha introloba. Zone: alpine – growing around sphagnum moss bogs, flowering below the edges of melting snow drifts. Leaves: rosetted, spear-shaped with pointed ends, growing from underground rhizomes.

Flowers: sessile amongst the leaves, large white petals streaked red to pink, ­stamens red-brown, sweet scented. Flowering time: October to January. Fruits: beaked, brown follicles on thick, erect, fleshy stalks to 10 cm long. Aboriginal use: sugar is stored in the rhizomes, which are dug up and chewed.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Ranunculus spp., buttercups

A white Ranunculus in a bog at Falls Creek

These are primitive flowering plants with ~50 species in Australia and 15 species in the Alps. They can be difficult to distinguish. They have a creeping habit with

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growth from underground rhizomes. Some are annuals; others are perennials. The largest Ranunculus, R. anemoneus, the anemone buttercup, is thought to have died out in the Victorian Alps due to overgrazing by cattle. Its numbers are recovering in the Mt Kosciusko area. Zone: sub-alpine and alpine in dry rocky areas amongst snow gums and also in wetter areas near bogs. Leaves: distinctly lobed or divided. Flowers: shiny yellow or white petals which attract pollinating insects and appear soon after the snow melts. On the upper surface of each petal, near the base, is a nectary. Fruits: achenes – simple dry fruits with 1 seed that doesn’t split open to release the seed.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Rosaceae Acaena novae-zelandiae, bidgee-widgee

A prostrate, scrambling, perennial herb with underground stolons or runners. The stems are soft and woolly. Bidgee-widgee is one of the few Australian members of the rose family. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in moist grassy areas amongst eucalypts; alpine amongst other herbs and grasses. Leaves: upper surface shiny green, lower surface greyish or bluish green with hairs on the veins. The leaves are soft, ­serrated, fern-like with paired leaflets.

Flowers: small, inconspicuous, clustered into round, large, pink heads on stalks above the leaves. Flowering time: September to April. Fruits: red-brown globular burrs. Aboriginal use: used medicinally by breaking open the flower heads. The contents are then eaten to relieve indigestion. Crushed leaves are used for the same purpose.

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Rubiaceae Asperula pusilla, alpine woodruff

A slender, low-growing (less than 20  cm) herb which spreads by growth from underground rhizomes. Other plants in this family include gardenias and those from which coffee ­ and quinine are extracted. Zone: alpine amongst grasses and other herbs. Common on the Razorback spur track.

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Leaves: sessile, narrow, linear, 2–8 mm long, pointed tips and arranged in whorls of 6 around the stems. Flowers: small, white with 4 petals. They occur in clumps of 1–3 at the ends of stems (terminal). Flowering time: October to March. Fruits: brown to black.

HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Stylidiaceae Stylidium armeria, trigger plant

A herb, with a flower spike (raceme) on a slender stem rising from a dense clump of basal leaves. The trigger is a column in the middle of the flower and springs forward when touched by an insect, showering it with pollen. Zone: montane, in forests in damp areas. Leaves: 5–40  cm, long, narrow, grasslike with edges curled under, forming a clump at the base of the plant.

Flowers: pink or white, butterflyshaped, 4 petals arranged in 2 pairs, forming a raceme on a hairy, 30  cm or longer stem, which is generally longer than the leaf stalks. Flowering time: spring and summer. Fruits: capsules with reddish brown seeds, 8–15 mm. Aboriginal use: the tubers are eaten raw, roasted or boiled.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Violaceae Viola betonicifolia, mountain (purple) violet

A prostrate herb with a single flower. It makes a good rockery plant. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine on gravelly sites. Leaves: arise from a rhizome at the base of the plant in the form of a basal rosette. The leaves are spear-shaped and 20–70 mm long. Flowers: blue to white to pink to purple, often streaked, single on leafless stalks. The anterior (lower) petal is broader than the others. The lateral petals are quite hairy at the base. Flowering time: December to February. Purple form

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HER BS (OT HER T HAN DAISIE S)

Viola hederacea, ivy-leafed violet

A low, creeping herb with underground stolons and distinctive, broad, semicircular leaves. Zone: montane, sub-alpine in sheltered, moist sites. Leaves: rounded, broad, slightly toothed.

Flowers: 2-coloured, having mauve petals with white edges streaked purple. There are 2 upper and 3 lower petals. The flower stems are longer than the leaf stalks. Flowering time: October to December.

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Daisy herbs All true daisies are members of the Asteraceae family (formerly Compositae) in which the flower heads are composed of many small florets. In many species, each tiny floret has a large strap petal which radiates out from the cluster of florets in the centre, giving the flower head the appearance of a single flower. The florets may be surrounded by modified leaves called bracts which, in  the everlasting daisies, are often the  showy, papery part of the inflorescence.

Many Australian daisies are herbs, but some are shrubs or even trees and these appear with the larger plants in the Low Woody Shrubs and Tall Shrubs and Trees sections. There are ~1600 genera in the Asteraceae and the family is currently being revised – see the name changes for Xerochrysum subundulatum below. There are many mountain daisies and they can be difficult to distinguish, so several of the following descriptions are of the genus only.

Key to daisy herbs Flower heads with yellow centres and white or purple rays:

Shiny silvery hairs: Celmisia, p. 58



No shiny silvery hairs: Brachyscome, p. 56

Flowers heads yellow only:

Rays/bracts absent or not obvious:



Flower heads in clusters: Chrysocephalum, p. 59



Solitary flower heads: Craspedia, p. 61; Leptorhynchos, p. 63



Rays/bracts obvious:

Rays/bracts not papery and toothed or divided at the ends: Podolepis, p. 66; Microseris, p. 65

Bracts papery: Coronidium, p. 60; Xerochrysum, p. 67; Leucochrysum, p. 64

Mat-forming: Ewartia, p. 62

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Asteraceae Brachyscome nivalis, snow daisy

A clumping herb to 30 cm high, found in sheltered rocky sites (sometimes steep), often in rock crevices and in wet areas of grassland and snow gum communities. Zone: alpine, sub-alpine. Leaves: clustered at the base of the plant where they are fern-like, divided and appear feathery. There are also one or more narrow leaves on the flower stems. Flowers: pink in bud, 1 per stem and quite large (to 45  mm across). The disc f lorets are yellow and the rays white. ­ The flower stem can be up to 25 cm long. Flowering time: November to May.

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Daisy Her bs

Brachyscome spp., snow daisies

White form

These are variable daisies and the species are particularly difficult to distinguish. There are ~18 Brachyscome species to be found in the Alps and we have only described one of these, B. nivalis, separately. Brachyscome is spelt Brachycome in some books. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in cool damp areas such as crevices between rocks and amongst snow gums. Leaves: basal, green and hairless, can be broad (to 3.5  cm wide) and toothed, or feathery and divided. Stems: green, lacking silvery hairs. Flowers: purple or white rays, single heads on leafless stalks. Flowering time: generally late spring and summer, sometimes into autumn.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Celmisia spp., silver snow daisies

A perennial daisy to 0.5  m high, often forming spectacular silvery carpets. It is difficult to distinguish between the species. Celmisia is favoured by cattle and its flower fields have increased significantly since the cattle were removed from the High Country. Zone: sub-alpine, in mountain ash forests, often along rocky stream banks overlapping the water; alpine, in herb-fields on gentle slopes.

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Leaves: long (to 25  cm), covered in shiny, silvery hairs, especially on the lower surface. They form a basal clump and are generally narrow or spear-shaped. Flowers: white with yellow centres. The large (5 cm diameter), solitary heads are at the ends of stems arising from the basal leaves. Flowering time: January. Aboriginal use: the stems store sugar and can be chewed.

Daisy Her bs

Chrysocephalum semipapposum, yellow buttons

An erect, branching herb which can reach a height of 60 cm. This is one of the ‘paper daisies’, named for their papery bracts. This plant was formerly Helichrysum semipapposum. It has several subspecies and is often confused with C. apiculatum. Zone: sub-alpine, in grassy and wooded areas.

Leaves: narrow, but their shape can vary. Grey-green above, woolly below, found along the length of the stem. Flowers: in clusters of ~20 small yellow heads at the end of the stems. Each head is ~7 mm in diameter. Flowering time: November to March.

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Coronidium scorpioides, button everlasting

Frank Scheelings

A small perennial herb, variable in height 5–50  cm, with yellow everlasting daisy flowers. This plant was previously known as Helichrysum scorpioides and appears as such in the first edition of this book. It is now accepted that many of Australia’s Helichrysum species are actually Coronidiums.

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Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine, widespread in forests and above the tree line. Leaves: linear, soft, woolly, grey-green. Stems: woolly, often curved, unbranched, may have a purple tinge. Flowers: single, surrounded by yellow papery inner bracts and brownish outer bracts. Flowering time: spring and summer.

Daisy Her bs

Craspedia spp., Billy buttons

A daisy herb with globular yellow flower heads. The 10 or so species found in the Alps are difficult to distinguish and the status of some of them (e.g. are they species or subspecies?) has not been fully investigated. Other craspedias occur in the New ­Zealand Alps. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in grasslands and heaths.

Leaves: grey-green, in a basal clump and along the flower stem which arises from the clump. Flowers: single flower heads on the ends of generally long stalks, rounded to semi-spherical, orange-yellow. The heads lack ray florets and papery bracts. Flowering time: summer.

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Ewartia nubigena, silver ewartia

Barbara Ridley

A silvery, mat-forming herb with spreading (~50 cm diameter), rooting branchlets. Zone: sub-alpine and alpine where it is found growing in harsh conditions amongst rocks. Leaves: sessile and crowded around the stems, small (4–7 mm long) and obovate to

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spathulate in shape. The silver-grey hairy leaves turn brown with age. Flowers: the disc florets are purple and the rays white. Flower heads are solitary and ~5–8 mm wide. Flowering time: January to March.

Daisy Her bs

Leptorhynchos squamatus, scaly buttons

A small everlasting daisy herb, 10–40  cm high, with the older stems turning red-brown. The papery bracts around the true flower are the structures which persist after the flower itself has withered. This plant rapidly colonises bare areas following fire or grazing. Zone: montane, in grasslands. Leaves: narrow, hairy above, woolly below, rolled-down edges, no stalks, up to

3  cm long at the bottom of the stems. Leaves on the upper sections of the stems are reduced to scales. Bracts: brown (outer) to pale yellow (inner). Flowers: bright yellow, single heads on 5–20 cm stems. Flowering time: spring and early summer.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Leucochrysum albicans, hoary sunray

A spectacular small (25 cm high) everlasting daisy. This is another paper daisy which has had several re-classifications. It has been both Helichrysum and Helipterum. It remains a complex species which includes several subspecies and varieties. This plant is suitable for rockery planting and the seeds of several varieties are available commercially. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine. It survives on the harshest exposed rocky sites of the alpine zone. 64

Leaves: thick, grey, woolly, clustered around the base and extending up the grey-white stems. Flowers: papery, large, generally yellow, but may be white with orange-yellow centres, giving a poached egg appearance at higher altitudes. There is a single flower head at the top of each stem. Flowering time: summer.

Daisy Her bs

Microseris lanceolata, native yam

A widespread perennial daisy herb, up to 60 cm high. Hypochaeris radicata, known as flatweed or catweed (sometimes dandelion), is a widespread introduced daisy that is easily confused with native yam. It can be distinguished by its hairy leaves and branched flower stems. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in grasslands. Leaves: dark green, 4–30 cm long, narrow with a prominent mid-vein, forming a rosette at the base of the flower stem.

Flowers: single, yellow, usually 2–3 cm across, toothed rays, on long stalks. The flower buds initially hang down, then straighten up to attract pollinators as the flowers open. Following pollination the flowers nod down and then straighten up again to allow the seeds to be dispersed by wind. Flowering time: spring to summer. Aboriginal use: the fleshy tuberous roots are eaten. They have been an important staple food in some areas.

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P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Podolepis robusta, mountain lettuce

A tall fleshy daisy, to 0.6  m, occurring in clumps. This daisy is a favourite food of cattle and has been slowly recovering following the removal of cattle from the alpine area. It can be confused with the similar Podolepis laciniata, but the younger leaves of the latter are greyish and hairy, and it generally occurs at lower altitudes than P. robusta. Zone: sub-alpine in woodland; alpine, in grassy areas.

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Leaves: large (25  cm), fleshy, bright green, non-hairy, crinkled basal leaves and smaller stem leaves. Stems: densely woolly. Flowers: up to 10 large (3 cm diameter) yellow flower heads on a single thick, branched stem per clump. The ray florets are deeply divided at the ends. Flowering time: January.

Daisy Her bs

Xerochrysum subundulatum, orange everlasting

A golden ‘everlasting’ herb, generally ~30  cm high. It can spectacularly cover extensive areas. This is another paper daisy that has been re-classified. The more experienced plant hunters may know it as Helichrysum acuminatum. It has also been Bracteantha subundulata. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in open areas and on rocky slopes.

Leaves: 5–10 cm long, light green with a clear mid-rib, clasping the stem and crowded around the bottom of the plant. Flowers: single, 3–5  cm across, rising above the leaves, surrounded by showy ­yellow to orange papery bracts with sharp points. Flowering time: summer and early autumn.

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Low woody shrubs The Tall Shrubs and Trees section should be used in conjunction with this section as some ‘low’ shrubs can become tall in some

areas. In most cases, ‘low’ shrubs vary from prostrate (flat to the ground) to 2 or 3 m high.

Key to low woody shrubs Flowers with many bright colourful stamens: Callistemon, p. 102; Calytrix, p. 103; Kunzea, p. 104 Flowers with 2 petals: Comesperma, p. 110 Flowers with 4 petals: Boronia, p. 117; Clematis, p. 114; Tetratheca, p. 82 Flowers with 5 petals:

Irregular flowers: Prostanthera, p. 97; Westringia, p. 100



Regular flowers: Asterolasia, p. 116; Baeckea, p. 101; Hibbertia, p. 81; Phebalium, p. 118; Leptospermum, p. 106

Flowers spider-like with curved styles and petals: Grevillea, p. 111; Orites, p. 113 Flowers pea-like:

Yellow (or mainly yellow) flowers: Bossiaea, p. 89; Podolobium, p. 95



Yellow and red or orange flowers: Daviesia, p. 90; Platylobium, p. 94; Pultenaea, p. 96



Purple/pink flowers: Glycine, p. 92; Hovea, p. 93

Flowers in clusters of numerous creamy white or mauve blooms: Veronica, p. 107 Flowers globular: Acacia, p. 88 Flowers bell-like or tubed: Epacris, p. 84; Acrothamnus, p. 83; Pentachondra, p. 86; Pimelea, p. 120 Daisy flowers:

Yellow discs, white/purple rays: Olearia, p. 71



White flower heads, tubular florets: Cassinia, p. 70



White flower heads, florets not tubular: Ozothamnus, p. 75



Yellow flower heads only: Senecio, p. 80

Plants with pineapple-like leaves: Richea, p. 87 Fruits with red berry-like stalks: Exocarpos, p. 119; Podocarpus, p. 109 Fruits raspberry-like: Rubus, p. 115 Fruits are black berries: Tasmannia, p. 124

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Asteraceae Cassinia aculeata, common cassinia

A common shrub to 4  m high, with distinctive flower clusters on the ends of the stems. It is often seen on roadsides and it is one of the first plants to recover after fire. Some Ozothamnus species are similar to Cassinia aculeata, but they tend to occur at higher altitudes. Zone: montane, in sandy or gravelly soils, forest and woodland.

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Leaves: 1–3  cm long, thin, wavy, crooked, rough, usually rolling under at the edges, aromatic when crushed, can irritate the skin. Stems: hairy. Flowers: 6–12 small flowers, whitebrown, in flower heads which are bunched into clusters. Flowering time: summer.

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Olearia algida, alpine daisy-bush

Frank Scheelings

A daisy shrub, to 1 m high at the most. Identification of this plant can be confusing as some Ozothamnus species are similar. In addition, Olearia algida has hybridised with O. phlogopappa around Mt Baw Baw and possibly elsewhere. The hybrids may show characteristics of both species. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in swampy areas amongst heaths and in wet grasslands.

Leaves: small, dark green above and woolly or hairy below. The edges of the leaves roll under, generally covering most of the woolly underside. Flowers: orange disc florets and white elongated ray florets that resemble petals and are small in number (less than 10). Flowering time: summer.

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Olearia frostii, Bogong daisy-bush

A low, grey, straggling shrub with the traditional ‘daisy’ flowers seen in the ­ northern hemisphere. This plant is common on the Bogong High Plains and may be found in pockets on Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in grasslands, heaths and snow gum under-storey. Leaves: green-grey above, white and densely woolly below, extending all the way

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up the stem. The star-like structure of the hairs on the leaves can be seen through a hand lens. Flowers: 2.5  cm wide, yellow centres surrounded by pale to deep mauve (sometimes pink or white) strap petals. Flowering time: summer. Aboriginal use: the sugary stem can be chewed.

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Olearia lirata, snow daisy-bush

Ilma Dunn, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

A small to medium shrub up to 4 m high with relatively large leaves. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in sheltered forests near streams. Leaves: alternate, soft, lanceolate, upper surface light green, lower surface white.

From above, the veins appear to be at the bottom of channels. Flowers: on slender stalks in panicles with yellow discs and white rays. Flowering time: September to December. 73

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Olearia phlogopappa, dusty daisy-bush

A variable shrub 1–3 m tall, with the size decreasing as altitude increases. This attractive plant is one of the few  Olearia species readily available commercially. O. phlogopappa has several subspecies, some of which have leaves with yellowy undersides. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine, in woodland and heathland.

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Leaves: hairy, dusty grey above, greywhite below, alternate, 0.5–8 cm long, variable in shape but longer than wide, usually with toothed margins. Branchlets: covered with tiny hairs which appear star-like under a hand lens. Flowers: yellow centres with white (sometimes mauve) strap petals, 2  cm across, slender stalks. Flowering time: spring and summer.

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Ozothamnus alpinus, alpine everlasting

Barbara Ridley

Barbara Ridley

Before they open, Ozothamnus alpinus flowers have distinctive red or pink buds

This is a dense woody shrub to 1  m high having branches with dense, cottony, ­yellow hairs. Zone: occurs along the margins of wet alpine heathlands and shrublands on Mt Hotham, Mt Feathertop and the Bogong High Plains. Leaves: the resinous leaves are crowded together along branchlets. They are oblong in shape and ~4–10 mm long. The undersides of the leaves are felty and yellowish. Flowers: the flower heads are arranged in dense, hemispherical, terminal clusters. Disc florets are bright yellow and rays are white with reddish outer bracts. Flowering time: February and March.

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Ozothamnus cupressoides, kerosene bush

This 0.5–2  m shrub has tiny leaves and looks like a little pine tree when not in flower. It appears as Helichrysum hookeri in some older publications. The common name refers to the flammability of this plant. It burns easily, but recovers rapidly after fire. This Ozothamnus can be confused with Olearia algida, but the latter has bigger leaves. It is almost identical to Ozothamnus hookeri, which occurs only in Tasmania and has even smaller leaves.

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Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in woodland and areas recently burnt. Leaves: tiny (1–3  mm long), generally narrow, triangular, pointing upwards and overlapping each other, sticky, pressed hard against the stem. Branchlets: appear white due to a dense covering of hairs. Flowers: yellow to white, 2 mm across, densely clustered together, red-brown bracts. Flowering time: December to February.

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Ozothamnus secundiflorus, cascade everlasting

A spreading shrub with arching branches to 2 m, giving a distinctive cascading appearance (hence the common name) in the subalpine zone. In true alpine areas it is smaller. It was formerly Helichrysum secundiflorum. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, on the lee sides of rocks in sheltered sites.

Leaves: strongly aromatic, grey, narrow, hairy and slightly sticky. White and cottony below. Flowers: in clusters, cream, on short stalks down the side of each woolly stem. The flower heads have white papery bracts. Flowering time: summer and autumn.

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Ozothamnus stirlingii, Ovens everlasting

An aromatic, branching shrub, 1.5–3  m high with brown-tinged stems and sticky leaves. Zone: montane, sub-alpine to 1500  m, amongst alpine ash. Leaves: flat, alternate, elliptical or lanceolate, 2–10 cm long × 1–2 cm wide, dark

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green and sticky above, brown-green and densely hairy below. Flowers: white discs and rays with papery brown bracts. Flowering time: December to February.

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Ozothamnus thyrsoideus, sticky everlasting

© Neil Blair

A dark green shrub to 2 m. It can form dense thickets after fire. Zone: montane, in dense forest understoreys, particularly alpine ash. Less common in the sub-alpine zone. Leaves: narrow, 6  cm or more long, 1–3 mm wide, resinous, dark green above, pale green below with a dark mid-rib. Flowers: white clusters. Flower buds: straw-coloured to pink. Flowering time: November to February.

Nimal Karunajeewa (© Royal Botanic Gardens Board)

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Senecio spp., groundsels

There are at least 1300 species in this genus. About 90 are Australian natives. More than 30 species and subspecies can be found in the Alps. They can be difficult to distinguish, so we have restricted their appearance in this publication to the genus level. Nevertheless, the most common one is probably S. linearifolius, the fireweed groundsel, which has no hairs on its leaves. Senecios can have a weedy appearance and are common after fires.

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Zone: sub-alpine, alpine. Leaves: variable in shape, alternate, generally deep green above, often whitish below, blunt at the base and often clasping the stem, usually fairly large with toothed edges. Flowers: yellow in loose clusters, usually beyond the foliage. The flowers of many species appear to be only partially opened, as the inset photo shows. Flowering time: generally November to March.

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Dilleniaceae Hibbertia obtusifolia, grey guinea flower

An upright shrub to 0.6  m high with bright, open-petalled, yellow flowers. There are at least 120 Hibbertia species, most of them Australian. This is the most common of 4 that occur in the Victorian Alps. Zone: montane on rocky hillsides in open forests. Leaves: 4–40 mm long, 1–14 mm wide, grey-green, blunt with a tapering base,

densely hairy below, not so hairy above. When young, the leaves are tipped with a sharp little point. Flowers: stalkless, bright yellow, 5-petalled with each petal having 2 lobes, in groups of 1–3. Flowering time: September to December. Aboriginal use: leaves and twigs for paint pigment.

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Eleaocarpaceae Tetratheca spp., black-eyed Susan

A small, heath-like shrub of which there are at least 4 mountain species. T. ciliata occurs on Mt Buffalo. Some species have the common name ‘black-eyed Susan’. Zone: widespread in the montane and sub-alpine zones amongst heaths, woodlands and forests. Leaves: are small and vary from alternate, opposite to whorls even within the same species.

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Flowers: 4 pink to purple, broad, pendulous petals usually with 2 dark anthers in the middle. The flowers are usually solitary and tend to occur in the upper leaf axils. Flowering time: October, November.

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Ericaceae Acrothamnus montanus, snow beard-heath

A common, erect shrub to 50  cm (occasionally more) high. Acrothamnus hookeri is similar, but has hairs within the flowers. Both these Acrothamnus species were formerly known as Leucopogon. Zone: alpine, in heathlands where it can cover large areas to the exclusion of most other plants.

Leaves: crowded, oblong, blunt, whitegreen underneath, with green parallel veins. Flower buds: pink. Flowers: white, tubular, 5-lobed, in clusters of 2–4. Flowering time: December to January. Fruits: pink or red when ripe. Aboriginal use: the red fruit is edible and tastes like a plum.

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Epacris gunnii, coral heath

An erect shrub to 1 m. It usually grows in damp areas alongside other heaths, buttercups and tea-trees. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine in creeks and bogs. Leaves: small and crowded along the stem, finely pointed, 2–6  mm long, 1–2 mm wide, on very short stalks. Heartshaped when viewed with the point down.

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Flowers: white with reddish-brown bracts, tubular with the tube 2–4 mm long, 5 lobes at the top of the tube also 2–4 mm long. Flowering time: any time at the lower altitudes, October to February in alpine areas. Aboriginal use: the nectar can be sucked.

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Epacris paludosa, swamp heath

An erect bushy shrub to 1  m, found in swampy areas. This plant extends down into the wet areas of east Gippsland and, surprisingly, a single specimen has been found in the dry Victorian Wimmera, near Dimboola. Zone: montane, in forests; sub-alpine, in swamps, bogs and marshy areas amongst heaths to 1700 m.

Leaves: narrow, thick, sharply tipped, crowded and almost stalkless, with tiny teeth on the margins. Flowers: white, tubular, stalkless, with 5 spreading lobes arranged in dense terminal clusters. Flowering time: spring and summer.

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Pentachondra pumila, carpet heath

Frank Scheelings

A ground-covering heath, forming mats up to 0.5  m across and rarely more than 10 cm high. This plant is also found in Tasmania, New Zealand and several Pacific islands. Zone: alpine, in heathland and grassland. Leaves: usually glossy, 3–5 mm long × 1–2  mm wide, crowded along the stem, dark green above, on very short stalks.

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Flowers: small, white or red, single, tubular with 5 hairy lobes resembling petals at the top. Flowering time: summer. Fruits: red, spherical, 6–8  mm across, hollow, topped with a stalk. Aboriginal use: the berries are sweet and sugary, like apples. They are harvested as soon as they ripen as they are a favourite food of skinks.

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Richea continentis, candle heath

A rigid, spiny, much-branched shrub to 1 m with a tendency to clump. This plant is a close relative of the even spinier Richea scoparia, which only occurs in Tasmania where it is widespread and reviled by bushwalkers. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in bogs, swamps and creeks. Leaves: stiff, pineapple-like, 2–6  cm long, sharp-pointed, forming a sheath

rather than a stalk at their base, glossy green above and paler below. Withered leaves are retained on the older branches. Flowers: cream, clumped along long red-brown stalks in a spike-like manner, rising above the leaves. Flowering time: December to February.

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Fabaceae Acacia alpina, alpine wattle

A spreading, bushy plant to 1  m, sometimes forming thickets, growing at the highest altitude of any wattle. Common around Diamantina hut on Mt Hotham. Zone: sub-alpine amongst snow gums, alpine on rocky peaks, usually occurring on exposed sites with shallow soils. Leaves: dull green, leathery, obovate, asymmetric, 2–4 cm long. Flowers: pale yellow in short, cylindrical spikes with 1–2 spikes per leaf axil.

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Flowering time: October, November. Fruits: curved, dark and leathery seed pods up to 7 cm long. Aboriginal use: when injured, acacias frequently produce a gum that is regarded as a ‘bush lolly’ by Aboriginal children. The seeds of some acacias are crushed, roasted and made into bread. However, many acacia seeds are toxic.

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Bossiaea disticoclada, leafy bossiaea

A shrub to 1.5  m high with yellow pea flowers and small leaves. This plant appears in older publications as B. foliosa. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, alpine, in creeks, bogs and under snow gums.

Leaves: single, alternate, 1–3  mm long, 2–4 mm wide, folded upwards from the midrib, smooth above and usually hairy below. Flowers: all-yellow pea flowers, 5–7 mm long on short stalks. Flowering time: December to January.

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Daviesia latifolia, hop bitter-pea

A broad-leaved, erect shrub 1–5  m high, with long, flexible, arching stems. All the 130 Daviesia species are native to Australia and the greatest diversity of the species occurs in south-western Western Australia. The bitter-tasting leaves have been used as a substitute for hops. Zone: montane, in wet forests, becoming common after fire.

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Leaves: bitter tasting, alternate, wavy margins, prominent net veins, 2–12  cm long, 5–65 mm wide. Seed pods: triangular, 5–10 mm long. Flowers: pea-shaped, yellow with brown centres in dense, in up to 8  cm long racemes. Flowering time: September to December.

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Daviesia ulicifolia, gorse bitter-pea

An erect, stiff, spiny shrub to 2  m, with many short angular stems ending in spines. The stems may be hairy. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in welldrained sandy and rocky soils in open dry forests. Leaves: variable in shape and size, leathery, rigid, sharp-pointed with a

prominent central vein, 5–30  mm long, 1–6 mm wide. Seed pods: triangular, 5–10 mm long. Flowers: pea-shaped, yellow with a red centre. Flowering time: September to December.

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Glycine clandestina, climbing glycine

A prostrate or climbing plant to 2 m with ‘trifoliate’ leaves – see below. This plant can be found across most of Victoria. The state is home to 5 Glycine species, all with trifoliate leaves, but the shape of the leaflets varies and is a good starting point for species identification. Zone: montane, in heaths and wet ­forests to 1200 m.

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Leaves: trifoliate – that is, each leaf is divided into 3 narrow leaflets. There is great variability in the size of the leaflets. They can be 1–8  cm long and 2–10  mm wide. Flowers: pea-shaped, pink or mauve and arranged in racemes of 4–18. Flowering time: spring.

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Hovea montana, mountain hovea

Hovea montana field near Pretty Valley

A low shrub to 40 cm high, but spreading to 1.5  m across, with purple or white pea flowers. It can produce a spectacular display across grassy alpine areas. There are ~20 Hovea species, all of them native to Australia and all with purple to blue (occasionally white) flowers. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in heathland and grassed areas. Leaves: narrow, 1–3  cm long, 2–5  mm wide, smooth above, rusty-brown and hairy below, forming a valley with the ­mid-rib at the bottom. Stems: densely covered with hairs. Flowers: deep purple or sometimes white, 1 cm long, typical pea flower shape. Flowering time: October to December.

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Platylobium montanum, handsome flat-pea

A prostrate to somewhat erect shrub to 2 m, with wiry stems. Platylobium formosum appeared in the first edition of this book. This plant has now been divided into 6 separate species of which P. montanum is one. Two subspecies have also been identified – P. montanum subsp. montanum and P. montanum subsp. prostratum. The latter is always a prostrate plant. Zone: montane, on moist sites in scrubby forests.

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Leaves: dark green, heart-shaped, opposite (paired), almost stalkless, stiff and rough. Seed pods: flat (platy is from the Greek word for flat), hairy. Flowers: yellow with small red centres on long hairy stalks. Flowering time: September to November.

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Podolobium alpestre, alpine shaggy pea

A shrub of variable height up to 1.5 m, with yellow pea flowers. This plant is known as Oxylobium ­alpestre in older publications. Oxylobium ellipticum is a similar plant occurring in the montane sub-alpine zones. Its seed pods are only mildly hairy when compared with those of Podolobium alpestre. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, in rocky well drained sites.

Leaves: 1–4 cm long × 3–10 mm wide, with a small prickle at the tip. The leaves are often in groups of 3, with down-turned edges. Seed pods: ~1.5 cm long, pointed, with many long, soft hairs. Flowers: crowded in short racemes, mainly yellow or orange with some redbrown parts. Flowering time: November to February.

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Pultenaea mollis, narrow-leaf bush-pea

An erect, bushy shrub to 3  m, but sometimes almost prostrate. This plant is widespread across southern Victoria and the New South Wales coast north and south of Sydney. The Pultenaea genus is named for Richard Pulteney, who wrote the first biography of Linnaeus, the father of modern botanical taxonomy. Zone: montane, in open forests.

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Leaves: narrow, grey-green with white hairs and the margins curved downwards and inwards, 8–25 mm long, 1 mm or less wide. Flowers: mainly yellow with small red streaks, clustered in groups of up to 10 at the end of short branchlets. Flowering time: September to November.

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Lamiaceae Prostanthera cuneata, alpine mint-bush

A spreading, low, compact shrub, 0.5– 1.5 m high with hairy branches. It makes a good rockery plant in cold areas. Zone: sub-alpine amongst snow gums and alpine, particularly in exposed sites where it is found creeping over rocks near bogs and streams. Leaves: opposite, thick, tough, rounded at the ends, almost stalkless, glossy dark green above and pale green below. The

leaves are dotted with glands, making them very aromatic when crushed. Flowers: axillary in large clusters, white or pale violet, heavily spotted inside with purple, yellow and sometimes red. The petals form an erect 2-lobed lip and a spreading 3-lobed lower lip. The bottom petals are longer than the top ones. Flowering time: November to February.

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Prostanthera monticola, Buffalo mint-bush

Barbara Ridley

A sprawling shrub to 2  m found amongst granite rocks on Mt Buffalo. Zone: upper montane amongst alpine ash and sub-alpine amongst snow gums. Leaves: leathery, paired, ovate to elliptical and 15–50  mm long. The spreading branches are reddish and hairy.

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Flowers: tubular and axillary with grey-green to blue-green petals with purple streaks. Flowering time: January and February.

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Prostanthera rotundifolia, round-leaf mint-bush

Purple form

A compact, erect to spreading shrub to 3 m high with branches covered in short hairs. Zone: rocky, exposed sites in the subalpine zone and sheltered areas in moist gullies and the margins of forests in the montane zone. Leaves: rounded at the ends, arranged in pairs, glandular, aromatic when crushed and mid-green in colour. Flowers: axillary in masses, pink to purple with an upper lip of 2 petals and a lower lip of 3 spreading, larger petals. Flowering time: September to November. Aboriginal use: the leaves are crushed and the oils inhaled to alleviate respiratory problems.

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Westringia senifolia, alpine westringia

A dense, low (1  m), sprawling shrub only found in the Victorian High Country. It has stiff branches densely covered in white hairs. Zone: common on rocky mountains such as Mt Buffalo where it is found in the sub-alpine zone amongst snow gums. It also occurs in rocky shrublands in the alpine zone.

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Leaves: small, aromatic, in dense whorls of 5–6, sessile, have pointed tips and are ~5–10 mm long. Flowers: densely clustered, white with red-purple dots in the throat, 5 petals with 2 erect and 3 flat and spreading. Flowering time: summer.

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Myrtaceae Baeckea utilis, mountain baeckea

An open, erect, woody shrub to 3 m high with wiry, slender branches, often found sprawling over rocks. Babingtonia crenatifolia is a similar plant, but has leaves with finely toothed margins that appear fern-like from a distance. Zone: montane, sub-alpine and alpine beside streams and bogs. Leaves: small (4–10  mm), wedgeshaped to round with a flat upper surface

and a keeled lower surface. They are crowded together and opposite. Leptospermum species are similar, but have alternate leaves. Flowers: solitary in leaf axils, 5 white petals, 8–10 stamens. Flowering time: December to March. Fruits: cup-like and woody. Aboriginal use: the leaves were infused in water for drinking.

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Callistemon pityoides, alpine bottlebrush

Frank Scheelings

A dense, prickly shrub with hard bark, growing up to 3 m in height, often forming thickets. It is suitable as a frost-hardy garden plant even in dry situations. In some publications it is known as C. sieberi. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine, along rocky streams, bogs, wet heaths and seepage areas. 102

Leaves: thin, narrow, erect, sharp pointed to 1–2 cm long with oil glands on the lower surfaces. Flowers: yellow spikes 3–6  cm long with leafy shoots growing from the tops of the spikes. Flowering time: December to February. Aboriginal use: the flowers are sucked or dipped in water for a sweet taste.

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Calytrix tetragona, fringe myrtle

A low shrub, generally ~1  m high. The rusty-red bottom of each flower persists long after the rest of the flower has faded and dropped. All 75 Calytrix species are endemic to Australia. Calytrix tetragona is very variable in its characteristics. Zone: montane, often growing near rocky outcrops in heath, woodland and forest. Leaves: 1–10  mm long, thick, linear, crowded on short stalks and have short

points at their tips. They incline towards the stem. Flowers: generally white, sometimes pale pink, star-like often in spectacular clusters in the upper leaf axils. Fine hairs extend from behind the petals. Flowering time: September to February. Aboriginal use: the flowers are soaked in water for a sweet drink.

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Kunzea muelleri, yellow kunzea

A widely spreading, low, dense shrub, 0.2– 0.5  m high. It sometimes forms pure, extensive stands. This plant was named after Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, a 19th century Victorian Government Botanist and the first Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Von Mueller made many trips to the Victorian Alps. Zone: sub-alpine amongst snow gums, alpine around bogs and rocky areas like the summit of Mt Hotham.

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Leaves: small, opposite, cylindrical and clustered. Flowers: bright yellow, stalkless, with long stamens. The petal lobes are divided, although joined at the base. Flowering time: November to January. Fruits: non-woody, sepals persist. Aboriginal use: the flowers are dipped in water for a sweet drink.

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Kunzea parvifolia, violet kunzea

An erect, woody shrub to 2  m high with slender, wiry, red-brown branches. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, on rocky, granite slopes along seepage lines. Leaves: alternate, crowded around the stems, very small (2–4 mm long), with leaf tips that are bent backwards. Flowers: occur as terminal, roundheaded clusters, sessile, pink-violet with

prominent stamens. The anthers are creamy yellow. Flowering time: October to December. Fruits: non-woody, 2 mm long. Aboriginal use: flowers are dipped in water for a sweet drink.

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Leptospermum myrtifolium, myrtle tea-tree

A medium-sized shrub up to 3 m high. It has slender stems with a grey to silver appearance and it tends to form thickets. L. brevipes is a similar plant, but occurs on exposed, rocky sites. Zone: montane in poorly drained areas of woodland and sub-alpine and alpine around margins of bogs and streams. Leaves: usually ~8  mm long, greygreen, rough, stiff, almost flat and oval-shaped.

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Flowers: white, 5 petals ~10 mm across with many stamens. Flowering time: January to March. Fruits: small, woody, appearing soon after flowering and remain closed until the branch dies. Aboriginal use: the leaves are crushed, soaked in water and drunk to relieve ­respiratory illness.

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Plantaginaceae Veronica derwentiana, Derwent speedwell

A tall herb or small, woody shrub to 1.5 m high, with spectacular dense flower heads at the ends of branches. The flower heads are very attractive to butterflies. The unbranched, erect stems arise from a woody rootstock and persist for 1 or 2 seasons. Veronica has had several name changes with previous names including Derwentia derwentia and Parahebe derwentia. It has recently been placed in a different family. Zone: montane, sub-alpine amongst grasses and herbs as well as moist

woodlands. It is often seen beside tracks and roads on rocky disturbed slopes. Leaves: lanceolate, with toothed margins, 5–20 cm long, sessile, light green. Flowers: small, white to pale blue, in many dense racemes consisting of 40–100 individual flowers. The flowers open first at the base of the cluster and then progressively upwards. Flowering time: summer.

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Veronica nivea, snow speedwell

Barbara Ridley

A low (15–50 cm) softly wooded shrub often found in disturbed sites such as road and walking track margins particularly at Pretty Valley and on the Mt Buffalo plateau. This plant was formerly known as Derwentia nivea and was placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Zone: alpine and sub-alpine grassland, heathland, bogs and snow gums. 108

Leaves: the upright stems appear unbranched, but in fact there are short lateral branches bearing clusters of leaves. The leaves (1–3  cm long) are divided into narrow leaflets (pinnate). Flowers: the inflorescences are racemes consisting of ~20–40 mauve (rarely white) flowers. Flowering time: December to February.

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Podocarpaceae Podocarpus lawrencei, mountain plum pine

Frank Scheelings

This is not a flowering plant. Neither is it a modern pine. However, it is a conifer with male and female cone-like structures occurring on separate plants. It is a slow-growing, spreading shrub with a pine-like scent particularly when the leaves are crushed. A tree form of the plant occurs in the forests of East Gippsland where one specimen grew to 20 m tall. It is very sensitive to fire, including so called ‘control burns’, and has died out in areas where there have been fires. Mountain plum pine is the major food source for the mountain pigmy-possum, Burramys parvus. Red-coloured fruits attract birds and are sometimes toxic to mammals, but not in this case.

Zone: alpine and sub-alpine in low heath where it sprawls out over granite and other rocky outcrops. It can be seen at the summit of Mt Hotham and near Lake ­Catani on Mt Buffalo. Leaves: narrow, 1–15  mm long × 2–4 mm wide, sessile, crowded, dark green, rigid, leathery with prominent mid-ribs on the undersides of the leaves. Cones: occur on short stalks in leaf axils. Male cones are pink-mauve, ~1  cm long and form small clusters. Female cones consist of swollen, succulent, red stalks resembling berries with tough green seeds at the ends of the stalks. Cone formation times: males spring, females summer. 109

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Polygalaceae Comesperma retusum, mountain milkwort

A woody shrub to 1 m with slender, erect branches. The stems tend to be pinkish and warty. Members of this family of plants were thought to increase milk production in cattle. Zone: common in sub-alpine wet areas such as bogs and swamps amongst heaths and snow gums. Leaves: oblong, small (to 15 mm), thick, clustered around the stems, flat to slightly concave surfaces.

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Flowers: form clusters at the branch tips, resemble a pea flower with 3 petals. Two of the petals are larger and pink or purple while the third is a lower petal called a keel and is yellow. Stamens and styles are located within the curve of the keel. The flower buds resemble match heads. Flowering time: November to January. Fruits: flattened capsules, each with 2 hairy seeds.

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Proteaceae Grevillea australis, alpine grevillea

A small, spreading shrub to 1 m with small spider-like flowers with the curved styles which are typical of members of this genus. Zone: common in sub-alpine and alpine zones in damp places such as bogs amongst heaths and grasses. Leaves: up to 3  cm long, stiff, convex, needle-like, alternate, sharp tips, hairy and white on the undersides.

Flowers: small, creamy white, with a strong sweet perfume. Flowering time: December to February. Fruits: follicles with 1 or 2 winged seeds.

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Grevillea victoriae, royal grevillea

An erect, spreading, bushy shrub 1–3  m high with typical Grevillea flowers. Zone: higher montane and sub-alpine in rocky areas. Leaves: narrowly elliptic to oval, hairy on the undersides, pointed at the tip, up to 14 cm long but usually less, 1–4 cm wide. Flowers: pink to red in cylindrical or spherical hanging inflorescences. Flowering time: August to January.

Grevillea victoriae flowers can be obscured by the thick foliage

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Orites lancifolius, alpine orites

Orites lancifolius has distinctive seed follicles

A common, densely spreading shrub, bushy, erect, stiff to 2  m high. It has a lignotuber (a swollen, woody structure below ground), which produces new growth after fires. Zone: sub-alpine, alpine on exposed rocky sites amongst heath and snow gums. There are good examples next to the eastern carpark at Falls Creek.

Leaves: thick, leathery, light green, clustered together, lanceolate to 4 cm long. Flowers: cream, often crowded, arranged in an erect, cylindrical and ­terminal spike 2–5 cm long. Flowering time: November to January. Fruits: boat-shaped, grey, hairy, leathery follicles.

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Ranunculaceae Clematis aristata, old man’s beard

A woody climber found in moist to wet forests and gullies climbing up trees to heights of up to 15 m. Zone: montane. Leaves: opposite, ovate to narrow, 3–8 cm long, divided into 3 parts, purplegreen with silver streaks and hairy beneath when young. Teeth usually occur around the edges of the leaf. Flowers: masses of creamy white, starlike flowers.

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Flowering time: September to November. Fruits: masses of fluffy, white achenes after flowering, hence ‘old man’s beard’. Aboriginal use: the rhizomes are dug up and roasted on coals, pounded to a pulp and then eaten. They are rich in starch. It has been reported that chewing the stem induces a state of trance.

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Rosaceae Rubus parvifolius, small-leaf bramble

A trailing, scrambling shrub to 1 m high with strong, curved prickles. It resembles, and is related to, blackberry and raspberry, but this is a native version. Zone: montane in damp, wet forests. Leaves: pinnate in groups of 3–5 leaflets. The upper surface is wrinkled and the lower surface, white and woolly.

Flowers: 5 pink petals and 5 white sepals. Flowering time: November to February. Fruits: red berries. Aboriginal use: the red berries are eaten and have an excellent flavour.

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Rutaceae Asterolasia trymalioides, alpine starbush

Sometimes almost prostrate to a small shrub (0.5  m high). The young growth smells of parsnip when crushed. This plant has increased in number since the removal of cattle from the Alps. It is a member of the citrus family, which includes native genera such as Boronia, Correa, Crowea, Phebalium and Philotheca. Zone: alpine and sub-alpine amongst heaths and grasses.

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Leaves: shiny, small, thick, rounded. The undersides of the leaves are white to brown. Leaf margins tend to roll downwards. Flowers: solitary, star-like, 5 yellow petals, long stamens with orange anthers. Flowering time: November to December. Fruits: hairy follicles ~4 mm long.

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Boronia algida, alpine boronia

A low, spreading shrub to 0.5  m, sometimes almost prostrate. It has gnarled, woody stems. Zone: alpine and sub-alpine amongst heath and snow gums on sandy soils in rocky (particularly granite) and gravelly sites. This is the only Boronia to grow above 1000 m. Leaves: pinnate with shiny, small leaflets (5–9), obovate, 2–9 mm. The leaves are aromatic if crushed, like many members of the citrus family. The oil glands in the leaves appear as warty dots. Flowers: usually solitary, 4 white to pink petals with pointed tips. Flowering time: November to February. Aboriginal use: the Aboriginal name (unknown to the authors) means ‘rare beauty’ and is often used to name daughters.

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Phebalium squamulosum, forest phebalium

A shrub 0.5–3  m, often found sprawling over rocks (for warmth). Away from rocks, it has a flat-topped appearance. A similar plant, Leionema ovatifolium occurs just over the border in New South Wales. The latter has ovate rather than ­lanceolate leaves. Zone: common around the transition from sub-alpine to alpine. Leaves: small, generally lanceolate, pitted with aromatic oil glands. The ­

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branchlets and undersides of the leaves are covered with scaly hairs, giving a silvery appearance. Flowers: clusters of yellow flowers with red-brown buds. They have 5 divided ­petals and long protruding stamens. Flowering time: mid-summer. Fruits: rounded follicles ~3 mm long.

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Santalaceae Exocarpos nanus, alpine ballart

Jeff Jeanes (© Royal Botanic Gardens Board)

A dwarf, prostrate plant spreading to ~1 m in diameter. The yellow-green, slender branchlets consist of jointed segments. Zone: sub-alpine and alpine among heaths and grasses. Leaves: reduced to small, triangular, opposite scales. Flowers: small, sessile, yellow-green in clusters of 1–4 flowers. Flowering time: September to February. Fruits: orange or red at the ends of swollen, red stalks. Aboriginal use: the swollen fruit stalk is eaten, but is not particularly palatable. © Geoff Lay

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Thymelaeaceae Pimelea alpina, alpine rice-flower

A prostrate or small shrub to 15  cm. It is reported to be poisonous to mammals. The well-known Daphne, a native of China and Japan, is a member of the same plant family. Zone: sub-alpine and alpine near rocks in among snow gums, grasses and heaths. Leaves: small, tough, opposite, lanceolate to 12 mm long, often crowded together at the ends of branches.

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Flowers: 4 pink to white petal lobes at the ends of red floral tubes. The flowers are densely clustered together in heads of 5–18 flowers at the tips of branches. They are sweetly scented. Flowering time: December to February. Fruits: green, 3–4 mm long.

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Pimelea axiflora, bootlace bush

This shrub grows up to 3.5 m high. It has male and female flowers on separate plants (dioecious). The tough brown bark can be peeled off in strips and early European settlers used the strips as boot laces. Zone: montane in moist valleys and sub-alpine in rocky areas. Leaves: almost sessile, opposite, narrow, 5–60  mm long × 2–10  mm wide,

mid-green above, pale green below. The leaves have prominent mid veins. Flowers: white in heads of up to 10 flowers with the heads located in the axils between the stems and leaves. Each flower has a floral tube ~2–6 mm long. Flowering time: September to November. Fruits: green, 3–4 mm long. Aboriginal use: the strips of bark are used to make nets to catch Bogong moths.

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Pimelea humilis, common rice-flower

A low (5–50  cm) woody shrub which resembles the weed, St John’s Wort, when not in flower. Zone: widespread throughout the montane and sub-alpine zones in heathlands, dry woodland grasslands and on sandy soils overlying rock. Leaves: opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, to 15  mm long. They tend to be paler on the undersides. Four to six blue-green leaves surround each flower head and are larger than the stem leaves. The stems are densely hairy when young and are sometimes branched. Flowers: each stem has a terminal cluster of sweetly scented, creamy white, tubelike flowers, hairy on the inside, which are held erect rather than nodding as in other Pimelea species. Flowering time: late spring.

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Pimelea ligustrina, tall rice-flower

An erect or spreading shrub to 3  m with slender branches and smooth stems. Zone: montane, sub-alpine in wet forests or among snow gums at higher altitudes. Leaves: thin, soft, opposite, smooth, shiny green above and paler below. Leaf size increases up the stem and becomes quite large (80  mm). The margins of the leaves curl inwards. Lateral veins are prominent on the undersides.

Flowers: the petals fuse to form a floral tube 5–13 mm long with creamy lobes that are hairy on the outside. The terminal flower heads have clusters of 50–130 flowers each with 1 or 2 protruding stamens. The flower heads (up to 3  cm across) are surrounded by large, pale green bracts which turn red or pink with age. Flowering time: October to December. Fruits: green, 3–5 mm long.

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Winteraceae Tasmannia xerophila, alpine pepper

The male flowers occur in clusters and have numerous stamens

An erect, bushy shrub 0.5–2  m high with red or crimson stems particularly with new growth. It belongs to an ancient genus, fossils of which date back to Gondwana 124

times. The plants are clumped together due to root suckering. Zone: sub-alpine under or beside snow gums and alpine grasslands near rocks. Leaves: sessile, light green, leathery, long and strap-shaped (up to 9 cm), blunttipped, contain oil glands. Flowers: small, male and female flowers on separate plants, male flowers having 9–30 stamens and female flowers having 2 creamy yellow petals each. The flowers occur in clusters of up to 16 flowers located in the shoot apex. Flowering time: December to February. Fruits: black berries, found on female plants, a favourite food source for currawongs. Aboriginal use: both the berries and leaves are used medicinally and in cooking.

Tall shrubs and trees The distinctive eucalypts appear in the following section.

Key to tall shrubs and trees (other than eucalypts) Leaves green above and white below:

Daisy-like flowers: Bedfordia, p. 127; Olearia, p. 128



Holly-like leaves: Lomatia, p. 135



Pyramid-shaped tree: Atherosperma, p. 129

Leaves green above and pale green below:

Masses of white flowers in December: Bursaria, p. 133; Prostanthera, p. 130



Flowers with 5 white petals and many short stamens: Leptospermum, p. 132



Bell-shaped flowers: Correa, p. 137; Melicytus, p. 139



Crinkly leaves with brown veins: Pomaderris, p. 136



Needle-like leaves: Hakea, p. 134



Berry-like fruits: Polyscias, p. 126; Hedycarya, p. 131

Cypress-like tree with green-orange-red fruits on a red stalk: Exocarpos, p. 138

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Araliaceae Polyscias sambucifolia, elderberry panax

Ilma Dunn, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

A tree to 6 m, common after fires. It may be found across much of eastern Victoria. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in moist gullies and sheltered slopes. Leaves: up to 40 cm long, pinnate with 2–10 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are dark green above and pale green below. Flowers: yellow-green, small. 126

Flowering time: November to January. Fruits: succulent, bead-like, in clusters, becoming blue-tinged. Aboriginal use: the fruit is clear and succulent like a small grape and can be eaten raw. The timber is tough and was used for tool handles.

Ta l l s h r u b s a n d t r e e s

Asteraceae Bedfordia arborescens, blanket leaf

A large shrub or tree to 7 or 8  m high. A close look at the flowers will reveal that this tree is a member of the daisy family. Zone: montane, in moist forest gullies and slopes. Leaves: soft, wavy-edged, 10–20  cm long × 2–4  cm wide, on 1–2  cm stalks, glossy green above, covered with felt-like, woolly white hairs below. Flowers: small daisies with disc florets but no rays, in spreading, yellow or orange clusters on long white stems. Flowering time: November to January.

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Olearia argophylla, musk daisy-bush

A shrub or tree to 10 m, with grey-brown bark and musk-smelling leaves. This is the biggest of the olearias and one of the taller members of the enormous daisy family (Asteraceae). This family has over 30 000 species worldwide. About 1000 of them are Australian natives. Zone: montane, in moist forest gullies and sheltered slopes.

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Leaves: bright green above and white or silvery with raised veins below, stiff, alternate, ovate, with slightly toothed margins. Flowers: yellow discs and white rays, in large clusters (panicles). Flowering time: October to December.

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Atherospermataceae Atherosperma moschatum, southern sassafras

A tree with a conical shape and a straight trunk 10–25 m high. It has a nutmeg smell when handled, particularly if the leaves are crushed. Zone: montane in cool, sheltered, moist forest valleys. Leaves: lanceolate, 3–10 cm long, shiny green above and white and hairy below,

opposite and slightly toothed on the margins. Flowers: cream with purplish markings, hang in pairs below the branchlets, stamens hairy and 10 mm long. Flowering time: September, October. Fruits: hairy, 10 mm long.

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Lamiaceae Prostanthera lasianthos, Victorian Christmas-bush

Frank Scheelings

An aromatic shrub or tree, 1–8 m high. Zone: mainly montane sometimes subalpine beside water courses in moist gullies. Leaves: variable in size and shape from ovate to linear, 4–10  cm long and ~2  cm wide. They are opposite, dark green above and pale green below, have a strong spicy

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aroma and have small teeth along the margins. Flowers: clustered, sweet honey fragrance, white with orange and purple spots, tending to mauve at higher altitudes. They have 2 petals joined to form a hood in an upper lip and a lower lip of 3 petals. Flowering time: November to January.

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Monimiaceae Hedycarya angustifolia, austral mulberry

A spindly, slender tree to 7 m high, found on damp, south facing slopes in sheltered gullies above 1400 m. Zone: upper montane. Leaves: elliptic to lanceolate, 5–10  cm long, opposite, lime green, with forward pointing teeth on the margins.

Flowers: pale green, in clusters on stalks. Flowering time: spring. Fruits: globular, yellow to orange, packed together like a mulberry. Aboriginal use: the fruit is eaten and the soft stem centre can be used as fire kindling.

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Myrtaceae Leptospermum grandifolium, mountain tea-tree

Ilma Dunn, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

A medium-sized shrub to 3  m or sometimes a tall tree to 10 m. It has papery bark which sheds in strips. Mountain tea-tree can form thickets. L. lanigerum, woolly tea-tree, is a similar plant, but has smaller leaves. Baeckea species are also similar, but have opposite leaves. Zone: montane, growing alongside streams in gullies and on moist, sheltered slopes. Leaves: alternate, up to 30  mm long, shiny-green above and silky with dense hairs on the undersides sometimes

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producing a reddish appearance. The tip of the leaf forms a fine point. Flowers: sessile, white, 5 petals ~25 mm in diameter, with many stamens. Flowering time: December to March. Fruits: small, woody, hemispherical in shape, sepals persist on the fruit, 6–8 mm in diameter. They appear soon after the flowers and remain closed until after the branch dies. Aboriginal use: the leaves are crushed and soaked in water to be drunk to relieve respiratory illness.

Ta l l s h r u b s a n d t r e e s

Pittosporaceae Bursaria spinosa, sweet bursaria

A spindly shrub on drier sites to a small tree (to 8 m) in gullies. The branches have many 1 cm spines providing protection for small birds. A sun-screen agent can be extracted from the leaves. This species shows considerable variability in leaf size and growth habit and it is known as Christmas bush in South Australia. Zone: montane on dry, rocky sites in open forests and woodlands. Leaves: clustered, 2–5  cm long, alternate, hairy below, linear with rounded tips.

Flowers: white to cream, sweet scented, occur as dense, pyramidal panicles. Flowering time: December and January. Fruits: dry, brown, purse-like capsules 3–4 mm long. Aboriginal use: this is a ‘fire-stick’ tree. Wood is cut into lengths to make a ‘drill’ with the end slotted into another piece of wood (e.g. red gum) similar to a mortise and tenon joint.

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Proteaceae Hakea lissosperma, mountain needle-wood

An upright, conical small tree to 5 m with a lignotuber (a swollen, woody structure below ground), which produces new growth after fires. Zone: sub-alpine on dry, rocky sites among snow gums. Leaves: dense, erect, needle-like up to 10 cm long.

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Flowers: white, small in clusters of 6–8. Flowering time: October to December. Fruits: large (2 cm × 2 cm) and woody with a warty surface. The seeds are only released on the death of the plant. Aboriginal use: the seeds are eaten.

Ta l l s h r u b s a n d t r e e s

Lomatia fraseri, tree lomatia

Lomatia fraseri seed follicles

A tall shrub or small tree, 2–7 m high. L. myricoides is a similar plant, but the latter has longer leaves. Zone: montane, in moist forests in ­g ullies and on sheltered slopes. Leaves: 6–12  cm long, alternate, stiff, covered with silky, silvery hairs on the undersides, with holly-like forward pointing teeth on the margins. Flowers: terminal racemes, hairy, cream, with curved styles similar to ­Grevillea flowers. Flowering time: December to February. Fruits: leathery, blackish, woody, ~30 mm long.

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Rhamnaceae Pomaderris aspera, hazel pomaderris

A shrub or tree 2–15 m. The wood is hard and has been used in cabinet making. Zone: montane in wet and shaded forests on sheltered slopes in moist, deep soils. Leaves: ovate, large (12  cm × 4  cm), wrinkled, dark green above and

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rust-coloured to pale green below with ­distinctive brown, raised veins. Flowers: cream, very small, but in sizeable sprays. Flowering time: October to December.

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Rutaceae Correa lawrenceana, mountain correa A tall shrub or sometimes a small tree 0.5–9  m tall with rust-coloured stems. It can form thickets making bushwalking difficult. Zone: montane, sub-alpine, in wet ­forests and woodland. Leaves: shiny, dark green above and hairy and white underneath, oval, aromatic, slightly curling, 2–10  cm long × 1–7 cm wide. Flowers: rusty-brown fused sepals at the base of yellow-green or pink-red petals which are also fused together to form a bell-shaped structure with protruding anthers. Flowering time: spring. Aboriginal use: the anthers and styles from inside the flower tubes are removed to release nectar. Ilma Dunn, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Neville Walsh, State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

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Santalaceae Exocarpos cupressiformis, cherry ballart, ballee

The swollen stalk looks like a long cherry with the seed outside

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A cypress-like, pyramidal, small tree, 3–8  m high. It has bronze-green, pendulous, narrow branchlets. Woody growths are common on the tree. Cherry ballart is parasitic on the roots of another tree (usually a eucalypt), especially when young. Zone: montane on gravelly, rocky slopes with shallow infertile soils. Leaves: reduced to tiny, rectangular, alternate scales. Photosynthesis is carried out by the branchlets. Flowers: minute, regular and white, occurring in clusters in the uppermost leaf axils. Flowering time: September to May. Fruits: dark green on prominent stalks which swell, soften and change colour from green to orange-red. Aboriginal use: the fleshy fruit stalk is eaten.

Ta l l s h r u b s a n d t r e e s

Violaceae Melicytus dentatus, tree violet

Neville Walsh

A spiny, stiffly branched, spreading shrub or small tree to 4  m. Orange lichen often grows on the branches. The thorny branches provide a refuge and nesting site for small birds. This plant is highly palatable to stock. Tree violet is known as Hymenanthera dentata in some publications. Zone: montane, sub-alpine and alpine. It is found growing beside streams and rivers (e.g. Ovens River), in moist gullies and on steep, rocky slopes in valleys. Leaves: narrow, 70  mm long, dark green above, pale green below, almost stalkless, alternate and slightly toothed. Juvenile leaves have highly toothed margins. Hence the species name dentatus. Flowers: yellow-brown, small, bellshaped with petals that curl back at the tips, arranged in rows, hanging on the undersides of branchlets, have a strong, sweet fragrance. Flowering time: September to November. Fruits: round, 4–5 mm wide, pale grey to purple, wrinkly and fleshy. They are eaten by birds and reptiles.

This tree is easily identified when fruiting

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Eucalypts The eucalypts are Australia’s best known trees. There are nearly 1000 of them in 3 genera – Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora. The following 8 Eucalyptus species are common in the Victorian Alps and the best way to distinguish between them is to look at the bark.

Accordingly, this key is mainly barkbased and we have not provided photographs for this section. While flowers and fruits are helpful in distinguishing eucalypts, they are usually difficult to examine on these tall trees.

Key to eucalypts Rough, thick, fibrous bark on trunk and branches: E. obliqua, p. 142 Thin, finely fissured, non-fibrous bark on trunk and branches:

Broad leaves: E. dives, p. 142



Narrow leaves: E. radiata, p. 142

Smooth bark for most of the trunk, except base of the tree and upper branches:

Small tree with branches from base of trunk: E. pauciflora, p. 142



Tall, straight trunk:

Occurring in pure stands: E. delegatensis, p. 142 Very long leaves, 12–30 cm: E. bicostata, p. 142 Trails of loose bark: E. viminalis, p. 143 Bark with white, yellow, reddish patches: E. rubida, p. 143

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Myrtaceae Eucalyptus bicostata, blue gum

A tall tree to 50 m, it is closely related to the Tasmanian blue gum (E. globulus), but differs from it in having its buds in groups of 3. Zone: montane, in moist gullies on rich soils. Leaves: dark green, glossy, very long (30 cm), hanging vertically. Flowers: white. Flower buds and fruits: in groups of 3, warty with a waxy white coating for insulation. Bark: rough and dark at the base, but peeling off in strips to become smooth, with shades of grey, blue, cream and brown higher up the trunk. Similar tree: mountain grey gum, E. cypellocarpa, which lacks the white waxy covering on the buds and fruits and has smaller, thinner leaves.

Eucalyptus delegatensis, alpine ash

A tall, single-stemmed tree to 60 m, often growing in pure stands. The seeds germinate simultaneously after a fire and grow profusely at similar rates. The tree is highly prized by loggers. Zone: montane, 1000–1300 m, growing on moist, sheltered, well drained slopes. Bark: grey, hard and ribbon-like for a short distance up the trunk. Higher up, the bark is smooth.

Eucalyptus dives, broad-leaf peppermint

A single-trunked tree to 20 m, or a multistemmed tree reaching only 6 m. It is used for roadside plantings. Zone: montane, in shallow soils on well drained slopes in hilly terrain. 142

Leaves: blue-green to grey, wider than those of E. radiata (15–30  cm compared with 6–15  cm), strongly peppermintscented when crushed. Bark: grey, rough, finely fissured, persisting up the trunk to the smaller branches.

Eucalyptus obliqua, stringybark

A tall tree to 70  m, on deep moist soils. Stunted forms occur on shallow soils exposed to northern and southern aspects. Zone: montane, to ~1000  m, often growing with peppermints. Leaves: curved along the margins, asymmetrical at the base. Flowers: white, small, appearing from December to March, 7–15 per cluster. Fruits: wine glass-shaped with enclosed valves. Bark: thick, persistent over the whole length of the trunk and branches, splitting into long-fibred fissures.

Eucalyptus pauciflora, snow gum

A crooked, multi-trunked (mallee) tree to 20  m, but stunted when growing close to the alpine zone. The branches are strong and flexible to withstand snow falls. Zone: sub-alpine. Leaves: leathery and waxy to reduce heat loss. Bark: smooth, often with ‘scribbles’ made by burrowing insects, varying from white with grey stripes, to shades of green and red.

Eucalyptus radiata, narrow-leafed peppermint A tree to 45 m.

E U C A LY P T S

Zone: montane, amongst stringybarks. Leaves: dull grey-green, long and narrow (8–16 cm long × less than 2 cm wide), rich in oil glands giving a peppermint smell when crushed. Flowers: small, appearing from October to January. Flower buds: club-shaped, in clusters of 8–16. Bark: grey-brown, thin, scale-like, short-fibred and interlaced (rather than stringy), persisting up the trunk to the level of the smaller branches.

Eucalyptus rubida, candlebark

A tall, straight-trunked tree, common on valley floors beside creeks where it grows with E. viminalis. Unlike E. viminalis, E. rubida can grow on shallow, fairly dry soils up to an altitude of ~1400 m. Zone: montane. Leaves: long and narrow (20 cm long × 2 cm wide).

Flower buds and fruits: in groups of 3, like E. viminalis. Bark: smooth and white to ground level. No rough bark and no ribbons of bark. Yellow to red patches can develop on the bark in summer, especially after rain. Similar tree: mountain gum, E. dalrympleana, which has shinier and broader (3.5 cm) leaves and grows above 1400 m.

Eucalyptus viminalis, ribbon gum

One of Australia’s tallest eucalypts, reaching to 90 m in Tasmania. Zone: montane, in moist, well-drained, fertile soils in gullies near streams, or on protected, shady, southern slopes. Leaves: narrow, weeping like a willow. Flowers, flower buds and fruits: in groups of 3. Bark: persistent and rough at the base, splitting into long trailing ribbons higher up, with smooth white bark beneath the ribbons.

Snow gums, Eucalyptus pauciflora, regenerating from the base after fire 143

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Glossary

achene: dry, one-seeded fruit which doesn’t split open to release the seed

pinnate leaf: compound leaf with opposite leaflets

actinomorphic: radially symmetrical when seen from above, cf. zygomorphic

pistil: female part of the flower usually surrounded by several stamens. It consists of an ovary, style (the pollen tube) and stigma (the tip)

alternate: developing singly at different levels on a stem, cf. opposite anther: male part of the flower that produces pollen axil: angle between the base of a leaf or leaf stalk and the stem basal: attached at the base of the plant bract: modified leaf attached at the base of an inflorescence capsule: a dry fruit which breaks open, when ripe, to release seeds compound leaf: divided into 2 or more smaller leaflets dioecious: male and female flowers on separate plants floret: a small flower found in a daisy or a grass follicle: a dry fruit which splits along a single line, when ripe, to release seeds herb: low, short-lived, non-woody plant inflorescence: shoot of several flowers lanceolate: narrow and tapering at the end obovate: egg-shaped, top half of the leaf broader than the base opposite: in pairs at the same level on opposite sides of the stem, cf. alternate ovate: egg-shaped and attached at the broader base of the leaf panicle: branching inflorescence

raceme: unbranched inflorescence of stalked flowers, cf. spike rhizome: horizontal, underground stem from which new shoots can arise some distance away from the plant, e.g. asparagus sepal: a single section of a whorl of usually dull flower parts, below the whorl of petals sessile: stalkless sp.: a standard abbreviation for species (plural: spp.) spathulate: shaped like a spoon spike: unbranched inflorescence of stalkless flowers, cf. raceme stamen: male part of the flower, usually grouped around the pistil, consisting of a stalk (the filament) on the end of which is an anther stolon: stem which creeps at ground level and which can establish roots from parts called nodes, e.g. couch style: tube part of the pistil down which the nucleus from the pollen passes to the ovary tubed: petals united to form a bell-like tube tuber: swollen, underground part of a stem or root that stores food umbel: inflorescence with several flower stalks arising from a single point zygomorphic: symmetrical about a single line only, cf. actinomorphic

petal: a single section of a whorl of usually brightly coloured flower parts 145

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Plants listed by family

Habit: H: herb, D: daisy, LWS: low woody shrub, TST: tall tree or shrub, E: eucalypt

Zone: M: montane, SA: sub-alpine, A: alpine

Family

Species

Common name

Habit

Zone

Apiaceae

Aciphylla glacialis

mountain celery

H

A

Oreomyrrhis eriopoda

Australian caraway

H

SA, A

Trachymene humilis

alpine trachymene

H

SA, A

Polyscias sambucifolia

elderberry panax

TST

M, SA

Arthropodium milleflorum

pale vanilla-lily

H

M, SA

Lomandra longifolia

spiny-headed mat-rush

H

M, SA

Dianella revoluta

black-anther flax-lily

H

M

Bulbine glauca

rock lily

H

M, SA, A

Herpolirion novae-zelandiae

sky lily

H

SA, A

Bedfordia arborescens

blanket leaf

TST

M

Ewartia nubigena

silver ewartia

D

SA, A

Brachyscome nivalis

snow daisy

D

SA, A

Brachyscome spp.

snow daisies

D

SA, A

Cassinia aculeata

common cassinia

LWS

M

Celmisia spp.

silver snow daisies

D

SA, A

Chrysocephalum semipapposum

yellow buttons

D

SA

Coronidium scorpioides

button everlasting

D

M, SA, A

Craspedia spp.

Billy buttons

D

SA, A

Leptorhynchos squamatus

scaly buttons

D

M

Leucochrysum albicans

hoary sunray

D

M, SA, A

Microseris lanceolata

yam daisy

D

SA, A

Podolepis robusta

mountain lettuce

D

SA, A

Xerochrysum subundulatum

orange everlasting

D

SA, A

Olearia algida

alpine daisy-bush

LWS

SA, A

Ozothamnus alpinus

alpine everlasting

LWS

A

Olearia argophylla

musk daisy-bush

TST

M

Olearia frostii

Bogong daisy-bush

LWS

SA, A

Olearia lirata

snow daisy-bush

LWS

M, SA

Olearia phlogopappa

dusty daisy-bush

LWS

M, SA, A

Ozothamnus cupressoides

kerosene bush

LWS

M, SA

Ozothamnus secundiflorus

cascade everlasting

LWS

SA, A

Araliaceae Asparagaceae Asphodelaceae

Asteraceae

147

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Family

Species

Common name

Habit

Zone

Ozothamnus stirlingii

Ovens everlasting

LWS

M, SA

Ozothamnus thyrsoideus

sticky everlasting

LWS

M

Senecio spp.

groundsels

LWS

A,SA

Atherospermataceae

Atherosperma moschatum

southern sassafras

TST

M

Brassicaceae

Cardamine lilacina

common bitter-cress

H

SA

Campanulaceae

Isotoma axillaris

showy isotome

H

M, SA

Wahlenbergia ceracea

waxy bluebell

H

A,SA,M

Wahlenbergia gloriosa

royal bluebell

H

M, SA, A

Colobanthus affinis

alpine colobanth

H

A

Scleranthus biflorus

twin-flower knawel

H

SA, A

Stellaria pungens

prickly starwort

H

M, SA, A

Stackhousia monogyna

creamy candles

H

M, SA

Stackhousia pulvinaris

alpine stackhousia

H

SA, A

Burchardia umbellata

milkmaids

H

M

Wurmbea dioica

early Nancy

H

SA

Dilleniaceae

Hibbertia obtusifolia

grey guinea flower

LWS

M

Droseraceae

Drosera peltata

common sundew

H

M

Eleaocarpaceae

Tetratheca spp.

black-eyed Susan

LWS

M, SA

Ericaceae

Epacris gunnii

coral heath

LWS

A

Epacris paludosa

swamp heath

LWS

M, SA

Acrothamnus montanus

snow beard-heath

LWS

SA, A

Pentachondra pumila

carpet heath

LWS

A

Richea continentis

candle heath

LWS

SA, A

Acacia alpina

alpine wattle

LWS

SA, A

Bossiaea disticoclada

leafy bossiaea

LWS

SA, A

Daviesia latifolia

hop bitter-pea

LWS

M

Daviesia ulicifolia

gorse bitter-pea

LWS

M, SA

Glycine clandestina

climbing glycine

LWS

M

Hovea montana

mountain hovea

LWS

SA, A

Platylobium montanum

handsome flat-pea

LWS

M

Podolobium alpestre

alpine shaggy-pea

LWS

SA, A

Pultenaea mollis

narrow-leaf bush-pea

LWS

M

Gentianaceae

Gentianella spp.

mountain gentian

H

SA, A

Geraniaceae

Geranium antrorsum

rosetted cranesbill

H

SA, A

Geranium potentilloides

soft cranesbill

H

SA, A

Pelargonium australe

native storksbill

H

M, SA, A

Goodenia hederacea

ivy-leaf goodenia

H

SA, A

Caryophyllaceae

Celastraceae Colchicaceae

Fabaceae

Goodeniaceae

Scaevola hookeri

creeping fan-flower

H

SA, A

Haloragaceae

Gonocarpus montanus

mat raspwort

H

A

Lamiaceae

Prostanthera cuneata

alpine mint-bush

LWS

SA, A

Prostanthera lasianthos

Victorian Christmas-bush

TST

M, SA

148

P l a n t s l i s t e d b y fa m i ly

Family

Species

Common name

Habit

Zone

Prostanthera monticola

Buffalo mint-bush

LWS

M, SA

Prostanthera rotundifolia

round-leaf mint-bush

LWS

M

Westringia senifolia

alpine westringia

LWS

SA, A

Lentibulariaceae

Utricularia dichotoma

fairies’ aprons

H

SA, A

Linaceae

Linum marginale

native flax

H

M, SA

Monimiaceae

Hedycarya angustifolia

austral mulberry

TST

M

Montiaceae

Montia australasica

white purslane

H

A

Myrtaceae

Baeckea utilis

mountain baeckea

LWS

SA, A

Callistemon pityoides

alpine bottlebrush

LWS

SA, A

Calytrix tetragona

fringe myrtle

LWS

M

Eucalyptus bicostata

blue gum

E

M

Eucalyptus delegatensis

alpine ash

E

M

Eucalyptus dives

broad-leaf peppermint

E

M

Eucalyptus obliqua

stringybark

E

M

Eucalyptus pauciflora

snow gum

E

SA

Eucalyptus radiata

narrow-leafed peppermint

E

M

Eucalyptus rubida

candlebark

E

M

Eucalyptus viminalis

ribbon gum

E

M

Kunzea muelleri

yellow kunzea

LWS

SA, A

Kunzea parvifolia

violet kunzea

LWS

M, SA

Leptospermum grandifolium

mountain tea-tree

TST

M

Leptospermum myrtifolium

myrtle tea-tree

LWS

M, SA, A

Onagraceae

Epilobium billardierianum

variable willow-herb

H

SA, A

Orchidaceae

Caladenia alpina

caladenia orchid

H

M, SA

Chiloglottis valida

common bird-orchid

H

M, SA, A

Dipodium roseum

hyacinth orchid

H

M

Diuris spp.

donkey orchids, snake orchids

H

M, SA, A

Orobanchaceae

Euphrasia crassiuscula

thick eyebright

H

SA, A

Pittosporaceae

Bursaria spinosa

sweet bursaria

TST

M

Plantaginaceae

Plantago muelleri

star plantain

H

SA, A

Veronica derwentiana

Derwent speedwell

LWS

M, SA

Veronica nivea

snow speedwell

LWS

SA, A

Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus lawrencei

mountain plum pine

LWS

A

Polygalaceae

Comesperma retusum

mountain milkwort

LWS

SA

Proteaceae

Grevillea australis

royal grevillea

LWS

SA, A

Grevillea victoriae

alpine grevillea

LWS

M, SA

Hakea lissosperma

mountain needle-wood

TST

SA

Lomatia fraseri

tree lomatia

TST

M

Orites lancifolius

alpine orites

LWS

SA, A

149

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Family

Species

Common name

Habit

Zone

Ranunculaceae

Psychrophila introloba

alpine marsh-marigold

H

A

Clematis aristata

old man’s beard

LWS

M

Ranunculus spp.

buttercups

H

SA, A

Rhamnaceae

Pomaderris aspera

hazel pomaderris

TST

M

Rosaceae

Acaena novae-zelandiae

bidgee-widgee

H

M, SA, A

Rubus parvifolius

small-leaf bramble

LWS

M

Rubiaceae

Asperula pusilla

alpine woodruff

H

A

Rutaceae

Asterolasia trymalioides

alpine starbush

LWS

SA, A

Boronia algida

alpine boronia

LWS

SA

Correa lawrenceana

mountain correa

TST

M, SA

Phebalium squamulosum

forest phebalium

LWS

SA, A

Exocarpos cupressiformis

cherry ballart, ballee

TST

M

Exocarpos nanus

alpine ballart

LWS

SA, A

Stylidiaceae

Stylidium armeria

trigger plant

H

M

Thymelaeaceae

Pimelea alpina

alpine rice-flower

LWS

SA, A

Pimelea axiflora

bootlace bush

LWS

M

Pimelea humilis

common rice-flower

LWS

M, SA

Pimelea ligustrina

tall rice-flower

LWS

M, SA

Melicytus dentatus

tree violet

TST

M, SA, A

Viola betonicifolia

mountain violet

H

M, SA, A

Viola hederacea

ivy-leafed violet

H

M, SA

Tasmannia xerophila

native pepper

LWS

SA, A

Santalaceae

Violaceae

Winteraceae

150

Index

Acacia alpina 88 Acaena novae-zelandiae 49 Aciphylla glacialis 10 Acrothamnus montanus 83 alpine ash  142 alpine ballart  119 alpine boronia  117 alpine bottlebrush  102 alpine colobanth  22 alpine daisy-bush  71 alpine everlasting  75 alpine grevillea  111 alpine marsh-marigold  47 alpine mint-bush  97 alpine orites  113 alpine pepper  124 alpine rice-flower  120 alpine shaggy-pea  95 alpine stackhousia  26 alpine starbush  116 alpine trachymene  12 alpine wattle  88 alpine westringia  100 alpine woodruff  50 Arthropodium milleflorum 13 Asperula pusilla 50 Asterolasia trymalioides 116 Atherosperma moschatum 129 austral mulberry  131 Australian caraway  11 Baeckea utilis 101 ballee 138 Bedfordia arborescens 127 bidgee-widgee 49 Billy buttons  61 black-anther flax-lily  16

black-eyed Susan  82 blanket leaf  127 blue gum  142 Bogong daisy-bush  72 bootlace bush  121 Boronia algida 117 Bossiaea disticoclada 89 Brachyscome nivalis 56 Brachyscome spp. 57 broad-leaf peppermint  142 Buffalo mint-bush  98 Bulbine glauca 15 Burchardia umbellata 27 Bursaria spinosa 133 buttercups 48 button everlasting  60 Caladenia alpina 41 caladenia orchid  41 Callistemon pityoides 102 Calytrix tetragona 103 candle heath  87 candlebark 143 Cardamine lilacina 18 carpet heath  86 cascade everlasting  77 Cassinia aculeata 70 Celmisia spp.  58 cherry ballart  138 Chiloglottis valida 42 Chrysocephalum semipapposum 59 Clematis aristata 114 climbing glycine  92 Colobanthus affinis 22 Comesperma retusum 110 common bird-orchid  42 common bitter-cress  18 151

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

common cassinia  70 common rice-flower  122 common sundew  29 coral heath  84 Coronidium scorpioides 60 Correa lawrenceana 137 Craspedia spp.  61 creamy candles  25 creeping fan-flower  35

Geranium potentilloides 32 Glycine clandestina 92 Gonocarpus montanus 36 Goodenia hederacea 34 gorse bitter-pea  91 Grevillea australis 111 Grevillea victoriae 112 grey guinea flower  81 groundsels 80

Daviesia latifolia 90 Daviesia ulicifolia 91 Derwent speedwell  107 Dianella revoluta 16 Dipodium roseum 43 Diuris spp.  44 donkey orchids  44 Drosera peltata 29 dusty daisy-bush  74

Hakea lissosperma 134 handsome flat-pea  94 hazel pomaderris  136 Hedycarya angustifolia 131 Herpolirion novae-zelandiae 17 Hibbertia obtusifolia 81 hoary sunray  64 hop bitter-pea  90 Hovea montana 93 hyacinth orchid  43

early Nancy  28 elderberry panax  126 Epacris gunnii 84 Epacris paludosa 85 Epilobium billardierianum 40 Eucalyptus bicostata 142 Eucalyptus delegatensis 142 Eucalyptus dives 142 Eucalyptus obliqua 142 Eucalyptus pauciflora 142 Eucalyptus radiata 142 Eucalyptus rubida 143 Eucalyptus viminalis 143 Euphrasia crassiuscula 45 Ewartia nubigena 62 Exocarpos cupressiformis 138 Exocarpos nanus 119 fairies’ aprons  37 forest phebalium  118 fringe myrtle  103 Gentianella spp.  30 Geranium antrorsum 31 152

Isotoma axillaris 19 ivy-leaf goodenia  34 ivy-leafed violet  53 kerosene bush  76 Kunzea muelleri 104 Kunzea parvifolia 105 leafy bossiaea  89 Leptorhynchos squamatus 63 Leptospermum grandifolium 132 Leptospermum myrtifolium 106 Leucochrysum albicans 64 Linum marginale 38 Lomandra longifolia 14 Lomatia fraseri 135 mat raspwort  36 Melicytus dentatus 139 Microseris lanceolata 65 milkmaids 27 Montia australasica 39 mountain baeckea  101

Index

mountain celery  10 mountain correa  137 mountain gentian  30 mountain hovea  93 mountain lettuce  66 mountain milkwort  110 mountain needle-wood  134 mountain plum pine  109 mountain (purple) violet  52 mountain tea-tree  132 musk daisy-bush  128 myrtle tea-tree  106 narrow-leaf bush-pea  96 narrow-leafed peppermint  142 native flax  38 native storksbill  33 native yam  65 old man’s beard  114 Olearia algida 71 Olearia argophylla 128 Olearia frostii 72 Olearia lirata 73 Olearia phlogopappa 74 orange everlasting  67 Oreomyrrhis eriopoda 11 Orites lancifolius 113 Ovens everlasting  78 Ozothamnus alpinus 75 Ozothamnus cupressoides 76 Ozothamnus secundiflorus 77 Ozothamnus stirlingii 78 Ozothamnus thyrsoideus 79 pale vanilla-lily  13 Pelargonium australe 33 Pentachondra pumila 86 Phebalium squamulosum 118 Pimelea alpina 120 Pimelea axiflora 121 Pimelea humilis 122 Pimelea ligustrina 123 Plantago muelleri 46

Platylobium montanum 94 Podocarpus lawrencei 109 Podolepis robusta 66 Podolobium alpestre 95 Polyscias sambucifolia 126 Pomaderris aspera 136 prickly starwort  24 Prostanthera cuneata 97 Prostanthera lasianthos 130 Prostanthera monticola 98 Prostanthera rotundifolia 99 Psychrophila introloba 47 Pultenaea mollis 96 Ranunculus spp.  48 ribbon gum  143 Richea continentis 87 rock lily  15 rosetted cranesbill  31 round-leaf mint-bush  99 royal bluebell  21 royal grevillea  112 Rubus parvifolius 115 Scaevola hookeri 35 scaly buttons  63 Scleranthus biflorus 23 Senecio spp.  80 showy isotome  19 silver ewartia  62 silver snow daisies  58 sky lily  17 small-leaf bramble  115 snake orchids  44 snow beard-heath  83 snow daisies  57 snow daisy  56 snow daisy-bush  73 snow gum  142 snow speedwell  108 soft cranesbill  32 southern sassafras  129 spiny-headed mat-rush  14 Stackhousia monogyna 25 153

P L A N T S O F T H E V I C T O R I A N H I G H CO U N T R Y

Stackhousia pulvinaris 26 star plantain  46 Stellaria pungens 24 sticky everlasting  79 stringybark 142 Stylidium armeria 51 swamp heath  85 sweet bursaria  133 tall rice-flower  123 Tasmannia xerophila 124 Tetratheca spp.  82 thick eyebright  45 Trachymene humilis 12 tree lomatia  135 tree violet  139 trigger plant  51 twin-flower knawel  23 Utricularia dichotoma 37

154

variable willow-herb  40 Veronica derwentiana 107 Veronica nivea 108 Victorian Christmas-bush  130 Viola betonicifolia 52 Viola hederacea 53 violet kunzea  105 Wahlenbergia ceracea 20 Wahlenbergia gloriosa 21 waxy bluebell  20 Westringia senifolia 100 white purslane  39 Wurmbea dioica 28 Xerochrysum subundulatum 67 yellow buttons  59 yellow kunzea  104