Last updated 17Oct22

ACT and nearby NSW Plants

I’m really making an effort in 2011 (and beyond) to get a grasp of plants.

Thanks to Margaret McJ who very kindly enthused me with her books she co-authored some years ago (Above the Cotter and Over the Hills and Tharwa Way) and to NPA ACT for their great publication Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT. Special thanks to Barrie R who is amazing and always answers my ‘Wot flower is that?’ emails and to Anne I’O who took me on a plant identification trip on 8 Jul 11.

Photographs are available.

Common Name Botanical Name Location Date
Photo
taken
click on the date
for a walk report		 Photograph
click on the thumbnail
for a larger photo
Yellow Pomaderris, Yellow Dogwood Pomaderris elliptica Below Gibraltar Peak 4 Oct 14
Carpet Heath Pentachondra pumila Main Range 12 Feb 13
Fringe Lily Thysanotus tuberosus Nadgigomar NR 27 Nov 12
Mountain Purplepea Hovea Montana Between Rolling Ground Gap and Leura Gap 27 Oct 12
Common Shaggy-pea Oxylobium ellipticum ‘Owl Rocks’ ridge above Prairie Dog Creek 9 Oct 12
Over the hills and Tharwa way p79; Above The Cotter p 71
Trigger plant Stylidium graminifolium Granite Tops Walking Track 12 Feb 13
14 Dec 11
Rice flower Pimelia linifolia Granite Tops Walking Track 14 Dec 11
Paper daisies – Hoary sunray Leucochrysum albicans Tidbinbilla Range 1 Nov 11
Prickly Starwort Stellaria pungens Tidbinbilla Range 1 Nov 11
Common Shaggy Pea Oxylobium ellipticum Tidbinbilla Range 1 Nov 11
Mountain Woodruff Asperula gunnii Tidbinbilla Range 1 Nov 11
Alpine boronia Boronia algida Tidbinbilla Range 1 Nov 11
Purple Eyebright Euphrasia collina Above Breakfast Creek;
AAWT;
Tidbinbilla Range		 20 Nov 12
17 Nov 12
29 Oct 11
Narrow-leaf Bitter-pea Daviesia mimosoides Tidbinbilla Range 29 Oct 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p131
Creamy Candles Stackhousia monogyna Tidbinbilla Range 29 Oct 11
Guinea flower Hibbertia genus Tidbinbilla Range 29 Oct 11
Leopard Doubletail orchid Diuris pardina Mt Majura 27 Oct 11
Field Guide to the Orchids of the Australian Capital Territory p120-121
Small-leaved kunzea Kunzea parvifolia Mt Majura 27 Oct 11
Member of the potato/tomato/egg plant family Solanum (spp), cinereum Black Mountain 24 Oct 11
Nodding Blue Lily Stypandra glauca Black Mountain 24 Oct 11
Signage on Black Mountain – Grows to 1 metre high. The clasping leaves occur all the way up the stem. Its lily-like flowers usually occur in winter and spring and have conspicuous yellow stamens.
Red stringybark Eucalyptus macrorhyncha Black Mountain 24 Oct 11
White Speedwell Derwentia derwentiana Ridge S of Apollo Rd 12 Oct 11
Mountain pink-bells Tetratheca bauerifolia Below Blundells Hill 11 Oct 11
Love creeper Comesperma volubile Below Blundells Hill 11 Oct 11
Common hovea Hovea linearis Frost hollow E of The Spinnaker 8 Oct 11
Austral Bears Ear Cymbonotus preissianus Frost hollow E of The Spinnaker 8 Oct 11
Purple Eyebright Euphrasia collina Pierce Trig 2 Oct 11
African Love Grass Eragrostis curvula Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Scribbly Gum Eucalyptus rossii Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Broad leaved-Peppermint Eucalyptus dives Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Apple box Euclayptus bridgesiana Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 12 Jul 11
8 Jul 11
Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Yellow box Eucalyptus melliodora Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Red box Eucalyptus polyanthemos Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Native sarsaparilla-Purple coral pea Hardenbergia violacea Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Native raspberry Rubus parvifolius Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
 Above the Cotter p86 … resembles its relative, the introduced Blackberry, but has much smaller triple leaves.
Urn heath Melichrus urceolatus Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Blakelys red gum Euclayptus blakelyi Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Barbed wire grass Cymbopogon refractus Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Kurrajong Brachychiton populneum Mt Taylor Nature Reserve 8 Jul 11
Black cypress pine Callitris endlicheri 920m contour on the E flanks of the Clear Range 5 Jul 11
Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p19; Over the hills and Tharwa way p68
Maiden hair fern Adiantum spp At Marshalls weir off the Brindabella Rd 18 Jun 11
Old Mans Beard Clematis aristata Wombat Rd 18 Jun 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p79; Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p41 for Clematis microphylla; Above the Cotter p105 … named for the white silky seed coverings that follow the starry flowers.
Alpine Ash Eucalyptus delegatensis Wombat Rd 18 Jun 11
Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p75; Above the Cotter p24 – … was first described from near Delegate [hence the name], is a magnificent tree, with its dark-furrowed bark to halfway up the trunk and branches marked with ‘scribbles’. It only grows in mountain forests where snow falls in winter, from 900 metres up to about 1300 metres, but most commonly at about the 1200 metre level. It is found in Tasmania and the Victorian alps, where it often grows with the closely related Mountain Ash (E regnans). In NSW it extends as far north as the ACT; the fact that it is at the limit of its distribution is one reason why it tends not to reach its maximum height of 80 metres here. The other is its unusual response to fire. Most eucalypts survive fire, and reshoot rapidly after defoliation. Ash however is killed outright by intense fire, and regenerates from seed dropped into the rich ash bed.This explains the strangely even-aged stands of Ash we see; many stands in this part of the Brindabellas date from the great 1939 fires. The frequency of fires has increased dramatically since European settlement. Evidence from Alpine Ash stands in the ACT, collected by famous horticulturists and botanist Lindsay Pryor in 1939, indicated that from 1740 (the age of the oldest Ash he found) to 1850 there were no large destructive crown fires in the area! Since then fires have occurred regularly. In order to regenerate then, Alpine Ash needs an intense fire before it dies of natural causes; however it does not set seed until it is 15 years old, so a fire in that time will kill the current generation; Over the hills and Tharwa way p39
Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia Beside Chalet Rd going in to Bendora Arboretum 18 Jun 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p167; Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p51
Mistletoe Amyema miquellii By rail line E of Chisholm 4 Jun 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p67; Eyes or No Eyes p3
Shiny Daisy Bush Olearia tenuifolia Beside the Mt Tennent Walk 28 May 11
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Olearia~tenuifolia; Over the hills and Tharwa way p71 Mount Tennent is a stronghold for the uncommon daisy shrub. Blue flowers are borne among sticky foliage throughout the year.
Silver Banksia Banksia marginata Round Flat Fire Trail at Roberts Creek 24 May 11
Above the Cotter p44 … the creamy flower-heads appear in drier forests in Autumn; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p15; Over the hills and Tharwa way p54 … has large pale golden autumn flower spikes which consist of thousands of individual flowers. Each flower resembles those of its relatives, the Grevilleas. When a fertilised seed is dropped, a gaping ‘mouth’ is produced in the dried cone.
Bracken Fern Pteridium esculentum On Warks Rd 21 May 11
Above the Cotter p40,41 … perhaps the most widely recognised Australia fern, that tough wiry coloniser of disturbed land. It is that habit that has led many people to assume that Bracken is introduced to Australia; it is in fact part of a closely related international complex. It is known to be toxic to stock in large quantities.
Fishbone Fern Blechnum nudum In Howells Creek 21 May 11
Above the Cotter p40,41 … almost every creek is crowded with the glossy green leaves, divided into many narrow ‘leaflets’.
Native Stinging Nettle Urtica incisa In Howells Creek 21 May 11
 Above the Cotter p86 … has a virulent sting; Over the hills and Tharwa way p73
Sweet Bursaria (Blackthorn or Christmas Bush) Bursaria spinosa or Bursaria lasiophylla Beside Lees Creek 8 Jul 11
21 May 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p58 … is a prickly plant of the rocky hills. Its other name, Christmas Bush, is due to its massed scented white summer flowers. The brown pods remain on the bush; Above the Cotter p105; Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p44
Wedge-leaf Wattle Acacia pravissima Above Condor Creek 21 May 11
Over the hills and Tharwa way p47 … is a lovely weeping shrub of streamsides.
Australian bluebell (Tall or Austral Bluebell) Wahlenbergia stricta ACT border S of Old Goldmines Rd 10 May 11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahlenbergia_stricta
Blackberry Rubus fruticosis Cotter River, E of Condor Hill 7 May 11
Above the Cotter p10 … is a member of the rose family
Alpine Snow Gum Eucalyptus pauciflora ssp. debeuzevillei Gingera ridge 30 Apr 10
Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p66; Above the Cotter p13
Alpine Grevillea Grevillea alpina Sentry Box Mountain at ~1700m 26 Apr 11
Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p80
Diggers Speedwell Derwentia perfoliata Sentry Box Mountain 26 Apr 11
 Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p55; Above the Cotter p100; Over the hills and Tharwa way p164
Mountain Pepper Tasmannia xerophylla)/Tasmannia lanceolata (syn. Drimys lanceolata) Sentry Box Mountain 26 Apr 11
Above the Cotter p73; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p35
Cauliflower Bush/Dogwood Cassinia longifolia NE flank of Sentry Box at ~1300m and ~500m in from edge of grassed valley 26 Apr 11
 Above the Cotter p52; Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p49; Over the hills and Tharwa way p116 … is everywhere abundant. It has massed tiny white flowers in summer. Its leaves are much longer and less sticky than its equally widespread relative Common Cassini (cassinia aculeata).
Candlebark Eucalyptus rubida Sams Creek fire trail, near Lutons Crutching Shed 26 Apr 11
 Above the Cotter p13; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p63
Black Sallee Eucalyptus stellulata Old Boboyan Rd, Naas Creek valley 26 Apr 11
Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p67
Long-leaf (or Mountain) Lomatia Lomatia myricoides Lower Rendezvous Creek 23 Apr 11
Above the Cotter p116Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p29; Over the hills and Tharwa way p146 … is a tall shrub of the upper slopes, especially in damp and sheltered situations. Its narrow toothed leaves are distinctive, as are its abundant white flowers in summer and the brittle boat-shaped fruit which remain on the bush. Both flowers and fruit are reminiscent of its close relatives the Grevilleas.
Grevillea Grevillea sp aff alpina East of Warks Rd near Greens weir 19 Apr 11
Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p80
Tree fern Dicksonia antarctica Collins Creek at Parrot Rd 12 Apr 11
Above the Cotter p88
Woolly Tea-tree Leptospernmum lanigerum Little Collins Creek at intersection of Parrot-Chalet Rds 12 Apr 11
 Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p28; Over the hills and Tharwa way p88 … is a large shrub or paper-barked tree along streamlines. Its leaves are variable; young ones are thinner and purplish. Buds are furry.
Narrow-leaved Peppermint Gum Eucalyptus radiata ssp robertsonii Warks Rd just N of Wombat Rd-Bendora Break intersection 29 Mar 11
 Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p85
Manna Gum or Ribbon Gum Eucalyptus viminalis Warks Rd just N of Wombat Rd-Bendora Break intersection 18 Jun 11
29 Mar 11
Cherry ballart Exocarpos cupressiformis Warks Rd ESE of Bushranger weir 29 Mar 11

Above the Cotter p66,106; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p24
Purple Flax Lily, Anther Flax-lily Dianella revoluta near Forest Knob 29 Mar 11
 Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p70
Rough Currant-bush Coprosma hirtella Pago Break 29 Mar 11

Above the Cotter p56; Over the hills and Tharwa way p79 … is in the same family as coffee. It has edible red berries in summer.
Dodder Cassytha spp Bushranger Creek at Warks Road 28 Mar 11
 Above the Cotter p48,46,109; Wildflowers of the Bush Capital p91
Blanket bush Bedfordia arborescens Warks Rd near Bushranger Weir 28 Mar 11

Above the Cotter p52,53,20; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p16
Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon Warks Rd just SW of Warks Camp 28 Mar 11

Above the Cotter p62; Field Guide to the Native Trees of the ACT p49; Over the hills and Tharwa way p101 … is a common small tree of sheltered areas. It has dark green glossy phyllodes with parallel veins and pale yellow flowers in early spring. Masses of twisted brown pods remain for much of the year. The red aril that surrounds each seed is definitive; its purpose is to attract the ants which distribute the seeds.
Grass tree Xanthorrhoea australis Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve 15 Feb 11
 Above the Cotter p45

References

A guide to eucalypts in the ACT

Others

Bidgee Widgee (Acaena anserifolia p86 ATC) / (Acaena novae-zelandiae OthaTw p73) … is a relative of the roses and blackberries. It forms dense mats of fern-like leaves in sheltered areas. Its incredibly sticky burrs are designed to transport the seeds in the fur of animals. Human socks make a perfectly acceptable substitute!
Sphagnum Moss p98 ATC
Snow Grass (Poa spp) Over the hills and Tharwa way p121
Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) Over the hills and Tharwa way p120
Great Mullein or Lambs Ears/Tongue (Verbascum thapsus) – weed p58,67 OthaTw61 … Originally from Europe, the weed is also known as Lamb’s Ears for its soft furry greyish leaves. Its yellow flowers appear in the second year on a flower stem up to 2 metres high. The dead stem may remain on the plant all year.
Dwarf Geebung (Persoonia chamaepeuce) OthaTw p90 … is a sprawling mat plant with pine-like leaves. it has small yellow tube flowers with turned back petals and green fleshy fruit with a ‘tail’.