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Australian Plants Newsletter No.2
- To: b*@pnc.com.au
- Subject: Australian Plants Newsletter No.2
- From: B* W* <b*@pnc.com.au>
- Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 06:33:04 +1000
Australian Plants online - Newsletter
Number 2 - February 1998
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Published by The Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants
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CONTENTS
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Name for the Newsletter?
3. Site Transfer update
4. Some Dates for Your Diary
5. Hello from Sweden
6. Politically (In)correct
7. Hummock Grasses
8. Banksia Growing in the Himalayas
9. Jelly Bush????
10. Casuarina Regeneration after Fire
11. Edna Walling
12. New Book - Growing Australian Plants in Europe
13. Missing Jasmine
14. Earth Mother
15. Mistletoe and the Mistletoe Bird
16. Germination - Help Needed!
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1. About this Newsletter
--------------------------------------
This is the second online newsletter issued to subscribers to "Australian
Plants online" (plus a number of others whom, I thought, might be
interested). The aim is to provide a bit more contact between the Society
for Growing Australian Plants and the online community than is possible
through APOL alone.
A number of the questions sent to the Society's web site would benefit from
input from Australian plant enthusiasts everywhere, so the newsletter will
facilitate this input (a mailing list would be better but that's a bit
further down the track!) If you can assist with a particular question,
please contact the person involved directly and also send a copy to
me....your response might also be of interest to others.
The Newsletter will probably not issue at any specific time interval. I'll
issue it when enough material is to hand or when I need to pass on
information quickly.
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2. A Name for the Newsletter?
-----------------------------------------------
If the newsletter becomes more or less ongoing, should it have a name?
Send me your suggestions....serious or (preferably) frivolous!
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3. Site Transfer update
-------------------------------------
Transfer of the web site to the Charles Sturt University has commenced but
it will not be operational until early-mid March. This may mean that the
next issue of APOL will be delayed slightly as it can't be put on line
until the transfer is complete
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4. Some Dates for Your Diary
-----------------------------------------------
If you happen to be within driving distance of the following plant sales,
don't miss the chance to pick up a few bargains!
* Oakland California
Sunday March 22; 10am to 2pm
The California Horticulture Society will be holding their annual sale at
the Lakeside Park Garden
Centre in Oakland (off the Grand Ave. exit from Hwy 580, near Lake Merrit).
Thousands of plants will be available for you to choose from.. Cal Hort
members will be available to
give advice about any of the plants for sale.
* Leopold (Geelong region), Victoria - Plant Sale
Saturday 28 to Sunday 29, March 1998
To be held at "Uranagong", 25 Melaleuca Road, Leopold (Geelong region),
this annual event will feature 1000s of Australian native plants for sale
at very reasonable prices. There will also be book sales, display garden,
light refreshments and a BBQ. Adults $2.00; children free.
* Campbelltown, New South Wales - Plant Sale/Art Show
Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 April 1998
To be held at the Mt Annan Botanic Garden. A wide range of displays and
activities is being arranged including propagation demonstrations (grafting
and cutting), guided tours of the nursery and collections, guided walks
through the Botanic garden, art works based on the Australian flora ....and
lots, lots, lots of plants for sale!.
The Botanic Garden entrance is signposted on Narellan Road, about 1 km
north of the Camden exit from the South Western Freeway.
* Grovely, Queensland - Plant Sale
Sunday 19 April 1998
An annual sale with many species not commonly available and including
native daisies, grevilleas, bush tucker plants, etc. The sale will be held
at the Grovely TAFE college.
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5. Hello from Sweden
----------------------------------
Nathanael Simonsson is 16 years old. He is interested in the Australian
flora and will be attending high school in Brisbane next year for 12
months. He is interested in contacting people in Australia with the aim of
exchanging seeds. He has about 1.000 species of Swedish native plants
and his seedlist is online at:
http://www.torget.se/users/k/Kohleria/Frolista.txt
I have advised Nathaneal of the addresses of several Australian seed
suppliers and also mentioned that exchange of seeds internationally can be
difficult as many countries require that an inspection by quarantine
officials be undertaken and that a Phytosanitary Certificate accompany the
consignment. He has assured me that Sweden has no specific restrictions
on seed imports (he has received seeds and other plant material from from
Tasmania, New Zealand, USA, Hawaii, Germany, Singapore and other countries
without any problems).
Nathanael's address is: kohleria@hotmail.com
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6. Politically (In)correct
-------------------------------------
A few months ago there was a discussion on the Medit-Plants mailing list
about political correctness in regard to plant names. It arose because of
the name "Kaffir Lily" which is applied to Clivia miniata. The original
author wrote:
" We had a visitor to the garden anonymously inform us that the word
"kaffir" is equivalent to the word "nigger." Is this true? For those of you
in other countries where the word is not considered offensive, how would
you respond? I'm not aware of the word "kaffir" being derogatory in the
States."
The discussion went on for a week or so with the majority suggesting an
alternative name would be preferable (many suggested to just call it
"Clivia" as it's not a particularly difficult name to pronounce).
The reason I'm raising this is because there are several Australian plants
which have "uncomfortable" common names. The one most often used is
"blackboy" for Xanthorrhoea species. My understanding is that the name
dates from early colonial times and refers to the supposed resemblance of
the black trunk and spear-like flower stem to an aborigine holding a spear.
Personally, I don't think there can be any justification for perpetuating
"blackboy" as a common name and you won't find it on the SGAP web site
(where the alternative, "grass tree", is used).
There is at least one other (less common) example that comes to mind and
that is "Niggerhead" or "Negrohead" beech for Nothofagus moorei.
Am I being over sensitive about this? What do you think?
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7. Hummock Grasses
-----------------------------------
The following note was received from Phil Davids:
"I am currently working (PhD) on Australian Hummock Grasses (Triodia sp,
Lazarides 1997) mainly looking at their seed biology for regeneration
purposes (all Plectrachne and Triodia species are now in the same genus
Triodia, representing 64 species).
Should anyone be interested in hummock grasses, I am only too happy to
collaborate. My full contact details are:
Phil Davids
University of Queensland
Department of Agriculture
Brisbane Qld 4072
Tel: (07) 3365 4814
Fax: (07) 3365 1177
Email: Phillip.Davidson@mailbox.uq.edu.au"
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8. Banksia Growing in the Himalayas
------------------------------------------------------------
Ganesh Mani Pradhan is a keen grower in the north-east Himalayan Mountains
and he contacted me for information on growing banksias. At present he has
email but no access to the web site so I sent him the text of the Banksia
web page. He is keen to correspond with banksia growers in Australia to
"exchange ideas and tips for better adapting these plants to our area."
If you'd like to correspond with Ganesh, his email address is:
gmps.kpg@sikkim.org
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9. Jelly Bush????
------------------------------
Did anyone see the story on an Australian native plant which was referred
to as "Jellybush"? I wasn't paying attention when it appeared as a short
segment on television late last year. The plant supposedly had some
beneficial medicinal properties which were the subject of research.
I asked John Wrigley about this and he wasn't sure either but on "talking
to some bee keepers, jelly bush is the name they give to two leptospermums,
L. laevigatum and L.polygalifolium. The reason is that the nectar produces
very thick honey. Whether this is the same jelly bush mentioned in the TV
segment, I don't know."
So, does anybody know? And, if so, what are the beneficial properties of
the plant?
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10. Casuarina Regeneration after Fire
--------------------------------------------------------------
Anne I'ons (anneions@dynamite.com.au) wrote:
"Could some kind person please point me to information, either on two legs
or in a book/magazine, gov publication etc etc on casuarina regeneration?
The recent fire on Mt Taylor appears to have destroyed many copses of well
matured and young casuarina Verticillata and we wish to know more about the
possibility of regeneration by regrowth or seeding? Years for this to
happen, etc etc."
I wasn't much help with this so I hope some readers might be better able to
help. My reply was:
"There are several publications on fire and the Australian flora but these
tend to concentrate on eucalypt response. I haven't seen anything
significant on Casuarina. The only info I have to hand at present is the
following short reference in "Coping with Fire" by A M Gill in "The Biology
of Australian Plants" edited by J S Pate and A J McComb.
'Both Banksia ericifolia and Casuarina distyla of the heathlands turn out
to be category 1 species. Although readily killed by fire, These species
store seeds in dry dehiscent fruits of their canopies and when these seeds
are released shortly after fire a source of regeneration is assured.'
(Note: Category 1 species are those which die with 100% leaf scorch but
have seed storage on the plant.)"
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11. Edna Walling
---------------------------
Kristine Taylor (krisdon@powerup.com.au) is interested in finding
information on Edna Walling (a famous name in Australian landscape
gardening) - both on her personal life and on her garden designs.
I was able to track down some publications by Anne O'Donovan (which I
mentioned to Kristine), but, perhaps, others might know of other sources.
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12. New Book - Growing Australian Plants in Europe
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
Tim Longville, writing from "a wild and wet and windy Solway Firth" in the
UK advises that a new book - " Australian Plants: A Guide To Their
Cultivation In Europe" has recently been published. The authors are Jeff
Irons and Thomas Ross. Jeff is a member of SGAP and is also the Secretary
of the Australasian Plant Society in the UK.
I haven't seen the book but it must be good as it includes some of my
slides (that's my last ego-trip, promise!). Tim reckons that it's a "very
handsomely produced book, too, as well as an informative one: a real
pleasure to have it."
The book sells for 25 pounds Sterling + 4 pounds P & P. I presume you can
get it direct from Jeff at:
"Stonecourt",
74 Brimstage Road,
Heswall, Wirral, L60, 1XQ,
United Kingdom
A sad postscript to the book is that Thomas Ross died before it was published
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13. Missing Jasmine
----------------------------------
Mary Lenarduzzi has been trying to buy a Jasminum lineris for ten years and
can't find anyone who has one. She writes:
"I bought a couple from SGAP in Canberra in 1985 or thereabouts - they
didn't do at all well - until we moved to South Australia. In the
Adelaide hills they found a new lease of life and thrived until the dog dug
them up. I have been trying to replace them ever since..... why isn't this
plant grown for cultivation more frequently? "
Why indeed? In fact, why aren't other native jasmines grown more often? I
have Jasminum suavissimum and it is a wonderful plant - not excessively
vigorous and with a magnificent perfume.
Anyway, if anyone knows a source of J.linearis, please let Mary know.
(mlenarduzzi@chariot.net.au).
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14. Earth Mother
---------------------------
Martin Storey has an interesting project......
"I am currently working on two species which have anecdotal evidence
showing they require Mother Soil (ie soil from around the natural site) in
order for cuttings to strike, they are Ricinocarpos pinifolius and
Tetratheca ciliata. I am studying Mycorrhizal fungi at Queensland
University and am conducting experiments on these two species to see if it
is a Mycorrhizal relationship which allows them to strike and if it is so
what is this relationship as cuttings do not have any roots for the plants
to relate to!
I would like to know if anyone has had experienced particular success with
any plants grown in "Mother Soil" as opposed to plants grown in potting
mix. If there is any anecdotal evidence for better germination or better
strike rate of cuttings please contact me by email (mvstorey@hotmail.com)
or post to 36 Rangeview St Rochedale 4123, or phone (H) 32199105 or (W)
33657338."
I'm absolutely no help with this one so, over to you!!!
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15. Mistletoe and the Mistletoe Bird
----------------------------------------------------------
Roxanne Sponnoble (rachaelg@gil.com.au) is visiting from Hood River in
Oregon and would appreciate any observations on the relationship between
the mistletoe bird and the mistletoe plant. Any further source of
information on these would be greatly appreciated.
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16. Germination - Help Needed!
--------------------------------------------------------
Sjaan Bidwell is a PhD student at Melbourne University. He has been trying
to germinate seed of Hybanthus floribundus with no success. Is there
anyone who may may have had success germinating this species or growing
from cuttings ? He is also after some seed of Pimelea leptospermoides and
Stackhousia tryonii which are endemic to the serpentine areas in central
Queensland.
If you can help, please contact Sjaan at: s.bidwell@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au
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Finally.......
------------------
Those of you who are subscribers to the SGAP's print publication
"Australian Plants" might not be aware that a comprehensive index to
Volumes 1 to 18 will be available shortly. The Index covers all issue from
1959 to the end of 1996. It will be available in a printed form but it
will also be available in an electronic form, in Microsoft Word format. I
already have a copy and it has made the information in my collection of
"Australian Plants" much more accessible in dealing with enquiries to the
web site.
I don't know the cost yet but, if you are interested in a copy, let me know
and I'll get the details to you.
Best wishes
Brian
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