Wild Windellama

by Paul Alessi

November 2005

Drosera auriculata ( Sundew)

More than half the world's 90 odd species of Sundew are Australian,
this genus takes on many forms, some are climbers and some are aquatics,
but one common sundew Drosera auriculata can be found in our paddocks at this
time of year, Sundew are unusual in that they are carnivorous, a moist sticky
dew like substance is held on hairs on the outsides of the leaves
trapping small insects that land there and becoming food for the plant.
According to the text books the flowers should be white but those
I have seen have bright pink flowers so I think there needs to be more study
done on our carnivorous Sundews.

Pultenaea microphylla ( Bacon and Egg)

One of the large family of pea flowered plants, P.microphylla
is very common on our harder ground especially yellow clays
in the eastern part and on towards Nerriga, it is a very attractive
groundcover flowering yellow and orange from early October. The leaves are
blunt tipped.There is another similar Pultenaea species growing in Windellama
and that is the threatened species P. pedunculata.

Pultenaea pedunculata

Very similar to P. microphylla above but the flowers are a brighter yellow,
and the centre is more red than orange and they are on a definite stem or peduncle
about 10mm long, the leaves are pointed on the ends, although common in some parts
of Windellama this is a very rare species, and is on the list of Australian threatened plants
it is found in a few disjunct locations in south and eastern Australia, more than half the known world population of this species is in Windellama, it prefers to grow along gully lines.


 

 

Copyright Paul Alessi 2005

GO BACK TO INDEX