Author: Chris Joyce

Scientific name: Myoporum acuminatum subsp australe
 
This delightful plant is far tougher than it looks. An inhabitant of coastal wetlands north from Southern NSW to Far North Queensland; its ability to tolerate salt and long periods of dryness experienced in these environments make this one tough little customer.
 
The leaves are egg shaped, thick and glossy and arranged alternately on the stem. White flowers with 5 petals form the shape of a rosette and appear through Spring/Summer often with purple spotting within the throat of the flower. These are followed by a smallish purple drupe or berry.
 
It is an understory plant often found below Mangrove, Eucalypt and Casuarina vegetation communities and has a sprawling habit reaching a nominal height of half a metre and will grow in full sun to part shade. The shrub is quite common within the Hays Inlet catchment. The flowers although small are numerous and later in the season are often accompanied by the fruit making. This is a very attractive small shrub.
 
The environment in which it grows is harsh one and only a limited number of species can thrive successfully making this plant an excellent specimen for re-vegetation projects and indeed deserving of a place in coastal gardens. Like many plants found in harsh environments it has the ability to close its stomata on the underside of the leaves to prevent water loss during hot and dry conditions.
 
Birds, marsupials and mammals are known to eat the fruits and Indigenous people used the berries to flavour their cooking as the berry was considered too bitter to eat on its own.
 
 
References:-
 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoporum_boninense
 
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Myoporum~boninense
 
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/MYOPORUM+BONINENSE+SUBSP.+AUSTRALE
 
http://coolumnatives.com/wordpress/vines-and-groundcovers/

Scientific name: Eucalyptus seeana

This Eucalypt occurs as scattered individuals in woodlands and open forests often on low, swampy, sandy soils. It is relatively common within the remaining stands of gums associated with the wetlands of Hays Inlet. It can grow to a height of 40 meters, is often crooked and is characterised by having white or grey, smooth bark which can shed in large plates.

Overall these trees are not that common with patchy distribution. Within Australia they are restricted to North Eastern New South Wales and South Eastern Queensland (from Taree in NSW to Caloundra in Queensland). Some populations of these trees in New South Wales are considered endangered.

The leaves are a dull green colour up to 10 – to 18 cm in length and 1 – 2 cm in width and often characterised by having a weeping structure. These leaves are an important source of fodder for local koala populations.  Their flowers are white and appear between September and December when they attract honeyeaters and lorikeets, sugar, yellow-bellied and squirrel gliders along with flying foxes. This tree is very similar in appearance to another local smooth barked gum tree Eucalyptus tereticornis (Queensland Blue Gum).  

This important Eucalypt is generally uncommon and so we should treasure their presence in Redcliffe and the Hays Inlet. They are a koala tree and adapted to dealing with moist soils hence they are often associated with Melaleuca. In terms of our Koala Habitat project these trees would be an ideal plant for Clontarf.

Scientific name: Kennedia rubicunda

This vine is found in the open patches of forest habitat around Hays Inlet and can be observed at the entrance of the “ecotrail” at Silcock Street, Clontarf. A strong vine it grows to 4 meters and can be found in coastal through to mountain areas up to 1200 meters and is distributed from Victoria to Northern Queensland.

The vines grow vigorously and often form dense mats around vegetation. The flowers are dark red in colour and the fruit or seed pods are green and covered in fine hairs. The flowers attract local nectar feeding birds including the brown honeyeater.

Scientific Name: Eustrephus latifolis

This is a small wiry vine and is common in a number of habitats around Hays Inlet, although usually associated with Eucalypt forest. It is found along the Eastern coast of Australia from Victoria to the tip of Cape York. It is also distributed across Melanesia. It can either climb on other vegetation or can take the form of ground cover. It prefers semi-shaded areas and is often associated with the edge of patches of forest.

Wombat Berry prefers moist sandy soils and can tolerate extended periods of dryness once established. The vine can grow to around a meter in length with long leaves which are characterised by longitudinal veins. It is relatively slow growing and usually has little impact on other vegetation by avoiding smothering.

It produces white flowers in spring and summer which then form green round seedpods. These seedpods or fruit turn orange when ripe and when they open you can see the black seeds as well as a white pulp. The white pulp is edible (tastes a bit like coconut) and the roots are also able to be eaten.

Scientific name: Hardenbergia violacea

This is a vine or a scrambling plant with tough wiry stems and is also known as the Purple Coral Pea. Up to 2 metres in length it grows on shrubs and even the base of trees. It can be seen around Hays Inlet in the open woodland areas including Eucalypt forest. It is a widespread species found along the coast from central Queensland all the way around to South Australia and Tasmania.

It has bright violet flowers with a yellow spot on each petal. The leaves are green and leathery and the vine produces seed pods around 5 cm in length (you can see these pods on the photo above). These pods contain 6 to 8 seeds and go brown when mature. Native Sarsaparilla is a legume and is good at fixing nitrogen in soils. The plant copes with fire by regrowing from the root system under the soil. The roots and leaves used to be made up into a tea by early European settlers.

The flowers attract nectar eating insects which are then targeted by insect eating birds including the local Grey Fantail, Noisy Minor and the Willie Wagtail. It is also a host species for a number of butterflies. The Native Sarsaparilla has also been propagated by a number of commercial nurseries for use in local gardens.

Scientific name: Eucalyptus robusta

This Eucalypt is big and robust (hence it’s scientific name) tree with thick red bark that often peels away from the trunk in long strips. It is a Eucalypt and favours coastal areas including the fringes of the Hays Inlet wetlands. It is an important tree for coastal koalas as it can tolerate some levels of inundation and so is often found around the border between Melaleuca swamp and Eucalypt forest.

The tree can grow to a height of 30 meters with a straight trunk which can up to a meter in diameter. The wood from this tree is highly resistant to marine borers making it a valuable commodity for boat builders. The tree has been exported and is now grown in Argentina, China, Mozambique and the USA.

It has large leathery green leaves which form a major part of koala’s diet. The tree flowers in autumn through to spring providing a valuable source of nectar for grey-headed flying foxes and a number of species of bird including honeyeaters and lorikeets. The tree provides a significant habitat for a numerous insects which also attract the attention of insectivores including birds.