Australian Plants

Calanthe triplicata

Christmas Orchid Photographed on Fraser Island. This terrestrial orchid has 600 mm leaves and bears racemes of white flowers. It was growing in a shady situation along a creek bank with plenty of mulch.

Callistemon pearsonii "Rocky Rambler"

One of several forms from Blackdown Tablelands, Central Queensland. Prostrate shrub with gold tipped red bottlebrush flowers several times per year. (Yes, I need a better photo!)

Callistemon pachyphyllus

Wallum Bottlebrush. The most usual form is a small upright shrub with red flowers. The form shown in the photo is a low spreading shrub with thick green bottlebrush flowers, flowering several times per year.

Calostemma luteum

Garland lily. A small plant with strap-like leaves to 40cm. Plants die back to the tuber in dry times. Heads of bright yellow flowers develop from a flowering stalk in summer. There are similar plants with pink or bright red flowers. (see next) Needs full sun.

Calostemma species

Similar to Calostemma luteum above, but has pink flowers with some yellow in the centres. There is also a type which has deep red flowers.

Canavalia rosea

Beach Bean. A vine commonly found among the coastal sand dunes, where it is a vigorous twiner, climbing over low shrubs. The light green leaves are fairly large and round. Edible beans emerge from the red pea flowers.

Carpobrotus aequilaterus

Pigface. Excellent groundcover with dark fleshy leaves and stems. Large pink flowers with yellow centres.

Cassia brewsteri

Leichhardt Bean. A medium spreading tree, with glossy dark green leaves. From a distance the flower bundles can appear a golden brown colour. At flowering time (spring) the tree may be almost or completely deciduous. The tree usually occurs in open woodland.

Castanospermum australe

Black Bean, Moreton Bay Chestnut. Large spreading tree with dark green pinnate leaves. The large red and yellow pea flowers occur in clusters along the branches in spring, followed by large, thick pods containing 4cm round seeds. See my Australian Bush Tucker pages to view leaves and fruit.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Yellow buttons. Ground cover with grey-green leaves and masses of yellow - orange flower heads to 1 cm

Commersonia bartramia

Medium, spreading tree, bushy to ground level, often seen growing on the banks of streams, and having a layered appearance. An abundance of creamy-white flowers in heads in Summer. Large, thin leaves. Fast growing.

Cordyline manners-suttoniae

Giant Palm Lily. Shrub to 4 m, usually with a single stem. The broad leaves are up to 500 mm x 130 mm, on 200 mm petioles. Bunches of white flowers are followed by 10 mm round red fruits in Autumn which persist for some time on the fruiting stem.

Corymbia ptychocarpa

see Eucalytpus ptychocarpa

Crinum pedunculatum

Spider Lily. Plant to 1.5 m with strap-like leaves. White flowers to about 12 cm occur in clusters from stalks rising above the foliage. Large 5 cm seeds follow the flowers.

Cryptocarya mackinnoniana

Rusty Laurel. A bushy tree with bright red-brown new growth which hangs limply from the branches. Leaves are large to 30cm. My plant seems to have a high water demand.

Cymbidium canaliculatum

Black Orchid. Flower colour varies from a dark brown to a speckled yellow. The specimen in the photograph had flower sprays to 300 mm, and the fluted leaves were up to 600 mm long. It naturally occurs in hardwood forest tree hollows.