Australian Plants

Tapeinocheilos ananassae (syn Tapeinocheilos queenslandiae)

Backscratcher Ginger. Stems to 3m high. Flowering cones on a short stem appear from the ground, and eventually open to reveal crimson bracts containiing yellow flowers in summer. A rainforest understorey plant.

Tecomanthe hilli

Fraser Island Climber. Vine with pinnate leaves usually with 3 - 7 leaflets. Beautiful lipstick pink tubular flowers 6cm long in clusters, in October. (Photo does not do it justice)

Tetragonia tetragonoides

Warrigal Greens, New Zealand Spinach. See my Australian Bush Tucker pages.

Thysanotus tuberosus

Fringed Lilly. Not noticed among the grasses etc. until the delicate 3cm mauve flowers appear in summer.

Toechima dasyrrache

Blunt-leaved Steelwood. Australian rainforest tree. Pinnate leaves with 2 - 4 leaflet pairs. Insignificant flowers followed by bright orange-red fruits 2cm across, 3 valved, with black seeds.

Toona australis

Red Cedar. In the Queensland or New South Wales rainforest this is a very large tree, and was well known for its beautiful cabinet timber. In the open it is a very spreading tree, with reddening leaves before they fall in winter. On mature specimens the bark is fairly distinct, red-brown and scaly. The leaves are compound, leaflets are lanceolate, dark green above but lighter underneath. Sprays of small white flowers occur within the foliage in spring. These are followed by brown fruit capsules (shown in photograph) in summer to autumn.When grown in a garden situation, the small trees are attacked by grubs in the nodes, especially in spring after the new growth has appeared. This can cause sprigs of new growth and small branches to fall off. The results is some disfiguring of the tree's shape, and sometimes stunting. I have heard it said the problem is worse when several trees are growing in the same area.

Wodyetia bifurcata

Foxtail palm. This beautiful Australian palm is becoming fairly common in Brisbane since controversy over illegal seed collecting from its restricted North Queensland habitat. It produces bunches of large orange fruit in winter.

Xanthorrhea species

Grass Tree. This Queensland plant can grow to over 3m tall. It survives bushfires. It consists of a thick black trunk with a grassy top. The green flowering stalk is topped by a flowering spike of hundreds of cream flowers. The stalk and flowering spike may be over 3m high. Birds enjoy the flowers, as well as the black seeds. Photographed on Stradbroke Island

Xanthostemon chrysanthus

Golden Penda. A Queensland rainforest tree, but usually seen as a large shrub/ small tree in cultivation. It has dark shiny green leaves to 18 cm and showy heads of yellow flowers about 10 cm across in autumn. The cultivar "Wallum Gold" is recommended.