Spring Q-Z

Looking at the photographs To view the photographs, click on the species image to enlarge it,
then use the side arrows to page through images of the flowers, buds, fruit, leaves, foliage and plant(s) in the wild etc.
Viewing the meaning of botanical words To view the meaning of botanical words, hold the cursor on the blue word and the meaning will appear in a text box. On phones, turn to landscape to view all.
Based on Debenham C’s, The Language of Botany, A Publication of The Society for Growing Australian Plants, Chipping Norton NSW, c.1962.

Stackhousia monogyna

Botanical Name: Stackhousia monogyna
Commonly Called: Forest candles
Botanical Family: Celastraceae, syn. Stackhousiaceae
Grows: This easily recognised perennial plant with a glabrous tap-root grows in clumps up to 80cm high by up to 40cm wide. Its stems usually branch from the base and grow straight up, occasionally branching again.
Foliage: The alternate leaves are 2 to 10cm wide by 8 to 55cm long, sometimes thick but not fleshy. They are variable in form, narrow linear to narrow obovate and even spatulate, tapering to the stem while the tip may be rounded or flexible to hard pointed.
Flowers: The terminal spikes of stalk-less flowers are sweetly perfumed with each flower growing at a leaflet node. As with the leaves, the 2 to 5mm long bracts are variable in shape. The triangular sepals are 1-2mm long by 0.75 to 1.1mm wide. The white/cream floral tubes are 4 to 7mm long with 3 to 4mm long oblong lobes which have rounded or blunt pointed tips.
Flowering Season: The candle-shaped flower spikes appear in spring but flowering can continue into early autumn.
Fruit: The fruit, which mature in summer to early autumn, are 1 to 3 wrinkled, veined surface nutlets.
Habitat/distribution: This species is common and widespread around Tasmania in a range of habitats from sea level to 1350m. It is also found in Vic, NSW, SA, Qld and WA.
Where found: Throughout Tasmania especially open grassy areas; Meehan Range Nature Recreation Area; Bluff River Gorge, Bridport Wildflower, Cheltenham, Conningham, East Risdon, Knocklofty, Orford Thumbs, Peter Murrell, Tom Gibson, the Tarkine and many more Reserves; kunanyi/Wellington Park; Ben Lomond subalpine area, Freycinet including Schouten Island, Narawntapu, Rocky Cape, and Tasman National Parks.
Other notes: Various forms are found around the state. Propagate by cuttings from firm basal growth or from fresh seed. This short lived garden plant can have its life extended by hard pruning after flowering. It requires well-drained moist soil and full sun.

Vittadinia muelleri

Botanical Name: Vittadinia muelleri
Commonly Called: Narrowleaf New Holland daisy
Botanical Family: Asteraceae
Grows: This species is a small, bright green foliaged, upright, bushy, perennial plant.
Foliage: Several simple or branched stems grow from the root stock. The young stems have scattered glandular hairs. The leaves, 8 to 30 (up to 40)mm long by 1 to 8mm wide, often having 1 to 3 pairs of narrow, sharply pointed lobes. The leaves have coarse, simple hairs scattered over their surfaces, mainly along the leaf edges and the midribs. They are rarely glabrous and end with a point.
Flowers: The fusiform inflorescences with 8 to 14 bright green, glabrous, oblong bracts up to 6 to 8mm long and often with ciliate edges grow on long pubescent stalks. The typically 8 to 14 ray florets are mauve to deep purple.
Flowering Season: The flowers appear late spring and summer and may still be present in late autumn.
Fruit: The fruit are narrowly cuneate, 3.5–5 mm long, flattened cypsela and appears from mid summer through autumn. Their pappus bristles are barbellate and up to 5.5 to 7.5 mm long.
Habitat/distribution: Common in dry, open grasslands and woodlands . Also found in ACT, NSW, Vic and Qld.
Where found: near Bagdad Primary School along the Midlands Highway; Brinktop Bushland Reserve, Richmond; Campania; Cape Contrariety, Sandford; Clarence Coastal Track near Seven Mile Beach; Near Dodges Hill near Dodges Ferry; Elderslie; Forestier Peninsula; Gellibrand Drive, near Paroa Court Sandford; Glenora Road west of Plenty; Grassy Point, 2.4km SE of Sorell; Jim Bacon Memorial Reserve, West Moonah; Knocklofty Reserve; Lagoon Bay; near Llanherne House, Hobart Airport; Maria Island; Runnymede area; Tasman Highway, Buckland; Tranmere; and many more locations around greater Hobart.
Other notes: Its distinguishing features are the small bright green leaves and the deep mauve flowers on very long stems. This species produces many seeds and given the right conditions will self propagate. Fresh seed is easily propagated.

Zieria arborescens subsp. arborescens

Botanical Name: Zieria arborescens subsp. arborescens
Commonly Called: Stinkwood
Botanical Family: Rutaceae
Grows: A common shrub or small open tree with large trifoliate leaves found in wet sclerophyll forests or woodland. It grows up to 5 to 8m high by 2 to 3m wide.
Foliage: The trifoliate dark green leaves with 8 to 48mm long stems have leaflets as small as 15mm long by 3mm wide, but normally 30 to 128mm long by 6 to 29mm wide. They are variable in colour, narrow elliptic, oblong or lanceolate shaped. The upper surface is glabrous or becoming so, the underside also becoming glabrous or stellate-tomentose. The leaf edges are smooth and slightly recurved and end in a point.
Flowers: The clusters of many flowers grow from the leaf axils on stalks shorter than the leaves. The deltoid sepals, 1 to 2.5mm long, are tomentose, while the 4 white petals, 3.5 to 8mm long, are pubescent. The 4 celled ovary is smooth.
Flowering Season: The flowers may appear in winter but usually throughout spring and may still be present in summer.
Fruit: The fruit is a 4 celled capsule and appears from late spring through summer.
Habitat/distribution: A plant of wet sclerophyll forests, woodlands and outer rainforest and heath areas, also along waterways from sea level to about 1,100m. Also found in Vic, NSW and Q.
Where found: Many Reserves throught the State; kunanyi/Wellington Park lower areas; Meehan Range along water ways; most National Parks; Central Coast, Central Highlands, Derwent and Meander Valleys, Northern Midlands, St Marys Pass and West Coast.
Other notes: Its distinguishing features are the trifoliate leaves which have a strong unpleasant smell when crushed. A hardy plant for a moist area with part shade. This species is one of the first to regenerate in disturbed sites and is useful as a soil stabiliser. It is best propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings.

E indicates an endemic species and links to the relevant endemic page
E indicates an endemic species and links to the relevant endemic page
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A Guide to Tasmanian Flora
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