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Articles Pindan Post 84 Pindan Post No 84633 words A flower show second to none is on display throughout the region southwest of Broome, extending deep into the Great Sandy Desert. A recent field trip along remote tracks (and off track as well) blocked up the radiator with flowers and filled the car with flowers and leaves from shrubs encroaching the track when windows were left open. You won’t need to go to this much trouble, the highway to Port Hedland travels through similar country from Thangoo to Sandfire and Pardoo. A day trip from Broome along the highway to Pardoo and back is as good a “wildflower tour’ as you are ever likely to go on. The Proteaceae Family is represented by 5 species of Grevillea and 3 species of Hakea, all at various stages of flowering. The Holly Grevillea, Grevillea wickhamii, is at its best for years after the last good wet season, with a mass show of mostly red as well as orange to yellow flowers on shrubs sometimes reaching 5 or 6 meters. This species has prickly toothed holly like leaves and is represented by a further 5 sub species across Northern Australia. Two are growing in Broome gardens, a small shrubby subspecies from Mount House and Mount Elizabeth is in an Old Broome garden, but the local subspecies can be found in many local nature strips such as Walcott Street and Herbert Street. Grevillea refracta, the local Silver-leaf Grevillea is equally widespread in this region and its nectar filled orange flowers are honeyeater heaven at this time of year. This species can also reach 6 metres and has a ‘Christmas Tree’ shape. There are many of these shrubs showing up in local landscapes. They can also be seen between the Broome Golf Course and Gantheaume Point as well as up the Beagle Bay Road. The most spectacular flowers in this Genus however are the Flame Grevillea, Grevillea eriostachya. A smaller grey shrub with fine grey foliage to 1or 2 metres and then canes of flower heads up to 5 metres high in a good season. The terminal flower racemes are green in bud, becoming yellow as the flowers open, containing prodigious amounts of nectar. This showy species occurs on desert dunes, but can easily be seen on the few dunes near Sandfire and Pardoo. Often growing in the same vicinity is the Sandhill Grevillea, Grevillea stenobotrya, a bushy 5 metre shrub with narrow grey leaves and white bottlebrush like flowers. The most widespread is Grevillea pyramidalis, the Caustic Grevillea, a shrub to 3 or 4 metres and occasionally a small tree to 6metres. This species is just starting to change from red buds to white flower clusters, and can best be seen in the bush next to Tang Street. When fruiting occurs later in the year the caustic black sticky seed capsules should be left alone as contact can cause burning. Not to be outdone by the spectacular colours of the Grevilleas, the vast majority of Acacias are in the throes of flowering and fruiting at the same time. A sea of yellow to the horizon and the flowers are thick enough to provide a yellow cover over the red pindan when dropped after pollination. Several species are involved and include the showy groundcover, Acacia hilliana, seen growing splendidly in the traffic island at the Post Office. This species rarely grows above 1metre but can cover 4 or 5 square metres like a table top. Along with the other 10 to 15 species of wattles in this region currently flowering, the Paperbarks, including Melaleuca lasiandra and Melaleuca nevosa are showing off their bottlebrush flowers. The latter, with a mix of green, yellow and red flowers can also be seen between Willie Creek and Barred Creek. Both species are showing promise in Broome gardens. 14/06/06 |
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