Friends of Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens
Friends of Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens
* Click on image for more detail.
Family: Rubiaceae
Shrub to 4m. Clusters of showy, perfumed white, 4-petalled, 8mm flowers. Stipules to 5mm. Leaves opposite, hairless & glossy to 14cm. Globose, black fruit to 8mm. Important for butterflies & moths. Usually in drier rainforests.
Where to look: Northern side of walkway between Fern Glade and bottom of lagoon (in direction of open lawns, just past the Bolwarras).
Family: Apocynaceae
Shrub, semi-deciduous to 2m. Leaves opposite, hairless to 9cm. Milky sap. White 5-petalled perfumed flowers to 25mm. Banana shaped yellow fruit to 4.5cm, often in pairs, opens to show red seeds POISONOUS. Flowering spring to summer. Fruiting around February.
Where to look: Arts & Ecology Centre. & throughout the Gardens.
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Tree to 16m. Leaves alternate, toothed. New growth pink, showy, old leaves sometimes red. Flowers spring and summer, white, 10mm, fringed in racemes. Fruit bright blue, oval, 10mm long.
Where to look: Throughout the gardens.
Family: Malvaceae
Large hairy shrub to 7m with prickly stems. Leaves hairy, lobed or simple, serrate to 18cm. Flowers winter to summer. Petals pink with reddish stripe at base, calyx to 3cm long, densely hairy. Fruit hairy capsule to 30mm long.
Where to look: At the end of the Sculpture garden and behind the Friendship Colonnade.
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Buttressed tree to 30m of wetter rainforests. Leaves alternate, serrate, glabrous to 30cm. Petiole 5-27mm. New leaves pinkish red. Flowers late spring, 5 petalled, white. Fruit hairy capsule, yellowish brown splitting to 3 to 5 segments, black seed with orange red aril.
Where to look: In the middle of the lawn on the way to the Whipbird Walk. (Usually in rainforest).
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Shrub to 4 m on stony or sandy soils. Leaves alternate to 10cm. Flowers summer to autumn, small yellowish. Orange fruit with 8 segments, 10mm, round.
Where to look: Near Kurrajong Shelter.
Family: Myrtaceae
Tree to 10m in swampy areas. Bark papery. 30mm leaves opposite, aromatic. White flowers in spikes to 5cm, spring and summer. Woody seed capsules to 3.5mm.
Where to look: In garden below A&E.
Family: Myrtaceae
Tree to 15m along watercourses and in moist gullies. Rough, scaly, fissured bark. Leaves opposite to 7cm long tapering to a fine point. Crushed leaves very aromatic. Flowers spring to summer, white, 5-petalled to 3mm, stamens longer than sepals to 9mm. Woody brown seed capsule to 7mm with 5 enlarged brown sepals.
Where to look: Next to pond at A&E and throughout the gardens.
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Woody plant to 4m, sometimes branched. Leaves tufted at top of trunk, green, narrow, diamond shaped in cross-section. Cylindrical, woody flower spike to 2m autumn to summer.
Where to look: At the entrance to the Sculpture garden.
Family: Proteaceae
Stiff, erect, multi-stemmed shrub to 3.5m. On swampy ground, mostly coastal. Stiff leaves to 30cm in whorls, serrate. Stems and underside of leaves rusty hairy. Compact flower brushes to 20cm, green turning creamy-yellow, fade to rusty brown, spring to summer. Woody fruits with valves to 1.3cm remain on bush.
Where to look: Outside the A&E and throughout the gardens.
Family:Pittosporaceae
Tree to 20m. Leaves alternate or whorled to16cm, sometimes toothed, sometimes hairy. Perfumed yellow or whitish flowers to 30mm, spring. Brown seed capsules to 3.5cm, flat, winged seeds.
Where to look: In front of A&E and throughout the gardens.
Photography: The majority of the photos in this collection are the wonderful and much appreciated work of Greg & Judy Miller. Many other members of the Friends have also kindly contributed their favourite images.