Anyone for Potatoes?

You have heard me make regular comments about the "deep, rich red basalt soil of Robertson".
This is what I mean.

This photo was taken on 29 December, in the late afternoon light - hence the strong shadows in the foreground. The paddock had just been ploughed several days before, which is why it is looking so fresh. But this is Robertson potato growing soil at its finest. Deep rich soil on rolling, perfectly drained hills.In case you think that this soil is unusual, or "special" in Robertson - look a this. We have just had a small section of footpath built beside the Illawarra Highway. Look at the colour of the soil. Under the footpath, under the road, and now in a newly created section of waste land beside a road. I am sure the weeds will grow magnificently.
Great soil, magnificent soil - going to waste in Robertson.
Anyone fancy proposing a Cooperative Vegetable Garden?

I am sure you could grow prize-winning Spuds at least.

Tangle-root Orchid - edited

EDITED - THE NEXT DAY
As I was not satisfied with the photos in yesterday's post, I have added new images which I took today, back out in the bush, when it was less windy.

*****

This is my first post about the Tangle-root Orchid (Plectorrhiza tridentata) I may have mentioned it incidentally before, but I have never had close-up photos before. My fellow Aussie Nature Blogger, Gaye, has written about this Orchid when she found it in the Barrington Tops.

This is an uncommon Orchid up here on top of the Illawarra Escarpment. I had seen one plant here, before, just on the edge of the Robertson basalt caps, but on the lower edges there-of.

Tangle-root Orchid is well named.
This plant is hanging by a single thread of root
suspended from the ferns on the tree branch above it.
Its ball of roots is about the size of a football - but very light.
This plant has only about 7 leaves,
but it is carrying about 12 flowers.
These flowers are clearly honey coloured.

Here is a cropped image,
showing the same plant - just its leaves and flowers
This plant was about 5 metres high.
The flowers are small and hard to see.

Some time ago I was told by Graeme Bradburn of ANOS about another place in my local area (a place with which I was familiar) where he said these Orchids were to be found. Sure enough, after seeing that the one plant I knew about was in flower, I tried the place Graeme had suggested - and there they were.

This was the best image I could obtain, with a zoom lens.
It clearly shows the long spur behind the labellum.
(in this angle it is "above", but structurally, it is behind the labellum)

A closer view of spray of flowers.
Some insect eggs on the leaf at lower end.
Same species, but these ones are green not honey-coloured.

See new image below - which is clearer.
Click to enlarge)

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This is one flower very close-up, from the side.
Note how there is a long tube ("spur") behind the labellum.
The dorsal sepal and lateral petals closely shield the column.
(Photo replaced 10.10.09)

Here is a flower, as seen from above.
The white and yellow parts are the labellum, spread widely.
The green "hood" is the dorsal sepal.
The protective "arms' are the petals.
Here is the flower seen from directly in front,
but seen from low down to look into the "column"
The "spur" is just visible, below the flower.
Here is a similar view taken today.
You can see the column which is so well protected by the dorsal sepal.

Finally, here is another shot, taken with natural light.
The flower is merely 5mm wide and deep.
The spur behind is probably about 1 cm long.

The Tangle-root Orchid has a delicious sweet perfume, but on a cold, windy day like today, it was barely noticeable. On a warm day, no doubt it would drive the insects crazy with desire.

My favourite image.

It shows the left hand flower as seen from the front.
The "Gravy-ladle shaped" labellum (wider than deep) is clearly visible.
On the right it shows the side view perfectly.
Note the closely hooded green dorsal sepal and side petals
and the long white and purple "spur" behind the labellum.

Protea "Pink Ice" flowering in my garden

When I moved to Robertson I was aware that the rich red basalt soils here are good for growing Protea plants and their relatives, such as the native Waratahs. The reason I knew this is that the plants I was intending to grow here, Peonies, grow really well in Monbulk, in the Dandenong Ranges (Victoria). Monbulk is famous for its rich red basalt soil - just as is Robertson (in NSW). Monbulk is home to Australia's largest specialist Protea propagation nursery "Proteaflora".

So, naturally, as I was establishing my garden here, I planted some of the members of the Protea tribe - Leucadendrons, Proteas, Banksias and Waratahs, and Grevilleas. This was largely an experiment, to see how they would grow, for some, especially the Grevilleas, are said to be very fussy about soil, preferring poor, low-nutrient soils. But most have done very well indeed. Some have exceeded all expectations, notably the Banksia "Giant Candles" which has had to be beheaded several times already to prevent it outgrowing its roots, and suffering wind damage.

The reason for the "caveat" about the soil is that very few members of the Proteaceae tribe grow here naturally - but members of this tribe of plants are very common just a few kilometres from here on the sandstone plateau below the Robertson range. It seems the reason is that the local rainforest plants survived so well, prior to European settlement and clearing of the land that the native Proteaceae never got a chance to "invade" the basalt. There are only two exceptions to this principle that I know of - a Helicia (of which there is but a single specimen left, apparently), and the tall rainforest tree Stenocarpus salignus.

One of these plants which has done particularly nicely, and grows only at a moderate rate, has turned out to be the popular hybrid Protea "Pink Ice". I bought my specimen Protea "Pink Ice" from Wariapendi Nursery at Colo Vale, NSW (near Mittagong), one of many nursery outlets for"Proteaflora" plants in NSW.

Here are the results:

A bud just starting to develop.
The black marks on the outer sheathing bracts are distinctive
from a related plant, Protea neriifolia, whjich is one of the parent plants to "Pink Ice".Here is the next stage of development of the bud.
It is very elongated overall, and narrow in the tip.
There are many black fibres in the tip of the bud, at this stage.
As the flower opens, the top broadens out.
Suddenly the profile of the flower changes, just as it opens.
It is almost "square cut" at the top, with masses of silvery fibres.
Here is a top view of the flower.
You can see what I mean about the silvery fibres.
This flower has not yet opened fully, but I would have to say that
this is my personal favourite stage of development of the flower.

There is one further stage of development, which is yet to occur. So I will show the fully opened flower shortly (when it opens). The flower becomes chalice-shaped.

An long-lost Millipede rediscovered.

An long-lost Millipede has been rediscovered in the Robertson area.

This event came about following an approach from a Millipede Taxonomist (from Tasmania) - now there's a job description to die for!

Hi, Denis.
I found you through your very nice blog, and have a naturalist's
question.

The background: I'm a millipede taxonomist, trying to rediscover a tiny
millipede species collected by Thomas Steel ca. 1905 at Avoca (NSW). Steel was
an occasional collector around Bundanoon, Moss Vale, Avoca and Wildes
Meadow between ca. 1895 and his death in the 1920s. He made many other
discoveries of leaf-litter creatures besides the millipede I'm tracking.

My wife and I visited the area collecting millipedes (with a permit) at
the beginning of this month. We found millipedes, but not the Steel
species. I subsequently borrowed 'berlesates' from the general area from
the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra. These are
collections of bugs extracted from soil and leaf litter. Again, I found
lots of millipedes in the samples, but not the Steel species.

I'm now thinking I was looking in the wrong forest type. This particular
species may have a habitat preference for heavy wet sclerophyll. The
geology and pre-1850 vegetation maps tell me there was wet sclerophyll on basalt
both at Avoca and the Wildes Meadow area prior to clearing -
Steel may have been looking in the last few remnants.

So, my question is: are there still patches of heavy wet sclerophyll
(tall trees, big rotting logs, lots of moss and thick litter) in the
Belmore Falls section of Morton NP, which unfortunately we didn't get to
last trip?

Best wishes,
Bob

The forest type he described does exist at Belmore Falls, but it is more likely to be sandstone based, there, not basalt. The Avoca area (where the particular Millipede he is looking for was originally found) has basalt soil. So I wrote back to Bob suggesting a few local places where we might find relatively undisturbed forest on basalt soil - for the soil substrate seems to be critical in determining the habitat in the Southern Highlands.
Click to enlarge map.
We went out yesterday, and found lots of Millipedes (and centipedes and beetles and spiders and even lizards) living in some really old rotten logs. Many photos of other larger and more handsome Millipedes, which we found are shown below - but ironically, they were not the "unusual" one Bob was in search of.

After several unsuccessful sorties we eventually found some creatures which Bob was hopeful were his specific quarry - a species of tiny white Millipede.

He could not wait to get back home to examine his specimens (he is a licensed scientific collector) under his 100 power Laboratory Microscope. You need to understand that the particular identifying characteristics of this species require microscopic examination of the gonopods of mature males (the sex organs). See this image of examples of Gonopod structural variation between different species of Millipedes - even closely related ones.

Rear views of gonopods of A. bashfordi (left) and A. johnsi (right).
Source: Bob Mesibov's Tasmanian Multipedes website
Specific page:

Although this may sound bizarre, it is a common practice in modern taxonomy, and is a technique used also in distinguishing moth species from eachother, and no doubt many other tiny creatures as well.

This evening I received an email from Bob, now back in Tasmania.

Hi, Denis.

Yes, that tiny pale bugger was the millipede I was after, so history (small h) was made on Thursday! Many thanks again for your help!

Best wishes,
Bob

I believe this is the tiny white Millipede in question.
I had tried to take some other photos,
but in a dark forest, it is often hard to focus on such tiny creatures.
Bob has corrected me here. It is a juvenile of another species, unfortunately,
"Tiny white fuzzy is probably a juvenile paradoxosomatid."

So, not only was a Millipede known only from a single collection made in 1905, found again for the second time. But this species can now be properly classified by a modern taxonomist, based upon good specimens, and using modern techniques. No doubt Bob will publish his results in due course.

I am pleased to have been able to play my small part in the making of this piece of "history (with a small h)". When Bob publishes his report, I hope to be able to explain more about why this discovery is so historic.

This rediscovery is reminiscent of a search for Giant Earthworms in the local basalt soil areas, which was organised in 2000 by R.J. Blakemore, a leading expert on Earthworms, who sought to "rediscover" a particular species of Giant Earthworm which J.J. Fletcher had identified at Burrawang in 1886. That a story is written up in Eucryphia, the journal of the Robertson Environment Protection Society, Vol 54, July 2001. I have written about that search, and its report by RJ Blakemore, previously.

Photographic examples of Millipedes found in wet forests on Basalt soil, in the Robertson area. (Click on images to enlarge them)

Creamy white Millipedes, with prominent brown lines along their sides.
Bob commented: "Small cylindrical form with racing stripes is likely to be in Spirobolida,
but currently in 'too hard' basket"

A large black Millipede, with red legs, which curls into a helical spiral (on my glove)
Bob comments: "Dark, cylindrical form with pale rear end is in order Spirobolida. Genus and species possibly already named and known, but currently in 'too hard' basket".

This one curls up in a flat spiral.

These large Millipedes were a greenish grey colour.
Bob commented: "Large greenish-gray cylindrical form is in order Spirostreptida. Hundreds of species in Oz, very few named, no one working on this group."

Bob referred to these next Millipedes as "Beakies" for they have a prominent snout.
They were quite active and sought to crawl away, rather than curl up.
Bob has commented: "'Beakies' are in order Siphonophorida. These are largely tropical millipedes and the highlands forms (species unknown)
are probably the furthest-south species in Australia."
Bob abd I discussed at the time that Robertson is well known for being
on the end of distribution ranges for many species of plants,
for example, where they are either the furthermost north extent (Eucryphia moorei)
or the furthermost south (Chiloglottis sylvestris).
So, a similar distrribution for "Beakies" does not surprise me. It is interesting, though.

This was a very fine specimen
of a brown and black segmented patterned Millipede.
Bob commented: "form with medium brown colour, dark annular rings is another paradoxosomatid common in your area, soon to be named by a specialist."

I believe these are two images of one Bob called "Flat Backs"
They hold their legs more out to the side than other Millipedes.
(Click to enlarge the image to see the legs positions.)
Bob has corrected me here - these are not the "Flat Backs".
"Form with pale paranota (small projections on side) and two parallel pale stripes down back
is Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae, an undescribed species in the genus Somethus."

This is a smallish white millipede - but not the species Bob was seeking.
Bob has advised: "Similar looking all-white form is a juvenile paradoxosomatid, could be anything. Para's only acquire full colour and pattern when adult."

I have transcribed Bob's comments, from an email, so I any possible errors will be as a result of that process.

You can find out much more about Millipedes from Bob's websites:
Dr. Bob Mesibov's Home Page
Millipedes of Australia
Tasmanian Multipedes (This covers Tasmanian Centipedes, Velvet Worms and Millipedes)

A Copperhead Snake

This is from two weeks ago, but as the subject of snake identifications came up today on the Canberra Ornithologists Group, I decided to process these images, and send them off to the inquirer. I have seen two Copperhead Snakes in the last two weeks, while out in the local bush. So, I decided to publish them here as well, on the basis that it is timely and topical, obviously.

I am convinced that many reported snake sightings are poorly identified. Probably because people are scared of Snakes, and do not know exactly what to look for anyway. If you keep your head, and stay calm, and have a good look, then you can learn quite a lot.

Do not ever try to block the snake from wherever it wishes to go, and do not ever attempt to pick up a snake, or try to catch it, let alone try to kill it. They are protected species, after all. And they can be dangerous if they do bite you. Most people who get bitten were trying to kill a snake. Why? The Snake does not want to eat you. It will however, defend itself if you attack it.

Both these recent sightings were in dense scrub, under tall Eucalypt forest, in Sandstone country. The first was near the Belmore Falls Road (not near the Falls). The second, was this specimen, over at Fitzroy Falls, right beside the track leading back to the main Falls from Twin Falls. The Copperhead is also the only species of Snake which I have seen in the long grass growing on the red basalt soil, at my property.

This is the Fitzroy Falls specimen. You can see immediately that it is a dull slate-grey colour. This is typical of the Highland Copperhead Snake (Austrelaps ramsayi)
Below is the head of the Copperhead - without any "copper colour". It has a light grey triangular patch from between its eyes, to the front of its head. There is a whitish colour on the throat.

"The appearance of the Copperhead is a narrow head, with a heavy build. They either have grey, brassy, copper, russet, chocolate or black on their back, with cream, yellow or red along the sides. The light scales above its lips often give a striped appearance. The belly is a yellowish cream or grey." Source: http://home.iprimus.com.au/gunnado/copperhead.html
As the Snake turned to leave me alone, the pale yellow colour of its underbelly was clearly visible, from the side.The other relatively common snake in this NSW Southern Highlands area is the Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) These two specimens were photographed in different areas, well away from Robertson, but I am showing them here, to show the contrasting shine on the back of this species. Of road-killed Snakes I have seen in this district, most have been Red-bellied Black Snakes. Some have been very large, and very thick indeed.

The easiest distinguishing feature is the shine on the scales on the back of the Red-bellied Black Snake. The red colour of its belly is usually barely visible along the sides of the snake. This Snake was seen near Narooma, on a patch of rocky ground, beside a bush road. The bush in the district there was quite thick undergrowth. There were many dense ferns just past where the road edge ended.This specimen was seen near Mudgee, on the sandy banks of the Goulburn River. If you click to enlarge the image, you will see how very shiny this snake was, on its back. It was about 1.3 metres long, but it was not a thick specimen. It was however, near water, which is typical for this species, which is notoriously fond of frogs (as food).I often hear local people say they saw a "brown snake", but I have never seen a Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis) in this area. I did once see a very small, light sandy-brown coloured snake, but I suspect it was something else, possibly one of the small, less common and less easily recognised snakes. I did not get a good look at that animal, as it did not hang around.

Waratahs - the true species and some Hybrids

In response to a comment yesterday from my fellow Aussie Nature Blogger "Mick" (from Sandy Straits and Beyond) I promised to show photos of more forms of Waratah. These are all either cultivars (selected varieties) of the true species - the NSW Waratah (Telopea speciossima) - or hybrids thereof. The hybrids are variously crossed with the Braidwood Waratah (Telopea mongaensis) or the Gippsland Waratah (Telopea oreades)

You can see some of the most readily available cultivars at the "Proteaflora" (commercial nursery) site. Click on the heading Telopea (Waratah) While not exactly recommending Proteaflora, they are certainly the largest grower of these plants (for plant sales), and have a huge distribution network through Nurseries and Garden Centres in the Eastern States. There are other growers, and some other hybrids and cultivars (selected natural varieties). In my opinion the most interesting cultivars are those selected by Paul Nixon, at Brimstone Waratahs.

Mick asked if Waratahs might grow on the coast in South-east Queensland. I cannot say, But I would always ask at a local nursery, or check whether you ever see any Waratahs growing in your local area. However, I might suggest as another possibility, the wonderful (related) plant, known as the Dorrigo Waratah (Alloxylon pinnatum). It is a true tropical (wet-temperate rainforest) plant. It normally grows at altitude, but if some shade and a moist gully type position could be provided, it might do well. They thrive out in the open in Robertson, but we are high and relatively cool here. This plant is part of the Proteaflora stock list, so any of the nurseries which carry their plants could order one for you. It is worth trying, as it has terrific bright green foliage, as well as bright red flowers. They are more open in flower form. It grows quite tall.

This is what I mean by praising the hybrid Waratahs for their prolific flowering. These plants are growing in "Pinkwood Park" in Robertson, cared for by volunteers on an occasional basis. The get an occasional feed, but they are not watered, or given any intensive care. Once the plants become established, they are pretty much on their own. I cannot say for sure, but judging by the age of these plants, they are probably "Shady Lady" which, historically, has been the most successful garden variety of hybrid Waratah. It has since been superseded by other similarly named varieties, SL Crimson, SL Red and SL White.

A word of warning re the white varieties of Waratah, the flowers are prone to burning in sunlight. Personally, I cannot see the point in white Waratahs, just as I cannot see the fascination in the search for a Blue Rose - but that's gardeners for you. Always in search of the new variety.
Here is an individual plant. I could not bother to try and count the number of flowers it is carrying. It is a truly spectacular plant.Here is the flower of this particular plant. Perfectly lovely in its own right. The hybrids tend to have smooth edges to their leaves, not serrated, as the NSW Waratah does. Also, the bracts tend to be smaller than the true species. But in terms of reliability and form, it is a great garden plant.Here is a photo of a new hybrid plant "Red Shady Lady", which has probably been "back-crossed" between the original "Shady Lady" and the true Telopea speciosisima. It is an improvement on the original "Shady Lady" hybrid which tended to be a bit pinkish in its flower colour. This hybrid has better colour, good bracts, and still maintains "hybrid vigour".This plant is growing in my garden, and is in its third year. It probably has 30 flowers on it. The photo was taken just as a rain storm arrived, one evening - hence the wet spots.
To show you the variations available in the modern Waratahs, here is an unknown hybrid growing in Pinkwood Park, which is a compact bush, and it has relatively small flowers. There are certain advantages in having a small plant, as, in places like Robertson (with both strong winds, and very friable soil), it means they are less susceptible to wind damage, such as "wind rock" - where the roots are disturbed by movement of the plant because of wind. Unfortunately I cannot tell you the name of this variety. I do know that it is a hybrid Waratah, however, from the smooth leaves.Finally, as an extreme example of the variation available in the NSW Waratah cultivars. I am not sure of the name of this plant, but looking at the huge bracts, and the pale colour of the florets in the centre, it might be "Brimstone Pink". This plant will open with huge flowers. I will keep an eye on this plant and photograph it as the flowers mature.

Red Mud falling from the sky.

On Tuesday morning, 16 September 2008, the cars of Robertson were covered in a smattering of fine red mud. Over night winds had brought red dust from somewhere to the south and west (it was not Robertson dust). I had seen this storm coming in as a black line of cloud, just on sunset, as I was going in to Bowral on Monday evening. Then, overnight, there was a brief shower of rain (as often happens in Robertson). It rained mud.
Here are some images of the bonnet of my car, spattered with the now dry dust blobs, which clearly fell as muddy rain drops over night.
The grains of mud or dust, were not very fine, and felt like red sand to me - such as one might expect to find in Mildura, or the Victorian mallee. Robertson's red basalt soil creates much finer dust. The windy weather we experienced had been blowing in Victoria and southern NSW for two days before our little mud storm arrived.

More Spring Flowers - on a balmy day.

Today was one of those rare Spring Days in Robertson which one dreams about.
Warm breezes carrying light floral perfume from Plum Blossoms; a day of blue skies, and fluffy white clouds.Here is a lovely flower opening on the Pink Star Magnolia in Bernie and Dorothy's garden.
A Purple Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis). A White-flowered Hellebore (sorry, not sure of the species) which goes green as the flower ages, and the seeds start to develop.Here are the flowers of a "Cherry Plum" (once again, I am not sure of the species) - a wild form of a domestic plum, basically.And this week, the second of the Waratahs which were planted as a community gardening project at the CTC@Robertson three years ago, has started to open its first flower. (The first plant of a few specimens which were planted, flowered at the CTC last year.) The flower is structured with large red bracts which protect the inner florets. These bracts are showing some signs of scorching, unfortunately. However, I am confident that the flower will open to a perfectly lovely Waratah. This is a seedling I was given by Mr Paul Nixon, a famous selector of the Brimstone Collection series of selected varieties of NSW Waratahs. This plant was grown from wild collected seed, so it is a genuine Telopea speciosissima - not a hybrid. This is apparent from the flower shape, and the heavily serrated leaves.
These Waratahs are local to the Sandstone plateau just below Robertson, near Kangaloon, and the points further north. They are not native to the Robertson red basalt soil, however, they thrive in this soil. However, as they are local plants (to the area) and as they do so well here, Robertson is proud to feature Waratahs in public and private gardens in the village.