Category Archives: Plants

Fishbone Fern

Plants, , , ,

Nephrolepis cordifolia

“A fern with narrow erect fronds, often spreading over large areas.” – NPOS p.310

Everyone except me ( neighbors, mum ) seemed to know all about the fishbone fern. Even though it’s a native to Australia where it naturally occurs in Queensland and Northern NSW, it’s considered a weed in Sydney. It does tend to take over parts of the garden, especially places I’ve cleared of other weeds.

The plant sketches in NPOS are usually very good, but for the Fishbone Fern I didn’t think it looked like the plant I saw. I checked a few other sources to make sure I had the right plant.

I’ll be cutting this back in the garden.

Fishbone Fern
Fishbone Fern in the back garden, scheduled for termination
Fishbone Fern frond detail
Fishbone Fern frond detail
Fishbone Fern frond closeup
Fishbone Fern frond closeup

 

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Prickly Moses

Plants, ,

Acacia ulicifolia

“A wiry, prickly shrub to about 1.5m high…” – NPOS – p.67

I didn’t know what this was when I took the photo, it stood out because there appeared to be two very different types of flower growing on the same plant. It turned out to be two similar looking plants that were intertwined. I still don’t know what the 2nd plant is.

After seeing a plaque at the wildflower garden I’m pretty sure this is a Prickly Moses, one of the many species of Wattle.

Interesting thing about many Wattles, including the Prickly Moses, is they don’t have true leaves. The green leaf like structures are actually the leaf stalks or phyllodes. The leaves themselves have disappeared in many Australian Acacias as an adaption to our hot dry climate.

Prickly Moses
Prickly Moses

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Sydney Rock Orchid

Plants, ,

Dendrobium speciosum

“A spectacular epiphytic orchid with stout swollen pseudobulbs, found in clumps on cliffs and rock ledges…” NPOS p.262

Somtimes called the rock orchid or rock lily. There are a few of these on the rocks in the front yard (where the picture was taken). In some places they are competeing with some Agapanthus which I will remove at some stage.

Sydney Rock Orchid
Sydney Rock Orchid in flower from the front yard

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Pine-leaf Geebung

Plants, , ,

Persoonia pinifolia

“A spreading shrub 2-4m high, with crowded pine like leaves” NPOS p.103

The Pine-leaf Geebung is pretty easy to identify when in flower or fruit. The fruit is edible once it turns purpple, but whenever I’ve tried some they’ve been strongly astringent, not a good meal!

Don’t miss Banjo Paterson’s “The Geebung Polo Club”

 

Pine-leaf Geebung in fruit
Pine-leaf Geebung in fruit. You can suposedly eath the fruit once it has turned purple
Pine-leaf Geebung fruit
Pine-leaf Geebung fruit

 

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