Some Vascular Plants Noted on the RGS Flinders Ranges Trip in September 2011

 

* = non-native (or exotic) species; many of these are weeds

sp. = a species of the genus; spp. = more than one species of the genus

 

 

Scientific name

Common name

Aboriginal name

TREES & TALL SHRUBS

 

Alectryon oleifolius

Bullock bush

 

 

Callitris glaucophylla

White cypress pine

 

 

Casuarina cristata (?pauper)

Shrub sheoak

Alku

 

Eucalyptus spp., including mallees,

 

 

 

E. camaldulensis &

River red gum

Apara

 

E. intertexta

Gum-barked coolibah

 

*

Schinus sp.

Pepper tree

 

SHRUBS

 

Acacia spp. (wattles), including:

 

 

 

A. rivalis &

Silver wattle

 

 

A. victoriae

Elegant wattle

Aliti

 

Bursaria sp.

Blackthorn

 

 

Cassinia sp.

Curry bush

 

 

Dodonaea sp.

Hopbush

Tjininypa

 

Eremophila spp. (emubushes), including:

 

 

 

E. longifolia

Weeping emubush

Tulypurpa

 

Myoporum montanum

Boobialla

 

 

Nicotiana sp.

Tobacco bush

 

 

Pimelea microcephala

Shrubby rice-flower

Tjiltarupi

 

Pittosporum phylliraeoides (?angustifolium)

Native apricot

Alita

 

Senna spp.

Cassias

Karpil-karpilpa

 

Xanthorrhoea sp.

Yacca

Ata

SUB-SHRUBS & HERBS

*

Acetosa vesicaria

Wild hops

 

 

Ajuga australis

Australian bugle

 

*

Anagallis arvensis

Pimpernel

 

*

Asphodelus fistulosus

Wild onion

 

 

Atriplex spp.

Saltbushes

 

 

Austrostipa spp.

Speargrasses

 

 

Brachycome ciliaris

Daisy

 

*

Bromus rubens

Red brome

 

*

Carduus sp.

Thistle

 

*

Carrichtera annua

Wards weed

 

 

Convolvulus ?erubescens

Bindweed

 

*

Cucumis sp.

Paddy melon

 

 

Cymbopogon sp.

Lemon-scented grass

ilintji

*

Echium plantagineum

Salvation jane

 

 

Enchylaena tomentosa

Ruby saltbush

Iwatiwata

*

Hordeum leporinum

Barley grass

 

*

Inula graveolens

Stinkwort

 

 

Maireana spp. (bluebushes), including:

 

 

 

M. brevifolia &

Yanga bush

 

 

M. pyramidata

Black bluebush

 

*

Marrubium vulgare

Horehound

 

*

Medicago spp.

Medics

 

*

Melilotus ?indicus

 

 

 

Petalostylis labicheoides

Butterfly bush

Kuyu-tutu-turu

 

Pterocaulon sphacelatum

Fruit-salad plant

 

 

Ptilotus sp.

Mulla mulla

Iriya

 

Rhagodia sp.

Saltbush

 

 

Salsola kali

Buckbush

 

 

Sclerolaena sp.

Copperburr

 

 

Senecio sp.

Groundsel

 

 

Sida petrophila

Rock sida

 

*

Sisymbrium sp.

Rocket

 

 

Solanum sp.

Nightshade

 

 

Swainsona sp.

Darling pea

 

 

Triodia sp.

Porcupine grass

 

 

Vittadinia sp.

Daisy or Fuzzweed

 

 

Zygophyllum sp.

Twin leaf

 


Please note: This list is incomplete and probably includes some out-of-date botanic names.

On its own it is not necessarily indicative of the total flora of that part of the Flinders Ranges we visited. As we visited hills, watercourses and plains to the west, the species list is an amalgam of all areas and does not reflect the individual floras of these very different habitats. Even on the hills, the flora varied with the geology, e.g. the Wonoka Formation was relatively treeless. Further, as species diversity on the plains seemed to be higher than on the hills, this may have resulted in an over-representation of species from the western plains (despite our spending only a short time there) than from the hills.

About a quarter of the species listed are exotics (‘weeds’) but this underestimates their role in the flora. Weeds such as Horehound, Wild onion, Wards weed and Melilotus were very abundant on the hills in the National Park – reflecting its past grazing history and poor weed-control at present. Interestingly, some old postcards of this part of the Flinders Ranges show hills draped in red and purple colours but the species responsible (Wild hops and Salvation Jane) are now much less abundant.

Compiled by Bill Semple, Carolyn Spooner and Beryl Belford with valuable input from the many plant enthusiasts in the Group.



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