U3A field trip to "Track opposite Pony Club"

 The attached map shows the location of this walk. marked with green dots, and - to give context - how far along we made it in about 75 minutes (point A!).

Here are the observers getting down to work! 

Here is the list of species recorded on this site, both today and on our recce trip.  The first image is a melange of the flowers beside the track.  I commented on the walk that I thought this the best flowering season we have had at this site.  In view of the very dry season I felt this was (you should excuse the anthropomorphism) the plants seizing the last chance to produce seed rather reflecting good weather

There were several species of Acacia seen on the walk.  (My download for the District as a whole from iNaturalist includes 10 wattles.)  This one is A. oxycedrus.  Many of the other wattles have finished flowering.

The download includes representatives of 77 families.  The Family with the greatest number of subordinate taxa (species and subspecies) is the orchid family with 38 taxa.  Acacia is part of the Family Fabaceae together with a group of taxa in which the flowers show 'keels' and are commonly known as 'peas' as the group includes the green pea vegetable.   The next image is one of the commonest peas in the District Dillwynnia sericea.

The general nature of the vegetation here could be considered a heath, so it is not surprising to find the Common Heath, Epacris impressa here.  The pink form of this species is Victoria's floral emblem but most of those evident of the walk were white, with a few pink and red.

Pimelea linifolia

Another pea: Platylobium parviflorum.  This was once known as P. formosum, but that taxon has been split into several different taxa and is no longer accepted.

Another pea! Pultanaea hispidula.

A very common plant without the flamboyance of the peas.  The most noticeable feature of Xanthosia pilosa is the very lobed leaves covered with hairs (pilosa means hairy).  The yellow flowers can be difficult to pick out,