November Plant walk

 Our November U3A Mallacoota plant walk began at the start of the Captain's Creek Fire Trail.  A full list of the plants identified - a fair number less than the plants seen - is in the page "Captains Creek Track etc" in this Google Sheet.  Over the 4 walks held thus far we have recorded 85 species, adding 13 to the list on this walk.  

23 species were recorded on this walk with 15 added to iNaturalist, and thus being noted under the Project "U3A Mallacoota Plant Walks": this Project, set up following Bryce Watts-Parker's October presentation to U3A, includes all 566 observations in iNaturalist for the Project area covering 352 species.  (Thinking of recent presentations, this walk recorded 4 orchid species covered in Gary Backhouse's November presentation.)

Platylobium formosum

Pultenaea hispidula

Scaevola ramosissima

Dillwynia glaberrima

Kennedia prostrata

Ricinocarpos pinifolius

Hypericum gramineum: this is a smaller, native, species than the invasive weed "St John's Wort" but in the same genus.

Pimelia linifolia

Billardiera scandens

Dampiera stricta

This track is usually 'home' to a many orchids from a wide range of species.  This year as a result of the very dry conditions from June to September there were hardly any orchids seen.  The exception were a few specimens of Caleana major, the Large Flying Duck, found in the centre of the track and photographed by Caroline.

Caroline reported that a few more orchids had been found by the Footmobiles on the roadside near the information board, so we went to check that area out.  We found some Viola headeracea along the way.

Burchardia umbellata

Patersonia fragilis

Calochilus campestris

Microtis sp.