Strangling Fig

Strangling Fig, Ficus watkinsiana 

I've mentioned before how our park is flourishing. This Strangling Fig, Ficus watkinsiana, was planted about 6 years ago and is already a small tree. 

These trees are commonly seen in our area as forest giants in the national parks of Ravensbourne, Bunya Mountains and the Main Range. With their large buttresses, and lattice-like root system they are easily recognizable. 

Aerial roots

Figs are fascinating to me as they have some very unusual characteristics.

Normally strangler figs of this type grow high in the branches of other rainforest trees. This is known as being hemiepiphytic. An epiphyte such as an orchid growing on trees in the wild is a plant which grows on another but is not parasitic. A hemiepiphyte starts by growing on the plant until its aerial roots reach the ground and then becomes independent. In the Strangler Fig's case it surrounds the host tree which eventually dies. In cultivation it can be grown straight from the ground as it is in Peacehaven.

Unripe, green figs of the Ficus watkinsiana

The Ficus watkinsiana, like other fig species,  has both male and female flowers on the same plant. This is known as being monoecious from Greek meaning 'one house'. However you won't see them because they are actually inside the fruit! This seems very strange, but in true botanical terms the fig isn't really a fruit it is a cluster of hundreds of flowers enclosed in a smooth skin.

So they have to be pollinated in a very special way. Along comes the tiny fig wasp, Pleistodontes nigriventris. The female wasp, carrying pollen, squeezes through a minute opening in the fig which has two types of flowers. She lays her eggs in one type of flower, pollinating the other type at the same time. The young wasp larvae develop, and the adult wasps mate, inside the fig. The males are wingless and die while the females exit from the opening gathering pollen on the way. Each fig species has to be fertilized this way with its own species of wasp. The fig depends on the wasp and the wasp depends on the fig. By the way, there aren't any wasp eggs or remnants in ripe figs, because figs produce a protein-digesting enzyme that digests any waste left inside. By the time the fig is ripe, the wasps have done their work and flown away or were digested by the developing fig. This is just another amazing fact about figs.

A female Australasian Figbird eating a fig
in the Ficus watkinsiana

Cleaning her beak after her meal

Birds love the figs. In the dense rainforest the patter of half-eaten fruit falling on the leaf-litter alerts you to the birds in the fig trees. This happened to me at Peacehaven and I was able to photograph this female Australasian Figbird, Sphecotheres vieilloti, in the Strangling Fig.

Another bird, the Green Catbird, Ailuroedus crassirostris, is very important to Ficus watkinsiana. It carries the figs into the high canopy to eat. The seeds fall into forks and crevices in the branches successfully dispersing away from the parent tree. This is of mutual benefit to the fig plants and the catbirds.

Aborigines used the fruit, the bark and the latex for food, medicines and tools.

More about the Strangling Fig at the Noosa Native Plants website.

Ficus is the latin name for the common edible fig, watkinsiana honours George Watkins, former president of Qld. Pharmaceutical Society and plant collector.

There is more about George Watkins at the Australian National Herbarium website.

Hidden Delights

Wandering around Peacehaven recently, I was fascinated with the secret wonders along the way.

A turtle snout peeping through the Nardoo.

At the dam the turtles were hiding under the Common Nardoo, Marsilea drummondii. They are probably the Eastern Long-necked Turtle, Chelodina longicollis. When you walk onto the jetty you are likely to see a few sticking their nostrils out of the water. The dam is perfect for them as there are safe sunbathing sites and plenty of food. They eat insects, worms, tadpoles and small frogs. 

Christmas beetle, Anoplognathus pallidicollis

In the wildlife garden beyond the rainforest I found this Christmas Beetle. They are not always well-liked by gardeners as they can defoliate vegetation if there are large numbers of them. A member of the scarab family, this golden beauty always reminds me of my childhood.

In the rainforest area is this little delight. You can see how tiny the flowers are by my fingers. The flowers are followed by lovely white berries later in summer. The shrub has luxuriant glossy leaves and loves semi-shade. 

Flowers of Smooth Psychotria,
Psychotria daphnoides

Smooth Psychotria,
Psychotria daphnoides

Another hidden treasure in the rainforest was the Common Brown Butterfly, Heteronympha merope, resting in the dappled foliage. Click here for more on this interesting butterfly. It is difficult to find with its colour and shape such good camouflage.

Fern frond catching the early morning sun.

In the heavy shade of the rainforest floor a ray of sunshine spotlighted a fern frond. It is difficult to believe this area was only planted 6-7 years ago. Already it has some of the characteristics of a much older forest.

The trees in the Brachychiton garden have been flowering for a while now over near the Scott St entrance. These include the Flame Tree, Lacebark, Kurrajong and the delicate cultivar "Gabby's Bells". Look carefully amongst the Flame Tree foliage and you'll find these seed pods. Hidden inside are the seeds ready to burst out. 

Brachychiton cv. “Gabby’s Bells”

 

Flame Tree, Brachychiton acerifolius

Busy Bees

In the garden at the western end of the rainforest area is a slim stump. If you look carefully at the little holes about two-thirds up you will see that one is occupied by tiny bees. Inside will be a nest with many individuals, perhaps hundreds.

Stingless bee stump

They are a species of native stingless bee, Trigona carbonaria or Sugarbag Bee. As the scientific name, carbonaria, suggests they are very black unlike the European Honey Bee. The Trigona species are only found in the tropics and subtropics. 

There are over 1500 species of native bees in Australia. Only about a dozen species are stingless. These are social bees living in nests of hundreds of individuals. Female Solitary bees can sting but Australian bees are not aggressive.

Native bees at their nest entrance

As pollinators these small insects are incredibly important. Many of our native plants need the smaller insects for pollination. The Sugarbag Bee is known to pollinate King Orchids and other Dendrobium spp., cycads, Dianella sp, some wattles, grevilleas, wonga vines and more.

In the last twenty years they've become more important as effective pollinators for fruit and nut crops. Avocado and macadamia benefit from the native bee. Orchardists have found that the size of the crop increases. Other commercial crops also benefit from our little bees; strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers and tomatoes are just a few. In fact there are experiments in Japan for using Trigona carbonaria in commercial glasshouses.

The Sugarbag Bee has a very different hive or nest from the European Honey Bee. They don't have hexagonal cells where the larvae are fed by the workers. 

T. carbonaria nest in its bee box

Instead they have a spiral structure of brood cells. The egg is laid with nectar and pollen in one cell and then sealed. In the photo above you can see the spiral of brood cells with the larger nectar and pollen cells around the edges.

For more information try these two websites,

Australian Stingless Native Bees

Aussie Bee

also this magazine article,

Stingless Bees by Tim Heard

The little things in life - Budgeroo

Budgeroo, Lysicarpus angustifolius in flower

This tree is flowering in the park, Budgeroo, Lysicarpus angustifolius. From the photo you can see it is beside the Stan Kuhl Way. You'll find it between the Dry Rainforest Area and the Brachychiton collection. Some years it produces just a little flower and masses of flower in others. This year it is masses. Little is known about it's pollination but by the look of one of the close-ups, insects may have something to do with it. 

It grows naturally on slopes and crests of sandstone ridges, often on very rocky country. You can see how easily it takes to the Highfields soil.

The timber is used for fence posts and wood turning and historically it was used for general construction. It is termite resistant and doesn't burn readily so fence posts may last for decades. Aborigines of the sandstone ranges used the bark for burial cylinders.

Masses of bud ready to flower.

Close up of the pretty little flower.

Insects foraging in the flowers.

The funny blue blur is a damselfly which just flew in
as I was taking the picture.

 Powderpuff Lillypilly, Syzygium wilsonii

Remember I wrote about the colour of the new foliage and buds of this lillypilly last month? It is flowering now and what a luscious display. Well worth a visit if you live close by.

Powderpuff Lillypilly, Syzygium wilsonii

It is a plant of the northern rainforests of Queensland. The fruit is decorative too and attracts birds. With foliage, flower and fruit colouring the shrub for much of the year, it would be a beautiful addition to any garden.   If you want to know more about growing this shrub, click here.

Birds, birds, birds

Peacehaven is alive with the squawking, whistling, chirruping, chuckling and twittering of birds. They love spring. The warm weather and the abundance of food combine to make this a busy season for them. 

A number of birds have already bred some young. You will have seen our Australian Wood Duck family feeding on the grass or taking to the safety of the dam.

A warm spring day

Wood duck family

Their scientific name is Chenonetta jubata which is from the Greek words chen, meaning goose, and netta, meaning duck. Jubata is from the Latin word jubatus, meaning maned. Another name for them is Maned Duck and they have both goose and duck characteristics. They are unique, being the only species of this genus in the world. They probably get the name Wood Duck from nesting in the hollows of trees sometimes quite a distance from water. At Peacehaven they use one of the big eucalypts by the dam.

Noisy Miner feeding young

The Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala nested near the Old Dairy. Some of the Friends watched the young being fed for several days. Then they were gone. Whether they fledged or were taken is unknown as we haven't seen young nearby. Usually the Miner pair are helped to feed the chicks by other males in their colony. This gives the young a great chance of survival. They could have more clutches before the breeding season is over.

The birds in the parrot family are very obvious in the park. They squabble over nesting holes in our magnificent trees. There are a number of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus & Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) already in residence. Whereas the Little Lorikeets Glossopsitta pusilla are stilling speeding around like bullets. Galahs Eolophus roseicapillaalso continue to nest in the park using the large hollows that only mature trees can provide. 

Rainbow Lorikeets inspecting a hollow

Galah in a hollow

Dollarbirds Eurystomus orientalis have returned from New Guinea to breed at Peacehaven. Last week there was only one bird and now there are two. They will use the nesting site they used last year. 

Dollarbirds in silhouette

They belong to the Roller family which is known for beautiful aerobatic displays especially in the late afternoon. They hunt and eat insects on the wing. When they catch the sunlight as they're flying the blue, purple and greenish colours shine. The coin-shaped patches on the wings give the bird its name and the strong red beak is very characteristic. 

Straw-necked Ibis

Other birds that enjoy the grass at Peacehaven are the Straw-necked Threskiornis spinicollis and Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca. They use their amazing curved beaks to dig for insects, but they like lizards and frogs too. You'll see the White Ibis, particularly, in the shallows of the dam using its beak to probe the mud. So much better than being a 'Dump Chook'.

Another bird that loves the frogs is the Eastern Great Egret Ardea alba modesta. It's been at the dam for a few days, ever since the frogs started calling again. Its long thin neck with the kink makes it easy to recognize. This is the Oceanic sub-species of a bird found worldwide. 

Hunting at the dam edge

As well as frogs they hunt fish, small reptiles, insects, and small birds and rodents. Usually they hunt alone standing very still waiting for any movement then spear the prey with their dagger-like beak.

  

Spring Colour

Peacehaven’s colour is more subtle than Toowoomba's Carnival but just as lovely.

The Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa, living up to its ‘exceptional’ name shines like a light in the afternoon sun. You’ll find it in the island bed near the rotunda. This species of Doryanthes is from the Sydney area, but you’ll find our local species, D. palmeri, near the dry creek. 

Gymea Lily

The exceptional flowers

Spear Lily, Doryanthes palmeri

Bleeding Heart, Homalanthus populifolius, is hiding in the rainforest beside the dry creek. It is a small tree beautifully suited to our gardens with its delicate heart-shaped foliage. Also the fruit is relished by a variety of native birds including rainforest pigeons, bowerbirds, honeyeaters, currawongs, orioles and silvereyes. 

What colour!

Bleeding Heart 

On the other side of the rainforest nearer the southerly fence is the Syzygium wilsonii, Powderpuff Lillypilly. Right now its new foliage is a startling garnet-red against the older green leaves. The buds are a similar colour and will be beautiful rich red powder puffs before long. Go look for it on your walk. 

Powderpuff Lillypilly new foliage

Powderpuff Lillypilly buds

More shining jewels are nearby in the purple fruits of the Callicarpa pedunculata, Velvet Leaf or Beautyberry. This species comes from north Queensland where some were collected by the botanists on the Endeavour.

Velvet Leaf

In the section of the park close to Scott St, the Rusty Kurrajong, Brachychiton bidwillii, is flowering in the Brachychiton collection. It loses its leaves before flowering which makes the colour even more startling. What a lovely tree to have in your garden, and they are frost and drought tolerant from a very early age. 

Rusty Kurrajong flower

The young Rusty Kurrajong

The dry rainforest collection has little gems of its own. Beside the path is Elaeocarpus obovatus known as Blueberry Ash, Freckled Oliveberry or Hard Quandong. (Now you know why botanists use the scientific names!) You will need to go up close to see the detail of its lovely fringed bells. 

Flower detail

Massed blooms

Elaeocarpus obovatus

Or hidden in the foliage of the Deep Yellow Wood, Rhodosphaera rhodanthema, are these exquisite little flowers. The fruit will become a shiny, deep chestnut-brown.

Deep Yellow Wood flowers

Deep Yellow Wood Tree

Stump in Time

Today our stump was sliced so that the rings will be easily seen in the new display. David Harriman from Colonial Woodcrafts near Kingsthorpe used his portable sawmill. The first slice exposed live termites so more slices were taken off until there was a smooth surface.

David Harriman and the portable sawmill.

Sawdust flying as the stump is cut.

Removing the slice.

The rings are very clear and will make a good display. We had the stump treated for the white ants. It is now covered with a tarp and must stay that way so Peacehaven's native bees don't go near it or they could poison their hive and wipe it out. The stump will stay covered for a fortnight. Then the surface will be sanded and sealed.

Keith from the Friends of Peacehaven sweeping the stump
to reveal the rings.

For more about Colonial Woodcrafts check out the 2011 Studio Safari brochure, click here.

For those of you who are wondering about the rose garden this is being relocated to a more suitable area in the park. At the moment the roses are being carefully tended by council staff until a new garden is ready. 

Changes at Peacehaven

You may have seen some new work being done around the park lately. 

Firstly the mound has been lowered. The peace mound was an important element in stage 1 of Peacehaven's master plan. However after six years of trial and error it was obvious that any water just drained away instantly because the mound was too steep. The new plantings in the peace circle should reinvigorate this part of the park.  

     

The new look for the peace mound.

The mound in 2007

Not looking its best in July 2011

Stump in Time: This is the stump of a large unhealthy gum which was removed for public safety before the park was opened. Its useful life is not over though as The Friends applied for a grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund to turn this old giant into a 'time capsule' showing how long large trees take to grow. The surface will be smoothed, oiled and protected, and a number of growth rings labelled with historical events. There will be seats and an information display while the concrete path will allow visitors a closer look. Keep an eye on the progress of this project.

Starting the "Stump in Time" project.