The BMCS Plant Study Group (PSG) generally meets on the second Sunday of each month and travels to different locations in the Blue Mountains. Before attending for the first time please contact Meredith by email at mountains@westnet.com.au. Changes to the program appear in red.

Plant Study Group 2024 Program

Notes: *Outing is a week earlier than usual. **Additional outing.

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13 Jan	Mount Bindo, Hampton   Sue Nicol  report
10 Feb	Mt Victoria TBA   Alison Hewitt
24 Feb	Deanei Reserve, Springwood   Meredith Brownhill Plant Id with Bushcare Group
9 Mar	Pt Pilcher, BM National Park   Meredith Brownhill  report
23 Mar	Hampton private property   Meredith Brownhill  report

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13 Apr	Glenbrook Lagoon   Ros King & Valentin Siderskiy with guest speaker  report
11 May	Winmalee, identifying eucalypts in the field   Don Cameron  report
8 Jun	Lalor Drive, Springwood   Helen Yoxall  report
22 Jun	Deanei Reserve   Meredith Brownhill with Bushcare group  report

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13 Jul	Murphy’s Glen, Woodford   Jelena Emmerick  report
10 Aug	Faulconbridge Mallee Ridge   Margaret Baker  report
14 Sep	Cumberland Plains   Meredith Brownhill & Alison Hewitt Bus Trip report

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12 Oct	Birrabang Ridge, B.M. National Park   Sue Nicol
9 Nov	Lawson Long Swamp   Jo Newman
TBA Nov	Boyd River Crossing   Meredith Brownhill Bus trip
14 Dec	TBA - Christmas Lunch

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EXTRA EVENTS:

11 Apr

Thirlmere Lakes Bus trip with Thursday Walkers Bookings: contact Maurice - M/P 0402 402 783

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2024 Reports  (click image to see a larger version)

14 September - Wianamatta Regional Park

Our bus trip and visit to Ropes Crossing on the Cumberland Plains attracted 19 keen botanists, some were regular members and we were joined by guests.

Perfect Spring weather kept us comfortable. The pea bushes including Daviesia ulicifolia, Dillwynia sieberi and listed Threatened species Pultenaea parviflora and Dillwynia tenuifolia, were all putting on a prominent yellow flower show.

There were also Eucalypts to entertain; the Epacridaceae - Astroloma humifusum and Lissanthe strigosa had early fruits; and new to some of us were Cryptandra spinescens and Wurmbea biglandulosa with its delicate flowers. A hint of mauve, with Calotis cuneifolia and Prostanthera scutellarioides in flower, added to the colourful flowers we saw.

Leader & report Alison Hewitt.

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10 August - Faulconbridge Mallee Ridge

Thanks to a welcome sunny respite from the wet and windy weather of late winter, 16 enthusiastic members of the Plant Study Group and the BMCS Introduction to Native Plants Group combined to enjoy the first of the new season colours against the backdrop of golden Hawkesbury Sandstone.

Welcomed by the abundant bright yellow flowers of Acacia oxycedrus and the groves of Eucalyptus burgessiana (Faulconbridge Mallee) collected from here by Laurie Johnson and Colin Burgess in just 1953, the group went on to identify every flowering plant evident on this day. Woollsia pungens, Dillwynia elegans, Boronia ledifolia and many other species provided a taste of the biodiversity potential of this extensive ridge.

In addition to documenting the plants participants thoughtfully discussed other aspects of this ridgetop environment: the very long Aboriginal history, the importance of Linden Creek in the region’s ecology and hydrology, recreational use since the late 1880s excursions to Peggys Pool and the challenge of conservation in the face of expanding suburbia.

Leaders Margaret Baker, Helen Yoxall and Jill Dark - Report: Margaret Baker

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13 July - Murphy's Glen, Woodford

The Plant Study Group met on 13th July to survey the plants of Murphy's Glen in B. M. National Park. Eight members surveyed plants beside the road leading into the camp ground and the lower end of the Turpentine Walking Track. A new plant list was assembled. Orchids and Acacias were the main genera flowering with many other plants in bud. Four species of Pterostylis were found in flower.

A member observed Polyscias murrayi – not commonly seen, but previously recorded in Woodford - growing close to a large Eucalyptus deanei. With intrepid investigation, she established that the Polyscias was actually growing in a hollow of the Eucalypt. It will be interesting to see how this partnership develops in the years to come.

Leader & report Jelena Emmerick.

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22 June - Deanei Reserve, Springwood

It was a frosty morning when plant group members met with the Deanei Bushcare Group. Identifying plants together was very worthwhile and improved our understanding of floristic diversity and the importance of bushcare in caring for this reserve.

The Deanei Reserve has rare and Endangered Ecological Communities in it that are protected by local and state government legislation. In the Blue Mountains Shale Cap Forest community we saw Eucalyptus deanei, Syncarpia glomulifera and E. punctata, which is favoured by koalas. The ground layer of herbs and grasses was dense.

Turpentine Ironbark Forest is the other endangered community. Unfortunately we did not find any Ironbarks - E. fibrosa and E. crebra. They probably were logged long ago.

Leader & report Meredith Brownhill.

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8 June - Lalor Drive, Springwood

10 members took part in our field trip along the Lalor Drive Fire Trail on the southern side of Springwood, an open forest area dominated largely by Eucalyptus piperita, Corymbia gummifera and Syncarpia glomulifera. We encountered here again the roughbark Eucalyptus consideniana (Yertchuk), a species unfamiliar to many of us which we saw on last month’s field trip to Winmalee.

Discovered in flower was an intriguing member of the mint family with tubular greenish-yellow flowers - Chloanthes stoechadis. The specific epithet “stoechadis” refers to the French Lavender and was given to our plant as it has similar wrinkled leaves.

Other plants flowering here in winter were Acacia hispidula, Acacia suaveolens, Acacia ulicifolia, Euryomyrtus ramosissima, Grevillea mucronulata, Phyllota phylicoides and Woollsia pungens.

Lunch was enjoyed on a rocky outcrop looking over the valley of Glenbrook Creek across to Lost World.

Leader and report Helen Yoxall

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11 May - Winmalee, identifying eucalypts in the field

Looking before leaping is good practice for identifying eucalypts in the field, and the gentle rain on the day helped the 6 of us on the outing to do just that.

This set the scene for us to efficiently use A Key to Blue Mountains Eucalypts: Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus species native to Blue Mountains Local Government Area, which Peter and Judy Smith have expertly compiled and continue to refine.

Leader and report Don Cameron

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13 April - Glenbrook Lagoon

On a sunny autumn day 10 members walked around Glenbrook lagoon identifying aquatic plants, which were new to some of us. The lagoon was full with water so we walked on the perimeter with swathes of a tall grey – blue rush growing in the water adjacent to us. Lepironia articulata only grows in Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains and as far south as Thirlmere Lakes in Australia.

The new floating island for Eastern Snake-necked Turtles (Chelodina longicollis) was occupied by Ducks and a Darter drying its wings.

There were many species of Eucalypts around the lagoon - some were planted and not endemic to the area, so identification kept us all busy.

Leader Ros King; Report: Meredith Brownhill

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23 March - Good Forest/Hampton

Members keen to explore further west visited a friend’s private property on the eastern slopes of the tableland ranges. The property is regenerating following the removal of cattle with the regrowth of Eucalypt Woodlands and native grasses such as Microlaena stipoides.

The shrub layer was sparse. A population of Acacia gunnii, a plant of the higher tablelands was doing well, and a good diversity of ground covers such as Goodenia hederacea in flower indicates future recovery.

Happily we sat under a tree to complete the morning's survey with a good cuppa, good company and wonderful views across the valley towards the Blue Mountains.

Leader, Report: Meredith Brownhill

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9 March - Medlow Bath

Our largest group ever of 17 members started the day by spraying our shoes with 70% Methylated Spirit to kill Phytopthora cinnamomi fungal spores on our shoes and protect the vegetation from root rot.

We walked through Eucalyptus oreades Open Forest in Medlow Bath with tall white tree trunks around us inspiring our interest. They are cold climate trees so are very vulnerable to the warming climate.

We visited E. piperita, E. radiata, E. blaxlandii Woodlands and finally, at Pt. Point Pilcher enjoyed views of spectacular sandstone cliffs with flowering Corymbias on the slopes in the valley. After lunch in the shade we strolled to a small swamp which completed our day of great floristic diversity.

Leader, Report: Meredith Brownhill

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13 January - Mt Bindo

The first outing for 2024, on our new day of the 2nd Saturday of the month, attracted 9 members.

We took three cars for the drive to Mt Bindo which is in the Hampton State Forest and has an altitude of 1360m. We were lucky to have a warm, sunny day as two days later it was 11° and drizzling.

As we drove up through the pine forest the air cooled a little to 24°. We stopped to examine the first plant of interest, the low, spreading Persoonia acuminata, which is found only on the higher parts of the tableland. It grows in profusion on the upper slopes of Mt Bindo. On very rocky slopes we saw an unusual form of Platysace lanceolata.

We finally emerged from the pines into native eucalypt forest and snow gum woodland (Eucalyptus pauciflora) on the upper slopes and summit area. The ground cover included Stellaria pungens and bracken ferns.

We had seen signs warning us that we would be under surveillance at the summit, where there are various installations and observation towers. Sure enough while sitting eating our lunch we were visited by a security guard, curious to know what a bunch of people were doing hanging round the base of the towers. He would have realised instantly that none of us mainly older women had plans to scale the ladders!

Leader, Report: Sue Nicol