Dominant grassland and grassy woodland plants

Broad-leaved Peppermint

Eucalyptus dives

These trees have greyish, fissured bark throughout. The juvenile leaves are stalkless, broadly lance-shaped with smooth margins, and are opposite each other on the stems. The club-shaped buds are about 6 mm long and occur in clusters of 11 or more. When crushed, the juvenile and adult leaves have a strong peppermint smell.

 

 

Red Box

Eucalyptus polyanthemos

These trees have strongly contorted upper branches. The bark is smooth, with greyish and white blotches, and peels off in chunky plates. Sometimes the trunk has rough bark at its base. The juvenile leaves have a long stalk and an almost circular blade, and are alternate on the stems. The globular to club-shaped buds are 6 mm long and occur in clusters of seven.

 

 

Apple Box

Eucalyptus bridgesiana

These trees have greyish, rough bark throughout. The juvenile leaves are stalkless, heart-shaped with finely wavy margins, and are opposite to alternate on the stems. The egg-shaped buds are about 8 mm long, and occur in clusters of up to seven.

 

Burgan

Kunzea ericoides

This shrub grows to 3 m tall with leaves up to 2.5 cm long and 4 mm wide. The white flowers form dense clusters at the ends of leafy branchlets. Each flower has five rounded petals and many white stamens
longer than the petals. Its fruits fall off soon after maturing. Burgan flowers profusely in late spring and summer.

 

 

Kangaroo Grass

Themeda triandra

This is a tufted to spreading perennial with loose clusters of flowers that appear in late spring. Each flower has a rigid black bristle up to 6 cm long.

Ngunnawal people used the stems and leaves to make string for small baskets and fishing nets, and crushed seeds into flour for baking.

 

Prickly Teatree

Leptospermum continentale

This shrub grows to 2 m tall with leaves to 10 mm long and 3 mm wide. The white flowers are scattered along the stems. Each flower has five rounded petals and many white stamens shorter than the petals. The woody fruits persist on the plant for MF several years. It flowers in late spring.

 

 

Redleg Grass

Bothriochloa macra

This is a tufted to spreading perennial with bright green leaves in spring, and red flowering stems to 40 cm tall. The flowers occur in narrow clusters along 3-5 small stems arising roughly from the same point on the flowering stem. Each flower has a rigid greenish or reddish bristle about 2.5 cm long. It usually flowers in summer.

 

 

Photographers: MF = Murray Fagg; RP = Rosemary Purdie

This project was supported with funding made available by the ACT Government under the ACT Heritage Grants Program.