Australian_Geographic_-_February_2016_

30 Australian Geographic

Emblematic beauty

Valued for their ecological and cultural values, Australia’s floral

emblems represent the beauty and diversity of all our native flowers.

NATURE WATCH

NATIVE FLOWERS

are part of our cultural
heritage and vital to
sustaining Australia’s
unique ecosystems.
We have about 21,000
species of native
flowering plant, and
they are celebrated in
festivals and gardens
nationwide. They
emblazon flags, coins,
bank notes, stamps and
sports jerseys, and are
often presented to
dignitaries and sporting
heroes. Nine are officially
recognised as national,
state, and territory floral
emblems – including the
golden wattle (Acacia
pycnantha) that inspires
our national colours. And
they feature alongside
Australia’s bird and
mammal emblems on
official coats of arms.

COMMON

HEATH

Epacris impressa

Victoria was our first

state to adopt an official

floral emblem and the

pink-flowered form of

this species was it. A

slender, upright shrub

growing to about 1m tall,

the common heath

produces stems lined

with many tubular

flowers that range from

pale white to deep red.

Small birds often perch

among the short spiked

leaves, where they can

feed on the nectar

produced by the flowers.

WARATAH

Telopea speciosissima

This waratah is found

along the NSW central

coast and throughout

the adjoining mountains,

particularly around

Sydney and in the Blue

Mountains. It grows as a

large shrub that can

reach a height of 4m and

produces large inflores-

cences made up of many

small individual flowers,

surrounded by crimson

petal-like bracts. Hun-

dreds of flowers open

together, creating a

bright beacon that

attracts native birds.

TEXT BY JAMES O’HANLON ILLUSTRATIONS BY HEIDI WILLIS

STURT’S

DESERT PEA

Swainsona formosa

Sturt’s desert pea,

which grows in sandy

soils across much of

Australia’s arid interior, is

pollinated by nectar-

feeding birds. Each

inflorescence bears six

or seven usually bright

red flowers with black

bulbous centres, which

birds probe with their

beaks to reach sweet

nectar within. As they

feed, pollen is deposited

on the birds’ abdomens

and transferred between

different flowers.

ROYAL

BLUEBELL

Wahlenbergia gloriosa

A protected species that

cannot be collected from

the wild, this small per-

ennial alpine herb grows

close to the ground in

open areas, rocky out-

crops and woodlands in

the Australian Alps. Its

vivid blue/purple flowers

grow to about 3cm wide,

on the ends of long,

slender stems and

attract insect pollinators.

It’s often mistaken for

the more common,

widespread tall bluebell

(Wahlenbergia stricta).

AUSTRALIAN

CAPITAL TERRITORY NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA SOUTH AUSTRALIA