Despite the dry conditions and late season some small gems are making an appearance at last!
Deep mauve flowers of the Short Purple-flag, Patersonia fragilis, are emerging from brown sheaths hidden deep in the smooth, rigid, reed-like leaves.
Short Purple-flag
Red hood-like blooms of the Dwarf Wedge-pea, Gompholobium ecostatum, stand out among the stalkless, trifoliate, bluish leaves. Attractive olive-green seed pods form as they mature.
Dwarf Wedge-pea
The Trailing Goodenia, Goodenia lanata, is another ground hugging plant with yellow spring flowers to delight. The alternate soft-hairy leaves grow on a single plane along the trailing stems that often root at the nodes .
Trailing Goodenia
Also look out for the terminal clusters of Globe Pea, Sphaerolobium minus, with its bright yellow flowers and complimentary lead-grey calyxes on erect rush-like stems. The stems appear leafless but tiny five mm stem-hugging leaves are just visible.
Globe Pea
Geraldine Harris