This month the white flowers of several tall bushes are a feature, two being quite widespread. Prickly Teatree, Leptospermum continentale, has masses of five-petalled flowers, and small sharp leaves.
Prickly Teatree
Common Cassini, C. aculeata, has flattish clusters of tiny flowers and fine tapered leaves. Less common, except for wetter forest gullies such as at Distillery Creek and Moggs Creek, Victorian Christmas Bush, Prostanthera lasianthos.var lasianthos, is preparing a delightful Christmas display of its interesting and slightly tubular flowers.
Our damper areas have been providing fine displays of bright yellow flowers on some low-growing herbs, such as eye-catching clusters on two related species. Common Everlasting, Chrysocephalum apiculatum, grows in dense mats with hairy soft-grey leaves. It has bigger flowers than Clustered Everlasting, Chrysocephalum semipapposum, which has erect stems with threadlike leaves.
Common Everlasting
In fresh permanent water Running Marsh-flower, Ornduffia reniformis, has racemes of gorgeous, tall showy five-petalled flowers, and small waterlily-like kidney-shaped leaves.
Ellinor Campbell