X is for Xyris – sharp but gentle yellow-eyes of the buttongrass moor #MelaleucaMiscellany

Tall yellow-eye, Xyris operculata, sans pretty flowers.

Xyris comes from the Greek for “cutting knife” or “sword”.  Fortunately, their leaves resemble dangerous weapons in shape only; unlike much of the vegetation of the button-grass moorlands, they are smooth and gentle on the skin.

There are four types of Xyris in Tasmania – these sedges are commonly known as yellow-eyes due to their quite showy, three-petalled yellow flowers, held aloft on elongated, loosely twisted stems.

Although Xyris flowers in summer, they were pretty much done by the time I made it to Melaleuca.  However, you can find many pretty photos of them on Flickr here.

Xyris operculata, traditional ink-stylee, borrowed from classicnatureprints.com

W is for Wildflowers of the South West Wilderness #MelaleucaMiscellany

Paper Daisy (Helichrysum pumilum) – important orange-bellied parrot tucker – its abundance is tied to the fire regime.

Tiny Flannelflower (Actinotus bellidioides) – more important parrot food. The seeds of these furry flora are so tiny, it’s no wonder the OBPs spend all their time stuffing their feathery little faces – it’d be like trying to subsist entirely on hundreds and thousands.

A pretty eyebright (Euphrasia) from Mount Beattie.

Triggerplant! Proto-carnivore and insect basher. When insects land on trigger plant flowers, a fused stigma/style swings around like a teensy botanical fist and thumps the unsuspecting invertebrate on the rear, thus disseminating the plant’s pollen. Trigger plants also have a sticky mucilage which is thought to allow them to trap and digest insects. Double jeopardy!

Purple death flowers!

Epacrids!