Dampiera rosmarinifolia
I found another good photo of this suckering plant which spreads by underground shoots form the root stock. It is a good hardy plant to have in a perennial border. It is easily kept confined.
It is drought tolerant and frost hardy and grows in lime soils.
The following is an extract from an article on the ABC Website concerning the research that has been going on with Eremophilas. These are hardy plants, with attractive flowers which are loved by Honeyeaters.
More on Eremophilas can be seen here. Also see the category Eremophilas.
Australian native plants are being used to develop new antibacterial agents for coating biomedical implants (Source: Hans Griesser)
An extract from a flowering desert plant, used as traditional medicine by Indigenous Australians, could one day be used to coat hip transplants and other biomedical devices, say researchers.
Professor Hans Griesser and colleagues are presenting their work this week at a biomaterials conference at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
“We can learn so much from nature and traditional knowledge,” says Griesser, a materials scientist from the University of South Australia.
He says Aboriginal people use leaves of Eremophila plants, which grow in Australia’s desert areas, to make ointments for skin abrasions and gargles for throat infections.
More of the article can be read here.
Xanthorrhoea glauca ssp. angustifolia
I found this plant in Canberra Botanic gardens in the bush garden with other grasses and daisies. I assume that it is native to the area around Canberra. I could not find ant direct information about the plant. Most of the time I scrabbled around the base of plants in the garden looking for the aluminium tag attached to the plant to read what the species was. Unfortunately, I forgot to check other plants in the area in case there was further information.
Judging by the type of soil and location, I suggest that this plant needs good drainage. It is obviously frost hardy as it was in an exposed situation. There was a saying amongst the Australian Plant Society members that if a plant grew in Canberra, it would survive any frost that formed in South Australia.
Calocephalus lacteus (Milky Beauty-heads)
Calocephalus lacteus is a small spreading plant with small, globular, whitish flower heads in late spring and summer. The photo was taken in early January in Canberra Botanic Gardens.
The plant suckers, growing 10-30 cm tall by 1-1.5 metres wide. It is hardy in most situations, prefers moist soil but withstands periods of dryness. It grows in full sun to part shade in sand loam or clay that is well drained. It would need some water during the summer in low rainfall areas.
Calocephalus citreus (Lemon Beauty-heads)
Calocephalus citreus is a small member of the daisy family, growing 20-50 cm high by 30-60 cm wide. It has silver grey foliage and small, yellow button type flowerheads in late Spring to Summer. The photo was taken in early January at Canberra Botanic Gardens.
This plant is perennial and should be pruned after flowering when new growths begin near the base of the plant. It is hardy in most situations and withstands dry periods.
I would call it a drought tolerant plant when I observe its survival here. It grows in loam and sand, in half to full sun, including dappled sun.
This attractive daisy dries well for use in flower arrangements.
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