Chamelaucium uncinatum geraldton-wax

January Newsletter
Australian Plants Society
Wilson Park (Berwick) Inc.
Inc. A0028350T
January, 2016
ABN 69 324 096 622
Website for Australian Plants Society Victoria is www.apsvic.org.au
Website for APS Wilson Park (Berwick) Inc. is www.apswilsonparkberwick.org.au
Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/APSWilsonParkBerwick).
Chamelaucium uncinatum
geraldton-wax
The profusion of long lasting waxy flowers on a spreading but dense shrub are the outstanding
features of this iconic Australian plant. It is one of the world’s great cut flowers and is used
extensively as a backing flower in arrangements. It makes a wonderful feature shrub or screen
plant in the garden especially in areas with drier summers. The normal pink variety is more hardy
than the darker colours. The foliage is aromatic when crushed. Give it a light trim after flowering.
January 2016 Newsletter — Page 1
Nothofagus (Antarctic Beech) leaves
ll Eucalypts evolved after the Australian
A
continent separated from Gondwana
around 33 million years ago. Some of the best
Eucalyptus fossils have been collected from
a site in the former Wilson Quarry at Berwick,
Victoria now Wilson Botanic Park.
The
collection site is now covered by a Lake. This
specimen, from the Museum of Victoria, shows
a Eucalyptus and some Nothofagus (Antarctic
Beech) leaves. The fossil is about 25 million
years old.
Alex Smart
Australian study reveals the disease fighting
powers of bee semen
Bee colonies are dying off because stressed
bees start foraging when they are too young to
do the risky job, new research suggests.
Radio trackers on the bees helped reveal
younger foragers collected less food and died
faster than their older counterparts.
oney isn’t the only powerfully anti-microbial fluid bees are capable of producing, with new
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research revealing the seminal fluid of male honey bees can destroy the fungal spores of one
of the most wide-spread bee pathogens.
The fungal pathogen Nosema apis is frequently found in bee colonies, and when hives come under
stress, from bad weather or hunger, it can spread, leading to complete colony collapse.
While the pathogen can be transmitted among infected bees, through bodily contact or faecal
matter, it was recently discovered the pathogen could be sexually transmitted as well, leading to
concerns about the damage it could do to breeding programs.
But in a new study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists at the University
of Western Australia’s Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBR) discovered the seminal fluid of
male bees is capable of destroying the fungal spores in two ways.
“What excites me about this research is that is shows the bee can strike back, it has an immune
system that is active and can control infections,” CIBR director Dr Boris Baer said.
Information and pictures from ABC Rural Notes.
Page 2 — January 2016 Newsletter
Eremaea
Eremaea hadra
Eremaea asterocarpa
remaea is a genus of woody shrubs and small trees with small leaves that are arranged alternately
E
on the stem and are dotted with oil glands. The flowers have both male and female parts and
are solitary or in clusters of two or three on the ends of the branches. There are 5 sepals, and 5
petals which fall off as the flower matures. There are many stamens, all longer than the petals
and usually arranged in groups of five. The stamens give the flowers their colour, which may be
pink, deep pink, orange or violet. The fruit is a woody capsule containing one to six small seeds.
in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Little study of the
genus as a whole had been undertaken until Roger Hnatiuk researched Eremaea and published
a paper in 1993, A revision of the genus Eremaea (Myrtaceae) in Nuytsia. The first species to be
described was Eremaea pauciflora (as Metrosideros pauciflora) in 1837 and by 1964, the number
of species known had increased to 12. Hnatiuk recognised 16 species, 5 subspecies and a number
of varieties.
Article and photos resourced from google
Shows, Conferences, Plant Sales and Other
Items of Interest
16 – 20 March 2016 — MIFGS, Carlton Gardens.
9 & 10 April — APS Geelong Plant Sale at ‘Wirrawilla’, 40 Lovely Banks Road, Lovely Banks.
Mel 431D6. (This was formerly Purnell Rd, and is located west of Geelong Ring Road.) Plenty of off
street parking, entry is $2 per adult or $5 per car, children free of charge.
16 April — APS Victoria District Group Conference, Whitehorse Centre, Nunawading – 2 participants
from each district group as well as APS Vic Exec and Committee members.
23 April — APS Mornington Peninsula Plant Sale, Seawinds, Arthurs Seat State Park.
10.00 am – 3.30 pm.
1 May — APS Yarra Yarra Autumn Plant Sale and propagation demonstrations, cnr Brougham St
& Main Road, Eltham. Mel 21J7. 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.
7 May — APS Melton & Bacchus Marsh Plant Sale, 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, Uniting Church Car
Park, Bacchus Marsh. (Mel 333 J6) This sale features genus hakea with large number of unusual
species. A full list is available approx. one month prior to sale and pre-orders can be sent to the
secretary, [email protected].
15 to 26 May — ANPSA 12 day Natural History Kimberley Camping Tour. Enquiries to
[email protected] or phone 0401975191.
Thank you to Cardinya View Nursery
for bringing along a selection of tubestock for
members to purchase.
January 2016 Newsletter — Page 3
Proposed Program for 2016
DATE:
TIME:
SPEAKER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13:
2.00pm
Opening for the year, Bob and Dot O’Neil’s
Propagation at their garden.
TUESDAY, MARCH 8:
8.00pm
Greame Woods will be presenting a feature on Hakeas.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17:
2.00pm
Grafting afternoon at Sunvalley Nursery, Langwarrin. There may be a cost, will update on this when confirmed.
TUESDAY, MAY 10:
8.00pm
Vanessa, Bush Heritage on Gippsland properties.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14:
8.00pm
Jason Caruso will be giving a presentation on Eucalypts for small gardens.
TUESDAY, JULY 12:
8.00pm
Cindy Tomamichel will give a talk on Soils etc. plus an open discussion session.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9:
8.00pm
Annual General Meeting.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: 9.00am
ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE (TBC)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13:
8.00pm
A presenter to be sourced.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11:
8.00pm
A presenter to be sourced.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8:
8.00pm
Rodger Elliott will be talking on how to create a habitat garden.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13:
Christmas breakup.
MEMBERS!
embers can you please submit some articles for upcoming Newsletters. It is getting increasingly
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harder to source relevant articles to produce. Photos are also very welcome but they must
be in there original format jpeg. You can also post me photos and articles, photos will be returned
after used.
My email address is: [email protected]
My postal address is: 13 Anchorage Drive, Blind Bight, Vic. 3980.
There must be something that you would like to share with the members be it planting problems,
plants dying, your propagating methods (we all have different ways of doing this).
All articles to be in by 1st of each month please.
Many thanks, Joy (editor).
Thank you to Facey’s Wholesale Nursery
for their ongoing support in
donating plants towards our raffle
Page 4 — January 2016 Newsletter