Some Pretty Cullen Species.

Cullen patens, Cullen tenax
FAMILY: FABACEAE
Two of our local species of Cullen are flowering at the moment, out near Oakey.
They are both perennial plants, and are pretty at this time of the year, smothered with flowers in two shades of pink.
As well as being good for native pastures because of their palatibility to stock, they are great plants for a wildlife garden. A number of animals eat them, and they are hosts for several butterfly species. This includes several kinds of small blue butterflies, and the large and showy chequered swallowtails - butterflies whose numbers are dwindling in the Toowoomba area due to loss of habitat.



The photo below shows Bullamon lucerne, Cullen patens, a spreading perennial growing to about 15cm high. It comes in two leaf colours. Out west it’s blue-green, but here the leaves are dark green.



It loves the hard conditions in the gravel right near the edge of the road, where the drainage is good and the plants get a bit of moisture from the road.

Cullen patens.

Emu Foot, Cullen tenax, has lush green leaves, lavender-coloured flowers, and is slightly taller than its cousin, growing to knee-height.

 

Cullen tenax

 Both plants are flowering out near Oakey this week.

Carex appressa

A Useful, Adaptable Sedge
Carex appressa
FAMILY: CYPERACEAE
This is a plant that is happy to have its feet in the water all year round.

(Note the frog eggs in the corner behind it.)

It also grows on dry land, tolerating a surprising amount of drought. This makes it excellent as a plant for the edge of a dam or pond whose water might vary in height, but it is also good in shady nooks on the garden, dry watercourses, and areas of poor drainage.



It’s common name is “tall sedge”.  How boring is that? For such a useful and attractive plant, I feel we should be able to do better!

I find it is a frog-favourite. My single pot of Carex creates a nice little niche for a pair of frogs to get together to produce eggs. After a croaky night, we often see a froth of eggs tucked in the corner behind it.




These are striped marsh frogs.

Like most Carex species, it is monoecious (having male and female flower-heads on the same plant). Female flower-stems are shorter than the males


Male flower head


Female (above) and male.



Detail. The male flower head has yellow anthers, which shed pollen.
The female flowers (behind) have sticky white styles, to catch the flying pollen. Only the female flower head will produce seeds.