Up coming events – note there have been a few changes .

1. Sun 3rd Nov, Goodwood, Annual Seed Sowing

2. Sun 17th Nov, Grass ID workshop at Cape Jervis [new date], sponsored by NRM

3. “Dec” working bee – changes

• Sat Nov 30, as planned, seed collecting and weeding
• Sun Dec 1, cancelled – as we will be attending ….. see #4

4. Sun Dec 1, “Fleurieu Celebrating Volunteers Event” at Basham’s Beach – all welcome

Details for each of the events are below. Hope to see you “around” or on site soon.

1. Sun 3rd Nov, Goodwood, Annual Seed Sowing

Sunday 3th Nov @ Australian Plants Society clubrooms, 21A Richards Terrace, GOODWOOD,

there will a be “back to back” seed sowing events for two groups working on revegetation at Cape Jervis, near the start of the Heysen Trail

Starting between 9.00- 9.30 with the established (and experienced) COOTS group (Conservation of Our Threatened Species) – who work on a site “just east of the Heysen Trail” near Fisheries Beach [http://www.australianplantssa.asn.au/the-society/whats-on/56-coots.html]

When they are finished, approx After morning tea (11.00 am) the new Cape Jervis Coastal Community Group, will be doing their seed sowing

(only 7- 8 trays, < 1 hrs work]

We are looking for helpers for the morning, and/or people to babysit boxes of plants from Nov till planting time (May/Jun 2013).

Come for an hour or the whole morning. Participate or just come along and watch if you are want to know more about propagating native plants.

Sausage sizzle and yummy cakes

Just show up or ring Carolyn Schultz 0423 213 481 if you would like any further information

2. Sun 17th Nov, Grass ID workshop at Cape Jervis [new date], sponsored by NRM

We are running a FREE Grasses & Sedges ID workshop to be held at Cape Jervis.

Grasses expert, Tanya Milne, will provide you with accessible information and hands-on experience showcasing the plants of Cape Jervis.

When: Sunday 17 November

Time: 10am to 4pm

Where: Cape Jervis Community Centre, Ransford Street

This is a joint project between Cape Jervis Coastal Community Group and Natural Resources Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges

Limited places! RSVP essential by 5.00pm 8 November: jodie.woof@sa.gov.au

BLUE or SANDPLAIN LUPIN

(Lupinus cosentini)

(Photos:  E. Cousins; patch of lupins at Cape Jervis; plant in flower with seed pods; flower; seed pod)

You will see lupins flowering and setting seed at Cape Jervis right now! These weeds are becoming prolific in the area between the township and the ferry terminal.

The plants grow up to 25cm high, with an erect central stem, and leaves branching off all around. The leaves are like the skeleton of umbrellas: about 10 spokes radiating from the leaf’s centre. The blue flowers are pea-like, with a yellowy-white spot that changes to purple as the flower gets older. The flowers are followed by hairy seed pods. The 3 to 5 seed in those pods are wrinkly and brown.

This plant originated in the Mediterranean and SW Europe, and obviously thinks the climate here is pretty good as well. Though the plant will die off in the summer heat, the seeds will remain to germinate in autumn, and so the cycle goes on. Isolated plants can be removed by pulling out the single tap root. Large infestations will need poisoning.

MINT BUSH

 (Prostanthera aspalathoides)

(Photos: E. Cousins; scarlet mint bush and sticky goodenia, at COOTS site, Lands End; a single flower)

This compact shrub grows up to a metre tall, and flowers from July to December.

The common name for Prostanthera aspalathoides is actually the scarlet mint bush, but amazingly, this local form from the Rapid Bay area has flowers which are a pretty shade of mauve, not scarlet!  Many references will tell you the flower colour ranges from red to orange, sometimes yellow or white… not mauve. However, it has definitely been classified by the SA Herbarium as being this subspecies. Native plant expert Ron Taylor tells us the main keys which allow the species to be separated from other mint bushes are the shape of the flower, the hairs on branches and leaves, the leaves themselves and the length of the calyx (the green sepals that encase the base of the flower; 5-7mm long).