Plant of the Month – August 2015

MALLEE POMADERRIS

(Pomaderris paniculosa ssp. paniculosa)

 

(Photos: E. Cousins, habitat at Cape Jervis, a pomaderris behind hibbertia; https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6194/6123759156_85ef3c5dfd_m.jpg, close-up of leaf stem )

This waist high shrub is one of the hardy survivors around Cape Jervis. It can grow in windy coastal locations as well as woodland and mallee, and doesn’t mind rocky ground. Despite this, the shrub is now extinct in NSW, and endangered in Victoria. The dull green, oval-shaped leaves are about 1 cm long, and look furry. This is because of fine white hairs along and below the leaf edges. The hairs on raised veins, the younger stems and buds look rusty, giving a brown-green look to the shrub. Little flower buds occur in loose hanging clusters (see third photo above), and the tiny 3 mm flowers that follow the buds are yellow; look for these shortly in spring!