OEEDU5003 Connecting with Nature

Week fiveFlora identification.

Ecological literacy

• What does it mean to be ecologically literate?

• EL is about knowing and being comfortable in a place?

• What would make you more comfortable in a place?

Flora Identification

Using Costermans’ Trees of Victoria and adjoining areas book

Diagnostic features of plants

• List some diagnostic features used to ID plants

• Leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, barks, shape, height,…

• Observe leaves provided – Identify as many different characteristics as you can

Characteristics ofleaves (Costermans, 1998, p. 46)

• Vein pattern (lateral, lanceolate, ovate, longitudinal veins, oblique)

• Margins – toothed, scalloped, serrated, smooth

• Colour – if 2 surfaces different = discolorous

• Shape & size• Texture – waxiness (glaucous –

bluish-green)• Leaf attachment – opposite or

alternate• Attachment to stem – sessile

(stalkless, no petiole)• Symmetry or oblique• Glands• Smell (lemon-scented, peppermint)

Characteristics (Costermans, 1998, p. 46)

• a. Lateral veins at large angle to midvein (eg, Mahogany, Bloodwood)

• b. Long lanceolate leaf (eg, Manna Gum group)

• C. Ovate leaf, intra-marginal vein distant from margin (eg, Red Box)

Look closely at the leaves

Characteristics (Costermans, 1998, p. 46)

d. Lateral veins at small angle to midvein (eg, narrow-leaved peppermint)

e. Lateral veins tend longitudinal (eg, snow gum)

f. Leaf broad, curved, asymmetrical, oblique (eg, Messmate)

Juvenile leaves (Costermans, 1998, p. 46)

Buds, Flowers & Fruits (Costermans, 1998, p. 48)

Buds (Costermans, 1998, p. 48)

Flowers (Costermans, 1998, p. 48)

Parts of eucalypt fruits (Costermans, 1998, p. 48)

Barks – see pages viii-ix

Wattles – Pods & Seeds

• All wattles form pods• Differences in pods can

be helpful for ID.• The seed attachment

stalk (funicle) is a good diagnostic feature.

• Eg Blackwood, this is red & doubly encircles the seed

• Eg Lightwood, it is white & folded at the seed base

Key Groups of Wattles for ID (Costermans, 1998, p. 131)

• Adult foliage always bipinnate (‘feathery’), p. 132

• Adult foliage as phyllodes (‘simple leaves’), p. 135

• Flowers in cylindrical spikes, p. 135

Key Groups of Wattles for ID (Costermans, 1998, p. 131)

• Flowers in globular heads, p. 138

• Phyllodes one main vein, p. 138

• Phyllodes with more than one main vein, p. 143

Using the Costermans’ Book

• Need to know where your patch of bush is located?

• What vegetation type?

• See pp. 8-9