Posted in Indigenous Training

Plant Identification in Darwin

Did you know this is the floral emblem for the city of Darwin?  Red Flowering Kurrajong.  Genus: Brachychiton species: megaphyllus

Description: The Red-flowering Kurrajong is a small tree to 6 m tall. The bark is dark grey-brown, slightly fissured, and tessellated. The leaves are alternate, large, and almost circular,15-26cm long and 10-22cm wide, with up to 3 lobes. The leaf base is distinctly hart shaped and the leaves are softly hairy and are usually largest when young. The bell -shaped flowers are up to 4cm long and are orange-red with 5 petals. These are clustered towards the end of the branches. The fruit are large, woody oblong vessels, covered with short yellow-brown bristly hairs that split when mature.

Flowering Time: June to October.

Habitat: Open eucalypt woodland.
Distribution: Widespread north of Katherine, including the immediate Katherine area. Local location: Charles Darwin National Park

We took a small group out into Charles Darwin National park and some local wetlands the other day to see what was around, and found some interesting plants including.  Red Flowering Kurrajong Brachychiton, Darwin woollybutt, Darwin stringybark Eucalyptus, Wattle, Swamp wattle Acacia, Corky apple Planchonia, Green plum Buckanania, Long-fruited bloodwood Corymbia, Mistletoe Decaisnina, Beach hibiscus Hibiscus, Weeping paperbark Melaleuca, Sandpaper fig Ficus, Ironwood Erythrophleum, Swamp banksia Banksia, Billygoat plum Terminalia, Milkwood Alstonia, Pandanus Pandanus, Sand palm Livistona

If this is something you may be interested in come and join as for a walk through the beautiful Charles Darwin National park and some local wetlands to see what is around your local area.  The leaf from the Kurrajong, megaphyllus meaning big.

The group looking for NTs only Banksia.