Xerochrysum (syn. Bracteantha) is a genus of flowering plants native to Australia. It was defined by Russian botanist Nikolai Tzvelev in 1990, preceding (and taking precedence over) Bracteantha which was described the following year. A 2002 molecular study of the tribe Gnaphalieae has indicated the genus is probably polyphyletic, with X. bracteatum and X. viscosum quite removed from each other.
Shown here is Xerochrysum bicolor, native to Tasmania, where it is found in wetter habitats near the coast. It was originally described by Lindley in 1835 as Helichrysum bicolor, before gaining its current name in 2001. It is a compact annual or perennial, which normally grows to about 40 cm in height and 50 cm wide, and is usually simple or few-branched. The leaves are lanceolate and range from 2.5 to 10 cm long by 0.3 to 1.4 cm wide. The flowerheads are on stalks and have a diameter of 3 to 4 cm.The inflorescence bracts are papery, the outer ones orange-brown in colour, and the inner ones yellow. It is distinguished from X. bracteatum by its narrower leaves.
Vanessa kershawi, commonly known as the Australian Painted Lady, is a butterfly that is mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. There is debate surrounding the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian Painted Lady should be a subspecies to the Painted Lady due to the similarity in lifestyle and behaviour. Furthermore, the Painted Lady is found around the globe but Australia is the only location in which it varies enough to be considered a separate species. However, due to the distinct genitalia of the males, and variation in coloration, many others consider the Australian Painted Lady to be a separate species.
During spring, adult butterflies migrate south in large numbers from northern states of Queensland and New South Wales. In order to find mates, male Australian Painted Ladies exhibit territorial behaviour, which involves a male perching on vegetation in a sunny spot on a hilltop, waiting for females to fly by. Despite urbanisation and invasive plants altering its habitat, populations of Australian Painted Ladies have not been significantly impacted by these changes.
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Craspedia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family commonly known as billy buttons and woollyheads. They are native to Australia and New Zealand where they grow in a variety of habitats from sea level to the Alps. The genus is found in every state of Australia except the Northern Territory. In New Zealand, Craspedia is found from East Cape on the North Island south to Stewart Island. It also occurs on Campbell Island and the Chatham Islands. There are about 23 species: 6 from New Zealand and 17 from Australia.
Craspedia are rosette-forming herbs with compound capitula borne on erect, unbranched scapes. The capitula are hemispherical to spherical heads of tiny flowers. Most species are perennial; one species is recorded as an annual (Craspedia haplorrhiza). The leaves have considerable variation in form, ranging in colour from white to green, and are often covered in fine hairs.
Species of Craspedia are found in a wide range of habitats from coastal to alpine and are generally plants of open areas, sometimes ruderal. Observations of some Australian species suggest they re-establish well after fire. In Australia Craspedia are commonly found growing in forest habitat, whereas in New Zealand they are generally excluded from closed Nothofagus forests. Craspedia species may occur in dense, widespread populations in mainland Australia, but generally not in New Zealand or Tasmania.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Erysimum cheiri syn. Cheiranthus cheiri (common name "wallflower") is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), native to Europe but widespread as an introduced species elsewhere. It is also widely cultivated as a garden plant. It is known as giroflée and revenelle in French, Goldlack in German, alhelí in Spanish and violacciocca in Italian.
This is a popular ornamental plant, widely cultivated for its abundant, fragrant flowers in spring. Many cultivars have been developed, in shades of yellow, orange, red, maroon, purple, brown, white and cream. It associates well in bedding schemes with other spring flowers such as tulips and forget-me-nots. It is usually grown as a biennial, sown one year to flower the next, and then discarded.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Snapped these gulls on top of a light by the Yarra River a couple of days ago. I'm sure that there was no love involved, but it's hard to look at this photo and not anthropomorphise!
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Little Creatures is an Australian brewing company based in Fremantle, Western Australia, originally established in 2000 by the original brewers of the Matilda Bay Brewing Company. The name "Little Creatures" is inspired by a song lyric from the Talking Heads Little Creatures album and refers to the live yeast cells that turn the sugars in malt wort into alcohol.Little Creatures Pty Ltd is owned by Little World Beverages, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lion Nathan (which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Kirin).
The Brewery was founded by Howard Cearns (marketing specialist), Nic Trimboli (restaurateur) and Phil Sexton (master brewer), all of whom previously worked with the Matilda Bay Brewing Company. In 1997 Cearns, Trimboli and Sexton discussed the possibility of brewing an american style India Pale Ale. Sexton having worked in the United States and was involved in the development of the BridgePort IPA. Cearns came up with the name after reading about little creatures wandering from ale house to ale house in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and at the time thinking that it sounded like yeast fermentation. The brewery released its first beer, Little Creatures Pale Ale, in 2000. In 2008 the company established a second brewery in Healesville, Victoria.
The brewery building, was originally constructed to house the Taskforce '87 yachts (Kookaburra) participating in the 1987 America's Cup and subsequently as a crocodile farm before being converted to its current use. The brewery is open to the public and contains a café/restaurant.
This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme,
and also part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme :-)
Chrysanthemums, often called "mums" or "chrysanths", are perennial flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae which are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. About 30 species have been described. Florists sometimes abbreviate the spelling to "xants"
The name "chrysanthemum" is derived from the Greek words, chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). Chrysanthemum species are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 50–150 cm tall, with deeply lobed leaves with large flower heads that are generally white, yellow or pink in the wild. They are the preferred diet of larvae of certain lepidopterans.
In Australia, Chrysanthemums bloom around Mother's Day, and the inclusion of the ending "-mum" associates this flower with the anniversary and chrysanthemums are the preferred flower to offer one's mother on Mother's Day.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Butterflies reproduce the way other animals do - sperm from a male fertilises eggs from a female. Males and females of the same species recognize one another by the size, color, shape and vein structure of the wings, all of which are species specific. Butterflies also recognize each other through pheromones, or scents. During mating, males use clasping organs on their abdomens to grasp females.
Many male butterflies deliver more than just sperm to their mates. Most provide a spermatophore, a package of sperm and nutrients the female needs to produce and lay eggs. Some males collect specific nutrients to produce a better spermatophore in an attempt to attract a mate. Some females, however, don't have a choice -- in some species, males mate with females before they have left their chrysalis or swarm the chrysalis waiting for the female to appear. In most species, males and females look a lot a like, but females often have larger abdomens for carrying their eggs.
This post is part Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Many people are fond of ladybugs because of their colourful, spotted appearance. But farmers love them for their appetite. Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed. By the end of its three-to-six-week life, a ladybug may eat some 5,000 aphids.
The ladybug here was photographed in our garden, on top of a cluster of tiny dill flowers.
This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Winged meme.
Ducks are such a cheerful sight by a pond! The moorhens that join them are a constant source of amusement as they try to steal some of the food thrown to the ducks...
This post is part of the Nature Footstep Winged meme.
