Flora and Fauna of Tasmania

Asteraceae or Compositae (commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family) is an exceedingly large and widespread family of Angiospermae. The group has more than 23,000 currently accepted species, spread across 1,620 genera (list) and 12 subfamilies. In terms of numbers of species, Asteraceae is rivaled only by Orchidaceae. (Which of the two families is actually larger is unclear, owing to uncertainty about exactly how many species exist in each family). The main feature... less ↑

Eucalyptus /ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs/ L'Heritier 1789 is a diverse genus of flowering trees and shrubs (including a distinct group with a multiple-stem mallee growth habit) in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia. There are more than 700 species of eucalyptus, mostly native to Australia, and a very small number are found in adjacent areas of New Guinea and Indonesia. One species, Eucalyptus deglupta, ranges as far north as the Philippines. less ↑

Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surfaces. The insects are used to supplement the poor mineral nutrition of the soil in which they grow. Various species, which vary greatly in size and form, can be found growing natively on every continent except Antarctica. less ↑

Drosera binata, commonly known as the Fork-leaved sundew, is a large, perennial sundew native to Australia and New Zealand. The specific epithet is Latin for "having pairs" - a reference to the leaves, which are dichotomously divided or forked. This species occurs naturally in Australia, primarily in coastal areas from Fraser Island in Queensland, south down through New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania and the south-east corner of South Australia. The range of this species... less ↑

Acacia verticillata (Prickly Moses; Prickly-leaved Wattle; Star-Leaved Acacia; Prickly Mimosa; Whorl-Leaved Acacia) is a perennial shrub to small tree native to Australia and Tasmania. The species is a common understorey shrub in both wet and dry sclerophyll forests as well as scrub and heath. In coastal environments it will often have much wider leaves as opposed to the regular needle-like nature of inland specimens. less ↑

Juncus bufonius, known commonly as toad rush, is a common species of rush found worldwide. It grows in moist and muddy places and is considered a weed in many areas. This is an annual monocot that is quite variable in appearance. It is sometimes described as a complex of variants labeled with one species name. It is generally a green clumping grasslike rush with many thin stems wrapped with few threadlike leaves. The flowers are borne... less ↑

The small marsh flower Cotula coronopifolia (also spelled C. coronipifolia) bears the common names brass buttons, golden buttons, and buttonweed. The flowers are bright yellow discoid inflorescences that look like thick buttons. Individual plants spread stems along the ground and send up the knobby flowers at intervals. The plant is native to southern Africa, but it has been introduced to many regions of the world. less ↑

Montia fontana, commonly known as blinks or water-blinks, water brickweed or annual water miner's lettuce, is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus Montia. It is a common plant that can be found in wet environments across the globe, from the tropics to the Arctic. It is quite variable in morphology, taking a variety of forms. It is sometimes aquatic. less ↑

Leontodon taraxacoides is a species of hawkbit known by the common name lesser hawkbit. It is native to Europe and North Africa but it can be found in many other places across the globe as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. This is a dandelion-like herb growing patches of many erect, leafless stems from a basal rosette of leaves. Atop the stems are solitary flower heads which are ligulate, containing layered rings of ray... less ↑

Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up to 30 metres tall. They are generally found in a wide variety of landscapes; sclerophyll forest, (occasionally) rainforest, shrubland, and some more arid landscapes, though not in Australia's deserts. less ↑

Geranium potentilloides is a species of geranium known by the common name cinquefoil geranium. It is native to the eastern half of Australia, where it is widespread, as well as New Zealand, and Indonesia. It is also present in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States, where it is an introduced species. It is a plant of several woodland, grassland, and forest habitat types. This is a perennial herb growing decumbent to prostrate along... less ↑

Senecio elegans is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names wild cineraria, purple ragwort, and redpurple ragwort. It is native to southern Africa, and it is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its colorful flowers. It has been known to escape cultivation and become naturalized in areas of appropriate climate; it can be found growing wild in parts of New Zealand, Australia, the Azores, and on the Central Coast... less ↑

Indigofera australis, known as Australian Indigo, is an attractive species of leguminous shrub in the genus Indigofera (Fabaceae family). The genus name "Indigofera" is Neo-Latin for "bearing Indigo" (Indigo is a purple dye originally obtained from some Indigofera species), while "australis" from the Latin, means "southern", referring to the geographical distribution of the species. less ↑

Lomandra longifolia, commonly known as Spiny-head Mat-rush,Spiky-headed Mat-rush or Basket Grass, is a perennial, rhizomatous herb found throughout eastern Australia. The leaves are 40 cm to 80 cm in long, and generally have a leaf of about 8 mm to 12 mm wide. It grows in a variety of soil types and is frost, heat and drought tolerant. Labillardiere described Lomandra longifolia from a specimen collected in Tasmania. less ↑

Bursaria spinosa is a small tree or shrub in the family Pittosporaceae. The species occurs in mainly in the eastern and southern half of Australia and not in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Reaching 10 m (35 ft) high, it bears fragrant white flowers at any time of year but particularly summer. A common understory shrub of eucalyptus woodland, it aggressively colonises disturbed areas and fallow farmland. It is an important food plant for several... less ↑

Drosera spatulata, the spoon-leaved sundew, is a variable, rosette-forming sundew with spoon-shaped leaves. The specific epithet is Latin for "spatula shaped," a reference to the form of the leaves. This sundew has a large range and occurs naturally throughout Southeast Asia, in southern China and Japan, Micronesia, New Guinea through to the eastern territories of Australia and Tasmania and New Zealand. Variants are often known by the localities in which they are found. The plant does... less ↑

Dianella tasmanica, commonly known as the Tasman Flax-lily or Tasmanian Flax-lily is a herbaceous strappy perennial herb of the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found in southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It has leaves to 80 cm, flower stem to 1.5 m, and the berries are not edible. Blue flowers in spring and summer are followed by violet berries. It adapts readily to cultivation and is commonly seen in Australian gardens. less ↑

Drosera peltata, commonly called the shield sundew or pale sundew, is a climbing or scrambling perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. Among the tuberous sundews, D. peltata has the largest distribution, which includes eastern and western Australia, New Zealand, India, and most of Southeast Asia including the Philippines. The specific epithet is Latin for "shield shaped", a reference to the shape of the cauline leaves. It is either a single extremely variable species, or... less ↑

Banksia marginata, commonly known as the Silver Banksia, is a species of tree or woody shrub in the plant genus Banksia found throughout much of southeastern Australia. It ranges from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, to north of Armidale, New South Wales, and across Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait. It grows in various habitats, including Eucalyptus forest, scrub, heathland and moorland. Banksia marginata varies widely in habit, ranging from a small shrub, 20 cm... less ↑

Microlaena stipoides or Ehrharta stipoides is a species of grass that occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also been introduced into Hawaii and Reunion Island and has been reported as invasive in both. Common names used include weeping grass, weeping rice grass and weeping meadow grass. less ↑

Pultenaea juniperina, or prickly bush-pea, is a plant of the family Fabaceae native to Eastern Australia. It is a shrub to 3 metres sporting showy yellow-orange flowers with red markings. The leaves are 10 – 25 mm long and 1 – 4 mm wide with a pungent leaf apex (stiff pointy tip), hence the use of "Prickly" in the common name. It is widespread and common in heaths, sclerophyll forests and woodlands in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. less ↑

Stylidium graminifolium, the grass triggerplant, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae). This species used to belong to the Stylidium graminifolium complex, but the name was conserved for this single species when two others were split from the complex and introduced as new species in 2001.S. graminifolium is endemic to Australia and is one of the Stylidium species with the widest distribution throughout Australia. It is a perennial plant with grass-like... less ↑

Prostanthera lasianthos is a large shrub or small tree which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. The species is also known as Victorian Christmas Bush, or local aboriginal names including coranderrk (Woi wurrung) and geringdah (Daung wurrung). It grows up to 10 m high but is usually much less and is found in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside creeks. Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long... less ↑

Eucalyptus amygdalina, or black peppermint, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It was first described by Labillardiere in 1806. Though endemic to Tasmania, it is one of the most common Eucalypts in the state where it is often a tree in sclerophyll forest or a shrub in open scrub and heath. It is known to integrate with E. nitida and E. pulchella. less ↑

Exocarpos cupressiformis Labill, commonly known as the native cherry or cherry ballart, belongs to the sandalwood family of plants . It is a species endemic to Australia. Occasionally the generic name is spelt "Exocarpus" (see internet references below). This form of the generic name was probably the original spelling (Museum of Victoria, 1885 ), but it appears to be mostly no longer in use (see Talk). less ↑