Prescott's Poster Child!

Matt hadn't seen one on his place in 30 years but this Spring just look what sprung. It's a Finger Flower - the very same featured on Ann Prescott's book 'It's blue with five petals'. There you have the poster child for all blue 5 petalled SA flowers...

Finger-flower Hand-flower
Cheiranthera alternifolia
Pittosporaceae

Shrub with few straggling stems to about thigh high. Leaves narrow, held out from the stem. Large flowers in small groups at the end of stem. Petals a rich blue. Anthers bright yellow and all on one side of the centre of the flower, like fingers of a hand. Scattered in heath and forests but not common. Spring.

When a weed is not a weed

[from Tim]

According to Ann Prescott’s “It’s Blue with Five Petals” the sticky plant with small yellow flowers that we didn’t pull out in the dry frog pond on Sunday is a native plant in the daisy family (Family: Asteraceae , alt. Compositae) - botanical name Sigesbeckia orientalis , common name Indian Weed or Oriental sigesbeckia

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/family.pl?110



There is debate about this species being native or introduced, but the SA Herbarium treats this species as native. Also native to Asia and Africa.

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Sigesbeckia_orientalis

It’s an interesting plant up close, covered with thousands of small glands, hence its stickiness.

Thanks again for coming along to yesterday’s working bee.

Cheers,
Tim