TENPS Photo Page

Last updated 10 May 2004
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Click on the thumbnails below to see the big picture, generally a 20 cm x 25 cm 400 to 500 kB jpg file.

Cycas armstrongii

Cycas armstrongii Young fronds arising just towards the end of the 2004 wet season, whilst last year's fronds have turned brown and are falling away. Fronds are smooth, pinnate, 50 to 100 cm long, varying in colour from bright green when young to darker green when matured. Divided into numerous (100 to 180) stiff, straight flat narrow leaflets. 7 to 14 cm long and 0.5 to 0.7 cm wide. Often sharp pointed when mature; soft with velvety hair when young. (Photo MDR Charles Darwin NP 3/2004) An older female Cycas armstrongii with the darker green fronds. (Photo MDR Charles Darwin NP 3/2004)

Detail of the trunk, usually 10 to 15 cm in diameter and most often single stemmed. The grey bark seems reminiscent of crocodile skin in this photo. Often seen blackened by fire. Photo MDR Charles Darwin NP 3/2004) Prominent, male cycad cone , typically 12 to 20 cm long, consisting of numerous spirally arranged scales, produced at the apex of the trunk (Photo MDR Darwin 2003) Female cycad, pendulous flattened hairy spikes with a triangular tip with sharp spines at the tip and along edges from which the fruit can be seen. Fruit are hard smooth round 2 to 4 cm in diameter becoming red-brown when ripened, containing a single seed. Fruiting March to September. Later in the season often seen fallen around the plant. (Photo MDR Charles Darwin NP 3/2004) Fallen fronds carpet the ground. At the time that the cone develops the usually dark green leaves change to brown and fall from the trunk leaving the apex of the trunk exposed. The cone or seeds can then be clearly seen. New growth arises from the apex as can be seen in the photo to the left. (Photo MDR Darwin 2003)

Resource: Brock J. Top End Native Plants 1988 John Brock. Darwin.

Brachychiton paradoxum Red flowering Kurrajong

From June to October these characteristic flowers can be all that is seen adorning this dry-season deciduous straggly tree. (Photo MDR 2003) The red bell shaped flower is 3-4 cm in size and apear in clusters at thon the end of short stalks on old leaf axils. (Photo MDR 2003)

Resource: Brock J. Top End Native Plants 1988 John Brock Darwin.

Melaleuca leucadendra (Paperbark) displaying cauliflorous flowers.
Cauliflorous flowers or cauliflory refers to the production of an inflorescence on the trunk of older branches of a plant. This form of flowering occurs commonly in some species of rainforest Myrtaceae (e.g. Syzygium cormiflorum (Bumpy Satinash) in far north Queensland). However, the production of flowers on the trunk of other Myrtaceae, such as this species of Melaleuca, is a curious oddity. The cauliflorous flowers pictured are probably the result of a pathogen attack on the tree. Some other paperbarks around the Tabletop Swamp were also noted to be displaying this and other examples of abnormal flowering. (Photo Sally Jacka)
For more information on cauliflory have a look at http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmay99.htm

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