[SOLVED] Another native for ID

[MattA]

Another of my collected plants, this is a hibbertia but beyond that I am uncertain. It forms suckering mounds up to 60cm across by 30cm high tho usually much smaller and bears beautiful 3cm buttercup flowers during late winter & spring. I have not seen it anywhere except here in the Hunter Valley tho it could range much further, at first I thought it was a grevillea similar to one that grows in the gold districts of vic.

hibertia.JPG

The pot is also a mystery to me, signed Sue Walstab I have not been able to find anything on this potter and it is a pity because its is a beautifully made pot. Does anyone know anything about this potter?

Matt

Identification solved

By Matt

As part of research into an Environmental Impact study for a development application that my local community is fighting I have managed to ID this baby.

It is Hibbertia acicularis..

Matt

[Ash]

Hi Matt,
Could you please take a close up (macro) photo of the leaves for me to ID your Hibbertia? Is the plant ever so slightly sticky to the touch?
cheers
Ash

[MattA]

Hey Ash heres 2 macros for you. The leaves as you see have slight hairs on them. I cant really tell if they are sticky as I always have sticky hands

RIMG0441.JPG

RIMG0440.JPG

They form stringy sort of mature bark that peels really easily but only on very mature wood at the core of a mound

[LLK]

Are you sure it's a native? Have you seen its flowers? Looks a lot like Mesembryanthum to me. See http://www.bruceaiken.net/photosltos.htm

[MattA]

Yes I have seen it flower, I have had this clump coming up 3yrs and it is very reliable for flowers, I was told it was a Hibbertia by a member of the local native plant group when she visited our club for a demo until that time I had no idea at all. Flowers as described in the first post.

Matt

[LLK]

Right oh, Matt. Somehow I missed the first post of this thread. Good luck with the id.

[MattA]

On my walk with the dogs today I came across a heap more of this growing at my new native collecting site. It has completely changed what I thought I knew of this plant & its growth habit/structure.

Ok so what i have learnt, besides not making assumptions from one sample .... it grows no more than 15cm high, following the contours of the ground and spreading up to 120cm tho most much smaller. They prefer open areas with little competition for light, with dieback occuring when grasses etc grow thru a part of the clump causing shade. The roots.... now this is a whole new thing for me. Imagine a typical nebari 8"(20cm) underground with numerous 'trunks' twisting & coiling around each other as they rise towards the surface. Forming roots and branchs off the trunk and another 'nebari' just below the soil line. I collected a small one today hence the new description, last time I collected one I had actually only gotten the upper root system.

I am thinking of collecting a larger one at a later date with the idea of tieing all the roots down along the 'trunk'. I know it tolerates bare rooting, shoots & branchs on the 'trunk' so think it could be a way to atleast get a bit of girth on it and some sort of actual trunk that can be seen.

It will never be bonsai material but makes a beautiful addition to the soe collection. It always cheers me to see my current 2 when I water. I await the flower buds forming each year & love watching the little singly held buds slowly swell & change colour. The first time it flowered I actually thought I had missed some insignificant little bloom and was seeing the seed pods forming. Every single bud surprises me when it finally decides to open. They only open on a sunny day & last about 3days unless we get rain which it seems to be able to read and waits out, no overhead watering during flowering.

Matt

[MattA]

As part of research into an Environmental Impact study for a development application that my local community is fighting I have managed to ID this baby.

It is Hibbertia acicularis..

Matt