Desert in Bloom

Most people would never associate an arid landscape with a variety of plants and flowers, well I didn't until I started my internship at Arid Recovery in outback Australia! Over the past few weeks I have been pleasantly surprised at the colourful flowers I have seen on the Arid Recovery reserve, and the surrounding area in general, which have began to bloom following the rain just before I arrived. And, not only the variety of plants overall but the differences in plants you see between dunes (some of which can look almost identical) and the swales (flat area between two dunes). Everyday I seem to come across a new flower so I have built up a small collection of photos which I thought I would share with you here. 

Gorgeous purple flowers of the Bristly sea-heath (Frankenia serpyllifolia) contrasting against the orange swale and blue skies. This plant is found on clay soils and on gibber plains (a desert pavement).

Delicate white flowers of the native stock plant (Blennodia pterosperma). 

The above three pictures are of South Australia's floral state emblem, the Sturt desert pea (Swainsona formosa). These photos weren't taken on the reserve but a large patch just outside of Roxby Downs. Although I have seen small clumps on the reserve. The Sturt desert pea is a short lived- perennial that flowers after winter rainfall and is  commonly found next to roads as this is where water collects (the peas need water to germinate). The most common colouration, and the most striking, is red with black centres however you can also get all pink ones (like the picture above) or occasionally white flowers.

Reece Pedler (Bec's partner) in a seas of poached egg daisies. Poached egg daisies dominate sand dunes after heavy rains in the winter months. This photo was taken in Stuart's Creek when we were on a camping trip but I have seen similar, but not quite as impressive, seas of poached egg daisies in the reserve.

Poached egg daisy (Polycalymma stuartii). Other common names revolve mainly around eggs; the fried egg daisy and the rather humorous ham and egg daisy (your guess is as good as mine!)

Smooth loose-flower rattlepods (Crotalaria eremaea ssp. strehlowii).  In the reserve I have mainly seen this plant on dune habitat. Regeneration occurs from underground roots.

Lamb's tails (Ptilotus polystachyus). Flowers can be white, green or cream.

Serrate goodenia (Goodenias cycloptera). A tiny flower (only 15-20mm) that I noticed for the first time when bending down to take a photo of a poached egg daisy.

Parakeelya (Calamdrinia sp.). A beautiful small purple flower which gradually opens up in the middle of the day - hense why it's also known as the noon flower.

Billybuttons (Pycnosorus pleiocepahala). The latin name sounds more like a dinosaur! Like poached egg daisies billybuttons are often found in large clumps, often alongside poached egg daisies. 

The beautifully delicate Silver bush (Ptilotus obovatus). Other common names include cotton bush, fluffy top, smoke bush and cats paw. 

Pop saltbush (Atriplex spongiosa). A swale species often seen around the road. This bush is relatively small, only about 250mm high.

This image just shows that with death you can also find new life! This image was taken at the dinner table of a wedge tailed eagle (Aquila audax) (Australia's larges bird of prey), as evident from the mass of animal bones and reptile skins. The flowers in the background are the noon flowers also pictured above.

One of my favorite flowers I've seen on the reserve, the vibrant Orange Darling Pea (Swainsona stipularis). The flowers are very small, only 10-11mm long.

Trachymene (species unknown) with tiny flowers that form a globe.

Flower of the pearl bluebush (Maireana sedifolia) which is one of the dominant swale species on the reserve. The flowers which range in colour from yellow to red, or as the one above a mixture but despite their small size (only about 10mm) really stand out againts the blue/grey leaves.

Plants were identified using the book Field Guide to the Plants of Outback South Australia by Frank Kutche and Brendan Lay which is an excellent book with great photographs to help with ID.