AusBonsai

This is one of my favorite little plantings, it always looks bedraggled over summer no matter how often I water or how protected a spot it is in. Once the cooler weather & rains start it comes to life and gives me joy each day. Matt

I love it mate

Oh my, beautiful. What are the small red flowers on the right?

Anja wrote:Oh my, beautiful. What are the small red flowers on the right?

They are the fruiting (dont know the technical term) part of the lichen. Heres a close up of them. Matt

Would love to get in close to that with a macro lens on the camera. Great lil' arrangement. I know what you mean, my native miniature ferns don't cope well with heat.

I know what you mean about getting in close with a macro! WOW. Those fruiting thingies are sensational

that is a good camera you have there.

This looks very much like a fern I grow, Rock Fern, Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia syn. C. tenuifolia family SINOPTERIDACEAE.

“Perennial fern, to 25cm tall with tufted fronds arising from an underground stem; dehydrating in dry seasons (‘resurrection ferns’).
Stems of fronds reddish-black and shiny.
Frond blades are triangular, 3-10 cm wide at base.
Often found in rocky places.” Grassland Flora – a field guide for the Southern Tablelands (NSW & ACT)

Love the fruiting bodies on the lichen – spectacular colour. The lichen looks similar to some locally but I’ve never noticed any with that great colour fruiting body.

I can’t resist interesting mosses and lichen; half the rocks I’ve collected were for the lichens living on them.

Jan

Hey Jan

Thanks for the information on the fern. I am not real good at knowing what things are I just find bits of things I like and stick them in pots.

I also love rocks & most are collected for the lichens & mosses growing on them. I think I have as many growing rocks as I do trees and that is too many for both trees & rocks Every time I give some away I end up getting a lot more given to me. Today is no exception with a raft of new trees & cuttings received from a local club member.

Matt

MattA,

We came across some lichens on a yellow box post today and there were your red fruiting bodies; I just had to get some photos and find out what they were. I think the lichen may be Cladonia floerkeana. I found an image on the Royal Botanic Garden site, http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/Ev ... to_gallery

or just use the first bit and search Cladonia floerkeana

They certainly look like the same ones to me,
I've never noticed them before - thanks for introducing me to such a little treasure,

Jan

Hey Jan,

There are literally thousands of varieties, Steven did mention in an old post the approx count but from memory its well over the 100,000 mark. In my research for another matter I came across 2 good sites http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/ausmoss/ for mosses and http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/lichenlist/ ... ction.html for lichens.

I havent had a chance to try them out to know how easy or otherwise they are to use. Too many other projects on the go at the moment & now to add to the list I have to draft a reply to DECCW regarding my submission on a number of threatened & endangered species that will be lost if a local development goes ahead. Its for the greater good & i have the time (theoretically) so dont mind helping where I can. Anything to save some of our fabulous bushland from the hideous creep of suburbia (apologies to those who live in it, I dont know how you manage being so removed from nature).

Matt

What a beautiful fern you have there!

I have the same fern growing in my backyard, was growing around the base of an olive I collected and planted out in my backyard and I've always wondered if it was a native fern or not. Well I guess this clears things up! Beautiful photos too!

Chipper5

Any update shots on the piece Matt? Still think it is awesome.

Hey Mitchell,

I will take a new one for you once I am home. It has had a hard year including being knocked off the bench & broken by a cat. It eventually found its way into a sweet little pot from Erin Pottery with a really nice bubbly green glaze.

Matt

Big apologies Mitchell, its taken a bit longer than I would like to get a pic for you. I brought it in to do then it dried out, so back to the bench & try again, same result... One upshot is the leaves are really small at the moment. Matt