It's a long time since I've poked around in my front yard which is full of sandflies, ticks and mosquitoes: or at least that's my excuse. I was prompted by the need to spray knee-high grass. I found two dead trees, and another challenged one, and while I was being sand-flied around the ankles I noticed that the bolwarra was flowering, something I had never seen before.
The bolwarra (its Aboriginal name, meaning either “high”, or “flash of light”, or who knows what?) is a rainforest tree with an ancient lineage. This one's been in my front yard since the rainforest makeover about ten years ago. Its common names are native guava or copper laurel: I'm a fan of common names because they aren't subject to the name changes brought about by taxonomy wars. In this case they hint at its edibility – the sweet, aromatic fruit can be used as a spice-fruit in beverages, jams and desserts; and at the botanical name, Eupomatia laurena.
The flowers have a distinctive ether-like perfume (I've heard it called sewer-like) and each one only lasts a day. They are pollinated by small brown weevils – I spotted one in action, but the camera didn't: a rare occasion when I saw more than the lens.
pommepal said:
Another unknown flower to me Meg, it is so wax like and translucent, definitely a discovery.
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Lucid Gypsy said:
They look kind of waxy, succulent? Very pretty anyway and a nice surprise to have them flower. In case I don’t catch you before, have a very Happy Christmas sweetheart and a wonderful 2016 x:-)x
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morselsandscraps said:
Lots of things happen in my garden that I don’t notice, to my shame. I’ve just seen a very robust yellow bush out the bathroom window, where I thought I only had a pinky-orange bottle brush. Still haven’t been downstairs to investigate. You have a rich season and I’m looking forward to companioning you into 2016.
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taphian said:
really wonderful flowers
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desleyjane said:
How lovely!
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restlessjo said:
What a very beautiful flower for a day! And in your garden, too! Paradise, Meg, if only those flies…. 🙂 Have a wonderful family fest!
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morselsandscraps said:
My arborist has cancelled three times because of rain, so all my dodgy trees still stand – with surfboards and kayaks leaning against them. However he did dump a large load of mulch, so I’ll be visiting odd garden corners to distribute it, if the family fairies don’t get to it first.
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Heyjude said:
An interesting flower, looks as though it is made from porcelain! I am guessing that it hasn’t flowered previously because the weevil hadn’t found it. I wonder if the fruit tastes at all like guava. You will have to let me know, even though I don’t like guavas, primarily because I don’t like the smell!
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morselsandscraps said:
Did I say it hadn’t flowered before????? I hadn’t seen it flowering before, maybe because I’m a gadabout but more likely because I suffer from front-garden fear. However I now. Have two commissions from friends to incite me in there: I have to taste fruit for you, and save seed for a local friend.
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