Post by Sean Spence on Dec 23, 2010 9:47:42 GMT
For the first year since 2004, the local wetlands have been full of water due to the incredibly wet year we've had. Since the drought began, I have not bothered to visit any of the waterholes as they had been bone dry during the Utricularia growing season.
The normal growing season of Utricularia beaugleholei has been during mid-November in the past. There are 2 nearby areas that I have been visiting since early November in the hope that the species may still be present. I haven't been that hopeful as I wasn't sure how the seed would cope through so many dry years. Until now, I hadn't had any luck as the waterlevels seemed far too deep- up to 40cms in areas that I'd seen the plant growing over the years.
During a break between jobs for work today, I decided to check one of the spots again in hope that the water had receded a little. Luckily it had and I spent the next hour or so wading through the shallows in hope of finding at least a single flower. I had all but given up when I decided to check one last small area that I hadn't seen the species growing before. Just as I was about to turn around to head back, I spotted the familiar purple amongst the reeds.
I only found 6 plants within a tiny area (20cm x 20cm), all in various stages of growth. 3 had only swollen seed capsules, 1 had a single open flower and 3 capsules, another had 1 lovely flower with 2 yet to open, and a final one was little more than a stick with a few buds just beginning to swell.
Unfortunately it was blowing a gale and photography was incredibly difficult, but I did manage to get at least a few decent shots. Below is one of the best of those.
Closely related to U. dichotoma it is a beautiful species. It is much larger with many more flowers to an inflorescence. Unfortunately, it is becoming incredibly rare in its habitat just to the west of Melbourne. This wetland is surrounded by a freeway on one side, an industrial estate on another and housing developments on the 2 others.
The normal growing season of Utricularia beaugleholei has been during mid-November in the past. There are 2 nearby areas that I have been visiting since early November in the hope that the species may still be present. I haven't been that hopeful as I wasn't sure how the seed would cope through so many dry years. Until now, I hadn't had any luck as the waterlevels seemed far too deep- up to 40cms in areas that I'd seen the plant growing over the years.
During a break between jobs for work today, I decided to check one of the spots again in hope that the water had receded a little. Luckily it had and I spent the next hour or so wading through the shallows in hope of finding at least a single flower. I had all but given up when I decided to check one last small area that I hadn't seen the species growing before. Just as I was about to turn around to head back, I spotted the familiar purple amongst the reeds.
I only found 6 plants within a tiny area (20cm x 20cm), all in various stages of growth. 3 had only swollen seed capsules, 1 had a single open flower and 3 capsules, another had 1 lovely flower with 2 yet to open, and a final one was little more than a stick with a few buds just beginning to swell.
Unfortunately it was blowing a gale and photography was incredibly difficult, but I did manage to get at least a few decent shots. Below is one of the best of those.
Closely related to U. dichotoma it is a beautiful species. It is much larger with many more flowers to an inflorescence. Unfortunately, it is becoming incredibly rare in its habitat just to the west of Melbourne. This wetland is surrounded by a freeway on one side, an industrial estate on another and housing developments on the 2 others.
