Northern Territory Photographs

Red-Flowered Kurrajong
(Brachychiton Paradoxum)

Family: Sterculiaceae

A scrawny looking tree growing to several metres high, flowering in the Dry Season with these very attractive flowers
Quite plentiful in the bushland surrounding Darwin

Turkey Bush
(Calytrix Exstipulata)

Family: Myrtaceae

Wonderfully showy pink flowered shrub, grows 1 to 4 metres in height, prolific along the roadsides around Darwin
Flowers throughout the Dry Season to make very colourful roadsides
Aboriginal people used the crushed flowers from this plant for a variety of medicinal and healing purposes

Native Gardenia
(Gardenia Megasperma)

Family: Rubiaceae

Largish shrub flowering in the late Dry, early Wet Season, produces large white ten petalled flowers
Aboriginal people were known to suck the fruit for it's sweet juice

Bridal Tree
(Xanthostemon Paradoxus)

Family: Myrtaceae

Large tree, quite common in bushland in the Top End. Flowers in the second half of the Dry Season, and is quite spectacular when in full bloom
Popular with the birds for it's nectar

Templetonia Hookeri

Family: Fabaceae

Smallish shrub, to 3 metres, with pendulous needle like foliage. Flowering all year round

Wild Passionfruit
(Passiflora Foetida)

Family: Passifloraceae

Perennial vine that climbs over the trees and shrubs in the Wet Season, producing these lovely intricate flowers

Buchnera Linearis

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Single stemmed annual herb, flowers usually in the mid to late Wet Season
Not all that common, but can be found quite readily on the sides of most of the bush paths around Darwin

Milky Plum Tree
(Persoonia Falcata)

Family: Proteaceae

Slender plant growing to a few metres in height. Can be found in the bush surrounding Darwin, but not common
Aboriginal people used the fruit, leaves and bark from this plant in many forms for a variety of medicinal purposes

Cocky Apple or Billy Goat Plum
(Planchonia Careya)

Family: Lecythidaceae

Large tree, to 15 metres, flowering in the latter half of the Dry Season leading to early Wet Season fruiting
Very popular fruit with the Lorikeets, Parrots and wild Goats, hence the names. One suspects the early settlers up here may have confused cockatoos (seed eating birds) with Lorikeets and Parrots which are fruit eating birds

Kapok Bush
(Cochlospermum Fraseri)

Family: Bixaceae

Another straggly looking tree, flowering quite colourfully with many yellow blooms which standout in the bush. Grows quite tall, to about 8 metres and is quite common
When the seeds dry out, they split to release cotton wool (kapok). Aboriginal people used the wool for body decoration

Medicine Bean
(Vigna Vexillata)

Family: Fabaceae

A perennial vine which appears during the Wet season and produces these pea like mauve coloured flowers. It usually twines itself around trees and shrubs and is quite common
Aboriginal people chewed the tuberous roots to treat constipation

Ground Orchid
(Dipodium Stenochilum)

Family: Orchidaceae

A small erect leafless ground orchid, growing in the early part of the Wet Season
Gets its nutrients from rotting vegetation on the ground. Not all that common, but can be found if looking hard enough

Sundew
(Drosera Petiolaris)

Family: Droseraceae

Small single stem perennial herb found on the sandy/stony Wet Season creek flats. Flowers periodically

Finger Bean
(Vigna Radiata)

Family: Fabaceae

Twining vine growing in the Wet Season, sometimes completely enveloping larger trees and shrubs. Has attractive yellow pea like flowers

Pimelia Punicea

Family: Thymelaeceae

Small herb growing in the sandy escarpment country around Darwin. My reference books tell me it's a common plant, but I certainly haven't found that to be the case. A very pretty crimson flower appearing Feb to Mar