Greetings fellow Foxies,
July is the time that species of the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family first flower in Foxes Lair. Like many of the June-July flowering wildflowers here, the flowers are tiny (about 3mm) and insignificant if you don’t have a lens or macro camera to see their delicate form.
Cryptandra nutans, the first to flower is a little shrub about 30cm high on the gravelly Banksia Walk trail.
The name Cryptandra (Latin – hiding man) refers to the anthers that are cloaked by a hood on the petals. The small open flowers are open for pollination by a number of insects. Perhaps the anther hoods provide protection from ants and beetles.
July is the time that species of the Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family first flower in Foxes Lair. Like many of the June-July flowering wildflowers here, the flowers are tiny (about 3mm) and insignificant if you don’t have a lens or macro camera to see their delicate form.
Cryptandra nutans, the first to flower is a little shrub about 30cm high on the gravelly Banksia Walk trail.
The name Cryptandra (Latin – hiding man) refers to the anthers that are cloaked by a hood on the petals. The small open flowers are open for pollination by a number of insects. Perhaps the anther hoods provide protection from ants and beetles.
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 Trymalium ledifolium var. ledifolium | Trymalium ledifolium occurs as a number of varieties in the district. Trymalium comes from Greek for "the eye of a needle", which refers to the three slits at the summit of the fruit when it opens. Variety ledifolium is a medium sized shrub with soft green leaves that can form clusters on rocky red loams and granitic sandy soils near the claypit. Flowering starts in mid-July with sprays of minuscule pale-yellow flowers and dark green foliage in August. Variety rosemarinifolium is more common on drier sites. It can be easily seen by its generally paler colour and felt-surfaced growth and flowers. Flies are known pollinators. |
 Backlit var. ledifolium flowering bushes |  Backlit var. rosemarinifolium flowering bush |  Variety ledilolium flowers |
Waxy cryptandra Cryptandra arbutifolia is uncommon on granitic sandy soils in Foxes Lair. It flowers in September-October when it is dwarfed by the mass of other wildflowers at this time.
The tiny flowers are exquisite, particularly with the sun behind them.
The tiny flowers are exquisite, particularly with the sun behind them.
 Closed flowers after fertilisation |  Exquisite white flowers |  Hidden anthers |
Late September at Tutanning Nature Reserve: I discovered the endangered Tutanning Pomaderris Polianthion biloculare , which is a low shrub found on sandy gravel.
April 2025. I just discovered autumn flowering Spyridium microcephalum near Nomans Lake Hall. Spyridiums are known as basket flowers because their flowers are clustered inside cup-like bracts. The feathery parts shown are aerial seeds.