Identificaciones de richarddimon

Young Naturalists in our July workshops investigated the seedpods and leaves of the Illawarra Flame Trees in the forest grids. The seeds and internal lining of the seedpods are covered in hairs that can irritate the skin, nose and throat. Indigenous people cooked the seeds, which removed the hairs, before eating them. We examined some leaves, observing three different leaf shapes- the juvenile leaves with 5 lobes and the adult leaves which can be entire (single lobed) or 3-lobed (like the 3 toes of an emu or cassowary). Decomposing leaves with their delicate, lacy patterns provided a good illustration of the network of veins in the leaves. We also discussed the Flame Tree's importance as a food plant for the larvae of some butterflies that visit Sydney in the warmer months, such as the Tailed Emperor and the Pencilled Blue butterfly. As a deciduous tree, it drops its leaves before flowering, creating a spectacular sight, with its bright red flowers, in the Summer.