Blooming WEEDS !

Here we have a fine example of exotic plants gone wild in a patch of Australian bushland.

Mother-of millions (Bryophyllum spp. *E*) is a native plant of Madagascar.

Its beautiful flowers have made it a popular garden plant in eastern Australia,

especially in the drier, inland areas.

Unfortunately, mother-of-millions is highly toxic to stock!
The plant's ability to reproduce in such large numbers and to

withstand droughts explains why it has escaped from gardens

and rubbish tips to become a serious problem in many rural areas.

(Mother of millions, those red ones in the photo)

And in the above photo are also swags of Asparagus officinalis *E*

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 100-150 cm tall, with stout larissa stems with much-branched feathery foliage. The 'leaves' are in fact needle-like cladodes (modified stems) in the axils of scale leaves; they are 6–32 mm long and 1 mm broad, and clustered 4–15 together. The flowers are bell-shaped, greenish-white to yellowish, 4.5–6.5 mm long, with six tepals partially fused together at the base; they are produced singly or in clusters of 2-3 in the junctions of the branchlets. It is usually dioecious , with male and female flowers on separate plants, but sometimes hermaphrodite flowers are found. The fruit is a small red berry 6–10 mm diameter.

As you can see wild Asparagus goes bonkers in the bush!

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Brazilian Nightshade *E*

Perennial shrub or twining climber from South America. Stems mostly hairless. Leaves deeply
lobed, hairless except edges and veins on the under surface. Flowers mauve-blue, 2-3cm across in groups of up to 50 in spring and autumn. Fruit a bright red berry about 1cm across.

Seeds spread by birds and water.

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Umbrella Tree *N*
Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla) is native to northern Queensland, north of the tropic of Capricorn. In its natural ecosystem it has maintained a balance with other native species, however when it is grown in southern Queensland this fast-growing invader out-competes local native species. Umbrella tree is not a declared plant under Queensland legislation, however its control is recommended.

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Tally: I had 100 but the little seedling I thought would cark it, did, so....

92 (seedlings) + 7 (garden) = 99 Grass trees.

Cheers Carol