DRYANDRA STUDY GROUP

ISSN NO: 0728-151X NEWSLETTER NO 9 AUGUST 1982

Dear Members

We are still struggling through one of the coldest and driest winters I can remember. So far, the lack of rain has not affected my Dryandras and D.prateoFdss in particular is a mass of flowers (when you shift the foliagel). I have had several comments that flowering is later this year ( ? perhaps due to the cold or lack of rain) and certainly my 'old faithfuls' D.praemorsa and D.formosa still have only relatively small buds. I am also anxiously awaiting the first flowering of D.nobilis which has 50 or more well developed buds and has given me little trouble since I found a sheltered and warn spot for it. Please remember to record your flowering times for this year (with perhaps some comments on your weather conditions) so that I can produce a comprehensive flowering chart in 1983.

I am very pleased to report that Keith Alcock has offered to take over leadership of the Dryandra Study Group from early 1983. Keith is a keen and active member of several study groups apart from Dryandra and I know he will do an excellent job in looking after the Dryandra Group. !

I will give more details in the December Newsletter but would ask that all members give Keith the help and cooperation I have had so that we continue to progress in our knowledge and growing of Dryandras.

I hope the rest of this Newsletter is not too technical. I have concluded my article on Dryandra cultivation in Europe last century and am continuing with descriptions and details of hardier/more common Dryandras. I welcome any comments on these, particularly correction of any errors.

I am very happy to publish any articles or short notes from members on any aspects of Dryandra growing.

Until next time Happy Dryandra Growing!

NOTES ON WE DISCOVERY AND CULTIVATION OF DRYANDRAS I N THE NINETEENTH

CENTURY

PART 11: CULTIVATION

I n newsle t ter 6, 1 discussed t h e e a r l y co l l ec t ions and c o l l e c t o r s o f Dryandras and ind ica t ed t h a t sane 24 spec i e s had been c u l t i v a t e d i n England be fo re 1900, most o f them before 1850. I have s ince discovered t h a t b . s enec i i i o l f a was Introduced In 1.840 and D.praenarea i n lB48, both probably fm seed collected by James Dmmond. Neither apparently flowered, though G e o q e Nicholson i n his Dict ionary of Gardening of lea8 was to camnent that D.senecfifolia was 'very des i r ab l e ' , Thus t h e r e as% recorda of at least 26 species of ~ r y a n d r a being grown i n Enghnd last century, while 11 were g r w i n g i n Pr ince De DCmidoffas garden a t San Bnato near Florence, t t a l y i n the mid 1850'8. We might well ask how they did it, consider ing that a t least 6 of theae species are still q u i t e uncmmn i n c u l t i v a t i o n today.

F i r s t l y , it must be understood t h a t England i n t h e l a t e 18th and e a r l y 19th c e n t u r i e s was i n t h e g r i p of gardening fever . and t h e mania was mainly for exatic, spec i e s from the Cape, New Holland, China. Japan, Ind ia and the American. Numerous l a r g e nu r se r i e s such as t d d i g e s , Lee and Kennedy, Knight and Perry, Mackay and o t h e r s se t up to c a t e r f o r t h e demsnd far p l a n t s and they o f t e n employed t h e i r awn c o l l e c t o r s who scoured t h e world for rare plan- and seeda. f m e n s e quantities of ma te r i a l were ob ined - W i l l i a m Baxter f o r ins tance , s o l d one c o l l e c t i o n 3 of seed for ovar s t q 1500 i n lB301 - and others auch as Fraaer , Drumnond, Preiss, Bamn de Hugel distributed much seed of the Proteaceae family Ln par~cular. Secondly, this was t he era of the major bo tan ica l gardene and the wealthy gentleman gardener, p w p l s l i k e the Duke of Bedford a t Hoburn Abbey who i n 1833 had w e r 6000 specie6 growing i n hia cunservator iee , s t o v e houses and glasahouees, and George Hlbbert, wealthy West India merchant, who maintained at Clapham Common a vast c o l l e c t i o ~ i n c l u d i n g a wfder range o f South African P r o t e a s than George I11 had at Kew Gardensl Botanic Gardens f lour ished, those a t K e u and Cambridge being p a r t i c u l a r l y noteworthy b u t we should n o t fo rge t t h a t t h e interest was near ly as s t rong i n Europe a s i n England. The gardens i n Vienna, Berl in , Hanover and even S t Pe te r sbwg i n Russia b a s t e d introduced South African and usually New Holland p l a n t s w h i l e ardent collector^ auch aa t h e &press Josephine and Prince B e bemidoff maintained l a r g e p r i v a t e gardens and glasshousee packed w i t h exo t i c mater ia l . Then suddenly it semis, around la30 or perhaps e a r l i e r , everything changed. People tired of Proteaceae and sought o t h e r exciting diversions. Technology a l s o caught up w i t h h o r t i c u l t u r e a s o ld , simply constructed, l i g h t and airy glasshouses o r dry , f lue-heat stove houses, uere replaced by sea led glasshouses wi th steam hea t ing to maintain h igher temperatures and high l w e l s of humidity. Heayr watering was pract i~ed - "that favours soft-wwded t r o p i c a l plants and is death to the Froteas O f South A f r i c a and tha Bankafae of Australia'. Moreover, S i r Joseph Hooker i n 1881 was t o lament t h e f a c t t h a t r ecen t genera t ions of h o r t i c u l t u r a l l s t s know "absolute ly nothing" about the Cape Proteaceae and s i m i l a r p l a n t s , a f a c t a l ready noted i n 1836 by John Smith, Chief Cu l t i va to r at Kew Gardens when discuss ing c u l t i v a t i o n requiremenh of t h e Prateaceae. He descr ibed the techniques s o successfully used a t K e W uhareby spme Proteaceae had l i ved i n p o t s f o r upwards of 50 years .

How d i d t h e s e e a r l y gardeners grow Proteaceae s o successful ly? They were obviously h ighly s k i l l e d and knowledgeable and had usual ly undergone a lnnn anrl rl,.nml.- 3---PI~II--LJ- L L - =I - . . I . .

that existed hkbmreen the variwa *qenrlmna gro r~e r s " ensuxea that only tho80 gardenem with the hiqhest ordex of ability were employed. Thia wan Joaaph b i g h t ' s m n t i n 1B09 on just one aspect oE gardenera akf 11s - *- i n a l l cases. it in tha busineen of the intelligent gardener, to imitate na tu re as far as may be p r a c t i c a l , tho a o i l and p a r t i d a r sftuation, i n which each speclea grms wild ..... when it m u l d be ascerh inedr many delighting in dry, m k y p l a c e s whi le others w i l l n o t th r ive without r i c h e r and wre loamy ea r th s sane aga in require achirrt and several require a great prtiw of sand..."^ mund adolce even today.

Bacauss of the rigoura of the European c l h a t e , plant13 from New Rolland uere grrrwn i n pats i n qlasshouaas. Proteaceae proved i d e a l as they could withetand win te r temperatures d m to O W i n the g l a a s h w s e and could be transZarrecI outside from about Hay to October. During the winter months, i t was t h e practice i n moat glesshwses t o alkm gocrd air chculatiou during th0 day (vmather permitt ing1 and to con t ro l uatcring to d n h i s e growth of the plantm. The busy months vere frm h u t May to Dctober when plants were rept ted , pruned and transferred ou te ida to spend summer in the open. Several m i t e r s cumuent on the inadv i sab i l i t y of allowing the pts to hecme too hot in the sun while most a l s o pay a t t e n t i o n t o t h e t h e d a i l y watering t h e p o t s required - ' \ . .soak t h e whole pot thoroughly every evening a t sunse t , never water i n the miadla of t h e day.. ." In Oetokr, plants were maved back fntn the glaaahausea which were gradual ly shut up a s t h e weather became colder. The glasshouses them- selves were o f t e n enormous and extravaqanl structures and I have included 6 a plan and e l eva t ion of t h e Duke oE Bedfords new glasahouse b u i l t a t N Woburn Abbey in the 1820'8. T t s ex te rna l dfmensions were 85 feet long, 20 f e e t wide and 25 feet Mqhr the windows were i n hvo t i e r s , t h e upper I

being two feet high, the l m e r a feet and all, vere a b l e to be fully opened t o allrw air circulation. me glazed rrxrf lights were remcrv&le i n aurnmer ta expose to the weather p l a n t s which were tor, heavy t o move. As shcnn i n the mfde elmvation, the pots were arranged on mult i - t ie red stands, smallest i n the f r o n t .

PROPAGATION PRACTICE:

Severa l w r i t e r s have descr ibed i n reasonable d e t a i l t h e methods o f propagation practised i n England f o r growing Proteaceae, two of t h e b e s t known being Joseph Knight and Robert Sweet. I have se l ec t ed e x t r a c t s fm t h e i r works, where appropr ia te , t o i l l u s t r a t e t h a t they had indeed maetered many o f t h e problems which s t i l l confront us today, p a r t i c u l a r l y with successful po t cu l t i va t ion .

The soil was chosen w i t h care, Knight reamending a * l igh t , soapy loam mixed w i t h a g r e a t e r or lesser proportion of sand", chopped and no t sieved. M a t writers re-ended yea r ly r e p o t t i n g between March and May i n t o pots jus t one size larger without damaging t h e roots. P a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n was paid t o drainage, using broken potsharda a t the bttm of the pot and often e l eva t ing t h e base of the plant above the susrouding m i l level. smith could clafm i n l6SO t h a t sme Proteaceaus p l a n t s a t Ken-were betveen forty and f i f t y years old, while other "of large size* were a t l e a s t ha l f t h a t age. The yea r ly transfer of planks t o and from the glasahouse must have been a n a r d u w e and back breaking task. I have records o f one specimen of Dryandra formosa which s t w d four teen feet high i n its pot1 Others such as Banksia serrata and B - i n t e u r i f o l l a

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SEEDS AND CU'M'T:

P l a n t s were grown from s e e d and c u t t i n g s and o c c a s i o n a l l y by g r a f t i n g . Knight s t a t e s t h a t t h e b e s t p e r i o d f o r sowing s e e d s is from December t o March ( i e . , o u r win te r / spr ing) ".. .so t h a t t h e y w i l l then produce s t r o n g p l a n t s b e f o r e t h e fo l lowing winter". Seeds were sown i n community t r a y s c a l l e d " f l a t s " l e s s t h a n h a l f an inch deep , u s i n g a s t h e growing medium f i n e l y s i e v e d s o i l and mould. The t r a y s were p l a c e d i n a q lasshouse exposed t o f u l l sun " . . . the whole fami ly have(ing1 a g r e a t d i s l i k e t o a r t i f i c i a l hea t" . Knight noted t h a t g e m i n a t i o n was e r r a t i c f o r s r t a i n s p e c i e s , t a k i n g p l a c e sometimes over a p e r i o d o f y e a r s - a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c I have found w i t h s a n e genera such a s Isopogon. A i r c i r c u l a t i o n i n t h e g lasshouse was impor tan t , a s was shading t h e new s e e d l i n g s w i t h t h e approach o f summer.

On t r a n s p l a n t i n g , Knight s a y s "..I b e l i e v e t h e b e s t t ime t o t r a n s p l a n t t h e s e e d l i n g s is a s soon a s t h e i r co ty ledons a r e f u l l y grown and t h e i r f u t u r e stem beginning t o e l o n g a t e i f o r t h e y have t h e n few o r no f i b r e s a t t a c h e d t o t h e t a p - r o o t , nor have I found them t o be checked by t h i s e a r l y removal; it should unques t ionably never be de layed l a t e r than when t h e y a r e from an inch t o two i n c h e s h igh , p o t t i n g them s ing ly . . " . My e x p e r i e n c e o v e r t h e l a s t f i v e y e a r s b e a r s o u t t h i s p r a c t i c e . The p l a n t s were the4 hardened o f f and p laced o u t i n t h e open o v e r t h e summer months, b e i n g r e t u r n e d i n t o t h e g lasshouse i n September/Ockober f o r o v e r w i n t e r i n g .

Somewhat s u r p r i s i n g l y , f o r Pro teaceae , growing from c u t t i n g s was wide ly p r a c t i s e d , Knight commenting " . . . c u t t i n g s on most of t h e s e p l a n t s push o u t r o o t s e a s i l y b u t some w i t h more d i f f i c u l t y . . . " . tie recommended u s e o f p u r e sand f o r more troublesome s p e c i e s , e n c l o s i n g t h e c u t t i n g t r a y i n a t i g h t - f i t t i n g b e l l g l a s s . A s t a t e m e n t I found i n t r i g u i n g , a s it is s t i l l v e r y t r u e today is ".,.It r e q u i r e s more s k i l l t o know when and which p a r t o f a branch w i l l s o o n e s t s t r i k e r o o t , than a lmos t any o t h e r p a r t o f t h e i r management, nor is it p o s s i b l e t o l a y down any o t h e r 3 e n e r a l r u l e than t h a t t h e branch should be w e l l r ipened . . . . . a f t e r t h a t ' I b e l i e v e t h e sootier it is taken o f f t h e b e t t e r . . " Knight found P r o t e a s were d i f f i c u l t t o s t r i k e , t h e problem being p u t down t o s h o r t e n i n g o r s t r i p p i n g o f f t o o many l e a v e s above t h e b a s e o f t h e stem. Most subsequent w r i t e r s fol lowed Knights a d v i c e f o r Pro teaceae and s t a t e , a s d i d Sweet, t h a t l e a v e s should n o t be shor tened . Be a l s o i n s i s t e d t h e c u t t i n g s should be p l a n t e d r e l a t i v e l y sha l low w i t h t h e sand p r e s s e d f i r m l y around them. The t ime f o r t a k i n g c u t t i n g s was i l l - d e f i n e d , though Sweet was more s p e c i f i c i n s t a t i n g f o r Dryandras t h a t August-September ( i e . , o u r autumn) was t h e b e s t t ime a s t h e y w i l l b e roo ted by s p r i n g "...or many o f t h em..." E a r l y s p r i n g was a n o t h e r s u i t a b l e time. A l l p ropaga tors were agreed , however t h a t r o o t i n g was slow - anyth ing from 2-3 months t o 2 o r more y e a r s f o r hard-wooded s p e c i e s , a g a i n a f a c t borne o u t by my exper ience .

Pruning was c a r r i e d o u t j u d i c i o u s l y , u s u a l l y n e a r r e p o t t i n g t h e , Knight ' s p r a c t i c e be ing t o a l low t h e p l a n t t o assume i ts n a t u r a l form where p o s s i b l e . By c o n t r a s t , John Smith, Chief C u l t i v a t o r and C u r a t o r o f l i v e p l a n t s a t Kew, advocated ' \ . . f ree u s e o f t h e kn i fe . . . " on u p r i g h t growing s p e c i e s such a s Banksia brownii and Dryandra s e r r a t o induce a more r o b u s t h a b i t of growth and pro long t h e i r l i f e .

y e a r s a f t e r 1830 i n gardens and consekvator ies . C e r t a i n l y , many o t h e r a t t r a c t i v e and easier- to-grow s p e c i e s were a v a i l a b l e from t h e F a r E a s t , the Americas, I n d i a , etc., and became popular . Sudden d e a t h s w h i l e i n a p p a r e n t v igorous h e a l t h were t h e bane o f a l l growers and occur red a l l t o o f r e q u e n t l y , p a r t i c u l a r l y w i t h overwater ing and i n a t t e n t i o n to s o i l and dra inage . Smith advised keeping the b a l l o f r o o t s i n r e p o t t i n g a l i t t l e above t h e sur rounding s o i l t o p r e v e n t lodgement o f water n e a r t h e b a s e o f t h e p l a n t ; a l l w r i t e r s s t r e s s e d t h e need f o r extremely good d r a i n a g e and t h e use o f broken potshards , etc., t o a c h i e v e t h i s . Knight d e s c r i b e d a 'kjangrene" which appeared towards t h e end o f summer and i n t h e autumn m...mostly a t t a c k i n g t h e l a r g e s t and h e a l t h i e s t p l a n t s ..." From h i s d e s c r i p t i o n , it a p p e a r s t o have been c o l l a r rot o r a s i m i l a r funga l i n f e c t i o n a s i t "...always b e g i n s i n t h a t p a r t o f t h e stem n e a r t h e r o o t . . . ' b n d ' \ . . the d i s e a s e d p a r t a lmos t immediately changes colour. . ." The o n l y remedy was t o c u t t h e d i s e a s e d p a r t o u t and cover t h e w u n d w i t h g r a f t i n g c l a y . We can t h u s s e e why Smith advised r a i s i n g t h e p l a n t above t h e l e v e l o f t h e s o i l . He a l s o d e s c r i b e d t h e d e a t h s induced i n p l a n t s which were f o r c e d i n t o new growth immediately a f t e r f lower ing . These were mainly Western A u s t r a l i a n Pro teaceae . e s p e c i a l l y from t r o p i c a l a r e a s . and h e admi ts t h a t a t t h e t ime of w r i t i n g t h e y had n o t d i scovered how to grow t r o p i c a l ( A u s t r a l i a n ) p l a n t s , which a r e s u b j e c t t o extremes o f d rought and humidity, s u c c e s s f u l l y i n B r i t a i n .

POSTCRIPT:

I n r e a d i n g t h e v a r i o u s gardening d i c t i o n a r i e s and encyc lopaedias o f l a s t c e n t u r y , I was s t r u c k by t h e s i m i l a r i t y o f t h e i r d e s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e c u l t i v a t i o n requi rements o f Pro teaceae i n g e n e r a l and Dryandra i n p a r t i c u l a r . Most, i f n o t a l l . were t r a c e a b l e back t o Rober t Sweet ' s "Botan ica l C u l t i v a t o r " b u t it was o n l y when I read Joseph Knight 's work t h a t I r e a l i s e d t h a t much o f Sweets in format ion was a p p a r e n t l y " l i f t e d " wi thout acknowledgement from Knight. The p u b l i c a t i o n o f K n i g h t ' s work i n 1809 caused a major f u r o r e i n t h e b o t a n i c a l f r a t e r n i t y , mainly because it was claimed t o b e a d e l i b e r a t e a t t e m p t t o a n t i c i p a t e t h e t h e p u b l i c a t i o n by Rober t Brown o f h i s review o f t h e P r o t e a c e a e fami ly . It is wide ly b e l i e v e d t h a t Richard Anthony S a l i s b u r y wrote t h e taxonomic s e c t i o n o f Knights book and b o t h h e and t h e book were o s t r a c i s e d . S a l i s b u r y ' s p l a n t names were ignored. h i s name f o r Dryandra ( Josephia) n o t b e i n g accepted , though perhaps he had t h e l a s t laugh. For many y e a r s , t h e p l a n t we now know a s D.sessi1i .s (Knight) Domin was c a l l e d D.floribunda R.Br. With t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f taxonomic r u l e s , t h e e a r l i e s t v a l i d name must b e used s o t h a t Brown's name " f lor ibunda" had t o g i v e way t o S a l i s b u r y ' s s p e c i e s name " s e s s i l i s " , t h e cornbination be ing made by Domin i n 1922.

PROBLEMS: - Like t h e g;owing o f S t u r t s Deser t Pea i n England, t h e c u l t i v a t i o n o f Dryandras and Banksias (and t o a l e s s e r e x t e n t o t h e r A u s t r a l i a Pro teaceae l

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I am particularly grateful to Dr Jim Ross, Deputy Director of the Royal Melbourne Herbarium and Mrs Helen Cohen, librarian, for their help in locating the material used in writing these articles. As very little work has been done so far on the growing of Australian plants overseas, I have listed below sane of the references I have found useful.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: E

1. KNIGHT, JOSEPH., "On the Cultivation of the Plants Belonging to the Natural Order of ProteBae". William Savage, London 1809.

2. SWEET, ROBERT., "The Hot-House and Greenhouse Manual or Botanical Cultivator" 5th ed. James Ridgeway, London 1831.

3. DONN, JAMES (with assistance from F. Pursh, if. Lindley, G. Sinclair and P.N. Don)., "Hortus Cambrigiensis". 13th ed. Longman and Co et ar. London 1845.

4. AITON, W.T., "Hortus Kewensis", 2nd ed. Longman, Hurst et a1 London 1810.

5. iIEREMIW, SAMUEL., "Paxtons Botanical Dictionary", Bradbury Evans and Co, London, 1068.

6. WUDON, MS (with assistance from G. Don and D. Wooster), "Loudons Encyclopaedia of Plants". New impression. Longmans, Greene and Co., London, 1880. ...

7. NICHOLSON, GEORGE., -The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening", 5 vols. L. Upcott Gill, London, approx. 1880.

8. FORBES, JAMES., -Hortus Woburnensis"., James Ridgeway, London, 1833.

9. CURTISa BOTANICAL MAGAZINE: 63, t3500, 1836 t4528, 1850.

1UNY CAVANAGH

The S i x Co l l ec t ions of James Drummond a s Arranged By C.F. Meissner

(From Erikson, Appendix B )

L

TABLE OF PLANT COLLECI'IONS MADE BY JAMES DRUMMOND

The 1st Co11edan now includes several lots sent to England between the years 1837 and 1842, as follows:- Nov. 1#37. a specimen book 'chokeful', and 60 mteacea, to Mangles.

2838, 10 sets of over 500 sp, each (unmounted), to Mangles and Lindley; collected from the Swan, Avon, Helena, T d y a y Valleys and the Guangan. The above collection figured largely in Undlefs Vegetation of the Swan B ~ t m . Subsequent collections were for Hooker and subscribers.

Nov. 1839, 1300 nurnbrrd sp. repeating the above, with additional species, fo Hooker.

Feb. 1841, 200 sp. coll. between K-CS. and York. May 1842. 14 sets o l 1OOO sp. 1st Con., to Hooker and subscribers.

fmm Swan, Avon, Toodyay, Salt R.. Guangan and K.G.S. 134 sp, to Hooker.

Jan. 1843, 130 sp. t o Hmker, from Wangan Hills and Moore R. 226 sp. to Hooker. 300 sp. cryptogams.

Jan. 1844. 14 sets of 400 sp. 2nd CoU., to Hooker and subscribers, from Swan R. ta Augusta via M t . William and Darling Ra.

Aug. 1844. 14 sets of 350 sp. Srd GoE, to Hooker and subscribers from N. and E. of Bolgart, K.G.S., Stirllng Ra., Poron- gorum, C. Riche and M t Manypeaks. 100 supp. sp. to Hooker. 300 sp. rryptogm.

Aug. 1845. 200 sp. to Hooker, from N. and E. of Moore R. and Wallemara.

July 1847, 14 sets of 400 sp. 4th CoE, to Hooker and subscribers, f rorn K.G.S., Stirling Ra., Poroagorups, Mt. Many peaks, Cape Ftiche and West Mt. B a m n , and from N. and E. of Moore R.

- -

July 1849. 191 sp. to Hooker from Mullean (Mts. Stirling and Caroline). 14 sets of 100 sp. Rupp. to 5th Coll., to Hooker and sub- scrikrs, from the MuUean. 14 sets of 450 sp. 5th Con., to Hooker and subscribers. from Stirling Ra., Pallinup R., Mi. Barren Ra., C. Riche.

End of 1852.19 sets of 225 sp. 6th Coa, to Hooker and subscribers, from Murchison R., Champion Bay and southwards to Dandaragan.

THE COLLECTIONS OF JAMES DRUMMOND

In my descr ipt ions of Dryandras, I have made frequent reference t o specimens col lected by James Drummond. Brummond was a Scot t i sh nurseryman who arr ived i n the Swan River Colony with h i s family on the "Parmelia" in 1829.

I n i t i a l l y appointed a s Gsvebnment Natura l i s t and l a t e r Superintendent of the Government Garden, he resigned i n about 1834 and s e t t l e d a t h i s farna i n the Toodyay Valley. Always en thus ias t ic about t he l o c a l f l o r a and fauna, he was launched on h i s co l l ec t i ng career by t h e suggestisn of G.F. Moore t h a t he supply p l an t s and seeds t o English nurserymen and bo tan is t s such a s S i r W i l l i a m Hooker and D r John Lindley. He s e t t o work with a l a c r i t y and over t he period 1837 t o about 1852, supplied many thousands of botanical specimens, l i v e p lan ts and vas t quan t i t i e s of seed t o various nurser ies and subscribers. The co l lec t ions were l a t e r grouped by C.P. Meissner i n t o what a r e now known as Drummonds s i x co l lec t ions ; these a r e l i s t e d below, the information being obtained from Rica Erikson's fasc ina t ing book "The Drurmnonds of Hawthornden" (Lamb Paterson, Per th , 1969) . The book pa in t s a dramatic p i c tu re of l i f e i n ea r ly Austra l ia and d e t a i l s the hardships undergone by Dmmmond a s he walked o r rode many thousands of kilometers through southwest Western Austra l ia .

Perhaps one example of h i s t enac i ty w i l l s u f f i ce . I n bate 1846, Brummond and George Maxwell ( l a t e r an outstanding co l l ec t e r i n h i s own r i g h t ) mounted an expedition t o Cape Riche and West M t Barren on the south coast of Western Australia. Near West Mt Barren, they found an "extraordinary p l an t , a superb Hakea with b r i l l i a n t , marked variegated bracts" , which Drurmnond named Hakea Vietoriae i n honour of the Queen. So fascinated with t h i s p l an t was Drwrmond t h a t he determined t o send specimens t o a t l e a s t some of h i s subscribers. Accordingly he " . . . t i ed up s ixteen of the b rac t bearing tops i n two bundles, ty ing them together with the creeping shoots of the black creeper, Kennedya nigr icans and slung them one on each s ide of my old grey pony Cabbine, The bsad, though not heavy, was a most awkward one t o get through the bushes and he never s ince I got h h car r ied anything so unwillingly. One specimen, fourteen feet high f carr ied in my hand a l l the way t o Cape Riche but notwithstanding a l l the care 1 took, t he b r i l l i a n t colours.. . were much faded before I could ge t them t o King George Sound" (Erikson p 116). The horses ' discomfort i s obvious enough bu t t o ca r ry a l a rge branch of t h i s very pr ick ly p l an t f o r many days shows pers i s tence of a very high order.

Drummond was pa r t i cu l a r ly fond of the Proteacea, Banksias especial ly , and he col lected many of t he type specimens which were l a t e r described by Lindley and Meissner. A s f a r a s I can determine, 25 sf the cur ren t 57 o r 58 Bryandras a r e Brunrmond types while he was responsible, through h i s seed co l lec t inq , f o r introducing 8 o r 9 out of 26 species i n t o cu l t iva t ion i n ~ n ~ i a n d . F i t t i ng ly , -he i s cornemorated i n D . drmmondii and in several o ther genera (eg., Acacia - dmmmondii, C a l l i t r i s d r m o n d i i , Errnophila drtmanondii, Euca1ypkus drurmnondii, Grevi l lea drummondii, e t c ) ; i n a l l something l i k e 6Q p l a n t names honouring Drummond a r e s t i l l va l i d , '

surely a remarkable testimony t o a remarkable man. He died a t h i s home Howthornden on 26 March 1863 a t the age of 78 years a f t e r a sho r t i l l n e s s .

Some C m o n Dryandras (Cant. )

Dryandra hewardiana Meissn.

Over the last few years, there has been considerable controversy over the correct name and identity of this species. The type specimen was collected by James Drummond in 1847 though the locality is unknown. It was described by Meissner in 1856 in De Candollevs "Prodromus" fran specimens in the Shuttleworth herbarium, stated to be Druarmond IV, 315 (ie. collection IV, specimen 315).

This species and the synonamous D.patens have an interesting history. In 1847, Meissner had referred two Dnmrmond specimens - 11, 341 and 111, 295 - to D.ecmncima, apparently mistakenly regarding them as being this species which had originally been named by Robert Brown in 1830. However, when Bentham revised Dryandra in "Flora Australiensis" Vol. 5 of 1870, he created two new species from these Drrmrmond specimens - Drummond 11, 341 became D-patens and Drummond 111, 295 became D.conferta. Meissner's classification of D.hewardiana was retained. More recently, Alex George, then of the W.A. Herbarium, probably after inspecting TYPE specimens in Europe, suggested that D.patens and D.hewar&ana were the same species. I have seen a TYPE specimen of D.hewardiana and it appears virtually identical with plants I have always known as D.patens. Hence, if the rules of taxonomy are applied the earlier named D . h e w a r d e takes precedence over D.patens which is reduced to synonomy. (It should be noted however, that the Western Australian Herbarium in the 1981 "Census of W.A. Plants" still regards the two as separate species).

I have no records of D.hewardiana being grown in Europe last century.

Description:- A tall, often untidy looking shrub to 3-4m by 2-3m wide, with long, sometimes arching branches, prickly, found growing in thickets or along roadsides in gravel in the Avon district. Leaves are 10-25cm long, deep green on top, pale greenish-white underneath with numerous fine veins and fine white "down". They are deeply pinnatifid, with lobes reaching more than halfway to the mid-rib, acutely triangular with long spines, the lobes being separated by broad sinuses up to 1.5cm wide. Most of the lobe margins are slightly rolled under. Flower heads are a bright, lemon-yellow, axillary or on very short stems, often densely crowded along the branches and surrounded by long floral leaves. Same forms superficially resemble a large version of D,polycephaTa though with longer leaves.

Cultivation:- Usually a strong and vigorous plant in the right conditions, D.hewardiana is hardy and long-lived, records giving lives in excess of 15 years. It will grow in semi-shade but sometimes shows a tendency to legginess which can be corrected to some extent by pruning. Plants at Cranbourne have reached 2 metres in less than 2 years in deep sand and have flowered, the flowering period extending from late winter to early summer. The plant is very attractive in flower, while the flowers are long-lived when cut and also dry well.

Propagation:- Grows readily from seed and seedlings are strong growing usually giving few problems. I have no experience growing D-hewardiana from cuttings but it is reported to be one of the easier species to propagate by this means.

Dryandra rnucronulata R.Br.

History : - This is another of the species collected by Robert Brown near King George Sound in 1801. However, it was not introduced into cultivation until 1824, probably from seed collected by William Baxter. It did not apparently flower and we know very little more about it in Europe. The late Edwin Ashby grew plants in

the ear ly 1930's and described it as superior t o D.formosa because it kept a good erec t shape and had more coloured flowers (a point on which I cannot agree) . He described it as "a wonderfully interest ing and beaut i ful shrub (which) should be grown by every garden lover."

Description:- A medium t o tall densely leafy shrub t o 2-2.5m x 2m with foliage t o t he ground, close t o both D.fonnosa and D.nobi1i.s. The branches, especially in younger growth, are covered with f i n e w h i t e hairs giving them a s l i gh t ly - - - ghostly appearance. The leaves a re very long and narrow, typical ly 15-20cm x la, green on top and pale underneath, usually w i t h f i n e brownish ha i r s on new growth. The many r ig id t r iangular lobes a re f l a t and do not reach t o the midrib. Flower heads a re almost disc shaped when open and wow on short branches, of ten numerous in older plants but frequently hidden among the fol iage and low down on the plant. They are a pale golden amber in colour, ringed w i t h f l o r a l leaves, while the base i s covered with pale brown, pointed, hairy bracts. Styles t o 2.5cm.

Cultivation:- Until recently, seed of B.mucronulata was not readi ly available and we have few reports of plants more than 5 years old, though 17 years has been achieved i n good conditions. It grows well from seed o r transplanted seedlings and is moderately successful from cuttings taken in May-June. I t appears t o l i k e a s l igh t ly moist spot in the garden a s I have l o s t several large plants i n dry conditions. Ernest Lord described it as a "very lovely plant" and, l i k e D.baxteri it is qui te s o f t and invi t ing. Despite Edwin Ashby's claims, 1 have found the flower heads disappointing a s they a re pale and du l l when open and a r e usually hidden within the foliage. In f ac t , the f i r s t flowers usually appear on the lowest branches close t o the wood but with age, many more develop on short stems growing almost a t r i gh t angles t o the main branches. Picked flowers l a s t several weeks i n water and are qui te unusual in appearance because the outer bracts cu r l back as the flower ages. Flowering extends over several months from April.

We have l o s t several plants a t Cranbourne and the survivors have not made rapid progress, appearing t o prefer a heavier so i l .

Dryandra nivea (LabilU R.Br.

History:- This plant has the honour of being the f i r s t Dryandra ever collected, specimens being obtained by the French botanist Be Labillardiere i n about 1792, probably a t Esperanee Bay. He was l a t e r t o describe it as Banksia nivea though Robert Brown correct ly placed it in Dryandra in 1810. Seed was collected by Peter Good i n 1801 and the plant was introduced to Kew .i.m 1803, flowering before 1810 in the months of July t o September. I t was also grown a t the Cambridge Botanic Gardens and a t Prince de Bemidoff's palace near Florence.

Description:- . A dwarf shrub, usually l e s s than 25-30cm high, with a short trunk or sometimes with creeping underground stems. It is densely foliaged, the leaves being 10-20cm long by about l c m wide o r narrower, dark green on top and pale green t o greenish-white underneath, showing several nerves. They tend t o grow ve r t i ca l ly , giving the plant a compact, upright appearance. Leaves a re pinnate, divid@d almost t o the mid-rib in to numerous, regular triangular-shaped o r f a l ca t e lobes separated by narrow sinuses. Margins of lobes a r e revolute. Flower heads a re terminal, . closely surrounded by long, f l o r a l leaves, the flower colour being a du l l b r m - yellow, the heads being hidden i n the plant. The outer bracts a r e usually dark brown, up t o 25cmlong, while the s ty les a re considerably longer, projecting a further 1.Om x E.56m.

Cultivation:- This species is extremely c m o n and widespread i n Western Australia and ex is t s i n both wide and narrow leaf fonns. Many variat ions i n habi t and flower colour ex i s t and the group may be s p l i t in to several species when a revision is carried out. A l l fonns make idea l rockery plants. Dryandra nivea has proved long- lived and re l iab le i n cul t ivat ion, some plants being over 16 years old. It flowers

a f t e r 3-4 years i n winter, the flowering period extending over several months. Plants a t Cranbourne a re growing well.

Propagation:- D r y m a nivea grows easi ly from transplanted seedlings o r from seed which germinates i n 4-6 weeks. It also s t r i kes well from cuttings taken a t various times of the year, though the period March t o May appears t o be most suitable.

Dryandra nobi l i s Lindl.

History:- Dryandra nobilis was one of the five.Dryandra species described by James Lindley,Professor of Botany a t the University College of London, in 1839 i n h i s "A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony". In this well-known work, Lindley described 283 new species, most of them from col lect ions of dried specimens supplied by James Drummond. Plants were raised from seed supplied by Drummond in 1840 and a four foot high specimen flowered a t Kew in May 1851, being featured in Curt is ' Botanical Magazine of 1852 (t4633). The plant was also grown a t Cambridge Botanic Gardens.

Beeription:- A tall shrub, sometimes column-like, sometimes spreading, up t o 3m x 2m, very dense and leafy, of ten taking on an untidy appearance w i t h age. It comes from heavy gravel s o i l s of the Avon d i s t r i c t , frequently fonning dense stands as an understory t o t a l l e r t rees . Leaves a r e long (from 15-30m) and up to 1.5cm wide, noticeably saw toothed, the t r iangular shaped lobes reaching almost t o the mid-rib and being separated by re la t ive ly broad sinuses. Leaves a re dark green on top, pale greenish white underneath w i t h 1-3 prominent nerves. Flower heads a re among the la rges t in the genus, up t o 6cm across by 4-5cm long, and of a s t r ik ing deep orange-yellow colour, frequently massed along the stem on very short branchlets. They a re surrounded by long f l o r a l leaves. Styles a r e nearly 5cm long, somewhat longer than the flowers.

Cultivation:- Dryandra nobi l is i s re la t ive ly cammon i n cul t ivat ion and i n the r igh t conditions makes strong and rapid growth. It does well in heavy s o i l s i n a warm position but needs good drainage. Plants a t Cranbourne i n deep -sand a re over 1 metre high a t 2 years but while healthy a re not par t icu lar ly vigorous. I have experienced problems with seedlings of t h i s species and have found them d i f f i c u l t t o keep a l ive unless the s o i l m i x i s very well drained. They a l so have a tendency t o yellowing which can be corrected by applications of i ron chelates. In the wild (and possibly in cul t ivat ion) older plants sometimes become very untidy, w i t h large patches of dead fol iage developing on the older wood. (This character is t ic , together with the density of the foliage, i s responsible f o r a rather unkind common name - kerosene bush). Judicious pruning may a l l ev i a t e t h i s problem.

Propagation:- Seeds germinate well and seedlings grow sa t i s f ac to r i l y providing the s o i l m i x i s well drained. Correction fo r i ron deficiency may be required. Dryandra nobilis has proved almost impossible t o grow from cuttings.

Dryandra plycephala Benth.

History:- Despite the at t ract iveness of D.polycephala, it was not described under t h i s name u n t i l 1870 i n Volume 5 of George Bentham's "Flora Australiensis", though Meissner had mistakenly referred specimens t o D.squarrosa R.Br. i n 1846-1847 and 1856. The type specimens were collected by James Drummond, t h a t i n his second col lect ion (11,342) probably being obtained from the Darling Range i n 1842(?1843). Somewhat surprisingly, because of i ts s t r ik ing appearance when i n flower, D.polycephala was not grown i n Europe and was not featured i n flower i n any of the hor t icu l tura l magazines of the period.

~aser ipt ion: - An upright, generally single-stennned shrub t o 3 x 1.5~1, usually densely foliaged and often qui te prickly. There appear t o be several forms, some being re la t ive ly open and very similar t o ~.carduaceae while i n others , the leaves are crowded along the stem. Leaves are qui te variable i n length, those on flowering branches being short (3-6cm) while the others can be up t o 15-20cm long, narrow (0.5cm wide) divided halfway to the midrib in to t r iangular lobes. The leaves a re usually s t i f f , spreading, often w e d , and a br ight t o dark green in colour. Flower heads a re small (approximately 1-2cm long by 2+-44cm across) , numerous, termina1,usually on short branches o r crowded near the ends of the main branches, often dense i n the upper two-thirds of the plant . They a r e a s t r ik ing deep r ich , lemon yellow, the colour being retained i n cut flowers fo r several months. D.polycephala is a favourite with f l o r i s t s and flower arrangers because of these character is t ics .

Cultivatbn:- It is most regret table that D.polycephala has proved so d i f f i c u l t ta grow w e l l i n Eastern Australia. It comes from l a t e r i t e hi l l - tops and gravelly so i l s , often i n l i g h t fo r r e s t , i n the Darling Range and lower Irwin d i s t r i c t ; New Norcia-Bindoon is sometimes given as tke l imi t s of wild populationse However, it grows well i n Perth 's sands and I have seen magnificent specimens in sandy s o i l s of S.E. South Australia and a t Point Lonsdale and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria; specimens in the pure sand of Crankmume are nearly 2 metres i n 2% years and very healthy. It should also do w e l l in heavier s o i l s providing they are well drained though 1 have l o s t countless plants before 1 year old in a var ie ty of locations i n my garden. From the above observations, it appears t h a t D.poLycephala prefers a warm sunny spot i n %sand o r well drained gravel but even then can d i e suddenly for no apparent reason. Plants flower in l a t e winter-spring and a good plant i s a s igh t t o behold. Viable seed is a lso setfof ten only a few capsules t o a head.

Propagation: Plants grow eas i ly from seed which takes 5-7 weeks t o germinate. Providing the s o i l mix is well-drained, few problems a re experienced w i t h seedlings though iron deficiency may require correction with iron chelate sprays. I have no experience growing from cuttings but it appears t o be a type of Dryandra which should be sat isfactory.

Other p i n t s : Because of its great beauty and consequent extensive use i n the cut-flower trade, D.polycephala is heavily exploited i n the wild and is now placed on the endangered l ist in Western Australia ( i e . "in serious danger of disappeaxing - -

from the wild s t a t e i n one or two decades---".) Recent surveys indicate its maximum range is some 90h (from '~a l eb ing t o Chittering Valley)and though it is sometimes local ly abundant, heavy exploitation and land use f o r agricul ture could cause it t o be l o s t from the wild s t a t e .

Every e f f o r t should be made t o cu l t iva te t h i s beautiful plant and moves should be made i n Western Australia t o ensure preservation of a sa t i s fac tory area of wild plants in a national park or State reserve.

Dryandra praemorsa Meissn.

H i s t o r y : D r y a n h a praernorsa is one of 17 o r so species described by the Swiss bok&ist C a r l Frederick Meissner, mainly from the collections of James Drummond and Ludwig Preiss. The type specimen (11,339) was collected by Drummond, probably i n the Darling Range area i n 1842 during an expedition with the orni thologis t John Gilbert , and was described i n Volume 11 of 'Plantae preissiana" of 1846-1849. Soon a f t e r , i n 1848, the plant was introduced in to England, almost cer tainly from seed supplied by Drummond, but apparently did not flower. Though a hardy species, it is not grown i n Europe to-day.

Description:- A dense, compact shrub, 2-3m x 2m, very hardy, inhabiting fores t country in grani te s o i l s i n the Darling Dis t r ic t . The branches, especially of new growth, a r e covered with very short , f ine white hairs . The leaves a re approximately oblong-cuneate usually with the t i p truncate, wavy, coarsely prickly toothed or lobed with short spines. The upper surface is grey green o r dark green, the lower surface velvety with very f ine brawn ha i rs , showing prominent veins. The underside colour var ies , being usually a whitish-green i n the common (yellow) variety but greenish i n the pink form. Leaf s i ze ranges from 4-7cm x 2.4cm in the yellow form t o 6-llcm x 2.5 - 5cm i n the pink form. Flower heads a re yellow o r yellow suffused with a deep, watermelon pink tezminal on short branches, numerous, with f l o r a l leaves surrounding the heads. They a r e large in the be t t e r forms of this plant , up to 5cm across by 2.5 - 4cm long though scnne forms have qui te small heads. The numerous long s ty l e s (up t o 5cm) of open flower heads are responsible f o r one of i ts common names, "urchin dryandram.

Cultivation:- One of the ea s i e s t Dryandras t o grow, it has the advantage of flowering when qui te young, often before 2 years of age. Flowering occurs between about August and October-November. Plants in cul t ivat ion a l so s e t p ro l i f i c quant i t ies of viable seed. I have records of t h i s p lan t being grown and flowered a s f a r apart a s Townsville and Hobart. It is a l so long-lived with specimens more than 16 years old though the common yellow flowered form often becomes very untidy with age a s the leaves on older branches d ie off . Because it is so easy to propagate, it i s probably bes t t o replace the plants every few years.

Propagation:- Grows eas i ly from seed which germinates i n 4-6 weeks; seedlings grow strongly giving few problems. I have never succeeded with cuttings of the pink flowered form despite several attempts and have not t r i e d the yellow flowered form. Some success has been had with graf t ing a t National Botanic Gardens and by Doug McKenzie, using Banksia root stock.

Form and Distribution:- There a re two d i s t i n c t forms - the common plant with smallish, yellow flower-heads and a r a r e r one with larger pink-yellow heads. The l a t t e r i s by f a r the be t t e r specimen t o grow, being bushier with large, dark green leaves and large flowerheads; it also re ta ins i ts fol iage be t t e r , several plants I know of being a t t r ac t ive and green a t 5 years of age. The degree of pinkness of the flowers may be a function of s o i l s and/or climate. Seed collected off known pink flowering plants produces good pink-flowered specimens in one loca l i ty but not i n another. Some pink flowered forms a l so s e t very l i t t l e viable seed, so there i s an obvious need t o develop successful graf t ing techniques fo r the be t te r forms of t h i s outstanding type.

Despite its hardiness i n cul t ivat ion, D.praemorsa is qui te res t r ic ted i n the wild, being confined t o Jarrah Forest with a maximum range of dis t r ibut ion of 120k.n. It is c lass i f ied a s vulnerable - "not presently endangered but a t r i sk over a longer period---".

TO BE CONTINUED.. .

Dryandra ashbyi B.L. B u t t and i t s Relation t o D. f r a s e r i R.Br.

A t the Dryandra planting a t Cranbourne on June 19, Pat Urbonas, Keith Alcock and I spent some time examining alleged plants of both the above species. While - - we were all. confident we could-pick D.fraseri, we were l e s s sure of D. ashbyi so I ' l l s t i ck my neck out and describe my version of 'genuine' D.ashbyi (bearing in mind tha t I have not seen plants i n the f i e l d and have examined only a couple of herbarium specimens) . ow ever, I believe D.ashbyi t o be the yellow- flowered form of D.fraseri I mentioned i n the l a s t newsletter. Both Keith and Pat have seen similar plants i n Western Australia as faz south as the Wongan H i l l s and l i k e me have referred t o them as 'yellow flowered f r a s e r i ' . They regarded D.asbbyi as being a larger bush, w i t h d i s t i n c t blue-grey fol iage and wide sinuses between the needle-like leaf lobes - my plant has greener fol iage, i s almost procurbent and the leaf sinuses a r e only s l i gh t ly wider than those of D-fraseri . Samples of common D.fraseri and my D-ashbyi were examined by M r Steve Forbes, botanis t a t the National Herbarium, Melbourne b d compared against information given i n D r Burtt Is or iginal description of D .ashbyi. The two keyed out (qui te c lear ly i n my opinion) a s being two d i s t i n c t species and agreed, par t icu lar ly as regards differences i n flower par t s , with the descriptions i n B u t t ' s a r t i c l e .

From various sources and my own observations 1 have compiled the following comparison of the two

FEATURE: D . ashbyi D . f r a s e r i

Size Generally a small spreading S d - p r o s t r a t e to scrambling shrub but can reach 2-2.5m up t o h high

Appearance A s t i f f , r ig id bush with a A sof te r , more graceful tendency t o grow upright spreading plant , of ten w i t h

long arching branches

Branches, Yellow, smooth, glabrous Dark greys rough, new growth branchlets often with dense matt of hairs

Leaf colour , Blue-green t o dark green, Greyish green, 5-10 an long s ize and shape 4-6 cm long with widely spaced with shorter (0.6-1 cm) closely

pungent segments up t o 1.5 cm spaced, needle-like segments long

(REFER LEAF PRINTS)

Flower heads About 3-4 cm in diameter, br ight Similar i n s i ze o r s l i gh t ly yellow, outer bracts black/dark smaller, but heads i n bud brown. d i s t i nc t ly pink, changing with

age t o a du l l orange, outer bracts dark brown.

Flower par t s Perianth greenish, perianth tube Perianth rose pink, perianth glabrous tube densely hairy.

Occurrence Irwin Dis t r ic t , ? gravelly h i l l s Avon, Darling and S t i r l i n g Dis t r ic t s , gravel heath

Cultivation: D.ashbyi is apparently uncommon i n cul t ivat ion though it is mentioned i n Ernest Lords book "Shrubs and Trees fo r Australian Gardens" a s a

4-6 foot shrub with yellow flowers. I t is a hardy p lan t i n an open, well drained s i t e growing well i n sand o r gravel. It frequently flowers before two years of age, during l a t e autumn and winter, the flower heads being packed along the branches o r on shor t s ide stems. It propagates readily from seed o r cut t ings , cut t ings taken i n February - May giving good resu l t s . We have several plants a t Cranbourne and others up t o 15 years old a r e known i n cult ivation.

History: The his tory of D.ashbyi is in te res t ing a s it is the only Dryandra species t o be described from cul t ivated material. It w a s described i n 1939 by B.L. B u r t t of Kew Botanic Gardens from cul t ivated plants grown a t Blackwood (near Adelaide) by the ear ly Australian p lan t pioneer, Edwin Ashby. Ashby had obtained h i s p lan t from near the town of Yuna, some 50 Im northeast of Geraldton, Western Australia. However, i n 1901, the German botanis t Ludwig Diels had collected two specimens, which he had cal led D-fraser i , from near Geraldton and a t Minginew (about 35 km eas t of Dongara). He described the plant as "....a blue-green dwarf shrub, very thorny". A ra ther nice drawing of one of these specimens with the caption "..cine Charakter - Species i n Dis t r ik t Irwin" was l a t e r t o appear on page 316 on Volume 7 of Engler and Drude's c l a s s i c work "Die Vegetation der Erde" and is reproduced below. B u r t t considered t h a t both of D ie l l s specimens were c loser t o D.ashbyi than t o D.fraseri, so obviously there a r e pos s ib i l i t i e s f o r intermediates o r even hybrids between the two species. Some indication of t h i s is shown on the leaf pr ints .

I

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