The morning commenced with a car drop off at Addiscot Beach carpark ensuing the group could enjoy a relaxed downhill ramble along the section of the Surf Coast Walk known as the Point Addis Koori Cultural Walk.
The relaxed group
The initial section of the walk passes through large swathes of Sandhill Sword-sedge Lepidosperma sieberi syn concavum, Winged Spyridium Spyridium vexilliferum var. vexilliferum was common and flowering profusely.
Winged Spyridium and Sandhill Sword-sedge
We found Messmate Eucalyptus obliqua and Drooping Sheoak Allocasuarina verticillata to be the dominant representatives of the ‘upper storey’ level of vegetation. Stopping to examine the stems and leaves of the Drooping Sheoak and were able to locate the leaves. The hand lenses enabled us to count the number of leaves, known as teeth, providing a clue to the identification of the species, for example Drooping Sheoak has between 8-13.
Dropping Sheoak and Messmate
The Autumn flowering Prickly Broom-heath Monotoca scoparia was next on our examination list. The hand lenses were put to use once again, Prickly Broom-heath is an example of a plant that has male and female flowers on separate plants. The pale green to white under surface of the leaf is a useful identification tool when this member of the heath family is not flowering.
Prickly Broom-heath
The Surf Coast Walk provides many fabulous opportunities to appreciate the coastal line as well as our iconic vegetation.
Austral Grasstree Xanthorrhoea australis
Gail Slykhuis