Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Monday 31 August 2020

The Green Bird Flower - Western Australia

Can you see the birds? 

We really do have the most amazing wildflowers here in Western Australia. I feel blessed to be able to see them. 


The Green Bird flower - Crotalaria cunninghammii - are one of those Western Australia wildflowers that always excite me when I see them. Listed as "uncommon" in my wildflower book - I have been lucky now to have seen them 4 times in the wild. 




The first time was in July 2014 in Booroothunty Creek between Mount Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It was growing in the dry river bed, and even though a rather poor scraggly specimen I was excited to see it. Here it is below here. 

Then in August 2016 I saw them again in the sand dunes of the Cape Keraudren Coastal Reserve, located on the coast in from Pardoo Roadhouse on the Great Northern Highway between Port Hedland and Broome. Eureka! 

Last year in July 2019 on the first leg of our half lap of Australia we saw them again on the side of the road north of Carnarvon. Well my husband spotted them and stopped the car. I have no idea how he sees these things while he is driving at 110km/hour!  He has very good long distance eyesight. The plant is quite distinctive with grey-green leaves and bright green flowers. 

The Green Birdflower is a short-lived perennial shrub 0.6-4 metres high with grey velvety stem. It is a member of the pea family and the flowers are yellow-green 20-50 mm long in a spike 50-250mm long and 50-70mm wide. The leaves are velvety, grey-green, and the seed pod is egg-shaped with a sharp point and contains about 20 seeds. It generates rapidly after fire and is pollinated by large bees and honeyeaters.

The Green Birdflower is a plant of the legume family Fabaceae, and is named for the shape of its flowers.  Its scientific name came from early 19th century botanist Allan Cunningham who collected it in 1822 from Cygnet Bay north of Broome. The Bardi aboriginal name for this plant is oorlgoo, and the Yawuru call it minmin.

Evidently you can eat the top part of the flower, drink the nectar, and the sap from the leaves was used by Aboriginal people to treat eye infections. Atlas of Living Australia

You can also read more about it here:

Botanic Garden & Parks Authority, Western Australia

ABC - Gardening Australia  - including a video

Flora Base

We have just returned from a trip to Coral Bay, Exmouth and Kalbarri on Western Australia's Coral Coast, and true to form, my husband spotted the Green Bird Flower on the side of the road when we were driving into Coral Bay. In this collage below you can see the bud, the flowers and the pods. They really are beautiful. 


Now that we knew that we were in the flowering time - March to December - we were on the lookout for it and we weren't disappointed, finding it at the Potshot and Krait Memorial on the road into Exmouth. 


Although listed as "uncommon" it seems it has a wide distribution across Australia, mainly in dryer areas. 


Read my previous post about the Green Bird Flower here - Finding the Green Bird Flower and Cape Keraudren

I hope you and yours are doing ok in these troubling times, and that you have had a chance for some relief and time out in nature. 
Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
 


I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!


Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

25 comments:

  1. Nature is our teacher... love to read about this special plants.
    Happy MosaicMonday

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  2. Hello,

    Your husband has a great eye. What a beautiful plant and I love the name Green Bird Flower.
    Your photos are beautiful. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy new week!

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  3. The bird flower...how incredible! I'm sure when it blows a little in the wind, it looks even wilder! How beautiful!

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  4. Jill - what a fabulous specimen. The first picture almost does not look real! It is an appropriately named flower. I know what it is like to start seeing a number of flowers once you have seen one - it is almost like your eye becomes trained to see it! Thanks for sharing this with everyone at Mosaic Monday!

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  5. What a beautiful flower, and lucky you for seeing it so many times. It really does look like a bird. I can't wait till we are able to travel again to WA as I will be looking for all the beautiful flowers you are sharing with us here.

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  6. And so nature keep amazing us. What a great beautiful flowers. Thanks for showing us.

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  7. I'm fascinated by the flora and fauna of Australia. This is one reason I so enjoy your posts! It's like a trip into a fantasy land.
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/08/oriental-lily.html

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  8. You have some spectacular flowers in Australia but this one is amazing and aptly named.

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  9. What an interesting flower/plant. I love seeing all the foliage you share since it may be the only way I ever see it. Our world is full of such amazing wonders it would take several life times to see it all.
    Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

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  10. what a wonderful plant! the flowers are beautiful and the seed pods really look like peas.

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  11. Dear Jill,
    what a fancy, beautiful flower!
    I can see them, the many tiny birds ;-)
    There are special plants in every country.
    The vegetation in Australia is so very different from that in Germany.
    So I'm particularly happy that you are taking part in Nature Thursday.
    I thank you very much for that ♥

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  12. Hi Jill - your photography really brings this plant to life and it was a bit of a revelation for me to see it like this. I've been enjoying your FB posts too and seeing all your amazing photographs and awards you've been receiving - well done!

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  13. Eine großartige Pflanze und tolle Fotos

    Grüße von
    Monika

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  14. I've never heard of that before & it's gorgeous. You'd be coming into wildflower season now too...

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  15. Those are really pretty and so unusual.

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  16. Such a fascinating flower! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    I'm so excited to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!! Thanks for linking.

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  17. They are magnificent.They look like little birds.

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  18. How stunningly unique is that Green Bird Flower!! I learn so much visiting your blog. Thanks!

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  19. Wow what a great blog, i really enjoyed reading this, good luck in your work. dried flowers wholesale australia .

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  20. Can green bird flower be found in Kalbarri?

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I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I read and very much appreciate every comment and love hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.