Plant of the month – November 2016

ONE-SIDED CREAMY CANDLES

(Stackhousia aspericocca ssp. one-sided inflorescence)

stackhausia-composite_100dpi_14cm(Photos : E. Cousins, a patch at Cape Jervis; C. Schultz, close-up of flower & bracts)

We were lucky enough to see these flowering beautifully in a remnant vegetation patch at Cape Jervis in late September. The bright green patches attracted our attention from quite a distance away, even though the leaves are only about 30cm long. The flower spikes do stand quite a bit higher, with yellow flowers on just one side, as the name suggests. These flowers are tubular with 5 little lobes at the top, and a conspicuous green bract plus two smaller ones at the flower base. We have often seen a different version of creamy candles, one with creamy-white flowers all around the stem, but this was the first time we had seen these ones. Very pretty!