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AMPHITHEATRE FLORA TRAIL
Explore the flora of the amphitheatre to discover the range of plants in this
mesic depression high above Bundanon. Learn about plant identification sys-
tems and naming conventions.
Image: Amphitheatre rocks with Rock orchids in bloom
Amphitheatre flora survey
The amphitheatre is a mesic depression under sandstone cliffs. In the surrounding area there are old growth trees sheltering
aboreal mammals, many birds and a variety of plant species. This trail allows you to identify native plants and place them
according to vegetation type.
The ampitheatre has been to site of many attempts to get rid of lantana, a good example of lantana growth and re-growth and
how diffult it is to destroy completely.
Definitions of vegetation types
Whilst groupings of plants are known as vegetation communities, plants within these communities can be classified according
to their height, spread, location and role within a community. This flora trail task has colour coded the different plants according
to this.
Trees
A woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.
Groundcovers
Small plants such as mosses, ferns, grasses, and low shrubs, growing on a forest floor.
Grasses
Vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves
Herbs
Any seed-bearing plant without a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering.
Climbers/Vines
A weak-stemmed plant that derives its support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface.
In this flora trail there are three separate categories for trees:
Trees
over 30 metres high
Trees
10 metres to 30 metres high
Trees
5 metres to 10 metres high
Shrubs Are less than 5metres high
Plant identification systems and names
Carolus Linnaeus, who is usually regarded as the founder of modern taxonomy and whose books are considered the beginning
of modern botanical and zoological nomenclature, drew up rules for assigning names to plants and animals and was the first
to use binomial nomenclature consistently (1758). Although he introduced the standard hierarchy of class, order, genus, and
species, his main success in his own day was providing workable keys, making it possible to identify plants and animals from his
books.
In the taxonomy of Linnaeus there are three kingdoms, divided into classes, and they, in turn, into orders, families, genera
(singular: genus), and species (singular: species), with an additional rank lower than species.
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts,
both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages. Such a name is called
a binomial name; more informally it is also called a Latin name. The first part of the name identifies the genus to which the
species belongs; the second part identifies the species within the genus. For example, humans belong to the genus Homo and
within this genus to the species Homo sapiens. The convention for recording the binomial name is to use italics. The first word
has a capital letter and the second is always lowercase.
Most common plants also have a common name which non-scientific people may use to identify them. In Australia, many of
the common names are disconcerting, as the common names were given based on their resemblance to European plants ro
because they fulfilled a purpose similar to european plants. An example of this is Gymnostachys anceps, the common name of
which is Settler’s Flax. Settler’s Flax has properties similar to irish flax, enabling ropes and string to be made from it and was a
substitute rope in colonial Australia. For common names, the first letter of each word is capitalised, as in the example below:
An example of this is Gymnostachys anceps,
the common name of which is Settler’s Flax.
LIVING LANDSCAPES WORK SHEET 4: AMPHITHEATRE FLORA TRAIL
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GROUND COVERS:
GRASSES. FERNS
HERBS
SHRUBS
LESS THAN 5 M
TREES
5M - 10M
TREES
10M - 30M
TREES
OVER 30M
FLORA TRAIL PLANT IDENTIFICATION IN THE AMPHITHEATRE
VINES
LITTER
SOILS
LIVING LANDSCAPES WORK SHEET 4: AMPHITHEATRE FLORA TRAIL
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