Mangroves

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Walking the River's Edge...

Yesterday
it was too perfect a day
to be inside
so I decided to walk along the river

to the Mangrove Boardwalk
and take a good look
at the plants that thrive there

a weeping Tea Tree



but on the way
I became waylaid...
as is often the case,

this time
looking at the variety of trees
that grow on the river's edge

and catching the glimpses between
the casaurinas and gums

The river path is lined with
she oaks - casaurinas
wattles- acacias
gums- eucalypts

and giant Cotton trees,
Hibiscus tiliaceus
was very important
to the early indigenous peoples.
The inner bark made fishing nets
and ropes,
wood was used for fire
and shield making
and also in herbal medicine

the white or grey mangrove
is the most common
and widespread mangrove
along the coast of Australia

the native bees use the trees
to make nests in
and Aboriginal shields
were made from the wood

this rounder leaf
looks like the Yellow Mangrove

the tallest mangrove
in the Noosa River system

with the lush green leaves
is the Orange Mangrove

it has the 'bent knee'
shaped breathing roots
called pneumataphores

and when the flowers petals
fall away
the torpedo shaped hypercotle
(young plant)
drops into the mud







and floats away.

Snails that live
amongst the mangrove roots
were cooked and eaten
by the Aborigines.

This wattle- acacia
called Blackwood
has a distinctive curly seed pod

the stalk passes
completely around the seed
and folds back on itself
exposing the glossy black seed.
The bark and twigs
were used as fish poison

The pencil like
breathing sticks
of the mangrove,
the pneumataphores

and along the path edge
wild grass

with horse hair mane
waves

and stately eucalypts
reign



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and tomorrow
all going well
we may eventually arrive
at the Mangrove Boardwalk....

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