Years ago my friend Suzie tried to explain to me how much she loved trees. I remember at the time not fully appreciating her passion, but in more recent years have recollected it each time I fall in love with a tree. And this happens often. In my favorite season, autumn, I am continually catching my breath at the magnificence of the trees’ changing colors. “You look great!” I yell out the window. “Love your outfit!” I say to another. But a tree doesn’t have to have colorful leaves to make me stop and look. A broad expanse, an asymetrical bearing, a regal canopy – all these things can stop me in my tracks and gasping with admiration.
| Australia provided some splendid and varied plant scenery, among them, incredible trees. To the left is the Cathedral Fig, below is the equally impressive Curtain Fig. And however big you think they are, magnify that by ten. These trees are what is known as a Strangler Fig. Unlike what you’d think, they start out from the sky and grow downward. A bird eats a fig and then leaves a dropping with the seed in it in the high crevasse of a tree in the rainforest. The Strangler Fig begins to grow and drop its roots downward, wrapping around the host tree as it goes, and eventually strangling it, so that the host dies and this tree prevails. But they are so gorgeous it’s hard to get mad at them about this nasty habit. |
| This tree is big enough to live inside. The strands you see hanging down, making the curtain, are roots. Now, let me fill this space with a useful rainforest tip: if you don't know if something is poisonous or not, before you eat it, cut it open and place it under your arm. If it stings or otherwise irritates you, then it's poisonous. |  |
 | I really listened closely to all the guides and the rangers and even retained the information long enough to annoyingly repeat it to other travellers who hadn't been on the same tour. But now, when it is time to recount it to you, I've forgotten most, but here's what I remember. The vine you are looking at here is called several things, depending on the point of its development. In its early stages, it is known as a "Wait-Awhile." It earned this name because it has burrs/thorns on it that when you are walking through the woods will grab you and stop you from proceeding. The only way to get released from its grip is to back up, otherwise you will be terribly hurt. Aboriginals used these thorns to catch fish; they'd place them into a trap and when the fish swam in they'd get caught on them. As the vine matures, it is called the Lawyer Vine for reasons I'm not sure of. You see hundreds of these vines in the forest and it really brings out a strong desire to swing on them. Only the numerous nasty things you could land on stop you from engaging this whim. Finally, the vine becomes what we know as rattan and furniture and other goods are made from it. |
| This fern is extremely old, like even older than I am! This is one of the things I don’t remember, but wish I did. I do know that this picture was taken on Fraser Island and that this fern has a pre-historic birthdate. And I do remember that I was very impressed with whatever information was given at the time. So, just admire it for its beauty and longevity; sorta like how you feel about me. |  |
 | I have no useful information about these trees, I just love them because I love anything with a fan shape. You can just imagine how functional they'd be as a roof for your hut. There, I just told you something useful. Here's another useful rainforest tip: The poison can be removed from otherwise edible food by placing it in a bag in a running stream for about 3 weeks (this leeches out the poison) and then roasting it over a fire. |
| In the rainforest you see these roots on many trees. The broad flat root serves many purposes. It allows the tree to trap and hold moisture, and from larger trees, it is what boomerangs and shields are made out of. (By the way, did I tell you know that I successfully threw a boomerang several times?) |  |
 | This was one of my favorite trees in the rainforest for two reasons: one, I'm not used to seeing flowers right on the trunk of a tree, and two, because it looked like it was going to a wedding. It is called a Bumpy Satinash because before these flowers come out, all you see are bumps on the trunk. |
| This is a mangrove, which are frequently next to rainforests. The little bumps you see sticking up out of the water are called snorkels so that the plant can breathe. |  |
 | I was also very interested in domesticated plants and local economies. What you're looking at here is sugarcane. In Queensland this grows everywhere and next to these fields you see small railroad tracks on which carts carry the harvested cane to the mill. I was just a few weeks too early for the harvesting and milling of the sugar. I admire the system set up to harvest it. There is a schedule for all of the farmers associated with a particular mill. But your crop isn't harvested all at once so that the farmer who has to go last isn't exposed to an increased risk of weather damage to the crop. Thus 20% of your crop is harvested the first week, then 20% of mine the next, then 20% of another, and so on until it's back to me and then another 20% will be harvested. Very clever and very fair I thought. |
| I know this last picture is of a waterfall and not any particular plant, but I really liked it and didn't know where else to place it. This is Millaa Falls in the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland. I swam in this little lake and dove through the waterfall and it was freezing cold! |  |
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