This
quote is from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne:
"In 1995, bushwalkers in state forest north-east of Melbourne
chanced upon a remarkable discovery - a single blood-red flower
Cinnamon Wattle Acacia leprosa. Literally millions
of wattles grow in the Australian bush and in parks and gardens
across the country, but without exception they exhibit only
yellow or cream flowers.
Plant conservation staff at the Royal Botanic
Gardens Melbourne successfully propagated the original plant
cutting, and the new plants were conserved in the Gardens'
nursery. The parent plant in the bush has since perished,
but the plants in the nursery are thriving and are exhibiting
the same striking blood-red flowers.
The successful conservation and propagation
of this truly unique blood-red wattle is a momentous Australian
horticulture achievement, providing a fitting choice for Victoria's
Centenary of Federation floral emblem. "
(Acacia is now in the Fabaceae
family, subfamily Mimosoideae according to the APG II)
Plant Portraits through the year
The
plants are arranged in alphabetical order with the date of the photograph
after it.
