One of the most stunning wildflowers of the Australian bush has to be the Sturt's Desert Pea. The blood-red flowers, with their black centers, add a distinctive flair to the arid terrain in which they grow. The plant is naturally found in all states, except Victoria.
Specimen's of Sturt's Desert pee were first collect by explorer William Dampier in 1699. Today these specimens are housed at the Fielding-Druce Herbarium at Oxford University in England. The plant's common name honors Charles Sturt, who recorded seeing large quantities of the flowers while exploring central Australia in 1884.
The flower achieved ionic status when it was adopted as the floral emblem of South Australia in 1961.
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That indeed is a stunning flower! It must be especially dramatic in a barren setting.
ReplyDeleteI've come across some fabulous exotic flowers while living in foreign parts, especially in Ghana, West Africa. One of them is the devil's flower, which is almost totally black (deep aubergine, really). In case you're interested, here's the post I wrote about it:
http://tinyurl.com/384zfq7
Hi Maya, that is a very a beautiful flower. I love the deep red color (red is my fav) and it has such an interesting background. It looks so delicate to be able to flourish in the arid climate. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMiss Footloose, it is a beautiful flower and I love seeing it in the wild. I'll have to check out your devil's flower and see how they compare.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy, the flower actually is in the movie "The Alice." This picture was taken at a botanical garden but it is really spectacular to see it in the wild.