Australia features an estimated one million – give or take a few – different native species: mammals, frogs, invertebrates, reptiles and flowering plants, of which 80% are unique to our country.
We spotlight two of our most iconic genus – banksias and eucalypts – to illustrate how they offer vital food and homes to unique species - in this case, three pollinators, the honey possum, the common blossom bat and the Swift Parrot.
Banksias are among the best-known of all Australian native plants – a genus of over 200 species in the Protea family. There are 173 Banksia species, and all but one occur naturally only in Australia. Banksia plants come in a variety of sizes from low shrubs to large trees. South-western Australia contains the largest diversity of banksias and 60 species are recorded. They occur on a wide range of soils including those that are wet and dry. They are best known for their unique elongated flower spikes and jagged leaves. The flower heads are made up of hundreds of tiny individual flowers grouped together in pairs. As flower heads age, they gradually become darker in colour and after some time, become grey.
Eucalyptus is a large genus of more than 660 species of shrubs and tall trees of the myrtle family that are native to Australia and Tasmania. Many species of this plant grow very high in height. Small eucalypts are considered to grow up to 10 metres in height: medium-sized from 10 to 30 metres high, tall, 30 to 60 metres and very tall, over 60 metres. Many species continuously shed dead barks in flakes, whereas other species have thick barks. The leaves often hang diagonally or vertically. The flower petals of the eucalyptus trees stick out to form a cap when the flower expands. The fruit in Eucalypts are structures that contain seeds, and they are released through fruit opening through triangular teeth.
Attracting…
Honey possums
The Honey possum is a tiny marsupial with the scientific name Tarsipes Rostratus. These animals can only be found in the south-west of Western Australia and prefer to live in banksia woodland habitats.
These little creatures are about the size of a mouse, and they have long snouts, pink tails, and small black eyes. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) their existence is of ‘least concern’ due to their relative abundance and widespread distribution. However, there has been a shift in the type of weather-driven natural hazards caused by climate change, which may affect them in the future. Bushfires can result in significant habitat loss. Since honey possums are the only non-flying mammals in the world that rely on nectar and pollen as a food source, their future is not entirely secure.
The honey possum is largely nocturnal and pollinates banksia and eucalyptus flowers.They are the only marsupials to feed off nectar exclusively and have several physical adaptations to facilitate this diet. They have an elongated snout with a very long tongue that allows them to access the pollen and nectar in flowers. Their tongue has bristles at the end to mop up the nectar. Pollen grains are picked up from the tongue by little combs arranged on the roof of its mouth. Honey possums also do not need to chew their food. Only the two front teeth help guide the tongue as they pull their tongue out for the target. They also have prehensile tails to help them hang on tree branches as they search for flowers. The dependence of honey possums on the banksia flowers means that they can spread ripe, nectar-bearing banksia flowers from the unripe ones. The process of pollination occurs when pollen grains are collected on their head and face as they feed from flowers and, in this way, the pollen can be transferred from plant to plant.
Common blossom bats
Common blossom bats (also known as Southern blossom bats) are small nectar-eating bats with large eyes. They are around 6 cm long and have a light brown to reddish coloured fur. They are one of the smallest of all the mega-bats weighing in at 15 to 19 grams. Common blossom bats often roost in rainforests near shores. They have a specialised diet consisting of nectar and pollen from bottlebrush, paperbark and banksia. In NSW they mainly feed on banksias and bottlebrush combs, and they forage every night to search for food. They will forage despite the most varied weather conditions, including rain. Unlike many other bats, they do not roost in one location but change roost locations daily. While feeding, they utilise their long, bristled tongue to extract nectar and pollen. They usually land on flowers to feed, but they will often hover over them to collect nectar and pollen.
Swift Parrots
The critically endangered Swift parrot (also known as Lathamus discolour) is a small to medium-sized parrot with a streamlined shape to help it fly. This beautiful green, yellow and red parrot was voted 2023 Bird of the Year in The Guardian Australia and BirdLife Australia’s biennial poll. It has angular pointed wings and a long-pointed purple-red tail. It is only found in south-eastern Australia and only breeds in Tasmania. Nesting has very infrequently been recorded in western Tasmania. During non-breeding session, they migrate to the mainlands of NSW and Victoria. They can be found foraging on flowers and lerps (tiny white starchy and sugary balls that are actually insect excretions) in Eucalypt species. Swift parrots use their specialised tongues to consume nectar and pollen. The Swift parrot has a specialised brush tip which consists of tiny thread-like papillae that aid in the consumption of nectar. They predominately feed on the nectar and pollen of eucalypt trees. Areas with the most nectar production and with several eucalypt species are critical to the parrot’s overall survival. The distribution of nesting Swift parrots is influenced by the spread and intensity of Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus and Black Gum E. ovata. The Swift parrot also takes nectar less frequently from other trees such as Coast Banksia (also known as Banksia Integrifolia).
the interactive map available on the PlantingSeeds website shows locations where pollinators are endangered. To view the interactive map, click here.
Author: Zeerak Ayaz