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The phleb thread

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Here is a thread for all things phleb

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*Please feel free to use this thread to share any and all photos, conservation and ecology information, cultivation teks, personal experiences, and general musings

Acacia phlebophylla aka Mt Buffalo Sallow Wattle

Acacia phlebophylla, an Acacia also known by the names Buffalo Sallow Wattle and Mount Buffalo Wattle, is a straggling shrub to small, twisted tree reaching up to 5 meters in height. It has large, elliptic, flat, commonly asymmetrical phyllodes 4-14 cm long, 1.5-6 cm wide, with coarse veins, a leathery feel, prominent nerves and reticulated veins. Deep yellow rod-like flowers appear in spring (June-December), widely scattered on spikes 4-7 cm long, followed by 7-10 cm long legumes in November-March, narrow, straight or slightly curved, releasing 5-10 elliptical seeds, 5-7.5 mm long. Solitary or twinned spikes, to 6 cm long. Only known from the high altitude granite slopes of Mt. Buffalo National Park, Victoria, Australia, where it occurs above 350 meters in woodlands and heathlands often amongst granite boulders.

This is one of the purest natural sources of the psychedelic drug Dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT, which occurs as the predominant alkaloid throughout the plant. However due to conservation issues this species is not considered a viable source of tryptamines, as outlined below. A much more common species; (A. obtusifolia), should be researched instead.

From: Phleb @ wikipedia

personal notes/observations and timeline:

- 2003

A fire engulfs Mt Buffalo national park, starting on January 13th, killing many mature specimens. The fire also 'cleaned' the population by sterilising large areas of disease, and triggered the activation of the seedbank and subsequent emergence of a new generation of seedlings.

- 2004

The first time i made it up the mountain with a camera was mid 2004. I was lucky enough to witness the masses of re-growth after the fire, and began to connect with the plant on many different levels.

I started to make observations of the plants ecological, botanical and spiritual nature.

Whilst i had spent lots of time up the mountain during my childhood, and prior to the fire, 2004 was the first time i actually went up the mountain in search of the phlebophylla.

Once i knew what i was looking for i realised they had been all around me ever since i was born.

emergence of post fire seedlings:

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The seedlings emerged from crevices along the waterways where the seed had been dispersed along the granite rock faces by small waterways:

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The new growth after the fire was vigorous, and the plants looked very healthy and happy:

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-2005

In late 2005 we again had an opportunity to spend time amongst the phleb.

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-2006

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ECOLOGY

literature:

There seems to be a lack of published information regarding the ecology of this plant, however one paper has been sited:

Heinze, O'Neill, Briggs, Cardwell. Buffalo Sallow Wattle Acacia phlebophylla of Mount Buffalo Victorian Naturalist (Blackburn). 115(5). Oct., 1998. 205-209.

Naturlised flora and plant list for Mt Buffalo NP

FUNGIMAP- Mt Buffalo

Mt Buffallo environmental survey Including soil testing. see plate 10- dry heath.

Population demographics:

The phlebophylla are endemic to Mt Buffalo National park, however it is reported there are small remote communities on neighbouring ridgelines towards Mansfield.

number of plants? no more then 500-1000 mature specimens??

HYBRIDISATION

It has also been noted that: A.phlebophylla hybridises naturally in the wild with Acacia alpinia and Acacia dallachiana. The hybrids however are sterile. (darcy- source?)

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Photos of suspected phlebophylla/alpinia? hybrid courtesy of Passive Daemon!

Threats to phleb:

There are a number of key factors that threaten the survival of this plant.

-Disease.

The plant is currently under attack from a fungal disease known commonly as black spot, infestation by an invasive species (wasp) and aphids.

*black spot

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*scale/aphids

*wasp gaul

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-Die back

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-DMT exploitation

Whilst it may be feasible to sustainably collect fallen phyllodes, the harvesting of live phlebophylla plants, and any other activity that compromises their physical integrity, is a completely irresponsible and unscrupulous activity.

As a community we should speak out about anyone working with phlebophylla material that isnt either self cultivated, or sustainably harvested.

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(photo-passive daemon)

-Management issues/other human impacts

There are various issues surrounding the management of these plants and their habitat by governmental bodies. Primarily it appears they are not given the attention they deserve.

Early in 2006, park officials failed to de-brief contractors working on track maintenance, and many plants were un-neccessarily impacted.

There also seems to be a general lack of communication and awareness regarding the plant, with park officials completely un-informed in regards to simple botany of the plant. (e.g flowering times)

photo from track maintenance., second photo (photo credits- pelinester & passive daemon)

CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION

Acacia phlebophylla is officially recognised as a 'Threatened species'. Which means that the species as a whole is at risk of becomming extinct. April 06 threatened species list.

Visiting Mt buffalo

Anyone visiting should:

cultivation and establishment of satellite communities

There is one known specimen thriving in ex situ (i.e having reached a flowering age).

There are 'reports' of people successfully establishing small satellite communities, however as yet there is no proof available to this community that this is the case.

It is suggested that establishment of satellite communities could be very beneficial in allowing for human interaction with the plant without interfering/impacting upon its natural environment.

The establishment of satellite communities would also be beneficial in terms of conservation, as it would provide a 'back-up community' in cases of extinction within its natural habitat.

Most sucess in cultivating A.phlebophylla is limited to plants that have not yet reached maturity, and thus the sucess of such activities is as yet unknown. The oldest known plant in cultivation is more then 5 years old, and is being grown in the U.S.

The best success in propagating and cultivating Acacia phlebophylla can be achieved through the following methods:

Stratification via scarification and/or heat treatment and (optional) smoke-water/fire activation of propagation medium.

Propagation should occur in situ, i.e wherever the plant is to grow to reach maturity.

Substrate should be relatively inert (i.e native seedling mix) and should include granite composite (and some quartz if u have it handy).

There should be plenty of room for the seedling to extend its root matrix.

The seedlings should be watered irregularly, but not allowed to wilt too significantly, and the substrate should be very well draining so as a good amount of water can be given at a time.

Quite often the success of an acacia will depend on the ability for the plants root system to develop vigorously during its first few years, as an adaption to often dry and nutrient low substrate.

Thus care should be taken not to damage or interferre with the root matrix as it devlops.

As yet it is not known what mychorizal interactions the plant has with its fungal friends. However it can be theorised that benfical mycelial matter may play a key role in the survival of plant in cultivation.

It is also suggested that environmental factors specific to its native biome may play crucial roles in its development. Thus cultivation should be more successfull in areas that have similiar weather patterns, altitude, and substrate to its native habitat (Mt Bufallo).

Due to the small amount of mature specimens left after the fire, the vulnerability of the emerging generation of juveniles, and the irregular flowering and seeding, the species is still very much at risk. As such SEED SHOULD NOT BE COLLECTED BY HOBBY CULTIVATORS, as the entire seedbank was triggered by the intensity of the fire, and the following years of seeding are neccessary in replenishing the seedbank for the future.

Any collection of A.phlebophylla seed for commercial enterprise will be immediately reported to relevent authorities!

TC

A tissue culture project is currently underway, however there have been some disappointing hurdles in the past.

It is suggested that until the success of the TC project, all focus should be given to supporting this project, and the establishment of satellite communities within the MT Bufallo bio-region.

education

peer review

'friends of phleb' ???

THE SPIRIT OF PHLEB

When first i came upon them, i was quite enchanted by their presence within the post fire landscape.

They first appeared as small glowing orbs emerging from the scortched earth, a collective mass of vigorous new life that formed an organic fractalline sea of luminousness.

Their illuminative presence spread all over the undulating granite mountainside, in a very similiar way to how mushrooms pop up out of the ground via the mycelial network, the seedlings were the new generation of fruit, emerging from a genetic sea of ancestral seeds, within the crystal laiden fire activated substrate that is the 'bio-accumulate' of the sacred mountain.

Their roots combined and spread throughout the shallow earth, and penetrated deep within the crevices formed by seasonal flows of water.

At first we had spotted a few random seedlings strutting out over the road from the overhanging rock walls,

soon we were seeing them everywhere. The longer we spent walking along the road and connecting with the plants, the more we were pulled into their presence on the mountain, and an awareness of it.

They felt like an anomally within the surrounding environ, a new fresh crisp vital playfull bundell of life, in bleak contrast to the bare earth and charred remains of pre-fire vegetation.

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MT BUFFALO- A VERY SACRED SPACE

With the annual arrival of the Bogong Moths each summer, the Minjambuta Aboriginal People journeyed up the mountain gathered together for ceremonies, socialising and feasting.

It has also been said that the mountain was held in very high esteem by the elders and clever men, of various indigenous tribes, as being a place of power and healing.

There have been reports of an aboriginal man from Far North Queensland spending upwards of seven years in pilgrimidge to the mountain, as part of his dreaming.

Sadly, the majority of the indigenous custodians were wiped out by colonial settlers, with nearby tribal centres home to some of the most regrettable and inhuman acts of colonisation on record.

Whether or not traditional knowledge of the area and its dreaming is still retained (and any particular information surrounding preported use of the phlebophylla in sacred fire rituals), it is evident to the un-initiated that there is definately something very special and potent about the mountain .

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Amazing photos of Mt Buffalo

walking trails

Online discussion threads:

Phleb vandals july 2006, Track clearing-March 06, Acacia propagation tek, cultivation info, killing acacias, phleb dmt, phleb hybridisation,, phleb pics at Bushtucker forums, TC disaster :(,

Other Phleb links:

phleb at aus flora online, world wide wattle- phleb, Mt Buffalo N.P, Mt. Buffalo Field Naturalist Group , The Field Naturalist, vol 115 (5), October 1998 ,

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Please bare with us, this is a work in progress.

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Edited by ({E})

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A musing: drinking a phleb caapi brew I have this very organic expansion of the inside of my body which is unlike all the other tryptamine admixtures I have drunk.

It is as if the visual domain of the tryptamine is transferred to a certain somatic space which expands onwards stretching the phenomenological continuum starting somewhere within my viscera.

It is as if I experience visuality somatically, I guess this is a synaesthetic experience...

I love the feel of those leaves too...so strong: love to brew with them.

So wonderful to know that this special entity has only one home...I feel quite priviliged when I have some in the house.

And I feel its spirit is more ascertainable, when I have some leaves around the house, compared to other tryptamine admixtures I may have with me. I put this down to it being a local spirit...a little aussie deva!

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excellent E. such an amazing plant

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a question- are phlebs self pollinating??

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Thanks E, great post

Hopefully some others can contribute also. One day I will make it up that mountain to see the plants and take some photos myself :).

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Nice work E, its about time. :)

I was planning on getting there today to check on the progress of the flowering but unfortunately it will have to wait till next week. The plants should be looking good this time of year although it is VERY dry here at the moment so hopefully all is good on the mountain and we get some rain soon.

Will have many pics to share then.

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How tall is she after one year darcy?

The juveniles on the mountain that have good conditions have gone absolutley crazy(2 mtrs +) but with less than favourable conditions they are stunted and barely grow at all. I am suprised when i see some of the spots plants are growing, on top of rocks, in cracks less than 5cms across and even some in cracks that seem even too small for a seed to enter. There is one patch of juveniles that i dont expect to survive unless we get rain soon, the soil has excellent drainage in this particular spot and dries out very quick. Alot of smaller plants there didnt make it past last summer and it wasnt that dry then as we received a massive pouring of rain in November i think. So there may seem to be alot of plants there at the moment but as they grow and compete with each other things will thin out for sure.

Lucky there is other populations that arent as easy to access and should hopefully remain untouched.

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a question- are phlebs self pollinating??

jono, this is a very good question.

Ive researched a little, and found plenty of different articles on self compatability and pollination ecology of acacias, but no information regarding the phlebophylla.

Im sure the information is out there... but im yet to come accross it.

My post is taking me a bit longer to 'fill in' then i thought... but im getting there slowly.

lease feel free to add any and all information, and pm me if there is need for corrections/updates/photos credits e.t.c

cheers

eli

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BUMP!

have updated bits and pieces.. most interesting update is some photos of a possible hybrid!

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nice update E, keep it comin.

Here is some more eye candy

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.........and the phleb guardian. He has been at one particular plant the last three times i have visited it. I cannot say for certain it is the same Currawong, but i doubt many Currawongs would be as bold or playfull.

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On 07/10/2006 at 12:05 PM, incognito said:

a question- are phlebs self pollinating??

Darren at Herbalistics informed me that A. phlebophylla is self-fertile, but may require the services of a native pollinator. 

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