gecko

Well, I went for a drive on tues 8th may to Mt Macedon and had a look at Dicksonia Rare Plants Nursery. What an impressive collection of species there, unbeleiveble. Coincidently, I saw Stephen Ryan (owner of D.R.P nursery) on Gardeing Australia tonight. so for anyone interested in rare plants (mainly from cold climates) check it out. I had a look around in a patch of pines a few kms south of Woodend for some mushies. No Lactarius but I did happen to find some cut stem butts of slippery jacks. I reckon I was late by about 1-2 days, but I kept searching. I eventually found enough for a couple of feeds of Suillus granulatus. It's funny, the people you meet in a pine forest...another story. I ended up taking all the stem butts I could find so that I could inoculate some pines closer to home. While at the nursery I managed to pick up a pot of Ferula communis var. glabra. Its just like fennel but about twice or three times as big. Its going to grow in my garden to be a host to Plurotus eryngii as it dies. Unfortunately there were no Eryngium spp. there but I know where to get them now and I'll use them for the same thing. Well worth the trip.

Yes very good point to bring up...and to not forget! There are species of Galerina in Aust. The effects of Galerina poisoning are usually typical of what is known as phalloidian type mushroom poisoning. ie. like poisoning from Amanita phalloides (The Death Cap- which grows in Aust. usually but, not necessarily around introduced tree ) The symptoms can be delayed for up to 24hrs after ingestion. Stomach upset, nausea, uncontrolable vomiting, diarrhea and cold sweats with danger of dehydration. These outward symptoms can abate and the victim may appear to get better, however the toxins keep working on the internal organs. Irreparable damage to the kidneys and liver may and often does result in death. Correct identification is the key. get a few good ID guides study how to ID mushrooms familiarise yourself with the poisonous look alikes and enjoy the 'quiet hunt'

Thanks Harry, anyone else...? around Mt Macedon maybe...?

The seeds are like beans in pods you say? then just as a guess i'd say Erythrina sp. check that out Wavy pods, heavily armed trunk and branches... try E. acanthocarpa... not the most common Erythrina sp. in Aust. but by no means rare. A relatively cold tolerant species also Ravenia rivularis in the backgound

There seems to be a bit of variation in rhizome skin colour in A.galanga that i've seen over the years. ranging from almost pure white through pale pink to dark red. It could be due to edaphic factors- soil type, fertility,watering etc. but i suspect there are may be several clones around. A.galanga readily sets seed if let go as a big clump. they seem well formed and viable but i've never bothered with germinating them cos its so easy to grow from divisions

Diesel did in fact design his engine to run on vege oil. Peanut. Biodiesel can present a few probs, but with a bit of info and playin around with it, can be easily sorted out. When my brothers and I kill a few sheep for home consumption we keep all the fat. lots of it on Damaras (fat tailed sheep). Its rendered down then converted to BD. We also supplement this with deep fryer fat. You can really tell which fish n chip shops flog the shit out of their oil (cook at higher temps and longer between oil changes) by the higher free fatty acid levels. - I'll never eat from those greasepits again!- this means you have to use more alkali to neutralise FFA's before transesterification can take place. it can increase the possibility of making soap and neccesitates more careful cleaning of the BD. we always wash BD with a fine mist of water, settle then filter. When used in the ute, the fuel is passed through a heater that we've fitted. It's made up of a small alloy block about the size of a matchbox. Fuel line runs through one hole and coolant through another. It's first heated via a glowplug at startup then by the engine coolant via a thermostat once it reaches operating temp at which stage the glowplug is automaticaly switched off. BD is a very handy solvent and degreaser (Not a bad paint stripper either) so when using it in an engine for the first time it'll remove all sorts crap from fuel lines and tank left from petro diesel and quickly overwhelm the filters. BD also attacks rubber, so its best to replace rubber fuel lines and seals with a more suitable alternative like neoprene one of the reasons that a lot of european cars with modern high performance diesel engines, that are designed with BD in mind, weren't imported here was the crappy quality standards of Aust. petro-diesel fuel... ... warrenty issues. the filters should be changed regularly. its even worth putting in an extra. one of the older style filters with a glass bowl . glycerine, soap or water is visible at a glance and can be drained off

Harry that looks to me like Alpinia galanga. its the one found as fresh rhizome in shops in Aust. this is refered to in English as greater galangal or just simply galangal 'Kha' in Thai 'Laos' in Java 'Lawas' in Bali 'Lenkuas' or 'Lenguas' in Malaysia very commonly used in S.E asian cooking Galangal was a very popular spice in medieval Europe via the Arab spice traders but its popularity seemed to wane around the 1500's to the point that it wasn't used any more apart from the odd medicine or liquer recipe. (galangal is one of the main flavouring ingredients of Campari) The galangal used in Europe belonged to two or more different species of plants. A.galanga - Greater Galangal , its origin Indochina-Indonesia and A.officinarium - Lesser Galangal ,from China were the main ones for sure. I've not seen A.officinarium plants in Australia (and I've been on the lookout for the past 16 years or so). Most books I've seen published in the past three decades refer to another plant as 'Lesser Galangal' which has caused much confusion. Kaempferia galanga unlike the two Alpinia spp. mentioned, this plant grows with its leaves pressed down flat on the ground and pushes up a sucsession of violet marked white flowers also at ground level. It sheds all it's leaves every year at the onset of the dry season, retreating to the the small rhizomes just under the soil surface. I dont like to refer to this plant as a galangal at all because its flavour and use in cooking is quite different to that of galangal. the only relationship it has to galangal is its unfortunately confusing name (and of course that its a member of the same botanical family). I guess another reason for the mix up is that the source of A.officinarium is largely in china and so wasn't seen as much outside of china and more likely to be forgotten about. Kaempferia galanga is a very popular spice in Indonesia where it is known as 'kencur' or as 'cikur' in Sundanese. It's almost always used in sate sauce recipes. Also used with palm sugar,roasted ground rice, tamarind and I can't remember what else, for a favorite herbal hot drink called 'Beras Kencur'. A friend of mine who goes to Indo a lot says that smoking weed after a drink of Beras Kencur gives a very different sensation than without the drink...more trippy, very enjoyable. I used to buy Beras Kencur instant. 8 or 10 sachets in little orange boxes in Asian grocer shops but I haven't seen it for bout 8 years now. Cant remember the brand, but its the same company that makes 'Jahe Wangi' -an instant ginger drink. K. galanga only seems to me to be used in Thailand as a medicinal plant. I think the Thai name for it is 'Pro Hom'. It's definately not to be confused with Boesenbergia pandurata ,Kra-chai (Thai) also a deciduous Zingiberaceous spice plant but growing to 20-40cm high The swolen roots as well as the rhizome are used in Thai curries especially Gaeng Som Pla- sour fish curry. B. pandurata is known in Indonesia as 'Temu Kunci' The only place i've seen A. officinarium plant up close was at Peradeniya Botanical Gardens just out of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was in flower at the time and i couldnt find any seeds. I have seen dried rhizomes of A. officinarium in Asian grocer shops.

yeah, count me in thanx

Fennel could also be a potential host to P. eryngii I recall reading somewhere that there's a strain or subspecies that grows on a species of Ferula. ?Ferula communis maybe...

I've made up PDA but not with instant mash. I cant think of any reason why it shouldn't work. let us know how it goes . I use the following very simple recipe as an alternative to the usual Malt Yeast Agar (MYA). It seems a lot lighter in nutrient than MYA Beer Based Media (BBM) 1 part beer 2 parts water simmer/boil to drive off alcohol then add 20gm/litre agar or a 25gm sachet of agar to 1.25 litre no need for weighing - only measuring liquids for thse without scales though i haven't tried it yet,you could use the same quantity of good quality dry dog food as agar ie. Dog Food Agar 25gms agar 25gms dry dog food 1.25 litre water possibilities are endless for potential agar media recipes

I got a good one at Tullamarine a while back but im never gonna sell it !. A guy called Vasil imports them from the U.S. Mine is a 35 quart model, real handy for doing grain spawn in 1.5 litre cranberry juice bottles. They go up to 45 quart capacity . They definitely aren't cheap, but if looked after and well mantained they should last a lifetime. Spare parts are also available including a valve that can be installed that prevents the entry of air into the pc after cooldown, lessening chances of contamination . All depends how far you want to go with it, and how much you want to spend. Check out his site at centre.net.au

Baines, James A. AUSTRALIAN PLANT GENERA - An Etymological Dictionary Of Australian Plant Genera (1981). Publ. The Society for Growing Australian Plants ISBNO 909830 18 15 ( 406 pp.) Debenham, C. THE LANGUAGE OF BOTANY A Publication of The SGAP . (208 pp.) I hope this is the one youre after. Any decent bookshop should be able to order it for you with the above info. The second book could also be useful although my copy doesnt seem to have an ISBN. Both books were printed by Surrey Beatty & Sons Pty.Ltd. 43 Rickard Road, Chipping Norton, NSW., 2170 if thats any help as well. Secondhand bookshops may also a good place to look . thats where I got mine. Good luck with your search. Btw the cover of my copy of the first book is green w. yellow text and pic. of Banksia flower. . . .the colour may be different with dif. print runs

Taiwanese mushrooms #3 Leucocoprinus birnbaumii me thinks... I have it come up occasionally in pine bark based mix in my pots. The plants in the same pic., Pinto Peanut and Fleabane are very common in my area. That pic could have been taken in my back yard!

Leguminosae (Fabaceae) Mimosoideae Mimoseae -Adenanthera -Anadenanthera Adenanthera is a trop. Asian genus of about 12 species. notably A. pavonina ,Red bead tree, Red Sandalwood (Sri Lanka , India ,SE Asia ,N. Aust) Commonly used in tropics as street tree. The hard red or red&black seeds have long been used in India as weights by goldsmiths. The Ganda system of India is based on seeds of Abrus precatorius ,but derrived from a system with double that seed weight. Adenanthera seeds are twice the weight of Abrus seeds. The seeds are also used as beads. Anadenanthera is a trop American genus of two species. A.peregrina , seeds -yopo A.colubrina ,similar uses esp. Argentina So...they're botanically related but cutural uses are half a world apart. However in saying that Adenanthera is grown as an ornamental in parts of trop. Sth. America. hope that helps...

Yeah ,the unopened caps certainly have that 'blocky' shape of Yellow Stainer. The brown scaly top however, looks very similar to a species of Agaricus I've been finding here since spring/summer (N NSW ). They sometimes have slight yellow stain,smell strongly of almonds and taste fantastic! I've been referring to them as A. augustus although Rev refers to them (at least something that sounds the same) on FF website as A. subrufescens. I've got it on agar now. I'm not saying thas what you have but if, after further investigation it is, you have one fine esculent there Strangebrew. Keep us posted if you do try it.

Could anyone tell me where I could obtain seeds of this plant please? It's very tolerant of saline conditions slow growing occurs Sri Lanka,India through Midde East and quite a way into Africa. Right throughout its range its twigs are used by the local inhabitants as tooth brushes. The twigs contain chlorides, flourides, silica, resin, sulphur, vit.C and trimethylamine, is antiseptic and strenghthens gums. Lvs. and Fr. edible ;ash used as salt.

I have a bit of a love /hate thing with hawk moths. I remember as a small child being excited by these wonderful creatures whenever I encountered them, often hearing them before seeing them. My grandparents had a Norfolk Is. Hibiscus Tree (Lagunaria patersonii) at the side of their house in central Vic. When I'd visit on the holidays I'd sit under the tree and wait for the moths at night as they darted around flowers in the hope that I might see them. These days I mostly see the larvae ,or at least evidence of their grazing in my taro patch. they hide in the leaf axils by day and come out to feed at night sometimes leaving just the petiole, a few veins of the leaf and pellets of grubshit! It doesn't mater to the corms but if I want a feed of taro leaves (and I need alot for a feed) its a bit of a hassle.

The photos show the typical habit of growth in the subtropics. Very bendy weak culms of limited use in or around the home garden. However, when grown in a mediteranean climate they become something entirely different. Much stronger and straighter, more like a light bamboo for which it serves as a good substitute in drier areas. Arundo (Spanish cane) is the source of reeds for saxophones and clarinets. Good enough for small trellises for veges etc. and my favorite source of spear shafts. Take a 2-2.5m piece of arundo with 50-80cm hardwood (Acacia sp. or Eucalyptus sp.) inserted and bound into the base, then a 15cm length of half inch mild steel forged into a wide spearblade inserted and bound to the wood. Launched with the aid of a woomera the length of my arm it becomes a very handy tool for fish and rabbits. I have't managed to bag myself a roo though I'd been verrry close. The power behind one of these is quite shocking. I once lined up a piece of corrugated iron at about 40metres and put the whole thing right through and out the other side. Almost 20yrs since I've done any of this, and just thinkin about it.....hmm .... I miss it, such a good feeling.

Musa ensette ( or Ensette ventricosum) normally from seed - I've not seen them sucker - Try Adelaide Bot. Gardens or Perth Zoo if you have a friend check for you. . Nth NSW and S.E.Qld a bit tricky with restrictions on cultivation of ornamental bananas and relatives.It doesn't seem too heavily policed although ten years ago I had some M.textilis destroyed by banana inpectors 'cause they couldn't I.D it. Mandevilla laxa -seeds or cuttings ; M.amabilis'Alice Du Pont'- cuttings ; Dipladenia cvs. Red riding hood etc. -semi hard cuttings all benefit from bottom heat under glass but not essential. IBA and NAA also help. Hey I remember seeing Ensette in flower last year at the entrance to Suffolk Park Caravan Park maybe there's fruit , I'll check next time I'm over that way.

Yeah! Ive been lusting over that one for while now . As far as I know its not in the country yet, but somehow recall that it is available in the U.S. As for the others, Heliconia subulata is the hardiest. Zingiber zerumbet should grow for you ( deciduous ) . not quite beehive but still a nice little inflorescence. a species of ethnobotanical significance in Polynesia (awapuhi) and Indonesia (lempuyang kebo). Z.spectabile may be o.k in a protected spot. Z. ottensii (reddish-brown infl.) is also totally deciduous.

No cultures available atm, sorry. . species / variety strain / source origin 1.Agrocybe aegerita / the strain / long time cultivated in Aust./ 2.Amauraderma rude / SAB member - wild collected Aust. 3.Calocybe indica / Shroomery member- India 4.Calvatia sp. / SAB member cloned from wild- 2010 5.Cordyceps hawksii / Otways / wild collected- Otways, Vic.- June 2010 6.Cordyceps militaris / USA 7.Ganoderma lucidum / USA 8.Ganoderma sp. (G.resinaceum) / SAB member wild collected from Maroochydore Qld. 2010 9.Grifola frondosa / Stamets / USA 10.Grifola frondosa / Thailand / Thailand(??!) 11.Grifola frondosa / 12.Hericium americanum / USA 13.Hericium erinaceus / USA 14.Hypholoma capnoides / 15.Hypholoma sublateritium / 16.Hypsizygus tesselatus / USA 17.Hypsizygus ulmarius / the strain / long cult in Aust. 18.Lentinula edodes / ww44 - warm weather strain / 'Field and Forest' WI, USA 19.Lentinula edodes / Safeway supermarket 20.Lentinus giganteus / Shroomery member USA? 21.Lentinus tigrinus / USA 22.Lepista nuda / Macedon, Victoria.- Aug 2010 23.Macrolepiota clelandii / Shroomery member 24.Macrolepiota procera / Shroomery member 25.Omphalotus nidiformis / Corroboree SAB forum member 26.Panellus stypticus / Shroomery member USA 27.Phellinus linteus / USA (?) 28.Pholiota nameko / 29.Pleurotus columbinus / Shroomery member 30.Pleurotus cystidiosus / Shroomery member 31.Pleurotus eryngii / var. nebrodensis / USA? 32.Pleurotus eryngii / strain / long time cultivated in Aust. 33.Pleurotus ferulae / USA?- native to Europe and Eurasia 34.Pleurotus nebrodensis / Prahran (market) / Cloned by me 1997-from fresh import from Japan 35.Pleurotus nebrodensis / from Shroomery member - USA 36.Pleurotus nebrodensis / A recent introduction Shroomery member USA 37.Pleurotus pulmonarius / Stamets / 38.Pleurotus pulmonarius / var. Sajor-caju / 39.Pleurotus pulmonarius / 40.Pleurotus tuber-regium / 41.Stropharia rugoso-annulata / 'Starseed' / wild from NNSW 2010 42.Trametes versicolor / collected from wild - Aust. 2010