GEELONG NATURALIST Vol. 37 No. 1 May 2001 11 
The measurements of eight plants were taken, however one (No. 5) was broken off before it fully developed and another 
(No. 7) began to develop later than the others. The average length and increase is of the six that developed 
simultaneously. 
Flower spikes 2 and 3 were growing from the same crown. 
Growth rates were surprisingly regular; except for a shallow dip on 21.8.00, all of the plants following the same pattern. 
The weekly average increase in length of the flower-spikes is shown in Table 1 above. 
Flower development 
The development of the flowers, i.e. the appearing of at first green, then white, buds, began on 25.9.00, at the lower part 
of the spike. 
A slowing of growth of the flower spike occurred with the appearance and development of flower buds. This growth had 
ceased by 2.10.00 for one plant (No. 4), and had ceased, or all but ceased, by 9.10.00 for the other plants. By this time, 
two of the spikes had a good percentage of flowers open (30% and 60% respectively), another three had a coverage of 
buds of which 20 to 25% were well developed (white, not green}, while on another two there were no buds. Two weeks 
later, the spikes had from 87-95% of their flowers open, except No. 7, the late starter, which had 60% of the flowers 
open. 
It is interesting to note that the flower spike of No. 7 stopped growing at the same time as the others, and did not grow 
as tall as the others. 
By the end of October when observations ceased, all of the spikes, including the last one to develop, had a majority of 
the flowers open. 
Grasstrees growing in sunnier positions at the Basin, and not included in this survey, were seen to flower earlier than our 
group (which grow under a Manna Gum canopy). A Noisy Miner was seen, on two occasions, feeding on the grasstree 
flowers, presumably taking nectar. 
Table 2: Flower development 
1 2 3 4 6 7 8 
No buds Start of 
green buds 
No buds Lower 20% 
White buds 
Green buds No buds 
present 
Green buds 
present 
No buds No buds 20% white 
buds, 52 
flowers open 
25% white 
buds, 8 
flowers 
open 
70% green 20% white 
buds buds, some 
flowers open 
30% 20% white 25% white 25% white No buds No buds 60% flowers 
flowers buds buds buds open 
open, 
lower half, 
north side 
16.10.00 80% 
flowers 
open 
24.10.00 95% open 
85% white 
buds of 
which 25% 
are open 
92% open 
90% white 
buds of 
which 35% 
are open 
95% open 
90% white 
buds of 
which 30% 
are open 
87% open 
Some 
green 
buds 
90% open 
Some 
green 
buds 
60% open 
95% flowers 
open 
95% open 
