Rare botanical colony marooned at Lal Lal

As far as the Ballarat district is concerned, it is best-known from a population on the Lal Lal Creek, not far above the Lal Lal Falls.

Naturalists have been visiting this site for generations.

Our photo, taken a week ago, shows the small, clustered, pleasantly-perfumed flowers not quite at their peak. However, their perfume was clearly evident, reminiscent of Tasmanian leatherwood honey.

There are about two dozen anchor plant bushes in a fenced enclosure, to protect them from browsing.

Most of them are multi-stemmed, although some of them may be collections of different plants growing in each other's protection.

They are mostly from knee-high to about chest-high.

Supplementary plants were grown and planted on the site more than 30 years ago, but reportedly none of these survived.

Young plants are not evident, with natural regeneration likely hindered by thick growth of exotic grasses.

Fortunately, the plants seem to live for many years, but unfortunately, the anchor plant seems preferentially-browsed by wallabies and livestock. Tip browsing is evident in the photo. New stems get little chance to grow at this site.

The species has also been called the hairy anchor plant and to botanists it is Discaria pubescens.

Its leaves are small and short-lived. Fresh small leaves are visible at the tips of a few short young stems in the photo. Many of the Lal Lal plants are not much more than spiny upright stems. The spines are mostly 30 to 40mm long.

There are a few other local anchor plants scattered on basalt slopes around the Ballarat district, including the Clunes - Smeaton area. There is also at least one plant close to Moorabool Falls, not far from the Lal Lal colony.

If visiting the Lal Lal anchor plants, access is best from the trail carpark on the north side of the creek, rather than from the main falls carpark and picnic area. The creek is flowing too strongly for safe crossing at present.

A note from near Daylesford about well-defined narrow tracks through dense undergrowth probably indicates the presence of some sort of rat. Sometimes the track disappears under the surface before re-emerging a metre or so further on.

The common pest rat (Rattus rattus) is the most likely maker of these, but there is a possibility that the runways and burrows could be made by the native bush rat, or the swamp rat.

I saw this moth at Mt. Egerton recently, and have been unable to identify it.

J.G., Newington

This very attractive white, medium-sized moth is a female Sparshalli Moth, or Sparshall's Moth.

All four wings are clear white.

The red bald patch, edged with black, helps to identify this species.

Its wingspan is around 45mm.

Males have fine white feathery hairs extending from the abdomen.

It is found mostly in forested country, but can occur in city parks and gardens where eucalypts are present.

Victorian sightings are mainly from spring and summer.

Although it is nocturnal, it is sometimes found resting during the day, when its bright white makes it very obvious, especially in sunlight as your photo shows.

It would be easy prey for currawongs or other birds.

The caterpillars are colourful, and very hairy, about 35mm long. They feed on gumleaves.