Australian Succulents

Featuring~ Calandrinia PORTULACACEAE

Common name - Parakeelya
Australian calandrinias are not closely related to the calandrinias found in other parts of the world and therefore will shortly be reclassified as a separate and new genus.

The Australian Calandrinia (Parakeelya) are an important traditional food for Aboriginal people.
The word parakeelya was derived from the word ‘periculia', which is an Aboriginal name for the seed meal that is made from the plants seeds.

Calandrinia polyandra and C. balonensis are among the most prominent, well known and widespread of the Australian species and are often featured in tourist brochures promoting Australian wild flowers.

Description

Mostly annuals, or short-lived perennials, however in cultivation some species seem to grow indefinitely, (see end of article for more on this). Calandrinias grow from approximately 10 mm - 1 m in diameter, but most species are no more that 200 mm in diameter.
Plants grow as rosettes, often branching, but can also have upright and irregular arrangements of leaves.

Typical leaves and stems of Australian calandrinias are pale to bright green shortly after rain, or when vigorously growing in any shade. Then if conditions are dry, exposed or sunny most calandrinias soon change to either a pale brownish grey (from stress and possibly for camouflage from herbivores), or as with several species, change notably to bright yellow, orange or red instead. (Oddly this can only serve to attract attention from an even wider range of animals and insects, which one could assume as a disadvantage but this may need some further research). The leaf surface on some species e.g. Calandrinia polyandra and C eremaea, in drier and sunnier positions can have a glittering or slightly translucent appearance.

Leaf types - Many Calandrinia species have long narrow leaves that display a prominent channeled groove that runs along their length. This central groove of each leaf's upper surface is least obvious immediately after any rain, when each leaf becomes turgid, and so when viewed in cross section may appear almost round. Then in following drier conditions, as turgid leaves contract again as a result of moisture reserves being utilized, this groove increasingly becomes prominent again.
The second most common leaf form of various Calandrinia species is the longer, narrower terete shape (when viewed in cross section may appear totally round, for most of its length). A less common leaf form is the flattened, somewhat spatulate leaf that lays mostly flaccid on the ground, in very obvious rosette arrangements on short stems. These plants are mostly from drier regions of Western Australia. Leaves on some of these species have long, mostly terete leaves with only the very ends flattened (always appearing broad or 'arrowhead -like' when viewed from above). While there are other leaf types and combinations of all those described above, these three can generally be used as a guide to the majority of species.

 

Flowers

Calandrinia flowers predominantly come in shades of pink, especially the larger flowered species.
Whites, yellows, bicolours and tricolours are less common. The larger species have flowers up to 50 mm in diameter, of deep almost iridescent pink, with contrasting white to yellow centers.

Flowers on the larger flowered species are always raised high above the plant body where they can sway in even the slightest breeze.
Calandrinia polyandra flowering in habitat is truly a spectacular sight when thousands of plants carpet large areas with their striking flowers. Such scenes are sought out by tour groups and used prominently in promotion of Western Australian wildflower experience.

It is widely documented that Calandrinia have flowers which last (open) for only a single day. However personal observations in the field and follow-up cultivation trials of numerous species have shown that a single flower opens and closes for many consecutive days. Flowers usually don't fully open until it is sunny and only stay open during these conditions after which flowers close up entirely by sunset and then repeat the sequence each following day until expired.

Whilst the overall flowering cycle can be mostly regarded as seasonal, following good rains usually in spring, this cycle can continue well into the summer months and beyond sustained by moisture reserves.
Trials in cultivation have shown a healthy mature plant flowering for up to six months without follow up moisture, until all reserves were exhausted.
It could be inferred from this that a single substantial rain event in habitat can be enough to totally provide for Calandrinia throughout its growing and flowering cycle.
Trials in cultivation with regular water show that numerous species grow happily as perennials, also propagating well from stem cuttings at almost any time of the year that then seem to flower freely year round.

 

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Calandrinia

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 All these sample pictures above were taken in a Melbourne garden in a very exposed area of poor soil with a granitic sand coating. Seeds were sprinkled and watered in. We have another 2303 images in our photo library, just on Calandrinias cultivated in this garden, including undescribed species and some spectacular scenes that we are holding for a possible new publication. Please contact for further images or information.

Habitat

Found predominantly in drier or arid to semi-arid parts of the continent, on very sandy stony or rocky soils, where little or no competition from other plants exists. Closer to the coast where faster growing, leafier green vegetation dominates, Calandrinia become increasingly scarce (only to be found in smaller pockets on exposed rocky outcrops or partly saline coastal areas where there is little or no competition.).

Australian calandrinias prefer very sunny exposed positions, as a general rule, and appear to grow poorly or not at all in the shade, especially along the east coast of the continent. And yet in the drier interior some species have adapted to the partial shade benefits given by smaller trees and shrubs.
The well-known twining Calandrinia volubis is probably the most classic example of this shade preference as it grows best under short (less than 1 m in height) shrubs that not only protect it from excess heat, sun and drying winds, but also provides support for the very tall and weak flower stalks that twine through the supporting shrub to the shrub's upper canopy.
In this setting C. volubis has great advantage as it is often overlooked by both native and introduced herbivores. These herbivores are also unable to reach down between the compact and rigid woody stems of the shrub. C. volubis often has pale olive-brown stems and leaves that are camouflaged and tucked in close to the woody stems of the supporting shrub, which also prevents the animals trampling these very soft and often fragile plants underfoot.

Distribution

Endemic to Australia. (All the Australian species are unique to Australia and have no close relatives in other countries).

Cultivation

Seed gathered from hundreds of different populations, Australia wide, then trialed both in pots under various conditions and in open garden plantings have revealed a great deal over the years. And while further experimentation is still ongoing, it would not be too early to suggest Australian Calandrinia deserve much greater appreciation and utilization in garden design, not only in the home garden but in larger landscape projects, where calandrinias can be put to best use.
Rather than giving you pages and pages more of text on this, I thought it would be more exciting, enjoyable and pertinent to show some good garden examples, to whet you appetite to maybe try some calandrinias yourself!
All the pictures included with this article show mostly calandrinias and other native succulent plants that are also noted for seasonal floral displays. All the pictures were taken in a large open garden setting in suburban Melbourne, Victoria. These are just a random selection to show the diversity and the success of these plantings, with four different Calandrinia species shown above and four different Portulaca species pictured below. More Calandrinias shown in cultivation including garden use in the large 'Cultivation and Trials' section of the website.

Extra points of interest

• While there are over thirty clearly described Australian species, there are still many undescribed species and new ones still being discovered.
• Very recently a new bright yellow flowering species has been added to the above list.
• I also have quite a few pictures and seed of Calandrinia species that do not match any of the already described species. And with financial support I may one day explore these further.
• Finally...do you have a Calandrinia story or picture you would like to share?
  Please come forward!