Braidwood Waratah

Appearance

''Telopea mongaensis'' grows as a tall shrub to 6 m high. The thin leaves are 4–18 cm in length, and 0.5–2 cm wide. The red flowers form in spring. Open, thin and wiry, the flowerheads are not as spectacular as those of ''T. speciosissima'' but are much more numerous on the plant.

Each flowerhead is around 6 to 10 cm in diameter, and composed of anywhere from 28 to 65 individual small flowers, or florets. Each flower is encased in a perianth, which is a much brighter red on the surface facing the centre of the flower than the surface facing outwards. Anthesis, or the opening of the flowers, begins at the centre of the flowerhead and moves to the edges or base.

The individual flower bears a sessile anther, which lies next to the stigma at the end of the style. The ovary lies at the base of the style and atop a stalk known as the gynophore, and it is from here that the seed pods then develop. Meanwhile, a crescent shaped nectary lies at the base of the gynophore.

The flowerheads are surrounded by green or pink leafy bracts 1.2–4.5 cm in length, much less prominent than those of the New South Wales Waratah. Flowering is followed by the development of woody seed pods, 4.5–7 cm long. The pods split longitudinally when mature and release the seeds.

It can be distinguished from the similar ''T. oreades'', which generally has larger leaves and often grows with a tree-like habit. The leaves of the latter species tend to have less venation. ''Telopea oreades'' flowers around a month earlier than ''T. mongaensis'' in areas where they co-occur.

Distribution

This plant may be seen between Fitzroy Falls in the north, and Monga National Park to the south. Its habitat is on the margins of temperate rainforest or in wet eucalypt forest, where it may be found along creeks or on mountain slopes, at an altitude of 540 to 760 m.

Habitat

It grows on sandy soils of alluvial origin. It is often associated with such trees as brown barrel, silvertop ash, broad-leaved peppermint, Sydney peppermint, and the understorey plants pinkwood, soft tree fern, coral fern, mountain devil and hairpin banksia. The annual rainfall where it grows is 1,000–1,100 mm.