The Plants The BicentennialConservatory displays plantsfrom the tropical rainforestsof northern Australia, PapuaNew Guinea, Indonesia and thenearby Pacific Islands. Someof these plants are threatenedin their natural habitats. Asyou walk through theConservatory, you will noticelarge blue labels whichhighlight the unusual andinteresting plants listed in thisbrochure.

3. Phaleria clerodendronWhen in season, flowers or fruitcan be found growing directly onthe trunk and branches in anarrangement known as cauliflory.This type of display is common inmany tropical plants. Although birdssuch as Cassowaries can safely eatthe fruit, it is reputedly poisonousto humans.

4. Linospadix monostachya(Walking-Stick Palm)Thousands of these palms wereharvested for use as walking sticksfor wounded Australian World War1 soldiers. The root mass at thebase formed a decorative handgrip.The ripe peppery fruits that growfrom the top of this plant are knownto be traditional Aboriginal bushtucker.

5. Caryota species(Fishtail Palms)The shape of the leaves and heightof the trunk give this graceful palmits common name. When the palmmatures, its starch rich trunkprovides the energy required fora profusion of flowers, fruits andseeds.

6. Scindapsus altissimusHugging the palm with its roots,this plant climbs quickly to the topof the rainforest canopy in searchof light. Different methods used byclimbing plants include twistingstems, spiralling tendrils or spines.

12. Archontophoenix alexandrae(Alexandra Palm)These graceful palms are often inflower or fruit. They have becomedomesticated in many parts of theworld as either garden specimensor indoor plants.

13. Cerbera floribunda(Cassowary Plum)In season this tree has large,fragrant white flowers withdistinctive red centres. Cassowarieseat and distribute the plum sizedblue fruits although they areinedible to humans. As in naturalrainforest the leaves under this treeare decayed and recycled rapidly inthe warmth and moisture of theforest floor.

14. Musa banksi(Wild Bananas)Bunches of bananas can sometimesbe seen near the top of the stemamong the very large leaves. Thesesmall wild bananas are full of seedand lack the flavour of commerciallygrown varieties. One of the reasonsnaturally occurring wild species areimportant is because they increasethe genetic diversity needed forfuture plant breeding research.

7. Cocos nucifera(Coconut Palm)This is one of the most importantplants to come from tropicalregions, with all parts useful topeople. The roots are used to maketoothbrushes, the trunks providebuilding materials, the leavesprovide shelter and coconut oilextracted from the flesh of thecoconut is used for cooking andin cosmetics.

8. Pandanus lauterbachii(Screw Pine)This unusual plant has leaves armedwith tiny spines that spiral out froma base high up in the air on ‘stilt’roots. In wet muddy areas prone toflooding the ‘stilts’ lift the plantabove rushing water and enablethe roots to breathe.

9. Barringtonia racemosa(Fish Poison Tree)Nectar feeding birds are attractedto the distinctive pendulous flowerspikes that mature into lanternshaped fruits. Aboriginal peopleused various parts of the tree asa fish poison.

10. Acalypha hispida(Red Hot Cat Tails)The shape, touch and colour ofthe attractive flowers give thisplant its common name. InIndonesia, a drink made fromthe roots was used as a traditionalmedicine to treat lung disease.

11. Licuala grandis (Fan Palm)The distinctive pleating of thefan-shaped leaves of this palmincreases the surface area tocatch precious sunlight in thedark understorey of the tropicalrainforest. The pleats alsostrengthen the leaf in much thesame way corrugations do in sheetsof roofing iron.

15. Dillenia philippinensisThis small attractive tree is onlyfound in the Philippines and isconsidered to be threatened inthe wild. The tree will grow toa height between 6 to 15 metres,and the white ornamental flowersdevelop acidic fruits with a flavoursimilar to a sour apple. The fruitsmake an excellent sauce or jam andare also used for flavouring fish.

16. Amomum queenslandicumThis member of the ginger familygrows in dense clumps in lowlandQueensland rainforest. The finehairs that produce the soft velvetfeel of the underside of the leaveshelp to reduce water loss and mayalso act as an insect deterrent.

We hope your walk providesa glimpse of the rich diversityof life to be found in tropicalrainforests. A betterunderstanding of rainforestecology will help to conservewhat little remains of thesefast disappearing and complexliving systems.

The EnvironmentAn integrated computer systemcontrols the warm humid conditionsrequired to grow tropical rainforestplants. Eleven sensors within thebuilding, and a weather station onthe roof, work with the computercontrol system to continually collectinformation and make theappropriate adjustments to heating,misting and ventilation. Nearly athousand misting nozzles in theroof create a ‘cloud’ effect. Thisacts as an efficient cooling, shadingand humidifying system dependingon the outside weather conditions.

Night time temperature ismaintained at 12˚C, with aminimum day time temperature of23˚C rising to a maximum of 35˚C.The relative humidity is maintainedbetween 65% and 75%.

Biological control using predatoryand parasitic insects, mites and birdsis the main system of pestmanagement.

1. Molineria capitulata(Weevil Lily)Dense clusters of yellow flowers ortheir dried remains can often befound at the base of the long palm-like leaves. This unusual positionfor flowers attracts a pollinator thatlives on the forest floor.

2. Angiopteris evecta(King Fern)This fern is especially notablebecause it is related to the ancientGondwanan flora that grew on theAustralian continent millions ofyears ago. The giant fronds canreach over 5 metres in length andare among the largest in the world.Look for the brown spore cases onthe underside of the fronds.

The BicentennialConservatory isthe largest singlespan conservatoryin the southernhemisphere andone of the largestin the world.It was opened inNovember 1989and was built tocelebrateAustralia’sBicentenary in1988.

The BuildingDesigned by South Australianarchitect Guy Maron, theConservatory has won many awardsfor architecture, innovativetechnology, tourism and landscapedesign. The building is 100 metreslong, 47 metres wide and 27 metreshigh.

The plant displays housed withinthe building enable visitors toexperience the unique and visuallystunning rainforest environment,while learning about the importanceof tropical rainforests, and the needfor their conservation.

Bicentennial ConservatoryAdelaide Botanic GardenNorth TerraceAdelaideSouth Australia

Opening hoursDaily from10am - 4pm10am - 5pm duringdaylight saving

A small admission fee applies.

Group ToursFor schools’ education programsplease contact the EducationOfficer on 8222 9311. TrainedGarden Guides conduct grouptours; for bookings please contact8226 8803.

For further informationplease contact:The Botanic Gardensof AdelaideNorth Terrace AdelaideSouth Australia 5000Telephone (08) 8222 9311Facsimile (08) 8222 9399

www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.aubotanicgardens@saugov.sa.gov.au

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A Rainforest Walk in theBicentennial Conservatory

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Plants, people, culture