AUSTRALIAN PLANTS

NATIONAL AND STATE FLORAL EMBLEMS

Each Australian State or Territory has a floral emblem including the Waratah, the Pink Heath, the Cooktown Orchid, the Sturt's Desert Pea, The Tasmanian Blue Gum, the Kangaroo Paw, the Sturt's Desert Rose and Royal Bluebell. Australia has its own emblem which is Golden Wattle or Acacia Pycnantha which wasn't decided an emblem until 1/9/88.

Click on the thumbnail mages to see a larger picture of the floral emblem

The state emblem for the A.C.T is the Royal Bluebell (above). The Royal Blue Bluebell is a small herb with long leaves about 25mm long. The flower is violet-blue and has a diameter of 20-30mm. The stem can be erect or not erect. It 's botanical name is Wahlenbergia Gloriosa and was mad an emblem in 26/5/82.

The state emblem for Victoria is the Pink Heath (above). The Pink Heath is an upright bush that is about one metre in height. The leaves are around four to sixteen millimetres long. The flowers are pink and bell-shaped and they are twenty-five mm big. It's botanical name is Epacris Impressa. It was made an emblem in 11/11/58.

The state emblem for New South Wales is the Waratah (above). The Waratah flower can grow up to ten centimetres long. The flower is a bright red colour, with a long stalk leading to the shrub. The stalks can range from four  to twelve feet. It was decided to be an emblem on 24/10/62. Its botanical name is Telopea Speciosissima.

The state emblem for S.A is Sturt's Desert Pea (above). The Sturt's Desert pea has a bright red flower with a black centre. It grows to about ten centimetres long in groups on short, erect stems, diagonally from the main stem. The plant can grow on the ground or as a bush. It's botanical name is Swainsona Formosa and it was made the emblem on the 23/11/61.

The state emblem for the Northern Territory is the Sturt's Desert Rose (above). The flower of the Desert Ros has a pink to pale purple petal with a dark crimson centre the botanical name for the Desert Rose is Gosypiym. It was decided as an emblem on the 12/7/61.

The state emblem for Queensland is the Cooktown Orchid (above). The Cooktown Orchid has a dark pink coloured flower that can be five centimetres across with a long stalk. It grows on other trees in northern Queensland. It was decided as the emblem on the 19/11/59 and its botanical name is Dendrdoium Phaleenopsis.

The state emblem for Western Australia is Mangles Kangaroo Paw (above). The flower is emerald green. It has a long furry stalk about two or thee feet tall, almost as colourful as the flower itself. The botanical name is Angozanthos Manglesil and was made an emblem on the 9/11/60.

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