Mark Spencer Gallery

Bullanock (Xanthorrhoea australis) mid North Coast NSW Australia

Bullanock (Xanthorrhoea australis), perennial plant, some estimated to be 350 to 400 years old. Its range is eastern Australia including Tasmania and South Australia. Indigenous Australians soaked the flowering spikes in water for a sweet drink. The soft white leaf bases were eaten as well as the growing point of the stem. The flower spike exudes a resin that was used as an adhesive in making tools. Stems were used for the lower portion of a spear and also as a base for a drill to start a fire. Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia

© Mark Spencer/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Bullanock (Xanthorrhoea australis) in mist, New South Wales, Australia

Bullanock (Xanthorrhoea australis) on a misty October morning. The plant is a perennial, some estimated to be 350 to 400 years old. Its range is eastern Australia including Tasmania and South Australia. Indigenous Australians soaked the flowering spikes in water for a sweet drink. The soft white leaf bases were eaten as well as the growing point of the stem. The flower spike exudes a resin that was used as an adhesive in making tools. Stems were used for the lower portion of a spear and also as a base for a drill to start a fire. Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia

© Mark Spencer / AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)

Harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus), a member of the order in which seahorses are found (Syngnathiformes); found in tropical and warm-temperate waters of the Indo-west Pacific. This one (about 4.5 cm long) at a depth of approximately 17 metres at North Solitary Island among the branches of a black coral tree. Solitary Islands, New South Wales, Australia

© Mark Spencer/AUSCAPE All rights reserved