About Rainforest
The Wet Tropics region has the largest continuous area of rainforest in Australia and the oldest continually surviving rainforest on the planet. However the area estimated at 800,000 hectares is tiny in proportion of the continents land mass and is a remnant ecosystem from a time when the Australasian continental plate lay much further south in wetter latitudes and much of the continent was covered by rainforest. Cape York Peninsula also has approximately 260,000 hectares of rainforest. The climate here is a more pronounced wet dry system and vegetation is described semi-deciduous mesophyll vine forest.
The Wet Tropics forests are the most species rich rainforest in Australia with over 2,250 species recorded and are a global biodiversity hotspot with 12 of the 19 ancient angiosperm families present. It is often said that a hectare of rainforest contains more tree species than the whole of northern Europe. On average 120 tree species per hectare are present.
The nature of the forest varies with altitude and soil type, canopy height decreases with altitude and fertile soils have more complex forests with more layers and greater buttressing of roots. The term rainforest may be a misnomer as for 7 to 8 months of the year plants must endure very dry conditions where evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation.
While much rainforest is protected in National Parks and reserves, large areas, particularly lowland forest are privately owned and unprotected.
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Golden Bouquet Tree
(Deplanchea tetraphylla) |
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Golden Bouquet Tree
(Deplanchea tetraphylla) |
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| Bleeding Heart (Homalanthus novoguineensis) |
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| Cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) |
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| Cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) (Detail) |
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Rain Tree (Samarea saman)
Introduced Origin Mexico |
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| Tamarind (Toechima sp) |
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Ivory Curl Flower Tree
(Buckinghamia celsissima) |
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| Wheel of Fire (Stenocarpus sinatus) |
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| Syzygium Sp |
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| Black Bean (Castanospermum australe) |
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| Black Bean Flower detail |
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Alexandra Palm
(Archonophoenix alexandrae) |
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Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata)
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| Fan Palm (Licuala ramsayii) |
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| Fan Palm (Licuala ramsayii) |
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| Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla) |
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| Broardleaf Salwood (Acacia mangium) |
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| Golden Oak (Grevillea baileyana) |
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| Celerywood (Polyscias elegans) |
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| Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) |
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| Flame Tree Flower detail |
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Poinciana (Delonix regia) Introduced origin Madagascar
Potential Weed |
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| Poinciana Flower Detail |
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The Cathedral Fig
White Fig (Ficus virens) |
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The Curtern Fig
White Fig (Ficus virens) |
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| Bull Kauri (Agathis microstachya) |
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African Tulip Tree (Spathodia campanulata)
Origin West Africa and potential weed |
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| Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) |
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| Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) |
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| Pink Euodia (Melicope elleryana) flower detail |
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| Pink Euodia (Melicope elleryana) |
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| Daintree Rainforest (Lower Canopy) |
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| Daintree Rainforest (Mid Canopy) |
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| Daintree Rainforest (Upper Canopy) |
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Buttress Roots on Forest Floor Boulders
Daintree NP |
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| Rush Lily (Tricoryne anceps) |
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| Ivy-leaved Violet (Viola herderacea) |
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Northern Schelhammera
(Schelhammera multiflora) |
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| Pastel Flower (Pseuderanthemum variable) |
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| Dianella Sp (1).. |
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| Dianella Sp (1) |
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| Dianella Sp (2) |
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| Dianella Sp (2) |
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| Large Seeded Gahnia (Gahnia aspera) |
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| Palm Lily (Cordyline cannifolia) |
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| Giant Palm Lily (Cordyline manners-suttoniae) |
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| Weevil Lily (Molineria capitulata) |
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Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide moroides)
(Avoid by all means) |
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| Cats Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus) |
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Native Jasmin (Jasminum nitidum)
Origin PNG |
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Fungus Root (Balanophora fungosa)
An unusual flowering plant not a fungus |
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| Vandasina (Vandasina retusa) |
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| Calamus Vine (Calamus moti) |
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| Calamus Vine (Calamus moti) |
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Supplejack (Flagellaria indica)
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Smilax (Smilax blumei)
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| Bioluminescent Fungi (Omphalotus nidiformis) |
