Flora
Lowlands
The greater part of Kakadu is covered by eucalypt-dominated open forest and woodland. These tracts are among the last expanses of virgin eucalypt forest in Australia. The lowland plants are heavily influenced by seasonal factors. The wet season is a period of growth, when plants make the most of the abundant water. The dry season is a more stressful time, and the plants have a variety of mechanisms for coping with this long waterless period. Some, such as the kapok bush, are deciduous. Others, such as the green plum, are semi-deciduous and have a waxy film on their leaves to help reduce water loss. Eucalypts generally have a deep root system, enabling them to reach the available ground water.
The lowlands are a mosaic of vegetation communities. Local differences in slope, soil composition and the flooding regime combine to favour either open forest, woodland or grassland.
Open forest is dominated by the Darwin stringybark, Darwin woollybutt and Cooktown ironwood. Late in the dry season the Cooktown ironwood, with its dark, chunky bark and lime-green leaves, stands out from the surrounding vegetation. Woodlands contain many types of eucalypts, including bloodwoods and boxes. The understorey of both open forest and woodland is generally made up of smaller trees such as pandanus and green plums, shrubs, and tall grasses such as spear grass. The greatest species diversity occurs, however, in the ground layer, where there is a large range of grasses, sedges and wildflowers.
Common flora
- Billy goat plum Terminalia ferdinandiana An-morlak
Harvested commercially outside of Kakadu and marketed as the Kakadu plum. It is a medium-sized tree with large broad leaves. It is deciduous in the dry season and between March and June and bears edible fruits known to have exceptionally high levels of vitamin C. - Cooktown ironwood Erythrophleum chlorostchys An-dubang
A tall, spreading tree with distinctive rounded dark-green leaves. Late in the dry season it puts out new leaves that are a bright lime-green. The tree's timber is extremely hard and termite resistant. All parts of the tree are highly poisonous to mammals. - Darwin woollybutt Eucalyptus miniata An-djalen
Grows to 10-20 metres; it has dark, rough bark on the lower half of its trunk and smooth, white bark on the upper half. Bright-orange flowers appear between May and August. - Fern-leafed grevillea Grevillea pteridifolia An-dadjek
A medium-sized slender tree with long, narrow silver foliage. The flowers are bright orange and appear from May to August. The nectar from the flowers attracts many birds. - Green plum Buchanania obovata An-dudjmi
A medium-sized tree with large, thick leathery leaves. Bunches of green grape-sized plums appear in October to December; they are considered to be some of the best bush tucker around. - Kapok bush Cochloprerum fraseri An-djedj
Deciduous in the dry season, from May to August, and has distinctive bright-yellow flowers. Its large, fragile pods are filled with a dense, soft cotton-like material. - Red-flowered kurrajong Brachychiton paradoxum An-marrenarnak
A small, often straggly tree that is widespread on the lowlands. It is deciduous in the dry season, when bright-red bell-shaped flowers appear on short stems from the branches. - Sand palm Livistonia humilis An-gulalurrudj
A slender fan palm with small yellow flowers on long spikes. Aboriginal people use it for medicines, fibre, dye and food. - Spear grass Sorghum spp. An-ngulubu
Grows to over 2 metres and becomes the dominant understorey plant towards the end of the wet season. - Spiral pandanus Pandanus spiralis An-yakngarra
Grows in a broad range of habitats, often in dense stands. Aboriginal people use it for medicines, fibre and food. - Swamp banksia Banksia dentata Guibuk
The only banksia found in the Top End. It has distinctive serrated leaves and the characteristic banksia flower, which appears between January and April. - Turkey bush Calytrix exstipulata Anbarndarr
Common throughout the lowlands. It bears masses of pink-purple flowers between May and August.
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