Artwork 69 Thriving on Sun, Sand, and Wind—the Dune Plants of Point Ann, Western Australia
Section 33
Plants of Coastal Dunes and Windswept Headlands
Point Ann, Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia, Western Australia
- 1. Arctotheca calendula (capeweed)
- 2. Carpobrotus rossii (pigface)
from the artist
We visited Point Ann several times while living on the Goldfields of Western Australia. Although the sandy track into the campground was a little tricky to negotiate, it was a lovely spot to visit, with estuary and ocean walks as reward.
On one very hot day, we hiked over the dunes and found these lovely flowering plants. The “pigface” (Carpobrotus rossii) had many colourful purple flowers, which vibrantly contrasted with the white to pale yellow dunes. The scattered purple flowers embellished the triangular leaves of the trailing creepers as they meandered over the dunes. Some of the leaves were tinged red, which apparently suggests stress. We sympathised, as the day became extremely hot, and the dunes provided neither shelter nor breeze! The Arctotheca (capeweed), with its hairy grey-green heart-shaped leaves and bright yellow-orange flowers, appeared in colourful patches along the beach. It can apparently be found along the coast of Australia in all States except the Northern Territory. Unlike the Carpobrotus rossii, which is an endemic plant found only in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania, the Arctotheca originated in Africa and has become naturalised in Australia (Kapitany, 2007, pp. 56-63; Toelken, 1983/1988a, p. 312).
