4 May 2007

Airport saved by the small purple pea?

| johnboy
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[First filed: May 02, 2007 @ 11:46]


(Photo courtesy of the Australian National Botanic Gardens)

Word reaches us that the site of the controversial Tralee development is home to Swainsona Recta, aka Small Purple Pea, aka Mountain Swainson-pea. Which could be a bit of a problem as it’s listed as endangered on both the NSW Government PlantNet and on the Department of the Environment and Water Resources Species Profile and Threats Database.

I don’t have confirmation of this, but we await further developments.

UPDATED: Well the CT’s only local story today is on this issue. It seems the pea is found “near” the development rather more than “on”. But it’s amazing what you can’t find when you set your mind to it.

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Nope, it’s supposed to be a NEWSpaper.

To be fair, the CT article was much more complete.

Congrats to RA for publishing this story two whole days before the CT.

I mean the purple plant on the Princes Highway

The purple plant is verbena rigida – see http://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/weeds/Sheets/herbs/H%20Purple%20verbena%20&%20purpletop.htm – a real pain to clear.

I see Canberra Times published this today. Odd that the reporter published this piece plus a puff piece for the Canberra Airport.

Well at the very least, they could name one of Tralee’s streets after it.

Or eRecta memorial.

OpenYourMind4:56 pm 02 May 07

This species shall henceforth be known as the Terry Snow EmpireProtecting Pea.

neanderthalsis4:08 pm 02 May 07

I’m surprised no-one has made any purple pee jokes yet…

Actually this article is a bit of a beatup. The flower grows on the railway easement NEXT to Tralee…

Seeing as the picture seems to have a slide frame around it, yes I suspect it is rather old.

Growling Ferret2:01 pm 02 May 07

If Tralee does go ahead, what are the odds of streets being named after greats of Australian (and Canberran) speedway

Garry Rush Avenue
George Tatnell St
David House Place
Howard Revell Avenue
John Egan St

(probably the wrong forum to reminisce about the good old days of Tralee/Fraser Park Raceway…)

Good call on the darker color but looking out the side of a car at 100kpm .. It’s just a big purple blur .
But that could have been the 4 jack daniels cans …
I’m back down there in two weeks time and am now interested so will stop and smell the flowers so to speak .

Pattersons curse is much darker – more akin to the dark blue of the titles and usernames, hence easier to recognise.

Also the stem of Pattersons Curse is more distinctive, I call it the ‘square’ shape, whereas a conventional stem of a plant is usually ’round’, or ‘circular’.

I went to Bermagui on Satuday afternnon , and noticed what looked like millions of those on the side of the road between Bemboka and the Princess Highway.
But then again at 100kph they could have been Patterson’s Curse ….

barking toad1:19 pm 02 May 07

Pretty old picture given the lush grass.

Inless there’s heaps growing in tropical Qld

Oop. They’re not gone – just “relocated” (to affordable housing).

http://www.canberraairport.com.au/docs/hub/hub13_nov_01.pdf.

I guess Bob can just relocate them to the airport.

The Canberra Airport had some lizard onsite for a while stopping their runway extension. Oddly a few years later it was found to be “gone” and runway extended…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/667556.stm

There’s a 5 toe 7 headed skink there as well. I saw one after a nice meal of fresh mushrooms picked from a field in Tralee. Interestingly at the same time funny looking flying objects rained down from the sky.

Well that should make it harder for you and Bob Winnell to find in late-night Roundup spraying raids then!
Anything that stops Tralee = good thing.

Ridiculous.

Looks like any other weed.

this may prove interesting!
i wonder if Terry planted it? 😉

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