On the dry hills of Tasmania’s eastern coast, grows this bizarre shrub: Ozothamnus scutellifolius. Don’t know how to describe the unusual scale leaves, they are beyond my words, fascinating!

Tasmanian waratah (Telopea truncata), the southern most and also the most cold tolerant species in its genus. It is endemic to Tasmania. Also has a yellow form, but I didn’t see it.

The cutest moss I’ve ever seen: Pleurophascum grandiglobum, endemic to Tasmania, grows in boggy moorlands or sedgelands. The other two species in the genus are P. ovalifolium, endemic to the South Island of NZ and P. occidentale, endemic to Western Australia.

Richea scoparia. This Tasmanian alpine Ericaceae bush relies on a skink (Niveoscincus microlepidotus) for pollination, despite the skink is not its pollinator. In order to protect the flowers from the harsh alpine conditions, its petals fused to form a structure called calyptra, which stops insects from entering the flowers. But the skink loves the nectar, and it removes the calyptra by eating it to reach the nectar, thus opening the flowers for the pollinators. Fascinating coevolution.

Sydney wildflower: Sydney boronia (Boronia ledifolia)

Sydney wildflowet: Boronia ledifolia. This small shrub starts flowering at the end of winter, one of the earliest and brightest flowers in the bushland around Sydney. #sydneywildflower #boronialedifolia #rutaceae #悉尼野花 #芸香科 #floraofaustralia #澳洲植物

Sydney wildflower: pink wax flower (Eriostemon australasius).

Saw this beautiful lizard in a lowland rainforest near Padang West Sumatra; not sure if it is a green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) because it does not have a dark ring around each eye.