Members of the Rutaceae and Ericaceae families and the Hibbertia genus.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which these plants grow - the Darug and Gundungurra people - and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
A principal factor in identifying Guinea Flowers is the number and position of their stamens and carpels. For example the Blue Mountains Guinea Flower has about 16 yellow stamens and two green carpels.
Heaths(family Ericaceae)
Pink Swamp Heath (Sprengelia incarnata)
Heaths. Family Epacridaceae, or Southern Heaths, has recently been absorbed into the Family Ericaceae (Northern Heaths).
Northern Heaths includes Rhododendrons and Azaleas.
There's over 60 species of the Ericaceae family in the Blue Mountains.
The fragrance from Boronias comes from the oil in the leaves - and this requires a sunny day for it to be released. There's an estimated 18 Boronia species in the Blue Mountains. Unlike most members of the Rutaceae family, Boronias have 4 petals - as do Zierias. Boronias have 8 stamens - Zierias have 4.
Tiny white flowers barely 5mm across, and usually not fully opened, help identify this plant. However, one needs to look closely to see the 8 stamens which characterise Boronias.
Here's another
image.
Flowering in late winter through spring, its stems are a rusty colour. Its sepals protruding between its petals help identify it. It is also known as the Ledum Boronia.
Here's an image with a pollinator.
Also available in pink and white.
A large colourful shrub in spring, it's distinguished from the more common Boronia pinnata by its slightly discolourous leaves and the finely glandular edges to its leaves.
Its broad pinnate leaves with the terminal leaflet the longest helps identify it.
Its sepals not protruding between its petals differentiates it from the Sydney Boronia.
Here's another image and another.
Eriostemon genus
There's only one Eriostemon species in NSW. Several former Eriostemon species have been reclassified as Philotheca.
Identified from Philotheca species by the 3-5 veins on its petals - Philotheca species only have one vein.
The colour varies from pale pink to red.
Here's another image showing pollinators.
Leionema genus
There are three Leionema species in the Blue Mountains, with several more further north in the Wollemi National Park.
Prior to 1998, all species within this genus were included in the genus Phebalium (Wikipedia).
This endangered plant is only found in exposed areas of the upper Blue Mountains. Its stunning flowers are about 10mm across.
Its revolute (tightly recurved) leaves help identify it.
The plant shown here was lost in the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20.
Here's another image and an image that shows a pollinator.
This uncommon plant is identified by its slightly toothed leaves which have a covering of short white hairs underneath.
Its long flower stalks aren't scaly.
The brown mottled and scaly stems, and underside of its leaves and petals, help identify it.
PlantNet warns the "Intergrades occur between many of the subspecies".
Here's another image.
Distinguished from P. myoporoides subsp. myoporoides by its narrower densely warty leaves.
Its multiple flowers on a stalk help identify it from other Philotheca species.
Here's another image.
Previously known as Eriostemon obovalis, it is easily identified by its warty heart shaped leaves - although only warty on the underside.
The flowers are 20 mm wide and appear in Spring.
Its
leaves have rough edges ("glandular-crenate") and a bent tip ("mucronate"). The keel of the petals are bristly.
Previously known as Eriostemon hispidulus.
Here's a six petal flower.
Here's another image and another.
Zieria genus
There are a dozen Zieria species in the Blue Mountains. They have 4 petals and 4 stamens.
A small shrub to 1m tall with hairy branches. The lower surface of its slightly discolourous leaves are also hairy, as are its sepals. Here's another image.
Its leaves, up to 35mm long and 8mm wide, dotted with oil glands help identify it.
The leave's paler lower surface has short white hairs and oil glands.
Our Guinea Flowers Showcase - family Dilleniaceae - genus Hibbertia
This small Guinea Flower is common in the Upper Blue Mountains. It is identified by its 4 yellow stamens, 2 green carpels and
leaves having two grooves running along their lower surface.
It has 12 stamens and 3 carpels, but is best identified by its 5mm narrow recurved warty leaves.
I imagine it gets its name from the similarity its
leaves have to the younger leaves of the Common Thyme.
One of several climbing guinea flowers, it is recognised by its large flower - up to 9cm wide. It has 30+ stamens and 3-7 carpels.
The edges of its leaves can be either smooth or toothed - as shown on this image.
An erect shrub to 60cm tall, its grey hairy foliage and hairy branches identify it.
It has over 30 stamens and 3 carpels.
It's also known as the Hoary Guinea Flower.
An erect shrub to about 1m tall.
It has 10 to 16 stamens and 2 carpels.
Its hairy bracts and the mucro at the end of its leaves help identify it.
Here's another image.
Flowering from late summer to early Autumn with usually white flowers, but occasionally light pink, characterise this stunning plant.
It is also known as the Wallum Heath.
Epacris browniae was identified in 2015 by David Coleby - the images provided here are from his tagged plants in Wentworth Falls.
Here's an image of its leaves.
Here's another image.
Only found in the upper Blue Mountains Epacris apiculata is initially recognised by its towers of closely layered ovate callous tipped leaves.
Here's another image.
Leucopogon genus
Leucopogons are easily recognised by their hairy mouths. There's 17 Leucopogon species in the Blue Mountains.
Its longer wider recurved leaves help identify it. As does the usual blunt end to its leaves - most Leucopogons tend to come to a point.
Its flowers are borne on spikes.
Here's another image.
Identified by its leaves at right-angles to its branches and its one or two flowers on a longer peduncle (stalk).
Here's an image with a pollinator, and its erect pungent leaves.
Here's another image and another.
Just a hint of pink - but not enough to identify it.
Its recurved pungent leaves that are at 45° to the branch and more than two flowers on a short stalk is a good indicator.
Here's an image with a pollinator.
A tiny plant with 5mm wide flowers that are embraced by red sepals.
Its mass of flowers at the end of branches and parallel veins under its 6mm long leaves help
identify it.
Here's another image.
Other heath genera
There's a dozen or some other genera of the heath family in the Blue Mountains - most with only one or two species.
Flowering in late winter, its 10mm wide flowers have a strong fragrance.
Also recognised by the ripples on its petals.
This is the only species in this genus.
Here's another image.
This species is only found in sheltered damp cliff faces in the upper Blue Mountains. Its flowers are 10-12mm wide.
Here's another image, and another and another.
(Too good to leave in the bottom drawer.)
Identified by the pink stripe on its white bell like flowers, this is a "garden escapee" that is found chiefly in the Blue Mountains - often on roadsides.
Its leaves and whitish branches help identify it when it's not in flower.