Cycads and crabs and other nature discoveries

An incredible flowering-cone cycad we spotted at the botanical gardens recently.

Blue dragonfly on dry eucalyptus leaf.

We have been patiently waiting for a butterfly to emerge from a chrysalis we spotted on a plant a while back.  Luckily, the boys noticed at the right time! Magic.

This boy still spends his time head down seeking, seeking, seeking.  A whole world at this feet.

What has he found on this occasion?

 A big freshwater crab.  A fascinating chap.  We have him in a tank at home and he is doing very well indeed.  He likes to be fed worms!  His companion is a little fish called 'In the water'.

Plant discoveries

There's been more plant love around here.  We have discovered three different types of nettle in our garden.  Apart from the stinging nettles, there are white dead nettles and red dead nettles. White dead nettles look very similar to stinging nettles except they have whitish flowers and no tiny deadly stinging hairs!  Now Sol is on to something!!  He delights in picking a handful of white dead nettles and exclaiming how he is immune to nettle stings and chasing unsuspecting others around brandishing his 'stinging nettles'.  

White dead nettles

Red dead nettles

How fascinating are cuckoo pints(also known as wild arum, jack in the pulpit, lords and ladies) The boys are filled with admiration for these plants. The flower takes the form of a deep cup from which grow a dark spike which gives off a horrible smell to attract flies.  (That in itself is cool to the boys!) Once on the spike, the flies push down into the cup which contains several downward pointing hairs which allow the insects in but prevent thier escape.  The flies are trapped until they have pollinated the flower then the hairs whither and out go the flies.  The fruits develop into bright red poisonous berries.  

We cut one open to see and admire.

Cuckoo pint.