Monkey-rope Vine Parsonsia straminea | Mount Gravatt Environment Group

Mulch Filter along oval fence

By: Michael Fox

This morning was the final Bushcare event for 2016 and the 80 metre Mulch Filter along the Upper Mt Gravatt State School fence is ready to capture water run-off during the summer storm season.

The current dry weather highlights the importance of keeping as much rain water as possible on site to support the bushland restoration. The school oval represents over 10,000 sq metres (one hectare) of rain catchment available for the Buchcare site.

Composting weeds on site

Natural regeneration of Monkey Rope Vine Parsonsia straminea and Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea is already enhancing the on-site composting of weeds. Slowing the water run-off reduces erosion and allows the water soak in to support the natural regeneration.

It is encouraging to see the native vines setting seed ready for the summer growing season.

Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea (left) Wombat Berry Eustrephus latifolius

Vines, ferns and shadows

By: Michael Fox

In some parts of Roly Chapman Bushland Reserve you would think you were in a rainforest miles from anywhere, not in the middle of Brisbane.

One feature of the habitat is the Monkey-rope Vine Parsonsia straminea snaking up the paperbark trees all surrounded by a forest of ferns and deep shadows.

Roly Chapman micro-climate is very different to most of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve, riparian woodland with permanent water in Mimosa Creek. Paperbark trees, Willow Bottlebrush Callistemon salignus, are a significant feature in this wet habitat.

Monkey Rope Vine

Marshal and I discovered this massive vine once Small Leafed Privet Ligustrum sinense and Easter Cassia Senna pendula var glabrata were cleared. The thickest Monkey Rope Vine I have found, this seems to be three or four vines that have fused together as they grew.

Monkey-rope Vine climbing high

Parsonsia vines are quite aggressive growing high in the trees and even pulling large trees down.

Common Crow Euploea core
caterpillar

Parsonsia vines may damage the trees however they are also a caterpillar food plant for Common Crow Euploea core caterpillars.

Blue Tiger sex brand

While male Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata may be seen on Parsonsia straminea vines scratching the leaves and collecting alkaloids to be converted to pheromones and stored in sex brands to attract females.