Stylidium graminifolium, common name "Narrowleaf triggerplant", can be found in all the sandy heath areas of the Knocklofty Reserve, especially near the Reflecting Pond and south east of the Forest Road carpark. It is a perennial herb with narrow strap leaves in a tuft 5 to 50cm high by 10 to 20cm diameter with a long spike of many white to deep pink spring flowers. These flowers have a clever technique for cross pollination. The long column, a fusion of the stamens and the style, is held down below the petals and when an insect burrows into the flower to sip the nectar, it triggers the column which flips up and over the back of the insect depositing pollen on, and possibly collecting pollen from, the back of the insect to cause pollination. Hence the story book name, "bumble bee bottom basher". In the home garden it prefers moist, well drained & mulched soil in part to full sun and the dead flower stalks should be pruned off. It may be short lived in the home garden, but longer lived in a pot and may even spread from seed shed from the seed pods.
Tetratheca labillardierei, common name "Glandular pinkbells", is a small woody shrub growing 0.1 to 0.5m high by 0.3 by 0.4m wide with mauve, bell-shaped, black centred flowers in spring. On Knocklofty Reserve, this species can be found in the sandy heath south east of the Forest Road carpark, the sandy heath near the Reflecting Pond and between the Aurora wayleave and the Wayleave Trail on the eastern side of the summit. In the home garden, this species prefers moist, well drained soil in part sun and should be pruned after flowers for long life.
Thelionema caespitosa, common name "Tufted lily", is, as the common name says, a tufted open perennial herb with leaves up to 45cm long with a prominent central vein. The large number of creamy white to sapphire blue flowers grow on a branched stem taller than the leaves and appear in late spring through summer. This species grows in moister areas of the sandy heath south east of the Forest Road carpark in the Knocklofty Reserve. In the home garden it could be grown in a rockery in moist, well drained soil in part shade.
Thelymitra erosa, common name "Striped sun orchid", has a single leaf, 10 to 20cm long by 8 to 12cm wide and a flower stem 30 to 50cm tall with 1 to 6 large dark to purplish blue flowers that have bold stripes along the petals in late spring to early summer. It has been found along the Knocklofty Reserve Summit Loop Track.
Thelymitra juncifolia, common name "Large spotted sun orchid", has a single leaf, 15 to 20cm long by 8 to 12cm wide and a flower stem 20 to 30cm tall with 1 to 5 very large blue flowers that have prominent large spots on the petals in spring. It has been found along the Knocklofty Reserve Summit Loop Track.
Thelymitra pauciflora, common name "Slender sun orchid", has a single leaf, 12 to 30cm long by 10 to 20cm wide and a flower stem 20 to 50cm tall with 1 to 15 small, pale to bright blue, sometimes white or pink flowers in spring. It has been found in the sandy heath area south east of the Forest road carpark on Knocklofty Reserve.
Thelymitra rubra, common name "Pink sun orchid", has a single leaf, 8 to 20cm long by 3 to 5cm wide and a flower stem 20 to 40cm tall with 1 to 5 large salmon pink, sometimes cream, pale yellow or very pale pink flowers in spring. It has been found in the sandy heath area south east of the Forest road carpark on Knocklofty Reserve and in the heathy area south west of the summit., common name "Pink sun orchid", has a single leaf, 8 to 20cm long by 3 to 5cm wide and a flower stem 20 to 40cm tall with 1 to 5 large salmon pink, sometimes cream, pale yellow or very pale pink flowers in spring. It has been found in the sandy heath area south east of the Forest road carpark on Knocklofty Reserve and in the heathy area south west of the summit.
Thysanotus patersonii, common name "Twining fringelily", is, as the common name says, a twining perennial tuberous herb that climbs up to 1m. Its flowers are small, up to 15mm across, with 3, fringed, mauve to purple petals and they grow on short branchlets off the twining stem in spring. It has been found on the West Hobart feeder wayleave and maybe in other sand stone locations on Knocklofty Reserve.
Velleia paradoxa, common name "Spur velleia", is a perennial herb growing 10 to 50cm high by 10 to 30cm wide with a rosette of toothed edge, light green leaves and many branched flower stems 2 to 4 times longer than the leaves. The yellow, five petal flowers appear in spring. In Tasmania this species is rare and endangered due to land use changes. On Knocklofty Reserve if has only been found downhill from the Mt Stuart carpark. In the home garden it makes a colourful rockery plant growing in well drained soils with part sun and summer moisture, sheltered from strong winds.
Zieria arborescens, common name "Stinkwood", grows as an open shrub or small tree 3 to 4m high by 2 to 3m wide. It has dark green, strong smelling leaves that grow in groups of three and clusters of white to pink flowers with 4 petals in spring through summer. On Knocklofty Reserve it grows in cooler, moist locations such as the lower, southern side of the summit and along the Glover Track beside the Salvator Rosa Glen. It is used in cool location revegetation and may be grown in the home garden away from pathways to avoid the smell from the crushed leaves. It needs well mulched, moist soil in part shade.
