Marcelle Stirling

Eucalyptus crebra
narrow leaved ironbark

2019 , watercolour, colour pencil on paper
40 x 28 cm

Collected 1770: Bay of Inlets, Thirsty Sound

Collected 2018: Mt Ommaney

The artist has captured the play of light and air through the weeping layers of foliage and flowers. These leaves are an important koala food and the flowers are a key source of nectar for the honey industry.

Eucalyptus is from the Greek eu, well, and kalypto, cover (as with a lid), alluding to the united calyx and petals forming a cap that is shed as the flowers open. Crebra derives from creber, meaning thickly clustered, referring to the flowers. Caps and flowers are delicately depicted in this artwork.

Kennedia rubicunda
dusky coral pea

2019, watercolour, colour pencil on paper
35 x 30 cm

Collected 1770: Botany Bay

Observed 2018: Brisbane Botanic Gardens

A vigorous climber with long stems and glossy green leaves that are divided into three leaflets.

This portrait captures the plant’s characteristically profuse and conspicuous flowering, with clusters of large, deep red pea flowers that are followed by flat seed pods.

The combined use of watercolour and colour pencil express sensitively defined shifts in colour, form and texture.

Scaevola calendulacea
dune fan flower

2019, watercolour on paper
22 x 33 cm

Collected 1770: Bustard Bay, Botany Bay

Collected 2019: North Lakes

The artist has captured the pretty show of the tiny ‘half’ flowers, depicting one flower with its fan of petals and a bud at a magnified scales.

A small shrub found on sand dunes in eastern and southern Australia.

The trailing stems and thick fleshy leaves support spikes of purple blue fan shaped flowers that occur throughout the year, followed by edible purple black berries that attract birds.

Scleria rugosa
nutrush

2019, graphite on paper
38 x 31.5 cm

Collected 1770: Endeavour River

Observed 2019: Queensland Herbarium specimens from Endeavour River National Park

This fine graphite drawing depicts the erect and slender tufted form rhythmically flowering and fruiting. A cluster of flowers and a single nut are shown at magnified scales.

An herbaceous species in the sedge family associated with freshwater habitats. It grows in swampy places and along stream banks in rainforest margins, melaleuca swamp forest, eucalypt forest, several types of woodland and in heathland.