Over four days in February we had 58.3 mm of rain where I live on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges SA. Subsequently, there's been a growth of Small Crumb Weed Dysphania pumilio, a native herb, which is now bearing its tiny fruits. In the last two weeks, there's been an influx of Red Rumped Parrots which I've seen feeding in areas where the Small Crumb Weed covers the ground.
Dysphania pumilio is a summer annual herb but it responds prolifically to summer rain. It thrives on ground which has suffered little or no disturbance from stock, machinery or human traffic.
Nice one Woko, great to see that link with rains, vegetation and native birds.
We're still waiting for our "summer" rains here in Brissie, having got less than half our average summer rain.
I'm not too hopeful that we'll get it, though at least light occasional showers are forecast all week.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
That's interesting Woko. I'd never heard of crumbweed before so I looked it up on Herbiguide. That source says it can proliferate on over-grazed pasture and can be poisonous to sheep. As its a native, the parrots would probably know about its qualities and that the fruits wouldn't be toxic to them. (Not to be confused with weedcrumbs, which are pot-smokers' leftovers kept for hard times).
Disturbed soil probably makes a good seed bed for Small Crumb Weed but once it's growing stock would give it a good trampling. It's certainly prolific on undisturbed ground at my place.