Burning Seeds

From: MOBTOTRM_at_vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 1995 15:02:32 +1100


G'day all,

Burning Seeds

As part of the Eucalyptus/Redwood and Aldryami/Fire discussion I mentioned that there might be trees in Glorantha that only germinate after a fire (Glorantha Digest V2 #287). Eric Rowe delved into his collection of TALES and verified this:

>I just thought I'd remind everyone that there are already known Gloranthan
>tree species that require fire to allow the seed to germinate. They are
>both native to Caladraland and mentioned in Tales #5.
>
>Karri - E. oakfedii - Holy to Lodril and only logable by Pharaohnic decree.
> The seeds require fire to germinate and when burned the ash is white.
>
>Jarrah - E. exardesco - Virtually identical to Karri, except that when burned
> the ash is black or grey.

As I actually wrote this in TALES #5 I should have remembered it! The Karri and Jarrah trees are, of course, based on very tall (80m+) hardwood eucalyptus that grow in Western Australia. The bushman's trick to identify between them is genuine.

(Also, my wife's grandfather, an eminent if unconventional Agricultural Scientist in his day, told me at Christmas dinner that one of the main species of eucalypt introduced into California was the Tasmanian Blue Gum. He had a hand in this in the 1930s).

MOB


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