Director of National Parks [logo]
Home > Gardens > Education > Families

Some Australian Plant Families

Simple notes for schools visiting the ANBG

 

What is an Australian Plant?

Australian plants, often referred to as natives, are those which have originated and evolved on this continent. Australia's geographic isolation has meant that many of our plants are very different from those growing in other parts of the world. Most Australian plants are found nowhere else in the world; however, some closely related plants are found on the continents which made up Gondwana, such as Africa and South America.


Callistemon species
Family Myrtaceae

Six common Australian plant families are:

Family Proteaceae
Family Myrtaceae
Family Mimosaceae
Family Rutaceae
Family Asteraceae
Family Lamiaceae

The flowers of representatives of each of these families are based on the typical flower structure shown below.


backhomenext

 

^ top