HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW ~ the forgotten flora

An exhibition from the State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

A fascinating, weird and beautiful world awaits you in the small forests and carpets of the forgotten flora. LET US HELP YOU FIND THEM.
AIM: to encourage participation in the sciences in general, and promote increased awareness of the Forgotten Flora, their importance to the environment and their beauty.

Project officers: Drs Teresa Lebel, Josephine Milne & Karen Beckmann.
Email: forgottenflora@rbg.vic.gov.au

This exhibition has received assistance from Museums Australia (Victoria) Regional  Exhibition Touring Fund (RETI). Supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund, and the Australian Government through Visions of Australia.

Hidden in plain view – the forgotten flora introduces the fascinating, weird, and  beautiful world of the small carpets and forests of fungi, lichens, mosses, liverworts  and hornworts.

This exhibition highlights the incredible diversity of form and colour of these cryptic organisms, and some of the extraordinary people who collected,  illustrated or researched them. Audiences are enticed to investigate the influence of the forgotten flora on their daily lives through curiosities, rarities, and everyday items, and gain an understanding of the importance of conserving the ‘oft overlooked’ in our world.

The exhibition includes over 100 objects including original botanical paintings, historical and contemporary illustrations, books and  textiles (featuring works from J.D. Hooker, C. Rosser, Corda), and Mueller’s  microscope (c1857), and herbarium specimens from the Victorian State Botanical Collection. Due to their precious and fragile nature, these items are rarely publicly accessible.

Free entry

Check with individual galleries for opening hours:
NMA Canberra 02 6208 5000
QVMAG Launceston 03 6323 3777
Gordon Gallery, Geelong 03 5225 0442
MEB Adelaide 08 8222 9387

What is the Forgotten Flora?

Australia’s Forgotten Flora encompasses the non-vascular plants (bryophytes: liverworts, hornworts, mosses), lichens and fungi. They provide vital decomposition services without which many ecosystems would collapse, are food and shelter for many indigenous animals and insects, are important parts of nutrient and energy cycles, and help protect soils from water and wind erosion as well as controlling run-off of rainfall. The Forgotten Flora can be found in most habitats in Australia, are extremely diverse, and impact on our own lives in many ways. The presence of a diverse array of these organisms is a sign of a healthy ecosystem, and their absence can, in some cases, be used to indicate the effects of pollution or presence of unhealthy ecosystems.

        Education Resources

 Comprise 3 educational CDs (bryophytes, fungi and lichens; sample activity; sample pages), and 10 posters [Key; Taking a liking to lichens; Byrophytes-more than moss; Where do Forgotten flora grow?; The Whole Fungus; More than mushrooms; Miniature forests & carpets; Truffles- underground treasures; Invertebrates & the Forgotten Flora; Poisonous mushrooms]. Each partially interactive CD is in five parts and expands on the basic information in the poster series. Information includes: General background and practical information on how to study these fascinating organisms, activities and worksheets, an extensive list of resources, and a glossary.

• Order form (PDF 125KB)

Authors: Dr Josephine Milne & Dr Teresa Lebel

LINKS   fungi           RBG Education