Pyro = fire, Phyte = plant

The regular occurrence of fire in the Australian landscape, including wildfires and Indigenous fire management practices has played an important role in the evolution of Australian flora. Many plants have evolved traits that allow them to tolerate or achieve a competitive advantage from fire - these plants are called Pyrophytes. This edition of Plant Life Drawing looked at some plant species endemic to Sydney that have pyrophytic characteristics. These are categorised as passive pyrophytes, active pyrophytes and pyrophilic plants. Some plants, like many eucalypts, may fit into all three of these categories. We also had a look at particular structural features (i.e. morphological traits) that are commonly understood to provide some advantage in fire prone landscapes.