Trees, shrubs and grasses

Topic: Different environments: Australian vegetation types
Student activity
Geography: Years 3 and 4

This is the student activity 1 of 5 of the The earth's environment: vegetation types learning activity.

Task No. 1

Trees, shrubs and grasses

Gum Tree, Woogaroo
Volume 05: Drawings of plants of New South Wales, approximately 259 botanical watercolours
Flax. Akaroa
Botanical sketches and drawings, 1893-1897 / Edward William Minchen
Volume 05: Drawings of plants of New South Wales, approximately 259 botanical watercolours [Contents
Lepturus cylindricus
Botanical sketches and drawings, 1893-1897 / Edward William Minchen
Botanical sketches and drawings, 1893-1897 / Edward William Minchen
Botanical sketches and drawings, 1893-1897 / Edward William Minchen
Mariscus
Hibbertia volubilis [syn. Hibbertia scandens]
Xerotes [Lomandra multiflora]
Botanical sketches and drawings, 1893-1897 / Edward William Minchen

Drawings and paintings made by early European colonists give us a unique insight into the natural vegetation they saw before them. Those arriving in Australia saw these unique plant species for the first time, all looking very different to those from their home country. Many plants were recorded through drawings and paintings for scientific purposes or simply because they were interested.

Observe the colonial sketches of Australian plants in Sources 2 to 4 then 5 to 14. Group them as tree, shrub or grass in Table 1

Tree
A tall plant with a single woody trunk and having branches growing from the main trunk, such as a gum tree.

Shrub
A plant smaller than a tree with several woody stems growing from the base near the ground, such as many wattles.

Grass or Groundcover
Usually a short plant with soft, flexible stems growing close tot he ground, such as a moss, fern or grass.