Citrus gracilis 2019 .... at Lakefield Station, 42 kms south-west of Mataranka, NT, Australia
The furthest point south from my arrival at Darwin, I managed to squeeze in a few hours to inspect the group of trees 10 minutes walk from the Lakefield Station homestead.
This area had received only a third of its normal rainfall in last year's wet season, and the effects of the drought were obvious everywhere. The Citrus gracilis leaves looked dry and yellowed, and the fruits found were also dryer and harder than those seen in previous years. However, I'm sure the trees would recover if the expected rains arrive in a couple of months.
Unlike on my previous visit in early November, there were no buds or flowers. I guess these are triggered by the first rains of the season which had already started at that time.
This area had received only a third of its normal rainfall in last year's wet season, and the effects of the drought were obvious everywhere. The Citrus gracilis leaves looked dry and yellowed, and the fruits found were also dryer and harder than those seen in previous years. However, I'm sure the trees would recover if the expected rains arrive in a couple of months.
Unlike on my previous visit in early November, there were no buds or flowers. I guess these are triggered by the first rains of the season which had already started at that time.
Here is the unsealed, red-earth Dry River Road which leads to several distant cattle stations. Lakefield Station is the first.
Only about 4m tall, the citrus trees at Lakefield are much shorter and more bent and gnarled than those at The Pines.
Leaves and fruits are clearly showing the effects of the long drought.
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page created 21st September 2019