Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Mountain devil (Lambertia formosa), 1790s

Mountain devil (Lambertia formosa), 1790s

TAL & Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased from The Rt Hon. The 19th Earl of Derby, 2011; PXD 1098, vol. 6, f. 84

Watercolour

The Mountain devil has spiky leaves, which provide good protection for small native birds.
Mountain devils only occur in New South Wales, growing in heathland and open eucalypt forests.
Mountain devil flowers hold significant amounts of nectar, which are pollinated by a range of honeyeaters.
Mountain devils are one of eleven species of Lambertia, named after English botanist, Aylmer Bourke Lambert.
The Mountain devil’s specific name comes from the Latin word Formmosus, meaning beautiful, which refers to its vivid red flowers.
Lambertia formosa gets its common name Mountain devil from the horned woody fruit, which resembles a ‘little devil’.