Stefan Eberhard, Pandani and dwarf myrtles in cloud forest, southwest Tasmania (PLACES 2025)

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Pandani is a distinctive endemic Tasmanian plant which grows in alpine and subalpine rainforests and wet forests. Along with these ancient, twisted myrtle trees, Nothafagus, both are ancient relics of Gondwana, which have survived for millennia in these moist cool temperate refugia. In exposed locations near its altitude limit, myrtle grows in a stunted dwarf form creating weird and wonderful shapes festooned in moss. This subalpine cloud forest is located high on a remote mountain ridge in the southwest wilderness of Tasmania. I was drawn towards the symmetry of these twisted trunks and the clusters of pandani cradled by the limbs of the dwarf myrtle, and the leaves of pandani which respond brightly photographed with infrared 850nm.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.