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| GLASSIFOLIA TREMENS |
This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a photograph I took recently, of an extremely rare Australian native tree, called "Glassifolia Tremens" or the Glass Tree. The remarkable thing about this tree is that its leaves are completely invisible!!
Every Winter, the Glass Tree drops its summer foliage and sprouts a complete growth of fine, delicate, glass-like leaves that are completely invisible, and the story behind how this happens, how it was discovered by Europeans, and how it was forgotten by almost everyone, is quite amazing.
Strap yourselves in, because you may find some of this story hard to believe...
The Glass tree is only found in areas of sandy soil where a seed, lying dormant, is struck by lightning. As many people are aware, when lightning strikes sand, the area can be "glassified" and the silica in the sand turned to glass by the extreme heat generated by the strike.The seed, germinating in this environment, then grows into this remarkable tree.
In summer, the warmer soil dissipates the glass in the soil, and the tree develops large glossy green leaves that look remarkably like a frangipani. In winter, colder soil temperatures cause the glass to re-form, and the osmotic action of the trees' roots pull the glass into the system of the plant, and glass leaves are formed. A unique genetic factor reduces the glass molecules to a thinness so fine that they do not refract light, making them invisible.
Of course, we would know none of this, had the tree not been discovered by a rather remarkable, eccentric European explorer called Wilhelm Glassenhaf.
Glassenhaf was an Austrian engineer, with a passion for Botany. He arrived in Australia in the early to mid 1800's, and apart from his discovery of Glassifolia Tremens, and some of his later exploits, little is known of him.We do know that he was driven to Australia in a quest to fulfil the prediction of his close friend and mentor, a Dutch botanist named Pearce Lavver. Lavver, upon hearing of the unique nature of the flora in The Great South Land, predicted with great certainty that a tree would exist there which would have medicinal properties that would cure all sickness in mankind. Unfortunately, Lavver died soon after this announcement, and the young Glassenhaf, fired by his teachers' passion, vowed to prove him right.
No portraits or photographs of Wilhelm Glassenhaf have ever been discovered, but we can assume from his contemporary explorers that he had a beard and a tendency to wearing broad-brimmed hats. (see photograph). Having arrived in Sydney, Glassenhaf soon set off exploring the Blue Mountains in an effort to find the medicinal tree that Lavver had predicted would exist. This proved more difficult than he had anticipated and he soon returned to the settlement to muster support for his venture. While working at various projects in Sydney, it soon became apparent that Glassenhaf was both a brilliant engineer and a controversial one. It seems that Wilhelm often did his best work while under the influence of several alcoholic beverages. Naturally, this caused some argument among the people of the colony, with some saying that he should not be allowed to work, and others saying that it did not matter what condition he was in, if his work was good, then the settlement benefited. So intense was the debate over this subject, that it became quite common to hear people strike up conversations with strangers just so they could ask them; "So, are you a Glassenhaf full person, or a Glassenhaf empty person?". Often an argument would follow.
After several months, Glassenhaf had secured enough financial backing to resume his exploration of the bush, and it was on his first journey that his Aboriginal guide pointed out the tree that was to be his great discovery. Aborigines had always known of the tree, of course, but to them it was unimportant, as it was neither medicinal, nor poisonous. The wood was unsuitable for burning or making anything, and so it basically was of no interest and therefore not worth mentioning.Of course, to Europeans the tree was remarkable, but after a short time it became obvious that it was useless as a plant, and soon disappeared from memory. The one remaining memory that carried on from the tree, was that Glassenhaf, while examining the glass-like leaves, was almost bitten by a snake hiding in the foliage, because the invisible leaves naturally made anything hiding in them invisible. This close call caused Wilhelm to remark that one should always beware the "snake in the glass". The comment was later corrupted to the ridiculous "snake in the grass".
Ironically, the reason that Glassenhaf came to Australia in the first place, to discover the medicinal tree to honour his great mentor, always eluded Glassenhaf. It is said that in his later life, Wilhelm Glassenhaf often bemoaned the fact that in his entire time on the Australian continent, he never once found a Lavver Tree.
It is believed that this added to the perception that Australia was an uncivilised place.
After leaving Australia in the late 1800's, Glassenhaf returned to Europe and his original profession. As an engineer, he made a solid living for himself, and actually patented a unique mechanical process for treating milk, which was much used by confectionery manufacturers. In fact, one prominent chocolate maker advertised its' product as containing "Glassenhaf Full Cream Milk".
Wilhelm Glassenhaf died in 1903, leaving no living relatives. He was the last Glassenhaf.
The Glass tree is only found in areas of sandy soil where a seed, lying dormant, is struck by lightning. As many people are aware, when lightning strikes sand, the area can be "glassified" and the silica in the sand turned to glass by the extreme heat generated by the strike.The seed, germinating in this environment, then grows into this remarkable tree.
In summer, the warmer soil dissipates the glass in the soil, and the tree develops large glossy green leaves that look remarkably like a frangipani. In winter, colder soil temperatures cause the glass to re-form, and the osmotic action of the trees' roots pull the glass into the system of the plant, and glass leaves are formed. A unique genetic factor reduces the glass molecules to a thinness so fine that they do not refract light, making them invisible.
Of course, we would know none of this, had the tree not been discovered by a rather remarkable, eccentric European explorer called Wilhelm Glassenhaf.
Glassenhaf was an Austrian engineer, with a passion for Botany. He arrived in Australia in the early to mid 1800's, and apart from his discovery of Glassifolia Tremens, and some of his later exploits, little is known of him.We do know that he was driven to Australia in a quest to fulfil the prediction of his close friend and mentor, a Dutch botanist named Pearce Lavver. Lavver, upon hearing of the unique nature of the flora in The Great South Land, predicted with great certainty that a tree would exist there which would have medicinal properties that would cure all sickness in mankind. Unfortunately, Lavver died soon after this announcement, and the young Glassenhaf, fired by his teachers' passion, vowed to prove him right.
No portraits or photographs of Wilhelm Glassenhaf have ever been discovered, but we can assume from his contemporary explorers that he had a beard and a tendency to wearing broad-brimmed hats. (see photograph). Having arrived in Sydney, Glassenhaf soon set off exploring the Blue Mountains in an effort to find the medicinal tree that Lavver had predicted would exist. This proved more difficult than he had anticipated and he soon returned to the settlement to muster support for his venture. While working at various projects in Sydney, it soon became apparent that Glassenhaf was both a brilliant engineer and a controversial one. It seems that Wilhelm often did his best work while under the influence of several alcoholic beverages. Naturally, this caused some argument among the people of the colony, with some saying that he should not be allowed to work, and others saying that it did not matter what condition he was in, if his work was good, then the settlement benefited. So intense was the debate over this subject, that it became quite common to hear people strike up conversations with strangers just so they could ask them; "So, are you a Glassenhaf full person, or a Glassenhaf empty person?". Often an argument would follow.After several months, Glassenhaf had secured enough financial backing to resume his exploration of the bush, and it was on his first journey that his Aboriginal guide pointed out the tree that was to be his great discovery. Aborigines had always known of the tree, of course, but to them it was unimportant, as it was neither medicinal, nor poisonous. The wood was unsuitable for burning or making anything, and so it basically was of no interest and therefore not worth mentioning.Of course, to Europeans the tree was remarkable, but after a short time it became obvious that it was useless as a plant, and soon disappeared from memory. The one remaining memory that carried on from the tree, was that Glassenhaf, while examining the glass-like leaves, was almost bitten by a snake hiding in the foliage, because the invisible leaves naturally made anything hiding in them invisible. This close call caused Wilhelm to remark that one should always beware the "snake in the glass". The comment was later corrupted to the ridiculous "snake in the grass".
Ironically, the reason that Glassenhaf came to Australia in the first place, to discover the medicinal tree to honour his great mentor, always eluded Glassenhaf. It is said that in his later life, Wilhelm Glassenhaf often bemoaned the fact that in his entire time on the Australian continent, he never once found a Lavver Tree.
It is believed that this added to the perception that Australia was an uncivilised place.
After leaving Australia in the late 1800's, Glassenhaf returned to Europe and his original profession. As an engineer, he made a solid living for himself, and actually patented a unique mechanical process for treating milk, which was much used by confectionery manufacturers. In fact, one prominent chocolate maker advertised its' product as containing "Glassenhaf Full Cream Milk".
Wilhelm Glassenhaf died in 1903, leaving no living relatives. He was the last Glassenhaf.
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