Pimelea pagophila Grampians Rice Flower
Grampians Rice Flower is endemic to Victoria and is known only from the Mt William range. It is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC act. It is a shrub and can grow to about a metre high. Leaves are 7-20 mm long and 2-5 mm wide, mid green in colour and glabrous (no hairs). The flowers are in bunches at the end of stems, and the bunches are surrounded by 4, 6 or 8 pale green or sometimes reddish bracts (they look a bit like leaves). The flowers are white and have a floral tube 14-15 mm long these tubes are glabrous on the outside and the inside of the tube has hairs, and they flower in October to November. It is very similar to Pimelea linifolia, the difference being P. linifolia has hairs on the inside and outside of the floral tube and flowers from June to October, it is also widespread across Victoria.
Grampians Rice Flower is one of the 24 species included in the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV), Raising Rarity Program. In October 2024 searches were carried out with FOGGs and Latrobe University Botany Society, 70 plants were found on Mt William and 78 plants at Mafeking. Seed was collected from Mt William in December 2023 and Mafeking in 2024, this added to the small amount already held in the RBGV seed bank and collected in 2009. Over 18 months a variety of seed treatment tests were done, and the best results gave 54% germination. A small number of these seed as well as plants from cuttings have been grown on in the nursery. Pimeleas can be tricky to propagate from seed.
As it is not known what pollinates this plant in October 2024 pollinator surveys were carried out at both Mt William and Mafeking. For the nocturnal surveys no pollinators were observed. During the day plants were visited by native bees, hoverflies and honeybees. I have not heard the results from this survey.
In December 2024 both populations of P. pagophila were burnt during the fire which devastated 2/3 of the Park and there was restricted access to the sites. After the 2006 fires there was a large germination of plants, so it will be interesting to see what happens to the population after these fires. Perhaps there will be some plants big enough to flower in October this year and we will be able to again monitor the population.
Wendy Bedggood.