This is the perplexing question that Land Owners/Managers are faced with when they come across a new plant species within their area of control. There are several recommended steps to take to help make the decision.
1. Clearly mark the plant or plant colony and possibly temporarily protect it.
_WHY?_ Because several times one has been caught out, taken a photograph, not clearly marked its location or offered it temporary protection only to go back the next day and find it has disappeared – eaten off overnight.
2. Take a photograph of the flower head and leaf plus seeds (if possible), then temporarily protect the area. Contact your nearest DS&E which has an officer from the Flora & Fauna Guarantee attached to that office, so as to achieve a positive identification. The F&FG Officer will possibly make an appointment to visit the site or instruct you to take samples and deliver them to their office for a confirmed identification before making any recommendations can be contemplated about protection or removal.
_WHY?_ This will determine whether the plant is a native species or a noxious weed.
EXAMPLES :-
* Gomphocarpus cancellatus. Broad-leaf Cotton-bush (STWP collection N° 193 13th May 1990); this plant is a very attractive garden escapee, but poisonous to livestock and must be destroyed (1990: two recorded locations in Victoria, one near Hopetown and the other at Wartook).
* However on the other hand, at Ewen Johnson’s Land for Wildlife property at Wartook two native orchids have been identified and recommended as being worthy of protection, Caladenia pusilla, Pygmy Caladenia (STWP collection N° 261 13th October 1996) and Pterostylis sp. aff rufa, Rufous Greenhood or Rustyhood (STWP collection N° 263 2nd November 1996). Both these plant colonies now have protective enclosures, using recycled fencing material.
3. The degree of protection lies with Land Owners/Managers because of their local knowledge of prevailing pressures that are applied by the grazing stock. You the manager know whether these be rabbits, domestic stock, native wildlife or a combination of these:-
* rabbits and domestic stock only require low rabbit proof fencing.
* but if Kangaroos or feral deer are involved, a higher combination protection method is involved – lower section to exclude rabbits etc and high part consisting of ringlock mesh up to about 6ft to exclude all grazing stock.
NOTE :- All collections referred to are lodged with the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL) at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
RBG Permit to Take Protected Flora From Public Land/Waters