The TSG held a most interesting planning meeting recently. Volunteers from FOGG and Stawell Field Naturalists met together with Pauline Rudolph, Dave Pitts and Noushke Reiter and two new recruits from DSE, Neville Walsh from the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Dave Handscombe from GNP’s fire team (also wearing his plant knowledge cap), Neil Marriott (Australian Plant Society and botanist), Jacinta Williamson also from GNP, with Ryan Duffy and Dave Roberts there too for part of the day. We discussed the status and known locations of the plants we’ve been monitoring ( Daviesia laevis, Pimelea pagophila, Senecio macrocarpus, Eriocaulon australascium, Asterolasia phebalioides , Borya mirabilis, and Callistemon wimmerensis), the threats each is facing, what research is taking place and what actions should be taken. With Dave Roberts we also discussed the new fire zones, and the recommendations that came out of the Royal Commission into Black Saturday. (I won’t go into the fire stuff here as FOGGs will be getting a chance to have a look at it at our meeting on August 12). We also briefly discussed that there are a couple of plants that should be monitored better, and Proo and I brought up for discussion the value and future of our Cooinda Burrong monitoring of Ptilotis erebescens. More on that next issue.
Ryan was waiting to hear from the government how much of the flood recovery budget was for natural values actions. He is concerned about weed management (e.g. blackberries have loved this weather), cinnamon fungus which also travels faster in wet soil, and the impact of sediment on some vulnerable riparian vegetation.
I’ll briefly take a look at the plants discussed:
Daviesia laevis (Grampians Bitter-Pea): This is the plant that had almost disappeared prior to the fires of 2006, but then sprung up in hundreds and are now thinning out. It mostly grows beside creeks. Despite a lot of silt a good many plants survived the floods. They appear to live about 30 years and the seed bank lasts 60 + years. Actions include: collecting seed from various sites and establishing some plants in the Halls Gap Botanic Gardens and in the Brambuk garden, trialling burning at different temperatures.
Pimelea pagophila (Grampians Rice flower). It’s doing well in the two quadrants it’s being counted in, and there’s no need to do any reintroduction at this stage. It grows well from cuttings but so far there’s been no success in growing from seed. Once again, we should try to grow it in the Halls gap Botanic Gardens and at Brambuk.
Senecio macrocarpus (Large-fruit Fireweed). Not a Grampians plant but a Deep Lead one. A Post Doc student is busy working on this one. Not to be brought into the park or botanic garden.
Eriocaulon australasicum (Southern Pipewort). The TSG may look for it in other ephemeral swamps. Seed was collected and if it germinates successfully tests will be done to see how long it is viable etc. Check what weeds are in the area, and what the fire history of the site is.
Asterolasia phebalioides (Downy Starbush): Our surveys have established that it is not nearly as rare as was thought before. There seem to be close to 10,000 plants in the park in a variety of locations. It liked the hot burn, and has continued to recruit since. It may be vulnerable to root rotting fungi, so care needs to be taken with boot treatment. Seed has been collected, and it grows well from cuttings. Another candidate for growing in Halls Gap.
Borya mirabilis (Grampians Pincushion-lily): Such a rare plant. All our searches so far have failed to discover any more colonies than the one small group in the Wonderland Range. And there are goat tracks nearby and some signs of chomping. Cameras will be installed and extra effort is already going into goat control. However the group reintroduced a few years ago into another site are doing well, but not reproducing. The Melbourne Botanic Gardens are continuing to research this plant and its West Australian cousins. We wistfully compared it to the Wollemi Pine – could it be tissue cultured and sold as a natural bonsai?
Callistemon wimmerensis (Wimmera Bottlebrush). Another plant that isn’t as rare as first thought, but still is highly endangered. First discovered by Neil Marriott in 2004 along the McKenzie River, it grows among other Bottlebrushes and is hard to distinguish until it flowers in November / December, and then it is quite distinct. The main threat is lack of water, but also browsing by cattle on leasehold land.
Thus, as you can see, a productive and interesting day. For those of us in the Grampians Flora Botanic Garden group it is exciting but most daunting to think that we are going to be given some of these very rare plants. We are going to need much help from the Australian Plant Society group, and understanding from all if we don’t manage to keep them alive. The same is true for the proposed Threatened Species planting at Brambuk. The hope is that bushwalkers will look and say “Oh yes, I saw one like that on such and such track.” and then report it.
This year’s TSG survey dates are on our calendar page.