Alexfloydia repens (a grass) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the grass Alexfloydia repens B. K. Simon as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of Endangered Species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Alexfloydia repens B.K. Simon (Poaceae) is a grass described by Simon in 1992 (Simon, B.K. 1992. Studies in Australian grasses 6. Alexfloydia, Cliffordiochloa and Dallwatsonia, three new panicoid grass genera from Eastern Australia. Austrobaileya 3, 669-681.)

2. Alexfloydia repens is a creeping grass described as: "Plants stoloniferous, sparingly branched, terminated by a solitary inflorescence, 3-4-noded. Internodes shorter than the associated leaf sheaths. Sheaths compressed. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf blades flat, linear, glabrous, smooth, with smooth margins and a prominent white midrib. Inflorescence a panicle of 3-6 spikelets and a short main axis, smooth. Pedicels not distinctly angled, smooth, straight. Disarticulation at the base of the spikelet. Callus not differentiated and not prolonged into a stipe. Spikelets adaxial (with the lower glume facing the pedicel), laterally compressed, elliptic in outline. Glumes unequal, chortaceous, smooth: lower glumes ovate, 5-7 nerved, glabrous, acute; upper glume long, elliptic, 9-nerved, rounded on the back. Rachilla not pronounced between the glumes. Lower floret male, anthers 3: lemma elliptic, 9-nerved, chortaceous, glabrous, acute; palea elliptic, 2-nerved. Upper floret perfect: lemma oblong, obscurely 5-nerved, glabrous, yellow, firmly membranous or thinly cartilaginous, striate, acute; palea oblong, with texture similar to lemma, entire, smooth. Lodicules 2, free, membranous, anthers 3. (from Simon, B.K. 1992)."

3. Alexfloydia repens is the sole food plant for the hesperiid butterfly Ocybadistes knightorum, (Sands, D.P.A. 1997.  Alexfloydia repens Simon: a food plant for Ocybadistes knightorum Lambkin and Donaldson (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) and their conservation significance. Australian Entomologist 24(3), 117-118). The larvae of this butterfly are monophageous and distribution is restricted to  Alexfloydia repens sites.

4. Alexfloydia repens is currently known from less than ten locations in a small area south of Coffs Harbour and individual patches are small. Only one location is within a conservation reserve (Bongil Bongil National Park).

5. Alexfloydia repens has been recorded in the understorey of Casuarina glauca forest and along the uppermost fringe of mangroves.

6. The habitat of Alexfloydia repens is at risk from the pressures of increasing urbanisation, including residential expansion, road and track construction and invasion by weeds. Several of the locations are subject to stock grazing.

7. In view of the restricted distribution, specialised habitat, low population sizes and the threats to habitat the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Alexfloydia repens is likely to become extinct in nature in New South Wales unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.

Proposed Gazettal date: 13/07/01
Exhibition period: 13/07/01 - 17/08/01

The NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee undertook a review of this species in 2022 and found that the threat status is unchanged. The Conservation assessment report may be downloaded: Conservation assessment report Alexfloydia repens (PDF 286KB).