Calotis pubescens (a perennial forb) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the perennial forb, Calotis pubescens N.G. Walsh & K.L. McDougall ms, as an ENDANGERED SPECIES in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of endangered species is provided for by Part 1 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Calotis pubescens (family Asteraceae) was previously known as  C. cuneata var.  pubescens (Walsh & McDougall in press).

2. Walsh (1999) in the Flora of Victoria describes  Calotis cuneata var.  pubescens as follows: Tufted, rhizomatous, villous perennial to c. 10cm high. Basal leaves shortly petiolate, broader at the tip than the base, entire or up to 5-toothed distally, 15-50mm long, 6-12mm wide; scape leaves smaller (c. 1cm long) and sessile, but otherwise similar. Scapes unbranched; capitula to 25mm diameter; involucral bracts 3.5-5mm long; ray florets mauve or white c. 40, c. 9mm long; disc florets sterile. Fruit body c. 2.5mm long, reddish-brown, villous at apex; major awns 4 or 5, stout, divergent, 3-5mm long, villous near base, smooth near apex; secondary awns fine, 3-5 between each pair of awns, to 1.5mm long, plumose; a narrow inner ring of fine, erect plumose awns to c. 1mm long is present at the apex of the cypsela.

3. Calotis pubescens is a perennial forb that forms large, dense mats. Rhizomes are thick and fleshy.

4. Calotis pubescens has been recorded from the Nungar Plain in Kosciuszko National Park and the Snowy Plain at the headwaters of the Gungarlin River on private land. It is presumed to be extinct in Victoria where it was collected in 1854.

5. Searches in 2001 reported nineteen small subpopulations for the Nungar Plain but failed to find it on the Snowy Plain (Walsh & McDougall in press).

6. Calotis pubescens is threatened by digging by pigs which disrupts the mat vegetation and may alter the composition of the vegetation. Its small population size makes it vulnerable to stochastic events.

In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Calotis pubescens N.G. Walsh & K.L. McDougall ms, 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: 06/12/02
Exhibition period: 06/12/02 - 24/01/03

References

Walsh, N.G. (1999) Calotis. In  Flora of Victoria Volume 4 Dicotyledons. Cornaceae to Asteraceae. (Inkata Press: Melbourne).

Walsh, N.G & McDougall, K (in press) Calotis pubescens (Asteraceae), change in rank and notes on its distribution and ecology.  Muelleria.