Dodonaea stenozyga (an erect rounded shrub) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Dodonaea stenozyga F.Muell., an erect rounded shrub, as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. The listing of endangered species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act. This species was provisionally listed as an endangered species.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Dodonaea stenozyga is an erect rounded shrub to 1.5 m in the family Sapindaceae. A description is provided in Flora of Australia volume 25 Melianthaceae to Simaroubaceae Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra (1985), pp 143-144: "Dioecious erect, rounded shrub to 1.5 m. Leaves paripinnate, sometimes terminated by a small tooth or lobe, including petiole 1-3.8 cm long; leaflets 2-6, rarely to 10, linear, terete or concave or channelled above, falcate or sometimes more or less flat & straight, obtuse, often recurved, entire, 8-13.5 mm long, rarely to 25 mm, 0.5-2 mm wide, glabrous; petiole 9.5-20 mm long, rarely to 24 mm. Flowers usually paired or 3-together, rarely solitary; pedicels 4-8.5 mm long. Sepals 4, oblong-lanceolate to ovate, 1.5-3.2 mm long, caducous. Stamens 7 or 8. Ovary glabrous. Capsule 4-winged, broadly elliptic or broadly obovate in lateral view, 8.5-14.5 mm long, 10-17 mm wide, glabrous; wings 3-6.5 mm wide, coriaceous; dehiscence septifragal." "Widespread in southern Australia from southern W.A. to western Vic. A shrub of semi-arid mallee scrub or open eucalypt woodland."

2. The type specimen collected by J. Dallachy & T.H.Goodwin, prior to 1859 is labelled Darling River N.S.W. and the species was presumed to be extinct in New South Wales.

3. An occurrence of Dodonaea stenozyga was recently discovered in New South Wales, north-west of Wentworth.

4. Dodonaea stenozyga occurs in semi arid mallee scrub or open eucalypt woodland from Western Australia to north-western Victoria. In New South Wales the only recent record is from Nanya Station, north-west of Wentworth, in Eucalyptus oleosa shrubland on a sandy swale.

5. Dodonaea stenozyga has not been recorded elsewhere in New South Wales despite extensive vegetation survey within the Scotia area, which includes Nanya and which includes a large area of apparently suitable habitat. (Westbrooke, Miller & Kerr 1998, The vegetation of the Scotia 1:100 000 map sheet, western New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5(3): 665-684.)

6. Dodonaea stenozyga is not known to occur in any New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service conservation reserve.

7. Threats to the survival of Dodonaea stenozyga include its very small and localised extent, grazing by goats, the increase in grazing rates resulting from expansion of reticulated water, potential changes in fire regimes and potential sand mining. The risk of extinction is high due to low population numbers.

8. In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion thatDodonaea stenozyga 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: 23/02/01
Exhibition period: 23/02/01 - 30/03/01
Provisionally listed as an endangered species on 14 July 2000.