Eidothea hardeniana (a tree) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the tree, Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of that Act. The listing of endangered species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

This species is now known as Eidothea hardeniana P.H. Weston & R.M. Kooyman [NSW Government Gazette No. 35, 17 March 2006, Page 1390].

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) (Proteaceae), is a recently discovered species endemic to New South Wales.

2. Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) is currently being described. A description of the species from Dr P. Weston of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney is: Rainforest trees15-40 m high, with one main trunk to 70 cm diameter at breast height, but often with up to 40 smaller subsidiary shoots with stems 0.5-10 cm diameter, branching from the base. Bark grey, compact. Trichomes simple. Shoots composed of a succession of repeated growth units, each consisting of a basal false internode and a terminal false whorl of leaves; false internodes bearing several, uncrowded, spirally inserted scale leaves or their scars; false whorls bearing several crowded, spirally inserted leaves. Branchlets glabrous. Leaves simple, elliptical to obovate, shortly petiolate, with spinose-acuminate tip, the undersurface paler than the upper surface, glabrous; venation brochidodromous, more prominent on the upper leaf surface than the lower but with primary to quarternary veins prominently raised on both surfaces when dried. Juvenile leaves (plants 1-1.5 m high) in false whorls of 3-5, with spinose-dentate margins, 8-14 cm long, 2-4 cm wide; petiole 4-8 mm long. Leaves of basal subsidiary shoots in false whorls of 5-17, elliptical to obovate, with spinose-dentate margins in basal false whorls, becoming entire in more distal false whorls, 9-18 cm long, 2.3-5.4 cm wide; petiole 4-11 mm long; marginal spines 1.5-4 mm long; apical spine 3-6 mm long. Adult leaves in false whorls of 4-7, entire, (2.5-)8-13.5 cm long, (0.7-)1.7-4.2 cm wide; petiole (3-)5-10 mm long; apical spine 1-4.5 mm long. Inflorescence a lateral, axillary or ramiflorous, shortly pedunculate capitulum with a central, ebracteate, bisexual flower surrounded by a whorl of 6-10 bracteate male flowers; peduncle 6-7 mm long. Flowers actinomorphic, 4-merous, creamy white when fresh; bisexual and male flowers of equal size. Tepals free except for a short, basal tube, valvate, approximately oblong in shape but slightly constricted at the tip of the basal tube and narrowing abruptly to an acute tip, c. 8.5 mm long, glabrous externally, with long trichomes at base but otherwise glabrous internally. Stamens free or the filaments slightly adnate to the base of the tepals; filaments filiform, weak, not supporting the anthers; anthers narrow-oblong, latrorsely dehiscent via longitudinal slits, without terminal appendages, pendulous, 3.2-3.8 mm long; pollen grains triporate. Hypogynous glands absent. Ovary shortly stipitate (merely narrowed towards the base), with ascending hairs in alternitepalous positions; style tip not modified as a pollen presenter; ovule 1, orthotropous, pendulous. Fruit indehiscent, with internal, longitudinal ribs, pyriform, 2.7-3.3 cm long, 2.2-3.0 cm diameter, green, turning creamy yellow.

3. Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) is known from a very limited area in the Nightcap range. Only a small number of trees is currently known to exist.

4. Threats to Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) include disturbance from roads and proposed logging activities adjacent to the habitat of the species. Further, the species' very small population size leaves it vulnerable to stochastic events.

5. In view of the above points, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Eidothea sp. 'Nightcap Range' (P.H. Weston 2469) is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival cease to operate.

Proposed Gazettal date: 18/01/02
Exhibition period: 18/01/02 - 01/03/02
Provisionally listed as an endangered species on 30 March 2001.