Kardomia silvestris (a shrub) - endangered species listing
The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Babingtonia silvestris A.R. Bean, a shrub, as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act. The listing of Endangered Species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.
This species is now known as Kardomia silvestris (A.R. Bean) Peter G. Wilson [NSW Government Gazette No. 113, 25 November 2011, Page 6713].
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. Babingtonia silvestris (Myrtaceae), has been described by A.R. Bean in 1997. The following description has been taken in full from the journal Austrobaileya 4(4), pg 641.
2. "Shrub to 2.5 m high. Bark grey, finely lined or grooved, to slightly fibrous, furrowed. Stem flanges grey, flat, not winged, not warty, entire. Leaves ovate to elliptic, 3.0-4.5 mm long, 1.5-3.3 mm wide, straight, flat, obtuse, not keeled, entire; oil glands visible on lower surface, scattered; midrib not or faintly visible; petiole 0.6-1.0 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, 1 -flowered, rarely 3-flowered; peduncle 1.2-2.5 mm long; pedicels 2.7-4.0 mm long; bracteoles 2, ovate, c. 2.5 x 1.2 mm, persistent, obtuse. Hypanthium smooth, obconical, 2.2-2.8 mm long, fused to the ovary except at top. Sepals compound; inner lobe obtuse, c. 0.3 x 1.0 mm, thin, margins entire; outer lobe acuminate, 1.3-1.7 mm long, thick, erect or spreading. Corolla white, up to 8 mm across; petals orbicular to elliptic, 1.5-2.3 x 2.0-2.4 mm, margins fimbriate; oil glands present. Stamens 8-10, none opposite the petals, stamens opposite sepals slightly shorter than remainder; filaments terete, c. 0.8 mm long, geniculate, with brown connective gland fused to upper part of filament at bend; anthers adnate, c. 0.3 mm long, dehiscing by short divergent slits; anther loculi fused. Style c. 0.2 mm long, set into a pit; stigma broadly capitate. Ovary 3- locular; floral disc concave; ovules 7-8 per loculus, arranged in two longitudinal rows on placenta. Fruit hemispherical, 2.0-2.5 x 4.5-5.0 mm; valves triangular, woody, exserted. Seeds cuboid, with flat sides and rounded backs, c. 1 mm long, minutely reticulate, brown; hilum terminal". It apparently flowers sporadically over several months of the year (Bean pers. obs.).
3. Babingtonia silvestris has been recorded from a few scattered localities from the Dorrigo District on the north coast of NSW, north to Girraween National Park in southern Queensland. This narrow distribution represents a geographic range of approximately 190 km. It grows amongst granite or rhyolite rock outcrops in mixed shrublands with species such as Eucalyptus prava, Leptospermum brevipes, Leucopogon melaleucoides and Lepidosperma laterale (Bean 1997).
4. Within NSW there are 3 populations of Babingtonia silvestris. One population has been estimated to support between 100-150 individuals, whilst the population size of the other two localities is unknown they are thought to be no larger than the type population in Queensland which has 55-75 plants (Bean 1997).
5. Two of the three populations in NSW are reserved in Dorrigo National Park and Mount Neville Nature Reserve. The third population is in State Forest.
6. Babingtonia silvestris is at risk due to the impact of chance events on low population numbers. Populations may also be threatened by activities associated with road and track construction and maintenance. One population is subject to physical disturbance by visitors. High fire frequency may also be a threat to the species.
7. In view of 3, 4, and 5 above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Babingtonia silvestris 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: 27/04/01
Exhibition period: 27/04/01 - 1/06/01