Wetland Plants - Archive Local Land Servicesarchive.lls.nsw.gov.au/.../496431/archive-wetland-plants...country.pdf · Wetland Plants of the namoi high Country / namoi CatChment

Wetland Plants of the namoi high Country / namoi CatChment management authority

The purpose of this guide is to assist stakeholders involved in monitoring activities to identify high altitude wetland species that occur 700m above sea level (ASL) within the New England Tableland Bioregion of the Namoi Catchment.

AcknowledgementsThis document would not have been possible without the generous contribution of 30 photographers whose names appear on individual images. Funding was provided by the Namoi Catchment Management Authority as part of their Upland Wetland Program through the Commonwealth Government’s Caring for Our Country Program. John T. Hunter provided comments on the draft and organised the project through Hewlett Hunter Pty Ltd. The N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium, University of New England, is thanked for access to photographs of plant specimens. The website: http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Residents/Yarra_Ranges_Plant_Directory highlighted the images of some of the photographers contributing to this guide and NatureSharehttp://natureshare.org.au/species/ is thanked for the free provision of images. Ian Telford of the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium is thanked for advice on species identifications and nomenclature. Jon Burne provided IT support with formatting and design.

Cover photographsMain front: Carex appressaInsets: Schoenoplectus mucronatus, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Cyperus sphaeroideus, Geum urbanum

Main back: Carex appressaInsets: Utricularia dichotoma, Hydrocotyle tripartita, Callistemon sp. Bendemeer, Persicaria hydropiper

This page: Stellaria angustifolia, Hydrocotyle tripartita, Leptospermum polygalifolium, Phragmites australis

DisclaimerThe information contained in this guide is based on the author’s knowledge and understanding at the time of writing – July 2012. Users of this guide are reminded of the need to ensure that information on which they rely is up to date and to check the currency of the information with the appropriate officer of the Namoi Catchment Management Authority.

Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country

Wetland Plants of the namoi high Country / namoi CatChment management authority Page 1

Introduction


Wetlands are areas that are flooded or contain water to a great depth, are waterlogged, damp or have moist soils for extended periods of time. Some wetlands are ephemeral or intermittent and retain water for anything from a few days to a few months before drying out again. Wetlands also include places at the edges of permanently flooded areas, where water is either still or flowing. They can be natural or constructed and include streams and rivers and their banks, farm dams and reservoirs, marshy or boggy areas and areas that become wet occasionally such as roadside drains and low-lying parts of pasture, woodlands or forests.

Wetlands provide habitat for a number of different animals. Tall clumps and tussocks of plants provide shelter for wallabies, nesting sites and shelter for birds while aquatic plants and their seeds are food for water birds. In deep water, aquatic plants provide habitat for fish, frogs and aquatic invertebrates, and at wetland edges, plants provide shelter for frogs and a position above the water for insects such as dragonflies to hatch into their aerial life stages.

Many wetland plant species are truly aquatic and for these species a degree of water depth is necessary. Aquatic species grow only in permanent or semi-permanent pools or slow-flowing deep water. These aquatic species often have distinctive growth forms such as leaves that float on the surface or grow submerged in ponds, dams or pools, leaves that are thin and flexible or highly divided; examples are Blunt Pondweed (page 40) and Ribbonweed (page 44). Other species such as Red Azolla (page 78) float on the surface of the water (free-floating). Most of the wetland species observed in the Namoi high altitude areas are however emergent plants. Emergent plants have roots in mud or sediment, grow up through the water column and emerge to flower. The largest of these are Broadleaf Cumbungi (page 43) and Common Reed (page 34); with the smallest species such as River Buttercup (page 67) and Pennywort (page 55) growing in shallow areas.

Creek with tea treesDarren Ryder

farm damMahri Koch

Page 2 Wetland Plants of the namoi high Country / namoi CatChment management authority

Wetland plants are mostly herbaceous (non-woody); these include grasses, grass-like and broad-leaved species but also include ferns and mosses. Woody plants usually grow at the waters edge rather than in wetlands in the Namoi high country but are still water-dependent. Examples are River Oak, Bottlebrushes and Tea Trees as well as Willows and other introduced (non-native) species.

Some species observed in wetlands are opportunistic and are normally thought of as terrestrial plants. Examples are the pasture weeds Purple Top (page 73), Spear Thistle (page 47) and Blackberries. Other species can grow virtually anywhere from the edges of wetlands to forests. Examples of these are Native Geranium (page 50) and Common Buttercup (page 68).

Four species, Carex sp. Bendemeer, Eryngium sp. Little Llangothlin NR, Leiocarpa sp. Uralla and Callistemon sp. Bendemeer do not have the usual scientific name but a phrase name. A phrase name is used for a species that has not yet been identified or formally described. These species use geographic localities as this was where each of the species was first collected.

Wetland CommunitiesThere are three main wetland communities that have been identified in this region and are considered at threat from activities such as draining, impoundment (building a dam) and overgrazing. These communities are Carex Sedgelands, Montane Peatlands and Basaltic Lagoons, and are described further over the following pages.

Carex Sedgelands or fens are listed as an Endangered Ecological Community (EEC) under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) under the title ‘Carex Sedgelands of the New England Tableland, Nandewar, Brigalow Belt South and NSW North Coast Bioregions’.

Montane Peatlands (also called bogs or wet heath) are listed as an EEC under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) under the title ‘Montane Peatlands and Swamps of the New England Tableland’ NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands and Australian Alps Bioregions’.

Basalt Plateau Lagoons (also called montane lakes) are listed as an EEC both under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW) as ‘Upland Wetlands of the Drainage Divide of the New England Tableland Bioregion’ and under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) as ‘Upland Wetlands of the New England Tablelands and the Monaro Plateau’.


Wetland Communities


Carex Sedgelands

Watsons Creek John T. Hunter


• Swampsofbroadvalleyfloors,creekbanksanddrainagelines

• Run-offdependent,watermovingslowlythroughswampsorvia small streams

• Nutrient-richneutraltoalkalinesoils,oftenpeaty

• Occuronallrocktypes

• DominatedbytalltussockyortuftedCarexspecies

• Noshrubs,exceptatmargins

• Generallyspecies-poor

Carex Sedgelands are by far the most common of these three endangered wetland communities over the whole of the Namoi Catchment above 700m and are found on many small streams and drainage lines. They are also called fens.

Bells swampJohn T. Hunter

Wetland Communities


Montane Peatlands

hanging rock state forest Jon Burne

• Shrub-dominatedswampsofnarrowtobroadvalleys

• Rainfalldependent,watermovesslowlythroughpeatlandand drains via small shallow streams

• Nutrient-pooracidicsubstrateofshallowtodeeppeat

• Variousrocktypesbutpredominantlycoarsegranites

• UsuallyfeatureSphagnumMoss

• Generallyspeciesrich

Montane Peatlands, or wetlands that represent an intergrade between peatlands and Carex Sedgelands, occur in the southeast of the Catchment near Hanging Rock, at the edge of the Namoi Catchment in a small area to the north of Ben Halls Gap and in Coolah Tops National Park. They are also called bogs or wet heath.

near Bullock CreekJon Burne



Basalt Plateau Lagoons

near hanging rock state forest John T. Hunter


• Shallowtemporarylakesonflatbasalticlandscapes

• Waterdepthwhenfull10cmto2m

• Waterisponded,notflowing

• Nutrient-richclayorpeatysoils

• Sedges,trueaquaticsandamphibiousplants

• Noshrubs

• Moderatelyspeciesrich

To date only one small Basalt Plateau Lagoon with a very shallow basin has been identified in State Forest near Hanging Rock, but other remnants of this wetland community may occur in the southeast of the Namoi Catchment. They are also called montane lakes.

llangothlin lagoonChris Cooper

Wetland Communities


How to use this guideThis guide contains information on wetland species found in the Namoi Catchment above 700m ASL. Emphasis is given to species of Carex Sedgelands, the most common wetland type within the high altitude areas of the Namoi Catchment. Each species page provides photographs of the general look of the plant (habit), the leaves, flowers and fruit where possible and any other distinguishing features. Both common and scientific names are given but readers are warned that the same plant can have different common names in different places. The written description avoids botanical terms where possible but to help understand some of the terms used, a glossary attheendoftheguideisincluded(page82).Furthersourcesofreadingonthesespeciesarealsolisted on page 84.

As an aid for identification the plant species described in this guide have been divided into growth forms (see below). Within growth form categories, species appear in alphabetical order of scientific names. Introduced or exotic (non-native) species, some of them weedy, are highlighted with an asterisk (*) in front of their scientific names and are coded in red.

Sedge Grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, often with 3-angled (triangular cross section) stems, leaves in three vertical rows, inconspicuous flowers, and tubular closed sheathing bases.

Rush Grass-like plants in the genus Juncus (family Juncaceae). Pinrush Juncus have slender pith-filled stems and leaf sheaths at the base; others are leafy and grass-like.

Grass Plants in the family Poaceae with jointed stems, leaves often in two vertical rows, leaves with a sheath and a blade, with a membranous structure against the stem (ligule) at the junction of the leaf and the blade, inconspicuous flowers, and fruits of seed-like grains.

Other Any other grass-like species that are not sedges, rushes or grasses; includes species with strap-like leaves or with broader leaves that have parallel veins.

Forb Broad-leaved herbaceous (non-woody) plants other than grasses, rushes, grass-like species or other species with parallel veins.

Shrubor Tree

Shrubs are woody plants, usually with several stems arising at or near the ground and usually less than 5m tall. Trees have a distinct trunk, and are generally more than 5m tall.

Fern or Moss

Ferns are plants with stems, leaves (fronds), no flowers or seeds and which reproduce by spores released from sporangia (brown dots or strips on fronds). Mosses are small plants with leaves, no flowers or seeds, grow in low cushions, and reproduce by spores released from stalked capsules.

Woody Weeds

Woody weeds are perennial plants with hard fibrous materials that form branches and trunks that do or can have the potential to cause a detrimental impact on the natural environment.




Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country SedgeCarex appressa

Cyperacae

Tall Sedge

Nic Cobcroft

©Marilyn Bull (Gray)

tall Sedge forms dense tussocks from short underground stems (rhizomes). Flowering stems are erect and un-branched, toabout1mtall,sharplythree-angledwithroughedgesnearthe top; leaves green to yellowish-green and arching. Both stems and leaves are tough and rough to the touch (caution: can cause skin cuts) and are not readily grazed by stock. The flowerhead is narrow, to 45cm long, with crowded short stalkless spikes of wind-pollinated flowers, male flowers above female flowers. Flowers yellow-brown. Fruits are oval nuts, enclosed in a small veined egg-shaped green to brown sac, with short hairs along edges and a notched tip.

Common in swampy places along creeks and drainage lines in theeastern half of NSW. Tall Sedge is the dominant species in Carex Sedgelands (fens) in the Namoi high country. It also occurs but is less common in Montane Peatlands (bogs) and in rainforest.

Tussocks provide habitat for birds, frogs and invertebrates. Spaces between the largest tussocks provide grazing, shelter and protection for animals such as Swamp Wallabies. Leaves were used for basket-making by Aboriginal people. Tall Sedge has been used as a biofilter in artificial wetlands to remove pollutants from stormwater.

John T. Hunter

Nic Cobcroft

John T. Hunter


Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country SedgeCarex gaudichaudiana

Cyperaceae

Fen Sedge

John T. Hunter

Fen Sedgeisalooselytuftedperennialplantto1mtall,sometimes forming tussocks but more usually with extensive patches of long underground stems. Flowering stems are erect, shorter than leaves, 3-angled and rough to the touch. Leaves are bluish green with rough margins. Unlike Tall Sedge, the flowerheadsaremuchshorterthantheleaves,areerect,to18cmlong, with clearly separated spikes above leaf-like bracts. The upper spikes are male, the lower mostly female. Fruits are egg-shaped to elliptical nuts, enclosed in a small veined sac.

Widespread in swampy places in the eastern third of the state, more on the coast and tablelands than on the slopes. However it is still a common element of Carex Sedgelands in the eastern parts of the Namoi Catchment high country where it often grows in the wetter part of the sedgelands e.g. beside small waterways.

Colour separates the three Carex species of Carex Sedgelands. In the growing season, Tall Sedge is yellowish green, Fen Sedge is bluish green and Two-ranked Sedge a clear bright green. In winter, Fen Sedge becomes dark red-brown and Two-ranked Sedge shoots die back to a straw-white colour.


John T. Hunter

Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country Sedge


Carex inversa Cyperaceae

Knob Sedge

Harry Rose

John T. Hunter

Knob Sedge is a small loosely tufted plant, spreading from long underground stems. Leaves are bright green and grass-like to2mmwide,andareshorterthanfloweringstems.Floweringstemsareerectto50cmtall.Flowerheadshaveseveral1cmlong spikelets, one per node, above much longer leafy bracts. Both male and female flowers occur together in spikelets. Fruits are broadly oval nuts, slightly flattened and enclosed in a small veined sac, egg-shaped to elliptical with a long notched tip.

Knob Sedge is widespread in the eastern two thirds of the state in drier sites such as grassland and open forest as well as in moister areas at the edges of swamps, streams and dams. In the Namoi high country Knob Sedge also commonly grows at the edges of Carex Sedgelands and Basalt Plateau Lagoons.

Lachlan Copeland

Harry Rose




Carex sp. Bendemeer Cyperaceae

Two-ranked Sedge

Jon Burne

Sedge

Two-ranked Sedge, at present considered by experts to be an introduced possibly weedy species, was first collected in the Bendemeerareain2008.Itwasthefirstcollectionforthisspeciesin Australia. Shoots grow from unbranched underground stems and are leafy, to about 90cm tall, with leaves in two rows on either side of the stem. The stem itself is formed from the long sheathing bases of the leaves. Shoots die back in winter. Flowerheads, only occasionally seen in this area, form at shoot tips on a 3-angled stem and are small and relatively compact. Flowers are either male or female and wind-pollinated. Fruits are nuts encased in a small veined elliptical sac with a long notched tip.

This species has been tentatively identified as Carex disticha, native to northern and western Europe and introduced to southern Canada, where it grows in damp places, fens, marshes and wet meadows. This species is at present restricted to Carex Sedgelands in the area between Bendemeer and Niangala. Two-ranked Sedge appears to be cultivated in Australia and features on two gardening websites.

John Nevin

John Nevin

John Nevin


Cyperus eragrostis Cyperaceae

Drain Flatsedge

Harry Rose

Sedge

Drain Flatsedge is an introduced tufted perennial plant, often short-lived, green at first becoming yellowish with age, with a very short underground stem. Stems are 3-angled, to 90cm tall; leaves are shorter or about the same height and to 8 mm wide. Flowerheadshaveupto12shortbranchesaboveseverallongleaf-like bracts. Flowers are stalkless, enclosed in small folded bracts, and crowded onto short stems with the whole spikelet flattened. Fruits are small nuts, dark brown to grey.

Drain Flatsedge is widespread in NSW and occurs in ephemerally wet, open, disturbed places. In the Namoi high country this species occurs spasmodically, in table drains and disturbed wet places.

John Tann

Harry Rose



Cyperus sphaeroideus Cyperaceae

Scented Sedge

Bertram Lobert

Sedge

Scented Sedge is a slender perennial plant to 50cm tall spreading from a long slender underground stem. Stems are 3-angled,hairlessandabout1mmwide.Leavesareshorterthan stems, to 3cm wide and folded. Crushed leaves have a sweet scent. Flowerheads are spherical, solitary, to 7mm wide above2–4leaf-likebractsmuchlongerthantheflowerhead.Spikelets are stalkless, crowded into a head, with the bracts encasing flowers yellow to pale brown. Fruits are egg-shaped nutsto1.3mmlong.

Scented Sedge grows in undisturbed moist places in woodland or near wetlands in the eastern third of the state. In the Namoi high country this species occurs at the edges of Carex Sedgelands and Basalt Plateau Lagoons and other damp places.

Lachlan Copeland

Bertram Lobert

Henry Rose



Eleocharis acuta Cyperaceae

Common Spikerush

Nic Cobcroft

Common Spikerush is a perennial herbaceous plant spreading from a long branching underground stem. Shoots are usually tuftedand10–90cmtall.Stemsareun-branched,mid-green,cylindrical, faintly striped, often somewhat 3-angled at the tip and1–3mmwide.Leavesarereducedtoacylindricalsheathat stem bases. Sheaths are straight across at the top but with a small point to one side. All the spikerushes (or spike-sedges) have a compact flowerhead, egg-shaped to cylindrical, at the tip of an un-branched flowering stem. The flowerhead of CommonSpikerushis5–30mmlongandflowersarebrownand wind-pollinated. Fruits are small broadly egg-shaped nuts about1.5mmindiameter,flattenedandshinybrownandsurrounded by several long bristles that aid dispersal.

Common Spikerush is widespread in NSW in moist situations, in swamps, Basalt Plateau Lagoons and within and beside streams. In the Namoi high country Common Spikerush occurs in wetter parts of Carex Sedgelands and beside streams.

Sedge

Adam Gosling

© Marilyn Bull (Gray)



Eleocharis dietrichianaCyperaceae

Dietrich’s Spikerush

John Tann

Sedge

Dietrich’s Spikerush, shorter than Common Spikerush, is a perennial grass-like plant, about 30cm tall. Stems are un-branched, tufted, green to yellowish-green, usually distinctly stripedvertically,to1.5mmwideandarisingfromshortthickbranching underground stems. Leaf sheaths are flat at the top with a short point. Flowerheads are egg-shaped to oblong and at 9mm long shorter than those of Common Spikerush. Fruits are roughly 3-sided, egg-shaped, golden- to dark-brown nuts with shorter bristles than those of Common Spikerush.

Dietrich’s Spikerush is restricted to the northern and central parts of eastern NSW on the coast and tablelands. This species occurs occasionally in moist situations in the Namoi high country in Basalt Plateau Lagoons and at the edges of Carex Sedgelands.

John Tann



Eleocharis pusillaCyperaceae

Small Spikerush


Small Spikerush is smaller still than either Common Spikerush orDietrich’sSpikerush,andisbetween2to20cmtall.Tuftsoffinestriped grass-like unbranched stems, green to yellowish-green and about 0.5mm wide arise from a long thin branching underground stem. Flowerheads are egg-shaped, to 7mm long. Flowers are tinyandwind-pollinated.Fruits(nuts)aretinybutdistinctive,about1mmlong, straw-coloured, ribbed longitudinally with fine transverse ridges between the main ribs, and with very short bristles.

Small Spikerush is widespread in moist to wet places in the eastern two-thirds of NSW. In the Namoi high country this species grows at the edges of Basalt Plateau Lagoons and Carex Sedgelands.

Unlike the other spikerushes, Small Spikerush can survive for many months completely submerged, flowering when the wetland dries and the water recedes. This species can also rapidly colonize damp mud, forming extensive low mats.

Sedge




Eleocharis sphacelataCyperaceae

Tall Spikerush

Nic Cobcroft

Sedge

Tall Spikerush is the most robust of the spikerushes with a short, stout, starchy underground stem (rhizome). Shoots are tufted or form large clumps, from 30cm tall on damp mudto2mtallindeepwater.Stemsareun-branched,midtodark green, cylindrical and hollow with complete transverse partitions,andto12mmwide.Flowerheadsarecylindrical,to5cm long. Fruits are larger, flattened, egg-shaped to rounded, to2.7mmlong,darkbrown,surroundedbylongbristles.

Tall Spikerush is widespread on the coast, tablelands and slopes of NSW, growing in shallow to deep water in slow-flowing streams, in pools within Carex Sedgelands, in the deeper Basalt Plateau Lagoons and in farm dams. Large clumps provide nesting and shelter; fruits are a food source for birds such as Purple Swamphens, Coots and Pacific Black Ducks, which disperse the seeds in their guts, or on their feathers.

Tall Spikerush was used by Aboriginal people for weaving mats and bags. This plant has been used as a biofilter in artificial wetlands. Occasionally becomes invasive in farm dams.

John Tann

Nic Cobcroft

Kevin Thiele,© Marilyn Bull (Gray)



Gahnia sieberianaCyperaceae

Red-fruit Saw-sedge

Lachlan Copeland

Red-fruit Saw-sedge is a tall tussocky perennial plant forming largeclumps2–3mwidefromashortwoodyrhizome;stemsare1–2mtalland12mmwide.Leavesareflattish,channelledandrough with tiny serrations (Caution: can cut hands), sheathing leaf bases brown to black. Flowerheads are large, erect, branched and dense and rise up to a metre above the leaves. Flowers with enclosing bracts are yellowish brown maturing to black. Fruits (nuts), are bright red and shiny and are surrounded by long bristles.

Red-fruit Saw-sedge grows on the coast and tablelands of the eastern strip of NSW on moist soils and in foothill forests. In the Namoi high country this species is scattered to common inMontane Peatlands and drainage lines in Hanging Rock State Forest.

A food source for butterflies and other insects. It occurs in Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia.

Sedge

© Greg Steenbeeke Orkology

John Burne



Isolepis spp.Cyperaceae

Club-sedges

Isolepis hookeriana John T. Hunter

Sedge

Club-sedges found in the high country of the Namoi Catchment are tiny, inconspicuous, fine-stemmed plants of wet places, bare mud and stream beds. Most are annual plants. The usually have slender stems, are tufted or form rosettes, andareusuallynomorethan15cmtall.Some,especiallythespecies that grow in water, can form new plantlets from their flowerheads. The distinguishing feature of club-sedges is their flowerheads, clusters of small cone-shaped spikelets at the tips of long stems, above a long leaf-like bract. Fruits are tiny, 3-sidedorlens-shapednuts,smoothorribbed,0.6to1mmlong.

Fruit are dispersed on water or in mud on the feet of water birds. Plants often form part of a meadow of low-growing and mat-forming species colonising mudflats, bare areas beside streams and the edges of dams.

Isolepis inundata© Marilyn Bull (Gray)

Isolepis inundataCasliber/Wikipedia Commons



Schoenoplectus mucronatus Cyperaceae

Bog Bulrush

Bog Bulrush is a tufted perennial herbaceous plant that grows indenseclumps0.5–1mtallspreadingfromashort,toughunderground stem. Stems are erect, un-branched, sharply three-angled, green to yellowish green. Leaves appear absent but are reduced to sheaths wrapped around the base of the stems and there are no leaf blades. Flowerheads are a head-like cluster of cone-shaped spikelets at the top of the stem. Spikelets are yellow-green to brown, above a stiff, angled bract which often looks like a continuation of the stem. Flowers are inconspicuous and wind-pollinated. Fruits are small, rounded, widest near the top, dark brown to black, surrounded by 5 or 6 bristles. Fruits are probably dispersed on water and by birds. Birds may eat the fruit and disperse them by excreting the seeds; bristles may stick to birds’ feathers.

Bog Bulrush grows mainly in the northeast of the state in slow-flowing streams and near the edges of dams. This species is scattered but occasionally common. It is common in Sheba Dams near Hanging Rock.

Sedge

Jon Burne

Jon Burne

Harry Rose

Adam Gosling



Schoenoplectus validusCyperaceae

River Club Rush

Harry Rose

Sedge

river Club rush is a tall fairly robust perennial plant spreading from a tough underground stem (rhizome). Stems arecylindrical,un-branched1–2mtall.Leavesarereducedtosheaths at the base of stems. Flowerheads appear at stem tips and consist of clustered branches above a short bract. Spikelets arecone-shapedandstalkless,to11mmlong,red-brown.Fruits are egg-shaped nuts wider near the tip, shining grey-brown to black surrounded by barbed bristles.

River Club Rush is widespread but scattered over most of the state but mainly the eastern third. It grows in creeks, lakes and open swamps, in fresh or brackish water. In the Namoi high country, this species occurs in deep pools in streams and occasionally in farm dams. Clumps provide nesting and shelter habitat for birds.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose



Schoenus apogon Cyperaceae

Common Bog-rush

Common Bog-rush is an inconspicuous tufted annual or short-livedperennialplanttoabout25cmtall.Stemsareerectordrooping,leavesfine,in-rolled,to15cmlong;leafbasesare often red to dark red-brown. Flowerheads are irregularly branched with red-brown to blackish clusters of spikelets, one atthetip,1to4below,abovelongleaf-likebracts.Fruitsareegg-shaped to rounded nuts, shiny, with a whitish porcelain-like texture and shorter bristles beneath.

Common Bog-rush is widespread in the eastern half of the state and grows in a variety of damp to wet situations including the edges of Basalt Plateau Lagoons, Montane Peatlands, Carex Sedgelands, on stream banks and the edges of dams.

This is a variable plant and may include more than one species.

Sedge


John Nevin

Russell Best http://creativecommons

Russell Besthttp://creativecommons




Scirpus polystachyusCyperaceae

Large-headed Club-rush

Lachlan Copeland

Large-headed Club-rush is a robust tufted perennial with a short, thick underground stem (rhizome). Stems are erect, smoothandcylindrical0.5to2mtall.Leavesaremuchshorter,bright to dark green, to 7mm wide and folded; sheaths at the base are green to brown and persist as fibrous fragments. Flowerheads are large and spreading with slender drooping branches. Spikelets are to 9mm long, with the enclosing bracts dark green-grey maturing to brown. Flowers are inconspicuous and wind pollinated. Fruits are elliptic to rounded nuts, glistening and pale yellow-brown.

Large-headed Club-rush is restricted to tablelands and coastal areas. This species grows in slow flowing water in creeks, in swampy places and occasionally on the edges of dams. Large-headed Club-rush can be one of the dominant plants in Carex Sedgelands especially in higher rainfall areas, e.g. at Ponderosa Ponds near Hanging Rock.

Sedge

John T. Hunter

John T. Hunter




Wetland Plants of the Namoi High CountryWetland Plants of the Namoi High Country

Juncus alexandri subsp. melanobasisJuncaceae

Black-stemmed Rush

Jon Burne

Rush

Black-stemmed Rush is one of the group of rushes (Juncus) commonly called pinrushes. Pinrushes appear leafless since their leaves are reduced to sheathing bases. Black-stemmed Rushisatallperennialplantto1.5mgrowinginlargeclumpsfrom short tough underground stems (rhizomes). This species is distinguished by its very dark, red-brown to black leaf bases. Stems are cylindrical, un-branched, to 4mm wide and filled with pith. The branched flowerhead is loosely spreading above a stem-like bract longer than the flowerhead; the inconspicuous wind-pollinated flowers are clustered or solitary. Flowers are small,to2.5mmlong.Fruitisadrycapsule,goldentored-brown, which opens along three splits to release numerous tiny seeds.

Black-stemmed Rush grows on the northern and central tablelands and adjacent coastal areas in moist forests and Montane Peatlands on fertile soils. In the Namoi high country this species occurs in peatlands and peaty drainage lines in Hanging Rock State Forest.

Jon Burne

John Nevin




Juncus australisJuncaceae

Austral Rush

John Tann

Austral Rush is a pinrush, a loosely tufted perennial plant forming clumps from short tough underground stems. Stems arecylindrical,un-branched,to1mtall,andabout3mmwide,blue-green to grey-green, hard and with large air spaces in the inner pith. Leaves are reduced to a series of sheaths at the plant base; sheaths are dark yellow-brown to red-brown. Flowerheads are loosely branched or head-like above a stem-like bract much longer than the flowerhead. Flowers are small,straw-browntored-brown,to2.5mmlong,numerousand densely or loosely clustered. Fruits are dry capsules a little shorter than the flower parts and golden brown, splitting into three to release numerous tiny seeds.

Provides habitat for frogs and aquatic invertebrates such as dragonflies.

Rush

John T. Hunter

John Tann

John Tann




Juncus fockeiJuncaceae

Slender Joint-leaf Rush

Adam Gosling

Rush

Slender Joint-leaf Rush, one of the leafy rushes, is a small tufted perennial plant with short underground stems, or with shoots growing from the base. Stems are erect; leaves are hollow, compressed or cylindrical, with blunt ear-like lobes at the tips of leaf sheaths. Flowerheads are branching, with flowersclusteredattipsofbranches,5–20percluster,themain leaf-like bract shorter or longer than flowerhead. Flowers are straw-brown to red-brown and are wind-pollinated. Fruit capsules are very narrow and egg-shaped, tapering to a long point much longer than flower parts, and golden brown.

Slender Joint-leaf Rush grows in the eastern third of the state in damp places along streams and on the edges of dams and swamps. This species is widespread but not common in the Namoi high country. Similar species: Juncus prismatocarpus has a much more spreading flowerhead. Flattened stems are hollow but with inner partitions, blades of leaves are much wider; capsules have shorter points.

Juncus fockeiJohn Tann

Juncus prismatocarpus John Tann

Juncus prismatocarpus Jon Burne



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country RushJuncus usitatus

Juncaceae

Common Rush

John Tann

John Tann

Adam Gosling

Common Rush is a densely tufted perennial plant with a short tough underground stem (rhizome). Stems are cylindrical, unbranched,from0.3toabout1mtallandto2mmwide,rathersoft, mid-green, filled with pith either dense or interrupted with small air spaces. Leaves are reduced to a series of sheaths at stem bases, and golden brown to red-brown in colour. Flowerheads are loosely branched above a stem-like bract longer than the flowerhead, with numerous small solitary straw-brown flowers. Fruit are golden brown capsules, longer than the flower parts, splitting into three to release numerous tiny seeds. Old fruits generally remain on the stems all year round.

Widespread in the eastern half of the state and common, occurs in periodically wet sites, especially close to the water’s edge along stream banks and disturbed places such as table drains and in irrigation canals. Some pinrushes can be invasive in pastures.

Yabbies eat the shoots and young stems. Common Rush has been used in artificial wetlands.




Cenchrus alopecuroidesPoaceae

Swamp Foxtail

Lachlan Copeland

Grass

Swamp Foxtail is a tufted perennial grass. Leaf blades are erect, narrow, to 6mm wide and rough to the touch with sharp hairs on the veins, and a ligule of short dense hairs at the junction of the sheath and the blade. The narrow flowerhead isdenseandcylindricalto20cmlongwithspikeletsonshortbranches held close to the stem, each spikelet is surrounded by much longer purplish bristles; bristles shed with the spikelet. Older flowerheads are yellow to white in colour. The plant is rarely grazed and older leaves are coarse and unpalatable.

Swamp Foxtail is widespread in the eastern third of the state and grows in damp soils on stream flats, seepage areas and especially on the upper edges of Carex Sedgelands. This species was previously called Pennisetum alopecuroides.

John T. Hunter

Adam Gosling

John T. Hunter



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High CountryWetland Plants of the Namoi High Country GrassHemarthria uncinata var. uncinata

Poaceae

Matgrass

Harry Rose

Matgrass is a creeping perennial grass, often forming mats to 1mtallinwetareas.Leafbladesarenarrow,greenorreddish.Flowering stems are unusual, un-branched and rigidly erect to slightly curved, with a single long narrow flowerhead at the tip. Spikelets are paired, one with, one without a stalk, flattened, and recessed into the flowering stalk. Flowerheads break apart into segments at the nodes when mature. The plant is often reddish especially in winter.

Matgrass occurs in eastern parts of the state at the edges of swamps and in damp places. In the Namoi high country Matgrass occurs at the damp margins of Carex Sedgelands, Basalt Plateau Lagoons, in damp grasslands and in roadside drains.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Harry Rose



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country Grass*Holcus Ianatus

Poaceae

Yorkshire Fog

John T. Hunter

Yorkshire Fog is a perennial grass, introduced from Europe, tufted,to1mtall,andsoftlycoveredinvelvetyhairs(lanatus means ‘woolly’), forming new shoots from a blanket of undergroundstems;leafbladesto10mmwidewithashortmembranous ligule. Flowerheads are branched, loosely spreading orcontractedandnarrow,to17cmlong,palepinkorgreen,maturingtowhite.Spikeletsare4–5mmlong,withtwoflorets,theuppermost with a short awn.

Yorkshire Fog is widespread in the eastern third of the state where it is common in wet places, sometimes invasive. In the Namoi high country this species ocurs in Carex Sedgelands especially where soil is disturbed and when seasons are especially wet. It produces a large seed bank. It is a food source for butterflies; and seeds are eaten by Stubble Quail.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Adam Gosling

Harry Rose



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country GrassIsachne globosa

Poaceae

Swamp Millet

Harry Rose

Swamp Millet is an aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial grass to about 70cm tall that spreads by long leafy horizontal stems. Stems form roots at the nodes and scramble extensively over other plants. Leaf blades are long, lance-shaped to 8mm wide and slightly rough. There is a ligule of short rim hairs at the junction of the sheath and the blade. The flowerhead is at first narrow then spreads with stiff branches. Spikelets occur towards the ends of branchlets. Spikelets are distinctly shaped, globular withroundedbracts,to2.5mmlong.Flowerswhenopenhavecolourful feathery purple stigmas for trapping windborne pollen.

Swamp Millet occurs in the eastern third of the state, and usually grows in or beside fresh water or in swamps. Swamp Millet can be one of the common plants in Carex Sedgelands especially in higher rainfall areas and in wet years. Stems and leaves die over winter. The dense canopy is habitat for insects and frogs.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Harry Rose



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country GrassLachnagrostis filiformis

Poaceae

Common Blown-grass

Lachlan Copeland

Common Blown-grass is a tufted annual or biennial grass. Flowering stems are slender, erect, arching or bent, or occasionally grow flat to the ground. Leaf blades are narrow, flat or folded, with a long membranous ligule at the junction of the sheath and the blade. Flowerheads are finely branched, often spreading. Spikelets are abundant, to 4.5mm long, straw-coloured, florets (flowers) of spikelets with a bent bristle (awn). Flowerheads are shed whole at maturity and dispersed by wind. Common Blown-grass is often abundant on mudflats where it forms a deep carpet of attached and detached flowerheads.

Common Blown-grass is widespread in damp and disturbed damp areas on heavy soils across most of the state. In the Namoi high country this species also grows on the edges of Carex Sedgelands and Basalt Plateau Lagoons.

Harry Rose


Adam Gosling



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country Grass*Paspalum dilatatum

Poaceae

Common Paspalum

Harry Rose

Common Paspalum is an introduced densely tufted perennial grass with a very short thick underground stem (rhizome). Shoots areerectto1mtalloroftengrowinarosetteclosetotheground,especially when mowed or grazed. Leaf blades are broad, to 12mmwide,withamembranousliguleatthejunctionofthesheath and the blade; lower leaf sheaths are hairy. Flowerheads have a slender central stalk with 3-7 short spreading branchlets crowded with flattened rounded spikelets in four rows. The spikelets are often fringed with long silky hairs. Flowers (florets) have dark purple, feathery stigmas that trap windborne pollen.

Common Paspalum is a native of South America, introduced to Australia as a pasture grass and naturalized in the eastern half of the state. This grass grows on moist soils and often occurs on river and creek banks. In the Namoi high country this grass also grows on the margins of Carex Sedgelands.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country GrassPaspalum distichum

Poaceae

Water Couch

Harry Rose

Water Couch is a creeping perennial grass to 60cm tall with shoots arising from long branching aboveground and underground stems. Stems often form loose mats and can also scramble upwards supported by other vegetation. Leaf blades are flat, to 9mm wide, often folded when dry with short membranous ligules at the junction of the blade and the sheath.TheflowerheadsareV-shapedandconsistofaslendererect flowering stem with twin spreading branchlets crowded with flattened elliptical spikelets in two rows. Flowers (florets) have dark purple, feathery stigmas that trap windborne pollen.

Water Couch is native to many tropical and warm-temperate countries and is widespread in moist places in NSW. In the Namoi high country it occurs in moist pastures, at the edges of dams and Carex Sedgelands and as a weed in gardens. On the coast it is valued as a pasture grass on floodplains. Water Couch can tolerate brackish conditions.

Harry Rose

Lachlan Copeland

Harry Rose



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country GrassPhragmites australis

Poaceae

Common Reed

Harry Rose

Common Reed is a very tall, robust perennial grass to 6m tall, found in wetlands throughout the warmer parts of the world. The hollow rigidly jointed stems shoot from tough, thick horizontal stems(rhizomes).Leafbladesarelarge,to50cmlong,and2–3cmwide, with a short hairy ligule. Flowerheads are purple when young, branched and dense, with numerous spikelets which developlongsilkyhairsto12mmlong,givingtheflowerheadawhitish grey colour. In winter, leaves and stems die back but dead stems with old flowerheads persist for many months.

Common Reed is widespread mostly in the eastern half of the state and can form extensive stands in wetlands and streams in water to1mdeep.IntheNamoihighcountrythisgrassissometimesinvasive in Carex Sedgelands. Stands provide important habitat for birds and shelter for animals such as wallabies. This species tolerates brackish conditions but does not tolerate heavy grazing by cattle. The young shoots of Common Reed were eaten by Aboriginal people, and stems were used for weaving and to make rafts. Common Reed is often used for wastewater treatment.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Harry Rose




Alisma plantago-aquaticaalismataceae

Water Plantain


Water Plantain is an erect broad-leaved herbaceous plant to1.5mtall.Leafbladesareegg-shaped,tooblongorelliptic,roundedtoheart-shapedatthebase,upto25cmlong,withobvious parallel veins and numerous connecting veins. Flowerheads are tall, rigid, branched to 60cm long and 40cm wide.Flowersareattractivebutverysmall,to10mmwide,andarranged singly on long stalks, with three white petals. Fruits are aggregatesofsmallseparateflattenednutlets(1-seededfruits),which look like small flat green mandarins. Air pockets in the detached nutlets enable them to float, thus aiding dispersal.

In north-eastern NSW, Water Plantain grows in shallow water on thecoast,tablelandsandslopes.In2011-2012thisspecieswasscattered but prominent along the edges of small streams in the Namoi high country.

It should not be confused with the less desirable introduced weed Sagittaria (Sagittaria platyphylla) which has narrower leaves and flowerheads shorter than the leaves.



OtherWetland Plants of the Namoi High Country



Baloskion stenocoleumrestionaceae

Narrow Cord-rush

John T. Hunter

Narrow Cord-rushhascylindricalstemsto0.5to1.5mtallwithleaves reduced to brown sheaths that are wrapped around both the stem base and stem at nodes. Stems shoot from short tough creeping underground stems (rhizomes) and plants occur in patches or large clumps. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Flowers are clustered into red-brown spikelets along the tops of flowering stems, with spikelets half enclosed by reddish brown sheaths. The bracts enclosing each female flower are wide and papery with long tips. Fruits are dry capsules.

Narrow Cord-rush occurs on the northern tablelands and north coast. This species grows in swamps on acid soils, including Montane Peatlands, but also on the edges of other swamps such as Carex Sedgelands or even Basalt Plateau Lagoons, where the surrounding rock type is granite and soils are sandy.

Narrow Cord-rush is in the family Restionaceae, a family of grass-like plants, (also called restiads) similar to but with distinct differences to sedges. The genus Baloskion, formerly called Restio, is endemic to Australia.

John Nevin

John T. Hunter




Hypoxis hygrometricahypoxidaceae

Golden Weather-grass

Harry Rose

Golden Weather-grassisaperennialherbto20cmtallthat persists by means of a corm, a short thick underground storage stucture. The grass-like leaves are few, flattish and soft. Flowerheads are sparsely branched with few flowers, often only one opening at any time. Flowers are bright yellow and pollinated by insects. Fruits are dry capsules containing dark-brown to black ornamented seeds.

Golden Weather-grass occurs in the eastern parts of the state in moist places. In the Namoi high country this species is scattered at the margins of Carex Sedgelands, Basalt Plateau Lagoons and other moist places.

Harry Rose

Harry Rose




Lomandra longifolialomandraceae

Spiny-headed Mat-rush

Harry Rose

Spiny-headed Mat-rush is a tough perennial tussock-forming plant with a short thick underground stem. The strap-like leaves areto80cmlongandleafendshave2to3distinctiveteeth.Flowerheads are either male or female, shorter than the leaves, upto15cmlong,branchedorunbranchedwithflowersintightclusters and with sharp pointed bracts beneath. Flowers are scented, yellow or cream; male flowers about 3mm, female to4.5mm long. Fruits are dry orange globular capsules, with rounded seeds. Old flowerheads persist on clumps for some months.

Spiny-headed Mat-rush is widespread in the eastern part of the state in a variety of habitats; often common in moist places and occasionally grazed by stock. In the Namoi high country Spiny-headed Mat-rush is particularly common in streamside Montane Peatlands in Hanging Rock State Forest.

Seeds are food for birds and the nectar eaten by butterflies. Leaf bases and nectar were eaten by Aboriginal people and the seeds ground into flour; leaves were used for weaving.

Jon Burne

graibeard@flickr/CCB-SA 2.0

Other

Harry Rose

Harry Rose




Philydrum lanuginosumPhilydraceae

Frogmouth

Graham Pritchard

Frogmouth is a tall perennial herbaceous plant with distinctive two-lipped yellow flowers thought to resemble a frog opening its mouth. Frogmouth forms large clumps with new shoots formed on short underground stems. Stems and young leaves have a coating of long loose white hairs. Leaves are thick, flattened,to20mmwideand60cmlong,formingarosetteora fan shape, and spongy with internal air-spaces. Flowering stemsareslightlyzig-zag,to2mtall,flowerheadsspike-likeor sparingly branched, the stalkless flowers partly enclosed until flowering in a large leafy bract. Fruits are dry, triangular capsules that split into three releasing numerous seeds.

Frogmouth occurs in the eastern third of the state on the coast, tablelands and western slopes, in swamps and along the margins of streams and dams. In the Namoi high country Frogmouth is not common but occurs at the edges of Carex Sedgelands.

Graeme Pritchard

Other

Fractal Myth




Potamogeton ochreatusPotamogetonaceae

Blunt Pondweed

Graham Pritchard

Blunt Pondweed is a completely submerged plant, annual or perennial, with only flowerheads above the water surface, spreading from branching stems to 4m long. Leaves are narrow, to10cmlong,stalkless,greentobrownishandthinandtranslucent, with a blunt rounded tip and a sheath at the base enclosing the node. Flowerheads are short dense spikes to 3cm long, of brownish wind-pollinated flowers. Fruits are rounded with a short bent point, rather spongy and remain green-brown, floating on water for dispersal.

Blunt Pondweed grows in water to 5m deep and occurs in the eastern third of the state in rivers, channels, lakes and farm dams. It can form dense beds in farm dams in summer; habitat for aquatic invertebrates, food for water birds. It occurs in farm dams in the Namoi high country.

Tony Faithfull

Other

Graeme Pritchard

Graeme Pritchard




Sparganium subglobosumsparganiaceae

Floating Bur-reed

Jon Burne

Floating Bur-reed is an aquatic perennial herbaceous plant to 1mtallbutusuallyless,withshootsarisingfromanundergroundstem. Leaves are hairless, mid-green, somewhat spongy and sometimes floating. Leaves form mostly at the plant base with a few smaller leaves along flowering stems. Flowerheads are distinctive and unusual with white flowers clustered into globular headsto20mmindiameteralongaratherzig-zagstem.Theglobular heads bear either male or female flowers. Fruits are yellow-green, dry, non-splitting, hard outside but spongy inside, to 7mm long, angled and with a point. Seeds accumulate in the soil allowing regeneration when water levels are low.

Floating Bur-reed grows in coastal and tablelands areas in still or slow-flowing water. Uncommon on the tablelands and only seen once in a Carex Sedgeland in the southeast of the Namoi high country.

Bur-reeds are closely related to Cumbungi and are sometimes included in the bulrush family (Typhaceae).

John T. Hunter

Other

John T. Hunter




Spiranthes australis orchidaceae

Ladies’ Tresses

Ladies’ Tresses, a ground orchid, is a slender herbaceous plant 15-50cmtall,withfleshyroots.Leavesarefew,softandnarrow,mostly at the base of the plant. Flower heads are spike-like, bearing dense spirally arranged white and bright pink/purple flowers. The fruit is a dry capsule, opening by longitudinal slits and the seeds are dust-like, numerous and extremely minute.

Ladies’ Tresses, a species of eastern Asia, grows on the coast and tablelands, usually on the margins of wet or boggy places. In the Namoi high country this species occurs occasionally on the wet margins of Basalt Plateau Lagoons and Carex Sedgelands.

Adam Gosling

Other

Harry Rose

Lachlan Copeland




Typha orientalis typhaceae

Broadleaf Cumbungi

Broadleaf Cumbungi, also called Bulrush, is a tall, robust perennial aquatic plant to 4m tall, with large tough branched undergroundstems(rhizomes)to20mmwide.Plantscanformextensivebeds.Leavesaretough,strap-like,to2mlongandto 30mm wide, with a distinct shallow ear-like projection at the top of the sheath. The distinctive cylindrical and compact flowerheads appear at the tips of flowering stalks, the male flowerhead at the top and the wider velvety-brown female flowerheadbelow.Flowersand1-seededfruitsareminute;fruits have long hairs and are dispersed by wind.

Broadleaf Cumbungi is widespread in the eastern half of the state, in swamps, lake and stream margins, irrigation channels and drains. In the Namoi high country this species grows in streams and farm dams where it is occasionally invasive.

Large clumps are nesting habitat for birds. Young shoots of bulrushes were eaten by Aboriginal people; rhizomes were roasted and eaten, the remaining fibres used to make string. Young flowerheads can be steamed and eaten.

Harry Rose

Other

John Tann

Russel Best/http://creativecommons

Jon Burne




Vallisneria australis hydrocharitaceae

Ribbonweed

Ribbonweed is a totally submerged perennial plant, with flowers emerging above the water surface. Plants spread from white to brown underground stems. Leaves are all at the base of the plant, strap-shaped, to 3m long and to 35mm wide, thin and nearly translucent,with5–7majorlongitudinalveins,greenandusuallycovered with a thick layer of algae. Female flowers are narrow, to25mmlong,producedonalongstalkto2mlongthatuncoilsto place the tip of the flower at the water surface for pollination, then coils again to bring the fruits down to deposit seeds on the mud. Male flowerheads are produced underwater at the base of the plant, are stalked, with a large bract enclosing numerous dust-like male flowers that are then released to float to the surface where they are blown by wind to the female flowers.

Ribbonweed is widespread over most of the state, growing in still or flowing water to 7m deep in perennial streams and dams. Can be troublesome if nutrient levels are high. Occurs in large dams in the Namoi high country. Plants are eaten by water birds; the algal covering on leaves is food for snails and habitat for other tiny aquatic invertebrates.

Graeme Pritchard

Other

Graeme Pritchard

Graeme Pritchard




*Callitriche stagnalis Callitrichaceae

Common Starwort

Common Starwort is an introduced aquatic plant that spreads and forms large mats on or under the water surface or on damp mud at the edges of streams. Stems can form roots at nodes. This species has tiny, shining green, round to spoon-shaped leaves to 25mmlongandto6mmwide,inpairsoppositeeachotheronslender creeping stems. Flowers are minute, located at the bases ofleaves on tiny stalks and are either male or female. The male flowerconsists of a single tiny stamen. Fruits are green becoming brown astheplantages,roundedandflattenedto2mmwide,breakingup into 4 segments when mature. A large mat of CommonStarwort can produce hundreds of seeds spread by water or in mudon water birds’ feet. The species is also spread by small fragments becoming detached by flowing water; these are stranded on mud downstream, grow roots and become established.

Common Starwort is native to Europe but naturalised in other continents and is widespread in NSW; occurs in the high country of the Namoi in roadside drains and minor waterways.

It provides habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates; seeds and leaves are possibly eaten by ducks.

Jon Burne

Forb

Harry Rose

Nic Cobcroft




Centella asiatica apiaceae

Indian Pennywort

Indian Pennywort is a small perennial plant in the carrot family.Leafyshoots10to20cmtallformoncreepinghorizontalstems; stems form roots at the nodes. Leaves are on long leaf stalksto20cm,arehairless,heart-shapedorcircularwithsmooth or scalloped margins. Two to three flowers appear on tiny umbrella-like flowerheads; flowerheads are flat-topped or rounded clusters where flower stalks all of roughly equal length arise at the same point. Fruits are dry and split into two ribbed segments.

In the north of the state Indian Pennywort grows in damp places on the coast, tablelands and the edges of the western slopes. Native to Asia as well as Australia, Indian pennywort is eatenasavegetableinIndia,VietnamandThailandandhasmany uses in traditional medicine.

Harry Rose

Forb

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Harry Rose




*Cirsium vulgare asteraceae

Spear Thistle

Spear Thistle is a tall biennial or short-lived introduced thistle native to Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa. From a rosetteofleavesandadeeptaproot,afloweringstemto1.5mtall forms in the second year of growth. Stems have numerous spine-tipped wings. Leaves are spiny, grey-green and deeply lobed; leaf lobes are spear-shaped (thus the common name). The flowerhead is a bell-shaped head of numerous tiny purple flowers packed together with spiny bracts beneath, all on the widened tip of the flowering branchlets. The tiny dry fruits are topped with long feathery hairs and are dispersed by wind and on water.

Spear Thistle is a widespread weed of cultivation, disturbed areas and waste ground. It also grows in areas beside rivers. Spear Thistle often appears in dry Basalt Plateau lagoon-beds from blown-in seeds and is present but not common in Carex Sedgelands.

The flowers are a source of nectar for bees and other insects; seeds are eaten by birds.

John Tann

Forb

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

John Tann




Epilobium billardierianum subsp. hydrophilum onagraceae

Robust Willow-herb

Robust Willow-herb is an erect perennial herbaceous plant, to1mtall,withstemsthatbranchandformrootsatthenodes.Leaves are lance-shaped to narrow egg-shaped with small regular teeth on each side. Leaves become reddish when old. Flowers are attractive, purplish-pink, occasionally white, somewhatvariableinsize,butusuallyto15mmwide.Fruitsareslender cylindrical capsules which split into two long sections, releasing the numerous seeds embedded in soft white silky fluff for dispersal by wind.

Robust Willow-herb is mostly known from the north-eastern part of the state and grows in damp sites such as creek banks and dam edges on the tablelands and higher areas of the coast above200m.Thisspecies,commonorscattered,isoftenadistinctive feature of Carex Sedgelands and the edges of Basalt Plateau Lagoons. It may be a food source for insect larvae.

Similar species: Epilobium billardierianum subsp. cinereum, a much more widespread plant of dampish to drier areas. Flowers smaller, white or pink, leaves smaller and narrower, often hairy.

Adam Gosling

Forb

John T. Hunter

Adam Gosling

John T. Hunter




Eryngium sp. little llangothlin nr apiaceae

Swamp Blue Devil

Swamp Blue Devil is a perennial herbaceous plant, with shoots arranged in rosettes along long creeping prostrate or underground stems. When growing on damp to dry soil, leaves aresharplytoothedandpricklyto15cmlong.Inwater,leaveshave a different form, strictly cylindrical and hollow with no teeth or spines. Flowerheads are rounded with numerous spiny bracts, on stems shorter than the leaves. Flowers are blue. Fruit are covered in tiny bladdery scales.

Swamp Blue Devil has a scattered distribution, a few plants occurring on the margins of a handful of Basalt Plateau Lagoons on the tablelands, including a small remnant lagoon near Hanging Rock, and occasionally in Carex Sedgelands near the eastern edge of the Namoi Catchment.

The scientific name of this Eryngium species has not yet been published. The name Eryngium sp. Little Llangothlin NR is a phrase name, used for a species that has not yet been formally described. This name uses the geographic locality Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve since this is where the species was first collected.

John T. Hunter

Forb

Adam Gosling

Lachlan Copeland

John T. Hunter




Geranium solanderi var. solanderi geraniaceae

Native Geranium

Native Geranium is a perennial herbaceous plant with coarse stiff longish hairs on stems to 50cm long. Stems spread horizontally then grow upwards; the taproot is swollen and turnip-like. Plants grow low to the ground or upwards through other vegetation. Leaves are in opposite pairs on stems, rounded to kidney-shaped, slit almost to the centre into narrow lobes, with hairs flattened against the leaf surface. Flowers are small,simpleinshape,petalswhitetopink,5–8mmlong,andare usually in pairs on a longish stalk. The long narrow fruits split into five segments; seeds are then held outwards on long stalks for release.

Native Geranium is widespread across most of the state in moist to drier woodlands and forests and is common but not abundant in Carex Sedgelands. The taproots were eaten roasted by Aboriginal people.

The subspecies Geranium solanderi var. grande has bigger flowerswithpetals10–12mmlongandisgenerallylargeroverall; occurring at higher altitudes in Montane Peatlands and occasionally in Carex Sedgelands.

John T. Hunter

Forb

Kevin Thiele

John T. Hunter

Harry Rose




Geum urbanum rosaceae

Herb Bennet

Herb Bennet, also known as Wood Avens, is an erect perennial herbaceousplantintherosefamily,0.5–1mtall,hairlessorcoveredinlongsofthairs.The15–30cmlongbasalleavesaredivided into several segments, each segment with irregular lobes, with segments becoming smaller towards the apex of the leaf. Flowers are simple in shape, yellow, petals to 8mm long, with a few flowers at the tip of flowering stems. Fruits consist of many individual ‘seeds’ clustered into a head, each with a hooked purple bristle, the whole seed head forming a burr to aid dispersal.

Apparently widespread but uncommon on the coast and tablelands. Encountered only twice in Carex Sedgelands on the upper parts of the Namoi Catchment, with only a few plants seen.

Native of Australia, Europe and North America. In folklore it was credited with protection against evil spirits and rabid dogs. Modern herbalists use this plant for many ailments including diarrhoea and heart disease.

John T. Hunter

Forb

Phil Sellens

John T. Hunter

Peter O’Connor




Gonocarpus micranthus haloragaceae

Creeping Raspwort

Creeping Raspwort is a small herbaceous perennial plant, branching and usually hairless. Stems form roots at the nodes. Leaves are in opposite pairs at right angles to those above or belowonthestems,egg-shapedorcircular,to11mmwidewitha rounded or heart-shaped base, the margins thickened with small teeth. Flowerheads are erect or arching, the flowers tiny, red and nodding. Pollen-bearing stamens are prominent. Fruits are egg-shaped, reddish to grey, hairless.

Creeping Raspwort grows in moist places in open forests, Montane Peatlands and the margins of Basalt Plateau Lagoons and Carex Sedgelands where the soil is acidic.

Creeping Raspwort has two subspecies: subsp. micranthus has narrow flowering stems with no or few branches; plants are usuallyprostrateto10cmtall;subsp.ramosissimus has more branched loose inflorescences to 60cm tall. Both subspecies grow on the coast, tablelands and parts of the slopes.

Forb

subsp. ramosissimusAdam Gosling

subsp. micranthus Lachlan Copeland

subsp. micranthusSarah Hill




Gratiola peruviana scrophulariaceae

Austral Brooklime

Austral Brooklime is a perennial herbaceous plant from 30 to 50cm tall. The branching stems sucker at the nodes and lie on the ground with the tips growing upwards or are erect, especially when growing in water. Leaves are in opposite pairs, ovaltoellipticto4.5cmlongandabout2cmwide,withtoothededges, stalkless, with the base clasping the stem. Flowers appearsinglyinleafangles,onstalksto12mmlong.Flowersare trumpet-like, tubular with five spreading lobes at the top, white to pink with red-purple stripes, the inside of the tube is covered in short hairs. Fruits are dry oval capsules that open along 4 splits releasing numerous seeds.

Austral Brooklime is native to Australasia and South America and grows on mudflats in swamps, on stream banks and in water to 50cm deep, surviving on dry ground when water recedes. This species occurs in the eastern parts of the state. In the Namoi high country Austral Brooklime grows mostly in wetter parts of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

John T. Hunter

Lachlan Copeland




Haloragis heterophylla haloragaceae

Rough Raspwort

Rough Raspwort is a slender erect perennial herbaceous plant to 50cm tall, with rough hooked hairs on four-angled stems, and spreading by underground stems. The leaves are variable (heterophylla means different leaves) and rough, to 3cm long, in opposite pairs at the base and scattered above, narrow with three long lobes or further divided into several long segments. Flowerheadsareerect,spike-likewith1–3redtinyflowersonshort stalks at each node. Fruits are small, dry and pear-shaped.

Rough Raspwort is widespread in the eastern half of the state and grows in moist areas in a variety of habitats. In the Namoi high country this species grows along creeks, in drainage lines and roadside drains and is often common at the upper edges of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

Harry Rose

Harry Rose





Hydrocotyle tripartita apiaceae

Pennywort

Pennywort is a slender perennial herbaceous plant in the carrot family. This species is prostrate and spreading, rooting at stemnodesandoftenformslowmats2–10cmtall.Leavesarecircular to kidney-shaped, divided to the base into segments about10mmlong.Segmentsarelobed,pointed,oftenwithteeth at the edges, and scattered with long straight stiff hairs. Flowerheads are small tight clusters of a few inconspicuous yellowtoredstalklessflowers.Fruitsaretiny,to1mmlong,dry,and split into two parts for dispersal.

Pennywort occurs in the eastern third of the state and grows in damp places in forests near streams and on the edges of swamps. In the Namoi high country, Pennywort is commonly seen at the edges of Carex Sedgelands and in the Basalt Plateau Lagoon.

Pennywort is one of the species of low meadow vegetation at swamp edges and forms habitat for small aquatic insects and frogs. Hydrocotyle peduncularis is a similar species of forests, with leaves not divided to the base. Occasionally seen at the edges of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

Harry Rose

Harry Rose

Hydrocotyle peduncularisHarry Rose

Hydrocotyle peduncularisSarah Hill




Isotoma fluviatilis subsp. borealis lobeliaceae

Swamp Isotome

Swamp Isotome is a prostrate perennial herbaceous plant, often forming dense mats, rooting at the nodes. Leaves are small,alternateonstems,4–12mmlong,oblongorelliptic,usually with a short stalk, edges with small teeth or scalloped. The flowers, solitary in leaf angles on stalks to 4cm long, are white or pale blue, tubular, the tube split down one side, with two upper and three lower lobes. Fruits are dry capsules, narrow, to 6mm long, splitting to release numerous tiny seeds.

This subspecies of Swamp Isotome grows in wet places at higher altitudes towards the north of the state. In the Namoi high country this subspecies occurs in Basaltic Lagoons, Montane Peatlands and at the edges of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

Graeme Pritchard

Graeme Pritchard

Graeme Pritchard




Leiocarpa sp. uralla asteraceae

Swamp Billy-buttons

Swamp Billy-buttons is a perennial herbaceous plant in the daisy family. Plants are grey with a covering of dense intertwined hairs. Stems are arching to erect. Hemispherical flowerheads to 15mmwideformonthetopoferectstemsto50cmtall,withthetypical daisy arrangement of many tightly packed, tiny, bright yellow flowers surrounded by numerous narrow bracts that are grey-green, leaf-like and overlapping. Each flower matures into a tiny narrow ‘seed’ with an umbrella-like pappus of hairs at the top to aid dispersal.

This Leiocarpa species is yet to be named and formally described. Known from the Northern Tablelands where it is often abundant in scattered clumps on the margins of wet areas especially but not always of Basalt Plateau Lagoons. Plants can tolerate growing underwater for weeks to months. In the Namoi high country, this species may occur on the edges of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

John T. Hunter

Lachlan Copeland

John T. Hunter




Lycopus australis lamiaceae

Native Gipsywort

Native Gipsywort, in the mint family, is a perennial herbaceous plantto1.5mtall.Stemsarerigid,groovedandfour-sided,strongly erect, rarely branched, arising from creeping but un-branched underground stems. Aboveground shoots die in winter. Pairs of leaves are arranged in opposite pairs on stems, lance-shaped, edged with regular coarse teeth, and aromatic with glands on undersurfaces. Flowers consist of petals fused into a long tube with four irregular spreading lobes at the top, white, with mauve dots at base of lobes, and with stamens protruding from the tubes. Flowers are in tight stalkless clusters in the angles of upper leaves. Fruits are dry and split into four, one-seeded segments. In winter, the rough-textured remains of flowers persist on dead stems.

Native Gipsywort occurs in wet areas on tablelands and slopes, along drainage lines, creek banks, and the edges of dams, often in Carex Sedgelands. It is especially abundant and rather weedy in wet years and where moist areas are disturbed. Stems and shoots of associated species form habitat for frogs and invertebrates, and flowers provide nectar for insects.

Forb

John T. Hunter

John T. Hunter

Jon Burne




Lysimachia vulgaris var. davurica myrsinaceae

Yellow Loosestrife

Yellow Loosestrife, is an erect perennial herbaceous plant shooting from underground stems and with bright yellow flowers. Yellow Loosestrife is listed as Endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW). Stems and leaves are softly hairy; leaves are in pairs or in whorls of 3 or 4 at the same level on the stem, elliptic to spear-shaped, to 9cm longandto22mmwide.Branchedflowerheadsdevelopatthe top of stems. Flowers often have minute orange to reddish lines or dots. Fruits are dry capsules splitting from the top into 5 sections with many seeds.

Yellow Loosestrife was collected from a Carex Sedgeland in theeastoftheNamoihighcountryin2008.Thelastrecordedoccurrence in the north of the state was at Timbarra east of Tenterfieldin1898,withlaterNSWcollectionsfromtheCentraland Southern Tablelands and near Bega.

Yellow Loosestrife is almost certainly dispersed by migratory birds such as Latham’s Snipe, the species establishing briefly but not persisting.

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Jon Burne

John T. Hunter

© Hans Hillewaert




Lythrum salicaria lythraceae

Purple Loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife, a perennial herbaceous plant, has erect four-angledstemsto1mtall,andhorizontalundergroundstems.Leaves are narrowly egg-shaped to lance-shaped, leaf bases stem-clasping or rounded, arranged in opposite pairs or in threes. Flowerheadshaveclustersof3–5deep-pinktopurpletubularflowers with 5 or 6 spreading lobes in the angles of reduced leaves. Dry capsules split into two parts to release numerous tiny seeds. In winter, the remains of flowers persist on dead stems.

Widespread in swampy places or near water, scattered to occasionally common in Carex Sedgelands on tablelands and slopes. Purple Loosestrife, native to Eurasia but introduced to North America and New Zealand, has become a troublesome invasive weed in these countries.

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Adam Gosling

John T. Hunter

Adam Gosling




*Mentha x piperita lamiaceae

Peppermint

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata); an introduced perennial plant to 80cm tall spreading along above –orbelowgroundstems.Shootsareerect,oftentingedpurpleand the whole plant is aromatic. Leaves are egg-shaped or narrow egg-shaped with toothed edges and in opposite pairs on the four-angled stems. Leaves and stems are hairless or with a few scattered hairs. Flowerheads develop at the top of stems with dense clusters of small lilac to pink flowers to 8mm long in the angles of reduced leaves. Flowers are tubular with four spreading lobes. As a hybrid, Peppermint produces no seeds and is presumably dispersed by stem fragments.

Peppermint is native to Europe and is now widespread in cultivation throughout the world. The species is considered invasive in Australia and naturalised in moist places in eastern NSW. In the Namoi high country, Peppermint occurs occasionally in Carex Sedgelands.

Cultivated Peppermint is used widely in the herbal industry for tea and for flavouring foods.

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John T. Hunter

John T. Hunter




*Mimulus moschatus scrophulariaceae

Musk Monkey-flower

Musk Monkey-flower is an introduced perennial herbaceous plantto30cmtall,spreadingbylongabove–orundergroundstems. The plant is covered in long soft sticky hairs and said to have a musky scent. Leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, are broadly oval, to 6cm long and 30mm wide, with three veins, pointed tips, a rounded to heart-shaped base and toothed edges. Usually only one flower appears in leaf angles on a stalk to2cmlong.Flowersareyellow,trumpetshapedto25mmlong with fine red lines on the tube and coarse hairs and brown blotches inside the inner parts of the 5 rounded lobes. Fruits are dry oval capsules to 6mm long, splitting to release numerous seeds.

Musk Monkey-flower is native to Western North America and has become naturalized in Chile, parts of Europe and in Australia, growing in moist sites in swamps and along streams on the Northern Tablelands. In the Namoi high country this species was seen once in the wetter parts of a Carex Sedgeland.

Forb

John Sullivan

Jason Hollinger




Myriophyllum variifolium haloragaceae

Water-milfoil

Water-milfoil is a perennial aquatic herbaceous plant; leaves are arranged in whorls of five, with two distinct leaf forms. Emergent (above the water) leaves are narrow and elongated to1mmwideandto15mmlong,withsmoothmargins.Submerged leaves are feathery, much wider than emergent leaves, with each leaf divided into many thin branched and elongated segments. Flowering shoots form above the water surface and wind-pollinated flowers, male or female, occur on the same shoot with a single tiny stalkless flower in each leaf angle. Male flowers are yellow to red with large pollen-producing anthers; female flowers, no petals, with white, fringed stigmas for trapping pollen. The tiny dry fruits split into four long cylindrical segments.

Water-milfoil can survive and flower on damp to drying mud. In deep water, stems are a metre or more long and often form a thick floating mat at the surface. Stems can form roots at the nodes. Widespread and common in the eastern third of the state in a variety of wet places from farm dams to swamps, Basalt Plateau Lagoons, fens and bogs. It can become dominant in high nutrient situations. Provides habitat and food for fish and aquatic invertebrates. Has a large persistent seed bank; seeds are dispersed in mud on the feet of birds.

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Harry Rose

Adam Gosling

Adam Gosling

Harry Rose




Slender Knotweed is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, stems erect or sometimes lax to 30cm tall. Leaves are narrow elliptictolance-shapedto12cmlong,oftenwithapurplishblotch near the middle of leaves, occasionally with scattered dots on the lower surface. Long skin-like sheaths with comb-like bristles wrap around and completely enclose each leaf base and the adjoining stem. Flowerheads are sparsely branched, 2–6cmlong,withsmallclusteredstalklessflowersabout2.5mmlong. Flowers are pink. The fruits are dry, flattish, lens-shaped, dark brown to black and enclosed in the papery remains of the petals.

Slender Knotweed grows in or on the edge of rivers and creeks in the eastern half of the state. Seeds can be an important food source for finches and other birds. Plants were reportedly used as fish poison by Aboriginal people.

Similar species: Persicaria lapathifolia (Pale Knotweed) is generallyamuchmorerobustplantto1.8mtall,possiblyintroduced, with shorter, crowded pink flowerheads and sheaths with no bristles.

Harry Rose

Lachlan Copeland

Harry Rose

ForbPersicaria decipiens

Polygonaceae

Slender Knotweed




Water Pepper is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant to 1.2mtall,stemserectorsometimesdrooping.Leavesarenarrowegg-shaped, with minute dots, hairy on veins and edges. Long skin-like sheaths wrap around and completely enclose each leaf base and the adjoining stem, comb-like bristles along sheath tops. Flowers are green to white, to 3.5mm long, and scattered along the flowerheads. The fruits are dry, flattish, lens-shaped, dark brown to black and enclosed in the papery remains of the petals.

Water Pepper is scattered to common in moist to wet places in the eastern half of the state especially where receding water has exposed bare mud, on the edges of creeks and other wetlands, and on riverine gravel beds.

Seeds can be an important food source for finches and other birds.

Lachlan Copeland


ForbPersicaria hydropiper

Polygonaceae

Water Pepper

Nic Cobcroft





Self-heal is a small introduced herbaceous plant, a member of the mint family. Branches are horizontal, rooting at the nodes with tips that grow erect. Leaves are oval to 6cm long and2.5cmwideonshortstalksandarrangedinoppositepairs.Flowerheads of crowded flowers and small leafy bracts appear at the tip of the erect stems. Flowers are deep purple-blue, tubular,to12mmlong,lobestwo-lipped,thelowerliplongerthan the upper and spoon-shaped. The pollen-bearing stamens protrude to the tip of the lower lip.

Self-heal is a native of Europe and temperate Asia and is naturalised and widespread in the eastern parts of the state. This species is usually seen in damp disturbed areas such as roadside drains. In the Namoi high country it also grows at the margins of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb*Prunella vulgaris

Lamiaceae

Self-heal

John Tann

Russell Best http://creativecommons




River Buttercup is a perennial herbaceous plant, stems erect in water or creeping on mud, rooting at the nodes. Leaves are round in outline, with numerous narrow segments cut almost to the centre. On damp soil leaves are smaller; in water larger with longer thinner segments and float on the water surface. Floweringstemsarefrom7–30cmtall.Flowersaresmallto15mmwide,heldaboveleaves,with5–7narrowshiningyellowpetals. Fruits from a single flower are aggregates of numerous small dry fruits, each with a short narrow bent beak.

River Buttercup is an amphibious plant, ie it can grow on the margins of wetlands or in water and like Water-milfoil, is much smaller and more compact on drying mud. This plant occurs on the coast and tablelands and is common in Basalt Plateau Lagoons but also occasionally seen on the edges of Carex Sedgelands, in dams and in shallow streams.

ForbRanunculus inundatus

ranunculaceae

River Buttercup

John T. Hunter

Nic Cobcroft Nic Cobcroft

Harry Rose




Common Buttercup is a perennial herbaceous plant to 60cm tall with hairy leaves and stems. Leaves are mostly at the base of the plant with smaller leaves on flower stems. Leaves are triangular to ovate in outline, to 8cm long, and divided or lobed into toothed segments. Flowering stems are erect, usually sparingly branched. Flowers are bright yellow with five petals and to 40mm wide. Each petal has a nectar-secreting structure at its base. Fruits from a single flower are aggregates of many tiny dry hooked fruits.

Common Buttercup is widespread in grasslands and forests to 1500m,intheeasternhalfofthestate,growingindamptodrysites. In the Namoi high country, Common Buttercup often grows in moist soil at the margins of wetlands such as Basalt Plateau Lagoons and Carex Sedgelands. Flowers are pollinated by insects.

ForbRanunculus Iappaceus

ranunculaceae

Common Buttercup

Ian Sutton

Nuytsia@Tas (flickr)

Ian Sutton





Swamp Dock, in the dock and sorrel family, is a perennial herbaceous plant to 80cm tall with slender erect elongated stems and a thick, often twisted, taproot. Stems are reddish green, sparingly branched. Plants live for up to five years and often die down in late summer, forming new leaves the following spring. Leaves form a rosette at soil level, are variable in shape, oblong, spear-shapedorfiddle-shaped,to12cmlongand4cmwidewith a heart-shaped or wedge-shaped base. Smaller leaves are present on lower parts of flowering stems. Flowerheads are open, looselybranchedwithdistantclustersof5–8flowersatthesamelevel on the stem. Flowers are inconspicuous and green. Fruits are green maturing to rusty-brown, to 4mm long on a stalk, and consist of seeds encased in flower parts that enlarge and thicken into valves with hooked teeth on each side. Fruits are dispersed by adhesion to animal fur.

Swamp Dock is widespread but never common in the eastern two-thirds of the state. It occurs in moist situations, in pastures and beside streams. In the Namoi high country this species grows on stream banks and at the edges of Carex Sedgelands and in damp spots in grassland.

ForbRumex brownii Polygonaceae

Swamp Dock

Giorgia de Nola

David Francis

David Francis

Russell Besthttp://creativecommons




Curled Dock, in the dock and sorrel family, is a robust, introduced,erectperennialplantto1.5mtall,hairless,greenwhen young and reddish-brown when mature with a long tap root. Leaves are smooth with distinctive waved or curled edges, in a basal rosette with much smaller leaves among the flowers. Flowerheads have a few erect branches and are crowded with flowers and fruits. Flowers are small and green to red in colour. Fruits are shiny red-brown and consist of seeds encased in flower parts that enlarge and thicken into large flared valves that float on water.

Curled Dock is native to Europe and SW Asia but in places is extremely invasive. In Australia, it is a widespread weed of cultivation, common at wetland edges especially following soil disturbance. Seeds are dispersed on animal fur and on water.

Forb*Rumex crispusPolygonaceae

Curled Dock

John T. Hunter

John T. HunterJohn T. Hunter

Nic Cobcroft




Swamp Starwort is a fragile-looking weakly trailing perennial herb, with smooth four-angled stems. Leaves are long and narrow,about1mmwide,stalklessandattachedinpairsoppositeeach other at the same stem level. Flowering stems have flowers singly or three together on long stalks. Flowers are small, star-shapedandwhite,to10mmwide,withfivepetalssplitintwotonearthebaseandthusappearingtohave10petals.Fruitsareegg-shaped capsules containing numerous seeds.

Swamp Starwort is widespread in NSW and grows in swamps andmoist sites, in shallow water or on moist soil with stems scrambling over or intwined with other species. In the upper parts of the Namoi Catchment this species occurs in the small Basalt Plateau Lagoon near Hanging Rock and along creeks and edges of dams. Swamp Starwort is one of the distinctive and key species of Carex Sedgelands.

Forb

Adam Gosling

John T. HunterJon Burne

Stellaria angustifolia Caryophyllaceae

Swap Starwort




Fairy Aprons is a slender herbaceous carnivorous plant spreading from thread-like creeping underground or underwater stems. Leaves are a clear yellow-green, at first spoon-shaped then long andnarrowfrom2mmlong,andformarosetteatthebase,are often overlooked, difficult to see or absent in older plants. Horizontalstemsbeartiny(to2mmwide)ovalorroundedbladder-like traps with long hairs; tiny aquatic invertebrates touching the hairs trigger the opening of the trap and are sucked inside under pressure. Flowering stems are erect and un-branched, to 30cm tall, with the relatively large stalked flowers usually in pairsorwhorlsofthreetogether.Flowersareto22mmlong,two-lipped, the upper lip small, lower lip much larger, dark-violet to purple and kite-shaped with two or three central yellow ridges and a long spur beneath containing nectar. Fruits are dry rounded capsules splitting to release numerous ornamented seeds.

Fairy Aprons is widespread in damp places in the eastern third of the state. In the Namoi high country this species grows occasionally at the damp edges of Carex Sedgelands.

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Nuytasia@Tas (flickr)

Adam Gosling

Dorothy Bell

Utricularia dichotoma lentibulariaceae

Fairy Aprons




Purple Top is a tall introduced herbaceous plant, sometimes slightly woody at the base. Stems are four-angled and slightly rough,withsidebranches,andto2mtall.Leavesarestalkless,in opposite pairs at right angles to the pairs below and above, oblong-oval in shape, rough and slightly hairy with a nearly heart-shaped base. Leaf edges have saw-shaped teeth. The large complex flowerheads appear at the tips of long branches. Each flowerhead terminates in cylindrical spikes of reddish, stalkless flowers with purple open flowers at the tips; tips all held at about the same level. Individual flowers are small, tubular with five spreading lobes. Fruit are dry, separating when mature into four one-seeded segments.

Purple Top is native to tropical South America, cultivated in gardens elsewhere and introduced to Australia. This species is naturalised and often weedy in the eastern half of the state in pastures, cultivated areas, and roadsides. In the Namoi high country Purple Top is usually a component, if minor, of Carex Sedgelands and appears to tolerate some degree of flooding.

Forb

Jon Burne

Harry Rose

John Tann

*Verbena bonariensis Verbenaceae

Purple Top




Bendemeer Bottlebrush, a newly discovered species known onlyfromasmallareaabout10kmnorthofBendemeer,is a neatly rounded shrub to 3m. As with other species in Myrtaceae, the eucalypt family, leaves contain small oil dots and are aromatic when crushed. The narrow lance-shaped leavesarestalked,about2cmlongand3mmwide,withsilkyhairs above and beneath with a distinct single midvein and a sharp point at the tip. Flowerheads are the typical broad-cylindrical bottlebrush shape, to 6cm long and 3cm wide, crowded spikes of attractive bright red flowers with long conspicuous protruding stamens. Fruits are dry and woody, rounded, to 3.5mm wide and clustered tightly on the stem; seeds are tiny and chaff-like.

Bendemeer Bottlebrush occurs at the edges of a Carex Sedgeland and beside a small stream, possibly both on the same watercourse.

Shrub or Tree

Jon Burne

Lachlan Copeland

Lachlan Copeland

Callistemon sp. Bendemeer myrtaceae

Bendemeer Bottlebrush




River Oakisatree15–35mtallwithfissuredbark,andfinegreyish needle-like branchlets either drooping or erect. Leaves are reduced to a ring of tiny scales at the nodes of cylindrical ridged branchlets. Flowers are tiny and wind-pollinated; trees are either male or female. Female flowerheads are globular to1mmwide;femaleflowershaveshowyredstigmas.Maleflowerheads are long narrow spikes with orange-brown anthers. Female flowerheads develop into a woody ‘cone’, to 10mmwide;seedsaredarkandwingedfordispersalbywind.

River Oak occurs along permanent streams and rivers in the eastern third of the state. Common along the Macdonald River at Bendemeer and in other high country streams. Important for stabilising river banks; seedlings are palatable to stock and often germinate on riverine gravel beds.

Shrub or Tree

Ian Sutton

Ian Sutton

Bidgee

Casuarina cunninghamiana Casuarinaceae

River Oak




Small-fruit Hakea is an untidy small shrub with spreading oruprightbranchesto2mtall.Leavesarehardandtough,grey-green,cylindrical to narrowly flat with a prominent midvein, to 5mm wide andto11cmlong.Flowersareclustered,10–40togetheronshortstalks in leaf angles, irregular in shape, white to cream, tubular, bent to one side near the tip. Fruits are woody, with a smooth surface, to 17cmlongand8cmwide.Fruitsremainontheplantuntilbranchesdie or are killed by fire then split into two halves and releasethe twin winged seeds. Small-fruit Hakea growing in swamps is not killed by fire but resprouts from the surviving plant base.

Small-fruit Hakea occurs mainly in the tablelands in NSW mostly at higher altitudes and grows in Montane Peatlands, alongside streams, in wet areas in woodlands or even beside roads. In the Namoi Catchment, Small-fruit Hakea grows in peatlands in Nundle State Forest. It is a nectar source for birds and nesting habitat.

Shrub or Tree

John T. Hunter

Lachlan CopelandAdam Gosling

Hakea microcarpa Proteaceae

Small-fruit Hakea




Tantoon, one of the tea-trees, is a shrub or tree usually to 3m tall in the Namoi high country, with firm, soft bark and hairy young stems. Leaves are narrowly elliptic, sometimes aromatic withtinyoildots,5–20mmlongand1–5mmwideoftenwithapointedtip.Flowersaresolitaryto15mmwidewithgreenishwhite to pink petals held at the top edge of a thick glistening nectar-secreting cup. Fruits are woody, similar to gumnuts, and split at the top to release numerous chaffy seeds.

Tantoon grows in the eastern third of the state on the coast, tablelands and slopes on sandy or basalt derived soils in damp places and along watercourses. In the Namoi high country this species grows along drainage lines and creeks and at the edges of Montane Peatlands and Carex Sedgelands.

Shrub or Tree

John T. Hunter

Lachlan Copeland

Jon Burne

Leptospermum polygalifolium myrtaceae

Tantoon

John T. Hunter




Red Azolla is a small, aquatic, free-floating fern of still or slow-flowing waters. Plants have a short creeping stem, and beneath are long fine roots without side branches; individual plantsareroughlycircularinoutline,to2cmwide,andbranchfreely, breaking into smaller sections as they grow. The tiny fronds (leaves) are in two rows, green or reddish. Colonies of microscopic blue-green algae live in cavities in the leaves, and fix nitrogen from the atmosphere for use by the plant. Red Azolla survives by submerged buds but also produces spores that sink and are retained in the sediment.

Red Azolla occurs over most of the eastern part of the state. It has become naturalised in other countries and continents and is sometimes considered invasive. Red Azolla can expand to cover water bodies in only a few months, in winter often covering farm dams with a red ferny floating carpet. This species is not harmful to stock nor does it have a harmful effect on domestic water. Red Azolla is a food source for water birds, fish, snails and insects.

Similar species: Azolla pinnata has more regular branches and is triangular in outline; roots have fine side branches.

Fern or Moss

red azolla on a farm damJon Burne

Adam Gosling

Azolla pinnata© Marilyn Bull (Gray)

Azolla filiculoides salviniaceae

Red Azolla




Fishbone Water-fern is a tough densely tufted perennial fern, with a short creeping rhizome (underground stem), sometimes forming a short trunk in older plants. Stalks are shiny black. Sterile (non-spore-bearing) fronds are clustered, elliptic, mid-green, to 60cm long, divided into oblong segments with wide stalkless bases. Fertile fronds are stiffly erect and segments are narrower and shorter than on sterile fronds. Spores are released from along the edges of the frond segments.

Fishbone Water-fern only occurs on the coast and tablelands in NSW, and is abundant in ferny gullies, boggy places, rainforest and often forms large colonies on creek banks. In the Namoi high country, this species is common in streamside Montane Peatlands in Hanging Rock State Forest.

It provides habitat for insects.

Fern or Moss

Jon Burne

Jon Burne

Blechnum nudum Blechnaceae

Fishbone Water-fern

Jon Burne




Sphagnum Moss is a small slow-growing plant, pale to brownish-green in colour or occasionally reddish, with shoots to 30cm long that form dense mats on damp soil, at the base of other plants and even envelope other low-growing plants. Sphagnum Mosses grow in areas with high rainfall and low temperatures or where drainage is poor. Sphagnum Moss acts like a sponge, retaining water and maintaining the surrounding water in an acidic state slowing the breakdown of dead plant material. Dead moss accumulates resulting in the formation of peat, although most of the peat in peatlands in Australia is derived from sedges. Sphagnum Moss is a distinctive feature of Montane Peatlands.

In the Namoi high country, Sphagnum Moss occurs in peatlands in the southeast, especially in Hanging Rock State Forest.

Fern or Moss

Graeme Pritchard

Adam Gosling Graeme Pritchard

Sphagnum cristatum Sphagnaceae

Sphagnum Moss




Water-dependent woody weeds can be common along streams and in Carex Sedgelands in the Namoi high country. A variety of introduced woody trees and shrubs occur along streams in the Namoi high country and include Weeping Willow (*Salix babylonica), White Willow (*Salix alba), both Large Leaved Privet (*Ligustrum lucidum) and Small Leaved Privet (*Ligustrum sinense), wild plum and peach trees (*Prunus spp.).

Despite control measures almost every Carex Sedgeland in the Namoi high country has at least one blackberry plant (*Rubus anglocandicans). Blackberries probably germinate and establish on drier clumps of Carex and from then on appear to tolerate wet feet. Landholders usually spray to control blackberries but the sedgeland in the main photograph was burned to kill the blackberries soon after this photograph was taken. Although burning should not kill the three Carex species, as these resprout from their protected underground stems, burning may be considered a threat for these Endangered Ecological Communities since it risks a reduction in species diversity. Not all species of Carex Sedgelands may survive fire and in fact smaller herbs such as Native Geranium and Swamp Starwort may be killed by fire.

Woody Weeds

Blackberry flowerJohn Tann

Blackberries in a Carex sedgeland John T. Hunter

Woody Weeds

Weeping WillowDarren Ryder


Annual: Plants that complete their life cycle in one season.

Anther: The structure of the flower that contains the pollen. Usually held at the tip of a long stalk (filament).

Awn: A bristle attached to parts of grass florets (flowers) and involved in dispersal.

Base: The lowest or lower part of a leaf, leaf blade, stem or plant. Leaf bases can have a distinctive shape where they join the stalk e.g. heart-shaped or wedge-shaped. The base of a stem can be distinctive e.g. leaves may only occur at the base of a plant.

Biennial: Plants that take up to two growing seasons to complete their life cycles, usually flowering in the second season.

Blade: The expanded part of a leaf. In grasses, rushes, sedges and other grass-like plants, the blade is usually attached to a sheath.

Bract: A modified leaf or scale, often small and often with a flower or branch in its angle.

Bristle: A short stiff hair.

Capsule: A dry fruit that splits in various ways to release seeds.

Dots: Tiny dots on a leaf or stem surface, usually glands, often secreting substances such as the aromatic oil of bottlebrushes and eucalypts, sometimes visible to the naked eye if held up to the light.

Egg-shaped:Anovalshapesimilartotheoutlineofaneggusually2–3timeslongerthanwideand widest near the base. Sometimes called ovate.

Elliptical: Having the shape of an ellipse, similar to egg-shaped but broadest at the middle.

Floret: The small flower, stalkless, of a spikelet in grasses or sedges, and wind-pollinated, with feathery stigmas and large anthers containing copious amounts of pollen.

Flowerhead: The region of a branch or stem where the flowers are. Flowerheads may be crowded and globular, or flowers arranged along a single length of stem or along several branches. Also called seedhead or inflorescence.

Fruit: The structure in flowering plants that contains seeds. After fertilization the ovary develops into the fruit. Can be fleshy (as in a berry) or dry.

Head: A dense cluster of usually stalkless flowers, often globular or rounded.

Herbaceous: Non-woody plants. Some herbaceous plants can become woody at the base.

Invertebrates: Animals with backbones. Invertebrates of aquatic and moist places include insects such as dragonflies, mayflies and caddis flies, snails, spiders, earthworms and leeches.

Leaflet: One of the segments of a leaf, often with a stalk.

GlossaryWetland Plants of the Namoi High Country



Ligule: A membrane or rim of hairs on the inner surface of a grass leaf at the junction of the blade and the sheath, often useful for identification. Some sedges also have ligules.

Node: The level on a stem where one or more leaves arise; sometimes call the joint, sometimes swollen or with a scar or ridge.

Nuts: A fruit that is dry, contains only one seed and doesn’t split before dispersal.

Opposite pairs: Refers to a pair of leaves that are held opposite each other at the same level on the stem.

Ovary: That part of the flower containing the ovules which, after fertilization, develop into seeds.

Pappus: Appendages such as scales, bristles or feathery hairs at the top of the fruit of plants in the daisy family; often aids dispersal by wind.

Perennial: Plants that live for more than two years.

Rhizome: A below ground horizontal stem, often thick and starchy.

Rosette: A radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of the plant.

Sheath: The base of a grass or grass-like leaf; a leafy or membranous structure that surrounds the stem and to which the leaf blade is attached. In Cyperaceae the sheath is closed i.e. completely tubular. In grasses the sheath is open, i.e. the edges are folded over each other.

Spike: A flowerhead where the flowers or spikelets on the flowering stem are without stalks.

Spikelet: The basic unit of the flowerhead in grasses and sedges. The spikelet consists of a short stem bearing bracts most of which contain a small flower (floret).

Stamen: One of the male parts of a flower, usually consisting of a pollen-filled anther at the end of a long filament.

Stigma: That structure in the female part of the flower that is receptive to pollen, is sticky or feathery and generally on the end of a long style.

Style: The stalk between the stigma and the ovary.

Vein: A line or ridge on leaves which contain the vessels that conduct water, sugars and minerals throughout the leaf. The midvein is the vein in the centre of the leaf.

Whorl: A ring of leaves or other plant parts (three or more), attached at the same level on a stem.

Wind-pollinated: Refers to flowers that are usually not showy or colourful but inconspicuous with large anthers on long flexible stalks (filaments) that can be blown about on the breeze. The pollen-gathering structure, the stigma, is feathery and sticky to pick up as many wind-borne pollen grains as possible.

Glossary


Further Reading:

Aston,H.I.(1977)Aquatic Plants of Australia. Melbourne Univ. Press.

Jacobs,S.W.L.,Whalley,R.D.B.&Wheeler,D.J.B.(2011)GrassesofNewSouthWales(4thEdition).University of New England, Armidale.

PlantNET(2012)NewSouthWalesFloraOnline.Searchesavailableathttp://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm

Sainty,G.R.&Jacobs,S.W.L.(1994)WaterplantsofNewSouthWales.WaterResourcesCommission, Sydney



Wetland Plants of the Namoi High Country IndexAlisma plantago-aquatica 35

austral Brooklime 53

austral rush 24

Azolla filiculoides 78

Baloskion stenocoleum 36

Bendemeer Bottlebrush 74

Black-stemmed rush 23

Blechnum nudum 79

Blunt Pondweed 40

Bog Bulrush 19

Broadleaf Cumbungi 43

Callistemon sp. Bendemeer 74

*Callitriche stagnalis 45

Carex appressa 7

Carex gaudichaudiana 8

Carex inversa 9

Carex sp. Bendemeer 10

Casuarina cunninghamiana 75

Cenchrus alopecuroides 27

Centella asiatica 46

*Cirsium vulgare 47

Club-sedges 18

Common Blown-grass 31

Common Bog-rush 21

Common Buttercup 68

Common Paspalum 32

Common reed 34

Common rush 26

Common spikerush 13

Common starwort 45

Creeping raspwort 52

Curled dock 70

*Cyperus eragrostis 11

Cyperus sphaeroideus 12

dietrich’s spikerush 14

drain flatsedge 11

Eleocharis acuta 13

Eleocharis dietrichiana 14

Eleocharis pusilla 15

Eleocharis sphacelata 16

Epilobium billardierianum subsp. hydrophilum

48

Eryngium sp. little llangothlin nr 49

fairy aprons 72

fen sedge 8

fishbone Water-fern 79

floating Bur-reed 41

frogmouth 39

Gahnia sieberiana 17

Geranium solanderi var. solanderi

50

Geum urbanum 51

golden Weather-grass 37

Gonocarpus micranthus 52

Gratiola peruviana 53

Hakea microcarpa 76

Haloragis heterophylla 54

Hemarthria uncinata var. uncinata

28

herb Bennet 51


*Holcus lanatus 29

Hydrocotyle tripartita 55

Hypoxis hygrometrica 37

indian Pennywort 46

Isachne globosa 30

Isolepis spp. 18

Isotoma fluviatilis subsp. borealis

56

Juncus alexandri subsp. melanobasis

23

Juncus australis 24

Juncus fockei 25

Juncus usitatus 26

Knob sedge 9

Lachnagrostis filiformis 31

ladies’ tresses 42

large-headed Clubrush 22

Leiocarpa sp. uralla 57

Leptospermum polygalifolium 77

Lomandra longifolia 38

Lycopus australis 58

Lysimachia vulgaris var. davurica 59

Lythrum salicaria 60

matgrass 28

*Mentha X piperita 61

*Mimulus moschatus 62

musk monkey-flower 62

Myriophyllum variifolium 63

narrow Cord-rush 36

native geranium 50

native gipsywort 58

*Paspalum dilatatum 32

Paspalum distichum 33

Pennywort 55

Peppermint 61

Persicaria decipiens 64

Persicaria hydropiper 65

Philydrum lanuginosum 39

Phragmites australis 34

Potamogeton ochreatus 40

*Prunella vulgaris 66

Purple loosestrife 60

Purple top 73

Ranunculus inundatus 67

Ranunculus lappaceus 68

red azolla 78

red-fruit saw-sedge 17

ribbonweed 44

river Buttercup 67

river Club rush 20

river oak 75

robust Willow-herb 48

rough raspwort 54

Rumex brownii 69

*Rumex crispus 70

scented sedge 12

Schoenoplectus mucronatus 19

Schoenoplectus validus 20

Schoenus apogon 21

Scirpus polystachyus 22

IndexWetland Plants of the Namoi High Country



self-heal 66

slender Joint-leaf rush 25

slender Knotweed 64

small spikerush 15

small-fruit hakea 76

Sparganium subglobosum 41

spear thistle 47

Sphagnum cristatum 80

sphagnum moss 80

spiny-headed mat-rush 38

Spiranthes australis 42

Stellaria angustifolia 71

swamp Billy-buttons 57

swamp Blue devil 49

swamp dock 69

swamp foxtail 27

swamp isotome 56

swamp millet 30

swamp starwort 71

tall sedge 7

tall spikerush 16

tantoon 77

two-ranked sedge 10

Typha orientalis 43

Utricularia dichotoma 72

Vallisneria australis 44

*Verbena bonariensis 73

Water Couch 33

Water Pepper 65

Water Plantain 35

Water-milfoil 63

Woody Weeds 81

yellow loosestrife 59

yorkshire fog 29

Namoi Catchment Management AuthorityWeb: www.namoi.cma.nsw.gov.au

TamworthPO Box 528Level 3, Noel Park House155–157 Marius StreetTamworth NSW 2340P: 02 6764 5907

GunnedahPO Box 54635–37 Abbott StreetGunnedah NSW 2380P: 02 6742 9220

© Namoi Catchment Management Authority

Documents

Wetland Plants - Archive Local Land Servicesarchive.lls.nsw.gov.au/.../496431/archive-wetland-plants...country.pdf · Wetland Plants of the namoi high Country / namoi CatChment