List of extinct flora of Australia

This is a list of recently extinct flora of Australia, that is plants that have known to have become extinct since the European colonisation of Australia in 1788. Within Australia there are mechanisms for registering an extinction at the federal, state and territory levels. Federal and state listing's may vary due to regional extinctions or because of differing definitions of extinction in the various pieces of legislation.

Plants listed as extinct by the federal government

Plants and animals are listed as extinct and the federal level under the auspices of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Act lists all plants known to have been made extinct since the commencement of European settlement of Australia in 1788. There are 52 plants currently listed as extinct under the Act.cite web | publisher = Department of Environment and Heritage | url = http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=flora#FLORA_EXTINCT | title = EPBC Act List of Threatened Flora | accessdate = 2007-01-17]

Of note, the species "Pimelea spinescens" subsp. "pubiflora" was presumed extinct after 1901, but a population was discovered in 2005.cite web | publisher = Department of Environment and Sustainability, Victoria | url = http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/E53EAE6078B397A8CA2571140013B63B/$File/Pimelea+spinescens+ssp+spinescens+red+mar+2006.pdf | accessdate = 2007-01-17 | title = Spiny Rice-flower] The orchid "Diuris bracteata" was also considered extinct after its first collection in 1899, but it was rediscovered in 1998. [Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW). 2005. [http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Diuris_bracteata_endangered Diuris bracteata (an orchid) - endangered species listing] ] Neither have been removed from the EPBC list of extinct plants. The Spiny Everlasting ("Acanthocladium dockeri") was reclassified as critically endangered in 2006 after it was rediscovered in 1999 [ [http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/acanthocladium-dockeri-advice.pdf Acanthocladium dockeri (Spiny Everlasting, Spiny Daisy) listing advice] ] . Bennett's Seaweed, declared extinct under the EPBC Act in 1999; was the first protist listed as extinct by the IUCN in 2004. [IUCN. 2004. [http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/html-books/red%20list%202004/completed/Section3.html Extinctions in Recent Time] ]

Plants listed as extinct by the states and territories

Each state and territory of Australia has legislation to record the extinction of plants and animals; organisms listed as extinct at the state level may differ from those listed under the EPBC Act.

Australian Capital Territory

Threatened species are listed under the "Nature Conservation Act 1980" in the Australian Capital Territory.

New South Wales

There are 35 taxa "presumed extinct" as specified in Part 4 of Schedule 1 of the New South Wales "Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995". [Government of New South Wales. [http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/act+101+1995+FIRST+0+N Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 No 101] ] Species presumed extinct in New South Wales, but not listed under the EPBC Act include:

"Rhaphidospora bonneyana", "Glinus orygioides", "Ptilotus extenuatus", "Acanthocladium dockeri" (listed by EPBC as extinct in SA, but not NSW), "Blumea lacera", "Senecio behrianus", "Stemmacantha australis", "Lepidium foliosum", "Stenopetalum velutinum", "Atriplex acutiloba", "Maireana lanosa", "Osteocarpum pentapterum", "Hypolepis elegans", " Codonocarpus pyramidalis", "Haloragis stricta", "Myriophyllum implicatum", "Caladenia rosella", "Thelymitra epipactoides", "Comesperma scoparium", "Grevillea nematophylla", "Persoonia laxa", "Pomaderris oraria" , "Aphanes pentamera", "Knoxia sumatrensis", " Micromelum minutum", "Philotheca angustifolia", "Dodonaea stenophylla", "Tetratheca pilosa subsp. pilosa".

Although listed as extinct under the EPBC Act "Hypsela sessiliflora" is listed as endangered in New South Wales, [NSW Scientific Committee (2003) [http://threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10425 Hypsela sessiliflora - Endangered species determination - final] . DEC (NSW), Sydney.] as is the rediscovered species "Diuris bracteata".

Northern Territory

Threatened species is the Northern Territory are listed under IUCN criteria by the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. [Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. [http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/threatened/classification.html Threatened species - Overview of the new threatened species list and the classification and listing processes] ] As of 2006 there are no recorded plant extinctions in the Northern Territory. [Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. [http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/threatened/specieslist.html Threatened Species List] ]

outh Australia

Threatened species are listed under the "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972" in South Australia. 26 plant taxa are presumed extinct in South Australia, 2 of these are listed under the EPBC Act [Souh Australia Department for Environment and Heritage, Environment Reporting. [http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/reporting/biodiversity/speciesthreats/noofextinct.html No. of Extinct, Endangered and Vulnerable Species and Ecological Communities] ] [South Australia Environment Protection Authority. 2003. [http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/soe2003/biodiversity.pdf South Australia State of the Environment Report 2003 - Biodiversity] . ISBN 1 876 562 617]

Queensland

Threatened species are listed under the "Nature Conservation Act 1992" and the "Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006" in Queensland, under this act some species are described as "presumed extinct". There are currently 27 species described as presumed extinct in Queensland [ [http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/SLS/2000/00SL354.pdf NATURE CONSERVATION AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT REGULATION (No. 1) 2000] ] , those not listed under the EPBC Act include:

"Acianthus ledwardii", "Amphineuron immersum", "Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum", "Corchorus thozetii", "Dimocarpus leichhardtii", "Lindsaea pulchella var. blanda", "Oldenlandia tenelliflora var. papuana", "Rhaphidospora cavernarum", "Tapeinosperma flueckigeri", "Teucrium ajugaceum", "Trichomanes exiguum", "Wendlandia psychotrioides", "Zieria sp." (Russell River S.Johnson in 1892).

It was reported [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/12/2214961.htm 'Extinct' plants rediscovered - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ] ] on 12 April 2008 that two of the plants, "Rhaphidospora cavernarum" and "Teucrium ajugaceum" have been rediscovered on Cape York between Cooktown and Lockhart River, and are now re-classified as "vulnerable".

Tasmania

There are 20 taxa classified as "presumed extinct" under schedule 3.2 of the Tasmanian "Threatened Species Protection Act 1995". Only thee of these species are listed as extinct under the EPBC Act. [Department of Primary Industried and Water. [http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/SJON-58E2VD?open Threatened Species List - Vascular Plants A-B] , as of December 2006] The additional species listed as extinct under Tasmanian legislation are:

"Ballantinia antipoda", "Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia", "Botrychium australe", "Caladenia cardiochila", "Chenopodium erosum", "Coopernookia barbata", "Corunastylis nudiscapa", "Hibbertia rufa", "Lepilaena australis", "Levenhookia dubia", "Myosurus australis", "Myriophyllum glomeratum", "Podotheca angustifolia", "Prostanthera cuneata", "Punctelia subflava", "Senecio macrocarpus", "Thesium australe", "Veronica notabilis", and "Vittadinia megacephala".

It was reported [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/17/2219931.htm?section=justin Tiny orchid back from extinction - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ] ] on 17 April 2008 that the dense midge orchid ("Corunastylis nudiscapa") has been rediscovered in South Hobart.

Victoria

Threatened species in Victoria are identified under the auspices of the "Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988)"; the act does not specify species presumed extinct. The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment maintain a list of species presumed extinct in Victoria; [Department of Sustainability and Environment (2005) [http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/B2366B8A60603EDACA25710D00248FED/$File/Advisory+List+of+Rare+or+Threatened+Plants+in+Victoria+-+2005.pdf Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Plants in Victoria - 2005] . VictorianDepartment of Sustainability and Environment, East Melbourne, Victoria.] they list 51 extinct taxa, those not listed under the EPBC Act include:

"Acacia argyrophylla", "Acacia havilandiorum", "Acrotriche depressa", "Actinotus bellidioides", "Asplenium polyodon", "Atriplex billardierei", "Austrostipa tuckeri", "Caladenia carnea" var. "subulata", "Caladenia magnifica", "Caladenia thysanochila", "Calotis pubescens", "Cardamine gunnii" s.s., "Centipeda pleiocephala", "Cheiranthera alternifolia", "Chionogentias gunniana", "Convolvulus microsepalus", "Cuscuta victoriana", "Cyperus vaginatus", "Digitaria diffusa", "Dodonaea heteromorpha", "Epilobium willisii", "Euphrasia collina" subsp. "speciosa", "Hibbertia incana" s.s., "Hypolepis elegans" subsp. "elegans", "Leiocarpa tomentosa", "Leionema microphyllum", "Lemooria burkittii", "Leptorhynchos scaber" s.s., "Phyllangium sulcatum", "Picris barbarorum", "Podolepis arachnoidea", "Pomaderris obcordata", "Prasophyllum colemaniae", "Prasophyllum morganii", "Prasophyllum" sp. aff. "odoratum", "Prasophyllum suttonii" s.s., "Pterostylis" sp. aff. "biseta" (Lara), "Rutidosis helichrysoides", "Senecio murrayanus", "Senna" form taxon '"artemisioides"', "Stemmacantha australis", "Stenanthemum notiale" subsp. "notiale", "Trema tomentosa" var. "viridis", "Braithwaitea sulcata".

Western Australia

There are 14 taxa classified as "X: Declared Rare Flora - Presumed Extinct Taxa" under the Department of Environment and Conservation's Declared Rare and Priority Flora List, all of which have been gazetted as presumed extinct flora in Western Australia under the "Wildlife Conservation Act 1950".cite news | title = Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice 2006(2) | url = http://www.naturebase.net/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,403/Itemid,1208/ | format = PDF | work = Western Australian Government Gazette | publisher = Government of Western Australia | pages = 5311–5317 | date = 1 December 2006 | accessdate = 2007-01-17] cite web | title = Western Australian Flora Conservation Taxa | url = http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/conservationtaxa | accessdate = 2007-01-17 | publisher = Western Australian Herbarium] This list coincides with the federal EPBC Act list, except that it includes "Leptomeria dielsiana", "Ptilotus caespitulosus" and "Taraxacum cygnorum"; and excludes "Frankenia conferta" (Silky Frankenia) and "Calothamnus accedens".cite web | publisher = Department of Environment and Heritage | url = http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=flora#FLORA_EXTINCT | title = EPBC Act List of Threatened Flora | accessdate = 2007-01-17]

ee also

*Flora of Australia
*List of threatened flora of Australia
*Extinct Australian animals

References