Comesperma oblongatum, Family Polygalaceae, also known as Byfield Matchstick, is a low
shrub with crowded, blunt, oblong leaves. It flowers mainly between June and August,
sometimes extending into September, and has dense inflorescences of dark pink to purple pealike flowers. The species is heavily modified by wind-pruning (Pedley, 1984), growing to
only about 0.5 m in exposed sites. Specimens from more sheltered areas are reported growing
up to 1 m tall.
Byfield Matchstick |
Comesperma oblongatum
Status: Vulnerable on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Comesperma oblongatum
Threats The main identified threats to Byfield Matchstick are its restricted distribution broad scale vegetation clearing inappropriate fire regimes and fragmentation (Australian Natural Resources Atlas; 2007).