D. andrewsii as an erect shrub, growing 0.5Ð1 m high. It has branchlets with ferruginous stellate hairs
which are often stipulate. The leaves are chartaceous, flat, broadly ovate, 13-30 x 10-20 mm, and are
sparsely stellate-hairy on the upper surface.
Flowering occurs in July to October. The flower heads are small, 10-20 mm across. The outer
involucral bracts are thin, broadly ovate, sparsely stellate-hairy outside, and hairy with white, wooly,
stellate hairs inside. The inner bracts are reddish-brown with white membranous margins, 10-12 mm
long, glabrous outside. The petals are narrowly oblong, approximately 5 mm long, with white-ciliate at
the apex. The stamens are exserted, pale red, and 10-15 mm long (Marchant et al., 1987).
Diplolaena andrewsii |
Diplolaena andrewsii
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Diplolaena andrewsii
Habitat degradation has been noted at sites due to weed invasion; road; track; powerline and firebreak maintenance; altered fire regimes; feral pig activity and mining.
They also increase the fire hazard due to the easy ignition of high fuel loads; which are produced annually by many grass weed species.
Present and future Altered fire regimes (affecting recruitment) Entire Moderate to Severe Frequent fires do not allow the species enough time to reach maturity and set seed if the interval between fires is too short.
Fire is therefore a threat to the species if it occurs before the species has had time to mature and set seed; with the potential for the species to become locally extinct if fire is too frequent.
The decline in population size is natural for this species after a fire event; however if the interval between fires is too short; this may threaten the John Forrest National Park sub populations (now totalling five of the eleven known sub populations) as the species will not have time to set seed.
Similarly; populations 2B and 2C (found in 1992 and 2003 respectively) have shown decreases after the wildfire in the summer of 2003 4; followed by an increase in 2006 when they were re located post fire.
Fire is therefore a threat to the population at John Forest National Park if it occurs before the species has had time to mature and set seed (time to seed unknown); with the potential for the species to become locally extinct in the National Park if fire is too frequent.
They also exacerbate grazing pressure and increase fire hazard due to the easy ignition of high fuel loads; which are produced annually by many grass weed species.
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