Budawangs Wallaby-grass  |  

Plinthanthesis rodwayi

Status: Critically Endangered on the EPBC Act list

The NSW Scientific Committee (2002) state that ÒPlinthanthesis rodwayi (C.E. Hubb.) S.T. Blake
(family Poaceae) is described by S. W. L. Jacobs and K. L. McClay (1993) in Harden, G. (ed.).
Flora of New South Wales. UNSW Press. Vol. 4. P. 558 as: Caespitose perennial to 0.5 m high.
Leaves: ligule a ciliate rim with hairs c. 0.25 mm long; blade linear, rolled, upper surface and
margins scabrous, glabrous. Inflorescence open, 6-8 cm long, 2-5 cm wide; rachis slender, usually
flexuous, scabrous. Spikelets 5-6 mm long, gaping to 7 mm wide at maturity, bisexual florets 2,
sometimes with 1 reduced floret above; pedicels slender, usually flexuous, 2-10 mm long,
scabrous. Glumes 4-5 mm long, 3 nerved, keel minutely scabrous, glabrous. Lemmas 3-3.5 mm
long, 8-nerved, awnless or with an awn in the sinus, lower half pilose with hairs < 0.25 mm long, margins purplish brown, 2-lobed; lobes < 1 mm long, subulate; awn, when present, slender, < 0.5 mm long. Palea subequal to lemma, 2-keeled, keel scabrous, lower half pilose with hairs < 0.25 mm long. Flowers spring-summer.Ó

Government evidence of impact of climate change:

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  • Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Plinthanthesis rodwayi

    Budawang as defined by the most serious plausible threat (an absence of fire resulting in habitat dominance by shrubs outcompeting P. rodwayi).

    The species is also considered to be severely fragmented as it is highly isolated with no other populations available to recolonise it in the event of local extinction iii) continuing declines in EOO; AOO; area; extent and or quality of habitat and number of locations or subpopulations as a result of too long fire intervals; leading to a decline in habitat quality as the vegetation transitioned from an open grassy heathland to a dense shrubland ultimately leading to the loss of the Currockbilly Mountain population.

    Two of the major impacts of fire on perennial grassland species is the prevention of competitive exclusion by the shrub layer and opening gaps to allow seedling recruitment to occur when conditions are favourable (Morgan 1999).

    The main threats to the species at present include inappropriate fire regimes too long fire intervals resulting in competition from Leptospermum sp. aff. grandiflorum and likely limiting opportunities for recruitment from seed in the absence CAM Plinthanthesis rodwayi FD Final to sign 7 Nov 2018 .docx Established under the Biodiversity Conservation Act PO Box 1967 Hurstville BC NSW 1481 02 9585 6940 Fax 9585 scientific.committee environment.nsw.gov.au NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee of the creation of canopy gaps for recruitment; this has resulted in the loss of the Currockbilly Mountain population grazing pressure from native grazers including macropods and wombats; as well as by rabbits (K.

    Sep. 2017) loss of habitat this threat is a consequence of the long fire free interval as the habitat has transitioned from open; montane heathlands (Harden 1993) to dense heath dominated by Leptospermum sp. aff. grandiflorum small population size and limited distribution place the species at risk of stochastic events.

    Budawang population) as defined by the most serious plausible threat; an absence of fire resulting in habitat dominance by shrubs outcompeting P. rodwayi.

    The main threats to Plinthanthesis rodwayi are inappropriate fire regimes and herbivory.

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