Swamp Everlasting is a perennial, erect herb growing to 30-100 cm tall. Leaves are narrow, alternate, sessile, partially stem-clasping and lanceolate, to 10 cm x 0.8 cm, and more or less hairless except for cobweb-like hairs along their margins. The large yellow ‘daisy’ flowers are up to 50 mm across, terminal at the ends of branches, and consist of numerous small tubular florets in a central ‘button’, surrounded by a ray of numerous overlapping, broad papery bracts. The fruit is a narrow, dry seed to 3 mm long with a crown of yellow bristles about twice the length of the seed. Plants are rhizomatous in habit.
Swamp Everlasting |
Xerochrysum palustre
Status: Vulnerable on the EPBC Act list
Swamp Paper Daisy
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Xerochrysum palustre
Table 2 Threats impacting Swamp Everlasting Threat Status and severity a Evidence Climate change Increased frequency and Timing current future Climate projections for south eastern severity of bushfires Confidence suspected Australia include reduced rainfall; increased average temperatures; and Consequence major more frequent bushfires (CSIRO Trend increasing Bureau of Meteorology 2015).
Increased frequency and Timing current future Climate projections for south eastern severity of drought Confidence suspected Australia include reduced rainfall; increased average temperatures; and Consequence major more frequent droughts (CSIRO Trend increasing Bureau of Meteorology 2015).
Extent across the entire range Given its preference for ephemeral wetlands; climate change may pose a substantial threat to Swamp Everlasting; through increased drying of sites; leading to a reduction in suitable habitat (Carter Walsh 2011).
The species is threatened by several fire related threats including fire drought interactions; fire promoted weed invasion and fire herbivore interactions.
Extent across the entire range Analysis by the Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel; based on intersecting the modelled distribution of Swamp Everlasting and the National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset; indicates that approximately 12 of the range of the species was within the extent of the 2019 20 bushfires (Gallagher et al 2020).
Fire herbivore interactions may also be a threat to the species; as herbivores may be more attracted to post fire growth; with grazing and trampling affecting the survival and growth of post fire sprouts (Leigh et al. 1991) Competition with weeds Timing current Several high threat weeds capable of Confidence known outcompeting native flora and modifying habitat threaten Swamp Consequence major Everlasting; including Ragwort Trend unknown (Senecio jacobaea); Spear Thistle Extent across part of its range (Cirsium vulgare); Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus spp. agg.) and Canary Grass (Phalaris spp.).
Prioritise these at risk swamps for fire protection in case of a threatening bushfire event.
Design and implement a fire protection plan for these swamps; including the deployment ahead of the fire of retardant or water to reduce the risk of peat fires taking hold.
Make plans for the possibility that a peat fire does take hold in a priority swamp and allocate sufficient resources to limit its impact.
The species is threatened by several fire related threats including fire drought interactions; fire promoted weed invasion and fire herbivore interactions.
Increased drying of sites may also potentially facilitate weed invasion (TSS 2016).
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