Rare golden catspaw plants found on a farm at New Norcia

28/10/99
More than 2000 rare golden catspaw plants have been found on a farm at New Norcia.
The discovery, which has been confirmed by botanists from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), is particularly significant as the species was previously thought to have been confined mainly to the Mogumber area.
The Anigozanthos humilis subsp. Chrysanthus, is listed as vulnerable under Western Australia's threatened flora rankings.
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the plants were found in remnant bushland on the Benedictine community's property during a survey by the Western Australia Native Orchid Study and Conservation Group.
The group had approached the Benedictine community asking if they could survey several thousand hectares of land that the community had set aside for conservation.
The group was accompanied by CALM botanists who suggested they be on the lookout for Green Hill thomasia, a species until recently known from just two subpopulations containing 60 plants.
During the survey, golden catspaw were found in an area of sandy soil in the middle of the conservation area. The plants were just beginning to flower.
CALM botanists returned to the site in mid-October and conservatively estimated there were more than 2000 plants in flower over an area of 30ha. Botanists from CALM's Threatened Species and Communities Unit also conducted population counts of the thomasia and found numbers were increasing.
Mrs Edwardes said the golden catspaw was known from 11 other populations consisting of about 3000 plants.
Golden catspaw flowers best after a dry season fire. The flowering stems are 20 to 40 cm high with slender curved leaves. The flower head has relatively short, broad golden yellow 'tubes', between 20 and 35 mm long. It grows in yellow-brown or white sand, sandy loam or clay in heathland and sometimes is found among low banksia and eucalypt woodland.
"The latest finding is tremendous news and it is now likely that the species can be recommended for de-listing from the schedule of declared rare flora," she said.
"The discovery is a tribute to the monks and to Keith Hunt and his farm staff at the Benedictine community as well as to members of volunteer conservation groups who spend thousands of hours in the field surveying threatened species.
"It also reflects how nature conservation initiatives on private farmlands can make an enormous contribution towards conserving the State's incredibly rich biological diversity."
Mrs Edwardes said CALM had adopted an integrated approach to restoring nature's balance throughout the agricultural area.
"Clearing for agriculture, towns, roads and industry has been the prime factor behind the State's worst environmental disaster - land and water degradation as a result of salinity," she said.
"However, salinity not only erodes the economic and social fabric of rural WA, it also is having a devastating impact on our biodiversity.
"By encouraging private landowners to conserve areas of remnant vegetation and implementing on-farm tree crop programs such as maritime pines and oil mallees, we can help arrest water tables and the resultant increased salinity.
"CALM has also introduced programs such as Western Shield to control feral predators such as the European fox and the feral cat that are devastating native animals, and Western Everlasting to encourage greater community support for and awareness of native flora conservation, " she said.
"As well, land owners have the opportunity to join Land for Wildlife, another integrated approach operated by CALM that provides advice on wildlife conservation through protecting, rehabilitating and establishing native vegetation on cleared farmland.
"Conservation programs such as these, that can be integrated into existing farming operations, provide the only feasible solution to our current environmental degradation pressures."
Media contact: Carole Cowling Tel: 9421 7777