Darwinia foetida (Muchea Bell)

Chosen for this exhibition for it’s understated floral form. And although I spend time each year in the district where this grows, photographing source material, I am yet to see this particular species.

Darwinia foetida is Critically Endangered.

Muchea Bell is endemic to Western Australia.

It has been recorded at three locations near the town of Muchea, approximately 70 km north of Perth.

An extensive survey of the Swan Coastal Plain in 1983, recorded Muchea Bell as a newly discovered species of Darwinia. Two populations were found during this survey, however it appears that one is the same location of a collection from 1960, which has since been cleared.

In December, 2008, it was estimated total number of mature individuals to be at least 1300.

The species is known from three populations: one occurs within a nature reserve; one within a water reserve; and one is spread over two privately owned properties.

The primary current threat to Muchea Bell is grazing by rabbits. Other threats include weed invasion, changes in hydrology, inappropriate fire regimes and dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi.

sources:

https://www.nacc.com.au/threatenedspecies-week-darwinia-foetida-muchea-bell/

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=83190

Banksia menziesii (Firewood Banksia)

Chosen for this exhibition due to it’s instantly recognisable iconic form.

The Banksia woodlands were an important part of my formative years growing up in Western Australia.

The Banksia Woodlands ecological community only occurs on or adjacent to the Swan Coastal Plain of Western Australia, which stretches to the north and south of Perth. It is recognised as one of only two global biodiversity hotspots in Australia.

In September 2016, the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Energy listed the Banksia Woodlands ecological community after considering the advice of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee. The report found that the ecological community had undergone a decline of about 60 per cent in its extent.

It has experienced a severe reduction in its community integrity due to the combined effects of substantial clearing and fragmentation, dieback diseases (e.g. Phytophthora root rot fungal disease), invasive weeds and feral animals, changes to fire regimes, hydrological degradation (including changes to groundwater levels), climate change, and other disturbances to remaining patches.

source:

https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/banksia-woodlands-scp-guide.pdf

Banksia fuscobractea (Dark-bract Banksia)

Chosen for this exhibition for it’s intricate and unique inflorescence, though it was reclassified from the Dryandra genus to the Banksia genus in 2007, based on molecular and morphological evidence.

Banksia fuscobractea (formerly Dryandra fuscobractea) is Critically Endangered.

It is endemic to Western Australia, and is known from two roadside populations south-east of Gillingarra, approximately 125 km north-east of Perth. The species' estimated extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are less than 1 km². The species occurs on shire road reserves and private property.

The species is located within the Swan Coastal Plain Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia Bioregion and the Northern Agricultural Natural Resource Management region.

A survey of one of the subpopulations conducted in 1995 identified 50 individuals. This subpopulation was partly destroyed by gravel extraction and was recorded as having 25 mature plants in 1999. New seedlings have since been established.

43 mature individuals were recorded 2021.

The main identified threats to Dark-bract Banksia are road maintenance works, fence or firebreak maintenance, gravel extraction, weed invasion and grazing.

source:

https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=83059