Plant species found in western Sydney
Some of the best-represented families in the 1995-96 Western Sydney Urban Bushland Survey included the orchids, eucalypts, acacias, and peas and grasses. One species endemic to western Sydney, Hypsela sessiliflora, was not recorded at any site during the survey and it is now believed to be extinct. The large number of plant species that are endemic to the Cumberland Plain indicate that the area developed in relative isolation due to the surrounding plateaus.
Several plant species never before recorded in Sydney were discovered during the survey, such as Callistemon shiressii, a shrub with cream flowers. Persoonia nutans, which is listed as endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, was recorded at 10 different sites.
It is important to conserve what remains of the plant species of western Sydney. Although some species may not be classified as threatened in NSW as a whole, their loss from the western Sydney region affects the biodiversity of the area. The loss of a plant species may in turn lead to instability within the ecosystem or reduce the habitat or survival of particular animal species.
Page last updated: 27 February 2011
