NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. Pimelea axiflora subsp. pubescens (family Thymelaeaceae) is described by Harden (1990) as a "dioecious shrub to 3 m high, stems glabrous or rarely hairy. Leaves linear to elliptic, rarely wider, 5-60 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, margins usually recurved, mostly glabrous; secondary veins prominent below; petiole to 3 mm long. Flowers in bracteate heads, axillary, + sessile. Bracts usually 2-4, mostly elliptic, 2-7 mm long. Flowers 2-10 in a head, white; male flowers 5-9 mm long; female flowers 3-6 mm long. Fruit c. 3-4 mm long, green."
The features that distinguish P. axiflora subsp. pubescens from the other subspecies are: "young stems with hairs to 1 mm long; petioles and lower surface of leaves hairy. Leaves 6-22 mm long, 2-5 mm wide. Female flowers 3-4 mm long." The other two subspecies have stems + glabrous and mature leaves glabrous, and occur to the south of the Bungonia area, P. axiflora subsp. axiflora mainly south from Braidwood and in Victoria and Tasmania, and P. axiflora subsp. alpina in Kosciusko National Park and Victoria.
2. Pimelea axiflora subsp. pubescens is endemic to NSW and is currently known to occur in the Bungonia State Conservation Area, south east of Goulburn in the South Eastern Highlands Bioregion (Thackway and Creswell 1995). It occurs on limestone cliff edges and outcrops.
3. Pimelea axiflora subsp. pubescens is currently known from a single population, estimated to contain a total of 50 to 500 plants within an area of less than 4 km². The species therefore has a very highly restricted geographic distribution and a low number of mature individuals. Searches have been made in suitable habitat within Bungonia State Conservation Area without finding further populations. A further area of potential habitat a few kilometres north of the known population has not yet been surveyed.
4. A number of threats expose the population of Pimelea axiflora subsp. pubescens to risks of decline. An unknown pathogen is affecting vegetation adjacent to the population and may reduce the survival of established plants of P. axiflora subsp. pubescens if it infects the population. Some plants in the population may also be exposed to inadvertent or deliberate physical damage by bushwalkers, as walking tracks pass through the population. The species' very highly restricted geographic distribution and low number of mature individuals also place the population at risk of decline due to environmental stochasticity.
5. Pimelea axiflora F. Muell. ex Meissner subsp. pubescens Rye is not eligible to be listed as a critically endangered species.
6. Pimelea axiflora F. Muell. ex Meissner subsp. pubescens Rye is eligible to be listed as an endangered species as, in the opinion of the Scientific Committee, it is facing a very high risk of extinction in New South Wales in the near future as determined in accordance with the following criteria as prescribed by the Threatened Species Conservation Regulation 2002:
Clause 17
The total number of mature individuals of the species is observed, estimated or inferred to be: (b) very low.
Associate Professor Lesley Hughes
Chairperson
Scientific Committee
Proposed Gazettal date: 20/04/07
Exhibition period: 20/04/07 - 15/06/07
References:
Harden GJ (ed.) 1990 Flora of NSW Volume 1, pp. 379-380, (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney)
Thackway R, Creswell ID (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia: a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program. Version 4.0. (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra).