National Recovery Plan for the Swamp Starflower (Calytrix Breviseta subsp. Breviseta)
Robyn Luu & Val English
Interim Recovery Plan No: 180
Department of Conservation and Land Management, May 2004
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About the document
The first known collection of Calytrix breviseta subsp. breviseta, housed at the Western Australian Herbarium, was made in 1901 by C. Andrews, near Bellevue. A further collection was made from Gosnells in 1915. The taxon was then thought to be extinct until 1990 when rediscovered by CALM staff.
Numerous surveys for this taxon have been undertaken by CALM staff in the Bellevue area, Ellen Brook Nature Reserve, heath near the Mundijong Road-Kargotich Road junction, Tonkin Highway, Railway Marshalling Yard, Guildford Cemetery, Hartfield Country Club in Forrestfield, areas near Forrestdale Lake, Keane Road and Passmore Road in Gosnells, Turner Road in Byford and the junction of High and Nicholson Roads in Canning Vale, but have not been successful. A population believed to be Calytrix breviseta subsp. breviseta was found in Ellis Brook Valley in 2000 by a volunteer. However this specimen was later identified as C. variabilis. Very little of the habitat suitable for the taxon still exists in the known distribution, and the probability of finding new viable populations of the taxon is low. Currently, Calytrix breviseta subsp. breviseta is known from two populations consisting of approximately 3520 plants.
An Interim Recovery Plan (IRP) for this taxon was published in 1997 for the period 1996 to 1999 (Kershaw et al. 1997). A review undertaken in 2001 (Burbidge et al. 2001) found that although there were still a number of recovery actions yet to be implemented, including land reservation, research and translocation planning, the overall threat to the taxon had declined. This was mainly due to increased security of tenure of some of the land on which populations occur. A full Recovery Plan was not warranted as the taxon was close to being moved to a lower category of threat, therefore a new IRP was recommended and was to include the actions listed above as a high priority.
The location containing Calytrix breviseta subsp. breviseta is a Bush Forever site (Number 387) because it is an area of 'regional significance bushland to be retained and protected forever' (State of Western Australia 2000). As part of the implementation of the Plan, a number of lots, including all those that contain populations of the Calytrix, have been purchased for conservation.
Calytrix breviseta Lindl. subsp. breviseta is an erect or spreading shrub that can grow up to 40 cm high. The leaves are widely spaced, linear to narrowly elliptic, 2 to 10 mm long and 0.4 to 1.1 mm wide and are arranged alternately along the stem. The taxon has purplish-blue flowers that contain numerous stamens (Brown et al. 1998).
The taxon is distinguished from Calytrix breviseta subsp. stipulosa (which is found in mallee and heath communities east of the Darling Range) in having longer, usually linear leaves, longer petals, a greater number of stamens, equal rather than unequal bracteoles and a swampy clay-flat habitat (Brown et al. 1998).
