Publications
Interim Recovery Plan No. 187
Julie Patten and Andrew Brown
Department of Conservation and Land Management
Western Australian Threatened Species and Communities Unit WA, June 2004
The first collection of Myriophyllum lapidicola was made from a granite outcrop in a Class A Reserve north of Merredin by Ray Cranfield and Phil Spencer of the Western Australian Herbarium in 1989. Over 100 plants were found in a pool of water 70 cm long x 50 cm wide and 20-30 cm deep. For some years, below average rainfall in the region resulted in insufficient water runoff to fill the pool and plants were not relocated. However, in August 1996 after a wet winter, plants were found by Dr Stephen Hopper of the Botanic Garden and Parks Authority in the same pool in which it was originally located. Approximately 2000 plants were observed in a dense mat that covered 80% of the pool’s surface. In 1997 two additional populations were located in the Hunt ranges by Andrew Brown from the Western Australian Threatened Species and Communities Unit (WATSCU). Searches in subsequent years resulted in the discovery of a new population in 1998 and two more in 1999, bringing the total number of known populations to six. However, with the exception of one rock where two pools were located, each of these populations is limited to single pools on each rock.
Myriophyllum lapidicola is an ephemeral aquatic herb with long weak stems. Small, alternate, widely spaced leaves are confined to the upper parts of the stems and float on the surface of the water. The emergent leaves have pinkish, brown toning. Very small red flowers are located in the axils of the upper leaves. Myriophyllum lapidicola is closely allied to Granite Myriophyllum M. petraeum but differs in fruit shape, size and number of stamens, and leaf shape (Brown et al 1998).
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