Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts home page

About us | Contact us | Publications | What's new

Header imagesHeader imagesHeader images

Threatened Species and threatened ecological communities

16 Endangered Norfolk Island Flora Species

Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) on Amendments to the list of Threatened Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)


1. Scientific name, common name (where appropriate), major taxon group

Norfolk Island Flora - 16 Endangered Species:

2. National Context

The following species are endemic to Norfolk Island:

The distribution of the following species is restricted in Australia to Norfolk Island, however, they also occur outside Australia:

Species Extra-Australian distribution
Blechnum norfolkianum (Norfolk Island Water Fern) Kermadec Is., Vanuatu, Samoa, Society Is.
Crepidomanes endlicherianum (Middle Filmy Fern) New Caledonia, Vanuatu
Marattia salicina (King Fern) New Zealand
Muehlenbeckia australis (Shrubby Creeper, Pohuehue) New Zealand
Phreatia paleata (an orchid) New Caledonia, New Guinea, Solomon Is., Vanuatu
Pouteria costata (Bastard Ironwood) New Zealand
Streblus pendulinus (Isaac Wood, Siah's Backbone, Sia's Backbone) Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, New Guinea and Micronesia, Rapa, Hawaii
Zehneria baueriana (Native Cucumber, Giant Cucumber) New Caledonia

3. How judged by TSSC in relation to the EPBC Act criteria.

TSSC judges the species to be eligible for listing as endangered under the EPBC Act. The justification against the criteria is as follows:

Criterion 1 - Decline in numbers

Quantitative data has not been presented against this criterion.

Criterion 2 - Geographic distribution

Quantitative data has not been presented against this criterion.

Criterion 3 - Population size and decline in numbers or distribution

Quantitative data has not been presented against this criterion.

Criterion 4 - Population size

The number of mature individuals is very low with the total population recorded during recent surveys numbering less than 250 for each species. The number of mature individuals on Norfolk Island for each species is as follows:

Species No. of mature individuals
Blechnum norfolkianum (Norfolk Island Water Fern) 200
Coprosma baueri (Coastal Coprosma) 228
Coprosma pilosa (Mountain Coprosma) 187
Crepidomanes endlicherianum (Middle Filmy Fern) <200
Dendrobium brachypus (Norfolk Island Orchid) <200
Lastreopsis calantha (Shieldfern) <200
Marattia salicina (King Fern) <100
Muehlenbeckia australis (Shrubby Creeper, Pohuehue) 100
Pennantia endlicheri (Pennantia) 168
Phreatia paleata (an orchid) <200
Pouteria costata (Bastard Ironwood) 176
Pteris kingiana (King's Brakefern) <200
Pteris zahlbruckneriana (Netted Brakefern) <200
Senecio evansianus (a daisy) <200
Streblus pendulinus (Isaac Wood, Siah's Backbone, Sia's Backbone) 187
Zehneria baueriana (Native Cucumber, Giant Cucumber) 77

Therefore, these species are eligible for listing as endangered under this criterion.

Criterion 5 - Probability of extinction in the wild

Quantitative data has not been presented against this criterion.

4. Conclusion

The number of mature individuals recorded for these species on Norfolk Island, less than 250, is very low. These species are eligible for listing as endangered under criterion 4.

5. Recommendation

TSSC recommends that the list referred to in section 178 of the EPBC Act be amended by including in the list in the endangered category:

© Commonwealth of Australia