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
- 2. National context
- 3. How judged by TSSC in relation to the EPBCAct
- 4. Conclusion
- 5. Recommendation
1. Scientific name, common name (where appropriate), major taxon group
Norfolk Island Flora - 16 Endangered Species:
- Blechnum norfolkianum (Norfolk Island Water Fern)
- Coprosma baueri (Coastal Coprosma, a shrub)
- Coprosma pilosa (Mountain Coprosma, a tree)
- Crepidomanes endlicherianum (Middle Filmy Fern)
- Dendrobium brachypus (Norfolk Island Orchid)
- Lastreopsis calantha (Shieldfern)
- Marattia salicina (King Fern)
- Muehlenbeckia australis (Shrubby Creeper, Pohuehue)
- Pennantia endlicheri (Pennantia, a tree)
- Phreatia paleata (an orchid)
- Pouteria costata (Bastard Ironwood, a tree)
- Pteris kingiana (King's Brakefern)
- Pteris zahlbruckneriana (Netted Brakefern)
- Senecio evansianus (a daisy)
- Streblus pendulinus (Isaac Wood, Siah's Backbone, Sia's Backbone, a vine)
- Zehneria baueriana (Native Cucumber, Giant Cucumber, a creeper)
2. National Context
The following species are endemic to Norfolk Island:
- Coprosma baueri (Coastal Coprosma)
- Coprosma pilosa (Mountain Coprosma)
- Dendrobium brachypus (Norfolk Island Orchid)
- Lastreopsis calantha (Shieldfern)
- Pennantia endlicheri (Pennantia)
- Pteris kingiana (King's Brakefern)
- Pteris zahlbruckneriana (Netted Brakefern)
- Senecio evansianus (a daisy)
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:
- Blechnum norfolkianum (Norfolk Island Water Fern)
- Coprosma baueri (Coastal Coprosma, a shrub)
- Coprosma pilosa (Mountain Coprosma, a tree)
- Crepidomanes endlicherianum (Middle Filmy Fern)
- Dendrobium brachypus (Norfolk Island Orchid)
- Lastreopsis calantha (Shieldfern)
- Marattia salicina (King Fern)
- Muehlenbeckia australis (Shrubby Creeper, Pohuehue)
- Pennantia endlicheri (Pennantia, a tree)
- Phreatia paleata (an orchid)
- Pouteria costata (Bastard Ironwood, a tree)
- Pteris kingiana (King's Brakefern)
- Pteris zahlbruckneriana (Netted Brakefern)
- Senecio evansianus (a daisy)
- Streblus pendulinus (Isaac Wood, Siah's Backbone, Sia's Backbone, a vine)
- Zehneria baueriana (Native Cucumber, Giant Cucumber, a creeper)