Vegetation class map
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Key:
<1%
1-10%
10-50%
>50%
Estimated percentage landcover for vegetation class
Structure
Structure varies depending on exposure to salt-bearing winds. On the most exposed headlands,
Littoral Rainforests take the form of dense, species-poor, wind-sheared thickets only a few
metres tall. In more sheltered locations, the tree canopy is more diverse, sometimes includes
palms, and may exceed 20 m in height. Buttressed tree trunks are very uncommon, and the
understorey is usually sparse and dominated by herbs and several ubiquitous vines. There are
relatively few ferns, although these and epiphyes are more common in sheltered locations.
Trees
Acmena hemilampra (broad-leaved lilly pilly), A. smithii (lilly pilly),
Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia (coast banksia), Cupaniopsis
anacardioides (tuckeroo), Drypetes deplanchei subsp. deplanchei (yellow
tulipwood), Euroschinus falcata var. falcata (ribbonwood), Ficus
macrophylla subsp. macrophylla (Moreton Bay fig), F. obliqua (small-leaved
fig), Glochidion ferdinandi (cheese tree), Myoporum acuminatum, Pisonia
umbellifera (birdlime tree), Polyscias elegans (celerywood), Podocarpus elatus (plum pine), Syzygium luehmannii (riberry), S. paniculatum.
Shrubs
Breynia oblongifolia (coffee bush).
Scramblers
Hibbertia scandens (climbing guinea flower), Pandorea pandorana (wonga wonga vine).
Forbs
Oplismenus imbecillus
Habitat
Coastal sand plains and headlands on a variety of substrates including deep sand dunes, basalts,
rhyolites, and mudstones. Generally within a kilometre of the sea, where they gain a substantial
input of nutrients from sea spray.
Distribution
Scattered along the coast in small stands, mainly north from the Illawarra, with outlying stands
further south to Bermagui. Most common along the north coast, extending into south-east
Queensland. Examples occur at Iluka, Cape Byron, Sea Acres, Mungo Brush, Cabbage Tree Island and
Yacaaba Head, Jibbon Beach and the Garrawarra escarpment, Minnamurra Point and Bunga Head.
Notes
Moderate to low species-richness with floristic affinities to Subtropical Rainforests. Sometimes
grading into other rainforest systems with increasing distance from the coast. Urban development
and sand mining have considerably reduced the naturally fragmented distribution of Littoral
Rainforests along the coast. Weeds, such as Chrysanthemoides monilifera (bitou bush),
Lantana camara (lantana) and Protasparagus aethiopicus (asparagus fern) also pose threats.
Sources
Floyd (1990); Myerscough & Carolin (1985)
See all threatened species associated with this vegetation class
See a
list of species, populations and ecological communities
associated with the Littoral Rainforests vegetation class.