Indicative distribution
The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas.
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click here to see geographic restrictions).
The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.
Scientific name: Indigofera longibractea
Profile last updated:
01 Nov 2022
Description
Compact and grey-downy shrub to 1.5 m, with flowers borne in dense clusters on long stalks which are much longer than the leaves. Leaves 2-5 cm long, composed of 15-21 elliptic or wedge-shaped leaflets, each 4-10 mm long and 2-4 mm wide. Flowers pea-like, dark pink to purple. Pod cylindrical and downy, 20-40 mm long, bent downwards on a short stalk.
Distribution
Restricted to an area just north of Broken Hill known as the Waukeroo Hills. Also occurs in SA at sites in the Musgrave and Flinders Ranges.
Habitat and ecology
- Found on rocky hills and creek beds, growing in limited numbers in shallow stony soils among rock outcrops. Across its range it occupies a variety of rocky habitats, ranging from creeks to scree slopes and ridges. Soils are skeletal and sandy.
- Associated species and vegetation include Acacia tetragonophylla, Callitris, grass species dominated by Triodia and a diversity of low shrubs amongst granitic rocks.
- Flowers in spring, or from June to September.
- Populations are small (2-20 plants only) with plant abundance recorded as occasional or locally frequent.
Regional distribution and habitat
Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.
Threats
- Feral goat activity (rocky outcrop habitats suffer the impacts of major grazing and erosion disturbance by goats).
- Grazing (rabbits, domestic stock).
- Lack of regeneration (populations may contain too few plants to maintain genetic integrity and diversity).
- Many of the outcrops and range habitats are heavily disturbed and populations of Indigofera longibractea represent isolated stands of vegetation among tracts of agricultural and grazing land.
- Lack of regeneration.
Recovery strategies
A Saving Our Species conservation project is currently being developed for this species and will be available soon. For information on how you can contribute to this species' recovery, see the Activities to assist this species section below.
Activities to assist this species
- Protect existing populations from feral goats through appropriate fencing or controls.
- Protect existing populations from grazing.
- Report new records of the species to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
- No further loss of extant populations.
- Survey for new populations
Information sources
- Black, J.M. (1917) Additions to the Flora of South Australia. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.
- Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)
- Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L. and Leigh, J.H. (1992) Plants of Western New South Wales. (Inkata Press, Sydney)
- Jessop, J.P. (1981) Flora of Central Australia. (Australian Systematic Botany Society, Sydney)
- Jessop, J.P. and Toelken, H.R. (eds.) (1986) Flora of South Australia. Part ll. (South Australian Government Printing Division, Adelaide)
- Pressey, R.L., Cohn, J.S. and Porter, J.L. (1990) Vascular plants with restricted distributions in the Western Division of New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 112: 213-227
- Wilson, P.G. (1987) Taxonomic notes on some Australian species of Indigofera (Fabaceae-Faboideae). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 10(1): 119-126.
- Wilson, P.G. (2002) Indigofera. In Flora of NSW, Vol. 2, G.J. Harden, ed. pp. 566-569. UNSW Press. Kensington, NSW.
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