Yellow Loosestrife - profile

Indicative distribution

Loading map...

Key:

known

predicted

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. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Lysimachia vulgaris var. davurica

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Profile last updated: 14 Oct 2024

Description

Yellow Loosestrife is an erect herb that grows to 80 cm tall. Its stem leaves are elliptical and up to 8 cm long. Many flowers form clusters at the ends of the stems. Individual flowers are 9 - 14 mm across. The outer floral parts (sepals) have a line of blackish glands on their outer surface, near the margin. The petals are yellow and longer than the sepals. This distinguishes it from the only other NSW Lysimachia species, L. japonica.

Distribution

Yellow Loosestrife is known from Wingecarribee Swamp, the Boro area near Braidwood, the Bega River Valley, and south of Walcha in the Northern Tablelands. It is also found in Victoria and throughout much of Europe and Asia. There is some suggestion that it may not be native to Australia; however, the Victorian specimens were collected very early. This species is regarded as a serious weed in parts of northern America.

Habitat and ecology

The NSW populations are in disparate habitat: extensive wetland on peaty soils, riparian wetland vegetation and pasture on a dairy farm.
A rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennial that appears to remain in the vegetative stage for some time prior to blooming; the presence of a flowering specimen apparently indicates it has been in an area for some years.
Yellow Loosestrife has not been known to produce viable seeds in the NSW populations. The species has an extensive spreading rhizomatous root system from which it resprouts in late spring and subsequently flowers in January and February. It then dies back to the rootstck in late March and April. The NSW populations are thus thought to be clonal, and probably originating from seed carried from an overseas population on a migratory bird.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Inherent risk of loss of small populations from natural or un-natural catastrophic events, including potential drying of swamp habitat due to climate change.
Peat mining in Wingecarribee Swamp is believed to have contributed to the physical collapse of the swamp during a flood event in August 1998. This collapse resulted in the loss of extensive areas of habitat in Wingecarribee Swamp and has significantly altered the hydrology of the swamp, allowing it to dry out and much of the remaining peat to oxidise. Much of the swamp has subsequently been invaded by Black Willow, Blackberry and introduced pasture grasses. These weeds threaten the survival of Yellow Loosestrife where it has been able to persist in areas of the swamp which have remained otherwise relatively intact.
At Wingecarribee Swamp, grazing and pasture improvement in the past resulted in the clearing of some swamp-margin habitat, and trampling within the swamp. The swamp has been fenced by the Sydney Catchment authority in recent years to exclude stock grazing.
The Boro and Bega populations have also been affected by domestic stock grazing. The Boro population is also threatened by weed invasion, including Blackberry and Willows.
Invasion by weeds including blackberry, black willow, and pasture grasses.
Domestic stock grazing and trampling near the edge of the lagoon degrading habitat quality.
Small population size – Inherent risk of loss of small populations from natural or unnatural catastrophic events, including potential drying of swamp habitat due to climate change.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Office of Environment and Heritage has identified 10 priority actions to help recover the Yellow Loosestrife in New South Wales.

Activities to assist this species

Protect known populations from changes to land use (negotiate with landowners to achieve this).
Maintain fences around the margins of Wingecarribee Swamp to prevent further stock damage to the swamp.
Restore the original hydrology of Wingecarribee Swamp.
Monitor known populations to ensure that management is retaining populations.
Conduct genetic investigation of Australian populations to attempt to determine if they are recent introductions; given the habitat of the Bega population, this species may well be a recent coloniser, rather than a native species.
Mark sites and potential habitat onto maps used for planning (e.g. rehabilitation and recovery).
Search for new populations in potential habitat.

Information sources

Harden, G.J. (ed.) (2000) Flora of New South Wales Vol. 1. UNSW Press, Kensington, NSW.
Walsh, N.G. and Entwisle, T.J. (1998) Flora of Victoria; Volume 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae. (Inkata Press, Melbourne)

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Predicted	None
Sydney Basin	Moss Vale	Known	None