Small-leaved Little Dry Shrub - profile

Indicative distribution

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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: Xerothamnella parvifolia

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Profile last updated: 01 Nov 2022

Description

Intricately branched, straggling shrub to about 1 m high. At a distance, shrubs appear dark green with a dense prickly appearance in response to severe browsing. Leaves stalkless, thick, 4-10 mm long, 2-3 mm wide. Flowers borne singly in the upper leaf axils, about 10 mm long, tubular at the base, 2-lipped, the upper lip 4-lobed and white with a few red spots at the base inside, the lower lip entire and blood-red inside. Fruit a capsule 7-8 mm long.

Distribution

Very rare in NSW, being recorded only from Mt Poole north-west of Milparinka in the far north-western plains. Further searches of rocky hill-tops north from Broken Hill to the Queensland border have not yielded new records of the species. More widely distributed interstate with some very large populations in SW Queensland, and localised in South Australia.

Habitat and ecology

Grows in skeletal, fine sandy clays along ridge tops. At Mt Poole in NSW part of the population is recorded from a grazing area on one side of the summit of the mountain with low chenopod shrubland (Atriplex and Sclerolaena spp.) and scattered Casuarina pauper. The majority of the population occurs within the conservation reserve of the Mt. Poole Historic Site. In Queensland the species is recorded in Acacia cambagei (sometimes brigalow Acacia harpophylla on eastern edge of its range) low open woodland on the footslopes of tertiary sandsone ranges.
Associated species in NSW include Sclerolaena lanicuspis, Sclerolaena parallelicuspis, Atriplex holocarpa, Atriplex vesicaria, Acacia cambagei, Senna artemisioides subsp. oligophylla, Ptilotus obovatus and Atalaya hemiglauca.
Flowering period is November to January, probably triggered by rainfall. Collections with flowers and mature seeds have also been made in April and October during a good year.
There is no evidence of seedling recruitment at Mt Poole, with apparent juveniles probably being root suckers from nearby plants.
Locally common but limited distribution increases vulnerability of NSW sub-populations. At Mt Poole, the populations total 87 plants on five ridges observed in 10 stands over an area of approximately 2 hectares. Some Queensland populations are recorded as being larger and more extensive (one population in the Cudmore Valley contains more than 200 000 mature individuals).

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Channel Country

Threats

Major grazing disturbance (Euros, rabbits, goats and sheep) in Mt Poole populations.
Feral goat (grazing and browsing).
Intense grazing threatens successful seed set and seedling survival.
Visitor damage at Mt Poole
Mining exploration.
The very restricted size and distribution of the population makes it susceptible to stochastic extinction.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Give ongoing goat control a very high priority.
Construct a Euro-proof fence to prevent further browsing damage and eradicate rabbits at the Mt Poole site.
Protection of populations from visitor damage and associated physical disturbances at Mt Poole.
Exclusion of mining and destructive mineral exploration from any areas containing Xerothamnella parvifolia.

Information sources

Barker, R.M. (1986) A taxonomic revision of Australian Acanthaceae. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 9: 1-286, pp. 168-169
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)
Davies, R.J.P. (1995) Threatened plant species management in the arid pastoral zone of South Australia. (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kensington, South Australia)
Everett, J. (1992) Xerothamnella. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3. New South Wales University Press, Sydney.
Jessop, J.P. (1981) Flora of Central Australia. (Australian Systematic Botany Society, Sydney)
MEL Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of Victoria (Royal Botanic Gardens: Melbourne).
NSW Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of New South Wales (Royal Botanic Gardens: Sydney).
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
Smith, L.P. and Yugovic, J.V. (1994) Status and distribution of Xerothamnella parvifolia in New South Wales, with reference to occurrences elsewhere in Australia (Biosis Research Pty Ltd: Melbourne).
White, C.T. (1944) Contributions to the Queensland Flora. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 55: 72-73.