Coveny's Zieria - 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: Zieria covenyi

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Endangered

Profile last updated: 14 Oct 2024

Description

A strongly aromatic erect branching shrub to 2 m high (but often much smaller), proliferating from root suckers, with star-shaped hairs on branches. Leaves consist of 3 leaflets and are dark green and dotted with oil glands above and grey-green and softly hairy below. The central leaflet may be oblong to elliptic or ovate and is 25 - 35 mm long and to 10 mm wide. Inflorescences usually about as long as leaves, 3 - 21 flowered. Flowers vary from white to pink and have 4 petals. Fruit never observed.

Distribution

Has been recorded from only one location, Narrow Neck Peninsula within Blue Mountains National Park, south-west of Katoomba in the Central Blue Mountains. Two populations on Narrow Neck Peninsula have been detected, several kilometres apart. Both consist of approximately 100 and 170 individual stems.

Habitat and ecology

Occurs in open sclerophyll forest dominated by Eucalyptus sieberi. The species occurs on gentle east and south-facing slopes and on ridges in shallow sandy soil.
Flowers September to December.
Completely pollen sterile and produces no fruit or seed. Reproduces vegetatively by root suckering. The taxon probably arose following hybridisation between two other Zieria taxa.
Likely to be fire tolerant and able to resprout following fire from root suckers.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Sydney Basin

Threats

Habitat loss and degradation due to road maintenance activities.
Given restricted distribution, susceptible to local extinction due to environmental and demographic uncertainty.
There is a risk that a significant fire event may completely remove the single known population.
Some risk of damage from browsing by macropods, particularly swamp wallabies.
There is uncertainty about the presence or absence of the species from several locations with suitable habitat and geology.
Populations may be sterile with low genetic diversity.
Frequent fire is detrimental
Species is likely to be vulnerable to Phytophthora.

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

Ensure personnel planning and undertaking road maintenance activities are able to identify the species and are aware of its habitat.

Information sources

Armstrong, J.A. (2002) Zieria (Rutaceae): A systematic and evolutionary study. Australian Systematic Botany 15, 277-463.
Fairley, A. (2004) Seldom seen: rare plants of greater Sydney. (Reed New Holland, Sydney)
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Threatened Species Information. Zieria covenyi. NPWS, Sydney.

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Sydney Basin

Burragorang

Known

None

Images

Flower and foliage, Coveny's Zieria <a href="http://www.anbg.gov.au" class="linkBlack100" target="_blank">Australian National Botanic Gardens</a>

Flower and foliage, Coveny's Zieria Australian National Botanic Gardens Image 1 of 3.
View slideshow.

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