Lord Howe Island Morning Glory - 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: Calystegia affinis

Conservation status in NSW: Critically Endangered

Commonwealth status: Critically Endangered

Gazetted date: 16 Nov 2012

Profile last updated: 22 Jan 2025

Description

A thin-stemmed twiner. The arrow head-shaped leaves are thin and 6 cm by 5 cm. The solitary funnel-shaped flower is pink to pale pinky-purple and is 3.5 cm long.

Distribution

Lord Howe Island Morning Glory occurs on both Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. On Lord Howe Island, it occurs in two localities, in the northern part of the island on the lower slopes of Dawsons Ridge, and on Mt Lidgbird in the southern mountains.

Habitat and ecology

This species occurs in two different habitats on Lord Howe Island, in lowland areas in the north of the island, and high in the southern mountains.
Both habitats are on basalt-derived soils.
The mountain habitat is an open, sunny, moist area near semi-permanent water flows. The lowland habitat is on a south facing slope in Bully Bush - Hopwood shrubland with an introduced grass understorey.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Pacific Subtropical Islands

Threats

Invasion of habitat by weeds, particularly introduced grasses such as buffalo and Kikuyu, as well as Asparagus and bitou bush.
Introduction of a non-native insect leaf predator, which may reduce the health of individual Lord Howe Island morning glory plants.
Risk of extinction due to small population size and restricted distribution.
Trampling by walkers.
Climate change due to Lord Howe Island Morning Glory's limited habitat area.
Risk of exotic pathogens / species degrading the species' condition and/or habitat.
LHI field officers inadvertently spraying during track maintenance.
Predation and browsing by black rats.
Potential for cattle to trample and/or graze the species if given access to where plants occur.

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

Establish ex-situ collections in the event of local extinctions.
Stay on walking tracks when on Lord Howe Island.
Assist with control of exotic grass on Lord Howe Island.
Implement and monitor the quarantine plan.
Establish monitoring sites to enable early detection of impacts of climate change on Lord Howe Island.
Support climate change initiatives.
Study and monitor populations to determine this plant's biology.
Research into the ecology and genetics of species to provide information to assist in its conservation.

Information sources

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW (2007) Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan. (DECC NSW, Sydney South)
Director of National Parks (2010) Norfolk Island Region Threatened Species Recovery Plan. (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra)
Green, P.S. (1994) Flora of Australia. Volume 49 Oceanic Islands 1. (Australian Government Press Service, Canberra)
Hutton, I. (2001) Rare plant surveys Lord Howe Island. Report prepared for the NSW Scientific Committee, Sydney.
Hutton, I. (2002) Field Guide to the Plants of Lord Howe Island. (Ian Hutton, Lord Howe Island)
Hutton, I. and Telford, I. (1999) Report on Calystegia affinis on Lord Howe Island. Report to Lord Howe Island Board.
Hutton, I., Coenraads, T., Auld, T.D., Denham, A.J., Ooi, M.K.J. and Brown, D. (2008) Herbicide impacts on exotic grasses and a population of the critically endangered herb Calystegia affinis (Convolvulaceae) on Lord Howe Island. Cunninghamia 10(4): 539–545
NSW Scientific Committee (2002) Calystegia affinis (a twining plant) - Endangered species determination - final.
NSW Scientific Committee (2012) Calystegia affinis - Critically endangered species determination - final.
Pickard, J. (1983) Rare or threatened vascular plants of Lord Howe Island. Biological Conservation 27(2): 125-139