An ephemeral amphibious herb to 40 cm high.
Basal leaves with floating lamina (extended portion) 20 - 40 mm long, 7 - 14 mm wide, thin, glossy green above, flat, lance-shaped, margins undulating and minutely toothed. Stalk of the leaves elongated to 60 cm long, much longer than lamina, lengthening with water depth. Leaves present at base of flowering stem 10 - 40mm long, 2 - 3mm wide. Flowers yellow, petals with lobe tips often tinged with pink or purple. Fruit is pale, 5 - 6.5 mm long, 2 - 3 mm wide and bristly with short simple and glandular hairs. Seed 1 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, light brown glossy, and winged.
Goodenia nocoleche can germinate in standing water up to 0.6 m deep, and develops specialised floating leaves, attached by greatly extended stalks (up to 0.6 m). As water recedes, flowers emerge and grow rapidly.
Goodenia nocoleche is distinguished from other Goodenia species in the section Porphyranthus, by the small flowers with calyx (outer leaf like structures of petals) lobes which are just short of or equalling the petal lobes. It is also one of only two Goodenia species recorded with floating aquatic leaves.
Distribution
Patchily distributed. Located at 5 sites to date in the Paroo River system. Largest population recorded at Pied Stilt Swamp, a temporary freshwater claypan in Nocoleche Nature Reserve. The species has also been recorded growing in another unnamed wetland about 70 km north of Wanaaring and has been recorded uncommonly in the seed banks of Momba Swamp, Waitchie Lake, Lake Altibouka and Lake Numalla.
Habitat and ecology
- Goodenia nocoleche is found in temporary freshwater wetland habitats in Australia’s arid zone, where the annual average rainfall is less than 500 mm. They fill predominantly from local rainfall and are highly ephemeral in nature.
- Vegetation around the swamp margins consists of a narrow band of trees, mostly Eucalyptus largiflorens and Eucalyptus populnea subsp. bimbil. Trees are absent within the swamps, and perennial shrub understoreys are absent or sparse with occasional grasses.
Plant communities in the temporary wetland habitats of Goodenia nocoleche undergo considerable changes during erratic filling and drying cycles, as aquatic plants, sedges, annual grasses, herbs and forbs become abundant during and after inundation, before declining again. During prolonged dry periods, ground cover may be virtually absent and many species remain hidden below the surface as propagules in seed banks or underground storage organs.
- The species has been successfully cultivated from seed in sediment collected from its natural wetland habitat.
- Goodenia nocoleche has been described as an ‘amphibious fluctuation-responder’ because it alters its growth pattern or morphology in response to the presence or absence of water.
Regional distribution and habitat
Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.
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.