Indicative distribution
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.
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click here to see geographic restrictions).
The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.
Scientific name: Ammobium craspedioides
Profile last updated:
29 May 2020
Description
The Yass Daisy is a rosette-forming perennial. Leaves are spoon-shaped, to 12 cm long and 17 mm wide, hairy on top and white and woolly underneath. The spring flowerheads are hemispherical buttons, to 20 mm wide, and surrounded at the base by papery leaf-like structures (bracts). The solitary flowerheads are borne on unbranched stems to 60 cm tall; the stems are sparsely leafed, and edged with narrow "wings". Rosettes die off after fruiting.
Distribution
Found from near Crookwell on the Southern Tablelands to near Wagga Wagga on the South Western Slopes. Most populations are in the Yass region.
Habitat and ecology
- Found in moist or dry forest communities, Box-Gum Woodland and secondary grassland derived from clearing of these communities.
- Grows in association with a large range of eucalypts (Eucalyptus blakelyi, E. bridgesiana, E. dives, E. goniocalyx, E. macrorhyncha, E. mannifera, E. melliodora, E. polyanthemos, E. rubida).
- Apparently unaffected by light grazing, as populations persist in some grazed sites.
- Found in a number of TSRs, Crown reserves, cemeteries and roadside reserves within the region.
Regional distribution and habitat
Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.
Threats
- Historic and ongoing clearing and degradation of remnants for agricultural, forestry, infrastructure and residential development.
- Ongoing heavy grazing and trampling by domestic livestock, which have the effect of changing the ground layer composition and the hydrology of sites, resulting in losses of plant species
(simplification of the understorey and ground layer and suppression of overstorey) and erosion and other soil changes (including increased nutrient status).
- Invasion by a range of weeds including noxious weeds (e.g. African love grass, serrated tussock, Chilean needle-grass, St John's wort), environmental weeds (e.g. blackberry), aggressive pasture grasses (e.g. coolagra, phalaris, cocksfoot and paspalum) and escapes from horticulture or silviculture (e.g. cotoneaster, radiata pine).
- Vehicle disturbance (e.g. cars, graders) and road maintenance damaging plants or degrading habitat.
- Inappropriate mowing or slashing in the cemetery sites where species occurs may threaten this species.
- Insufficient knowledge of the distribution of the species and abundance/ population size.
- Insufficient understanding of threatening processes.
- Lack of knowledge of the species’ life history and habitat requirements.
- Fragmentation and isolation leading to genetic isolation of the species.
- Degradation by over grazing and trampling by introduced and native herbivores resulting in losses of plant species and structural diversity (simplification of the understorey and ground layer and suppression of overstorey regeneration), erosion and other soil change
- Competition from native vegetation with the species (e.g. scasinia broom).
- Increased nutrient status due to application of fertilisers and hydrological regime. Including lime, sewerage age and compose (sewerage use to reduce acidity in areas), which changes soil properties
- Anthropogenic climate change is a long-term significant threat as it will alter physical characteristics of the habitat such that it is no longer able to sustain this species
- Impacts from inappropriate fire regimes including fire frequency, intensity, seasonality, and scale. Low-frequency fire is not sufficient to ensure continuing recruitment of the species.
- Lack of community knowledge and appreciation of the importance of the species.
- Forestry operations have the potential to destroy or damage populations occurring in State Forest.
Recovery strategies
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.
Activities to assist this species
- Protect known populations from changes to land use.
- Do not undertake roadworks, pasture modification or other changes in land use that may affect populations.
- Do not increase grazing pressures on sites where populations persist - reduce grazing pressures where possible.
- Undertake weed control in and adjacent to populations, taking care to spray or dig out only target weeds.
- Maintain traditional cemetery mowing regimes, taking care not to mow during the species' active period in spring and summer.
- Mark sites and potential habitat onto maps (of the farm, shire, region, etc) used for planning (e.g. roadworks, residential and infrastructure developments, remnant protection, rehabilitation).
- Search for new populations in potential habitat.
Information sources
- Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)
- Brown, E.A. (1992) Ammobium Pp. 251-2 in Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3. (New South Wales University Press, Kensington)
- Burrows, G.E. (1999) A survey of 25 remnant vegetation sites in the South Western Slopes, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 6(2): 283-314.
- Eddy, D. (2002) Managing Native Grassland: a guide to management for conservation, production and landscape protection. (World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, Sydney)
- Eddy, D., Mallinson, D., Rehwinkel, R and Sharp. S. (1998) Grassland Flora: a field guide for the Southern Tablelands (NSW & ACT). (Environment ACT, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Natural Heritage Trust, Canberra)
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