Nature conservation

Threatened species

Coolabah Bertya - 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: Bertya opponens
Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable
Commonwealth status: Vulnerable
Gazetted date: 04 Dec 2009
Profile last updated: 20 Oct 2020

Description

Coolabah Bertya is a slender shrub to 4 m tall. It may be multi-stemmed or have a single trunk up to 70 - 90 mm in width. The branches and stems are densely covered with whitish to brown intertwined hairs. The thick leaves are smooth and dark green above and covered in velvety hairs below and are mostly arranged in pairs along the stems. The leaves measure 10 - 80 mm long by 5 - 25 mm wide and the margins are curved under. The yellow-brown flowers appear during July and August and are followed by rounded seed capsules 8 - 9 mm long which contain two to three seeds.

Distribution

This plant is currently known from only four scattered sites in NSW: one from private property near Coolabah in western NSW and two to the south of Narrabri on the North West Slopes, including the largest population in Jacks Creek State Forest. The fourth population was known from private property near Cobar but this population has not been seen since 1982 and is possibly now extinct.
The Coolabah Bertya was formerly considered part of the taxon variously called Bertya sp. A. (Coolabah-Cobar) and Bertya sp. Cobar-Coolabah (Cunningham & Milthorpe s.n., 2/8/73) for which a Recovery Plan was prepared in 2002. However, the records within this plan are now considered to be two separate species - the western records Bertya opponens (which also occurs in Queensland) and the records east of the Great Divide considered part of an undescribed species Bertya sp. (Clouds Creek, M. Fatemi 4) which is also listed as Endangered.

Habitat and ecology

  • Flowering time is July and August, although seed formation can commence as early as July, especially in Jacks Creek State Forest.
  • The disturbance agents of fire and mechanical disturbance appear to trigger germination and/or suckering in Coolabah Bertya. The most appropriate time interval between disturbance events is not known.
  • Coolabah Bertya occurs in a range of habitats including stony mallee ridges and cypress pine forest on red soils. The wide variation in habitat type between the populations makes the identification of critical habitat very difficult. Consideration of disturbance regimes and grazing management are probably more important to the survival of populations in the long term.
  • Associated species at Jacks Creek State Forest include Eucalyptus chloroclada, Callitris glaucophylla and Eucalyptus fibrosa.
  • Each population of Coolabah Bertya has a slightly different age structure, ranging from senescent to a similar number of juveniles and adults.

Regional distribution and habitat

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


Threats

Recovery strategies

Activities to assist this species

Information sources

IBRA Bioregion IBRA Subregion Known or predicted Geographic restrictions region
Brigalow Belt SouthPilliga Known None
Brigalow Belt SouthPilliga Outwash Known None
Cobar PeneplainCanbelego Downs Known None