Button Immortelle - 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: Leptorhynchos waitzia

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Profile last updated: 05 Oct 2023

Description

Annual herb to 20 cm high, covered with woolly hairs. Leaves spoon-shaped to oblong, 5-20 mm long and 1.5-5 mm wide, both surfaces hairy with coarse segmented hairs and minute glandular hairs. Flowerheads bright yellow, without "petals", borne singly at the ends of long stalks, florets all tubular, 8-10 mm long. Seeds narrow-cylindrical, warty, with a slender column topped with a tuft of 15-20 minutely barbed bristles.

Distribution

Only known in NSW from early records in the Darling River region and a more recent collection from Kinchega National Park. It also occurs in western Victoria and SA.

Habitat and ecology

Grows on sandy or loamy soils, often in intermittently flooded areas and salt flats. Found in Kinchega NP on an open Bluebush plain with scattered chenopods. In Victoria, it is found on open grassy plains, grassy woodlands and sandy flats in mallee areas, with isolated occurrences on cracking clays.
Associated species include Callitris species, Halosarcia spp., Atriplex paludosa, Frankenia pauciflora, Angianthus preissianus, Austrodanthonia setacea, Phalaris minor, Briza minor, Austrostipa drummondii, Acacia eremophila, Helipterum jessenii, Calocephalus citreus, Chrysocephalum apiculatum and Goodenia pusilliflora.
Flowers in spring (September to October). It is described as an uncommon winter-spring annual. Plants have been noted in the field as forming woody-based shrubs to 15 cm tall.
Few plants are found at sites, however it has been recorded as widespread in a swamp site, covering many acres but absent from this site 3 years previously.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Threats

Clearing of habitat.
Grazing (mainly domestic stock).
Seed viability (highly dependent upon seasonal conditions and the viability of seeds in the soil seedbank).
Lack of information on the species in NSW to inform a conservation management strategy.

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 existing populations from grazing.
No further loss of extant populations.
Investigate regeneration including seed-set, germination and seedling survival.
Survey for new populations

Information sources

Benson, J.S., Ashby, E.M. and Porteners, M.F. (1997) The native grasslands of the Riverine Plain, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5(1): 1-48
Bowen, P.F. and Pressey, R.L. (1993) Localities and habitats of plants with restricted distributions in the Western Division of New South Wales. Occasional Paper No. 17. (NSW NPWS, Sydney)
Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)
Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L. and Leigh, J.H. (1992) Plants of Western New South Wales. (Inkata Press, Sydney)
Everett, J. (1992) Leptorhynchos. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3. New South Wales University Press, Sydney)
Jessop, J.P. and Toelken, H.R. (eds.) (1986) Flora of South Australia. Part lll. (South Australian Government Printing Division, Adelaide)
NSW Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of New South Wales (Royal Botanic Gardens: Sydney).
PlantNET (2004) New South Wales Flora Online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. (National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust: Sydney).
Porteners, M.F. (1993) The natural vegetation of the Hay Plain: Booligal-Hay and Deniliquin-Bendigo 1:250 000 maps. Cunninghamia 3(1): 1-122
Pressey, R.L., Cohn, J.S. and Porter, J.L. (1990) Vascular plants with restricted distributions in the Western Division of New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 112: 213-227
Sonder, O.W. (1853) Leptorhynchos waitzia Sonder. Linnaea 25: 501.
Walsh, N.G. and Entwisle, T.J. (1999) Flora of Victoria; Volume 4, Dicotyledons Cornaceae to Asteraceae. (Inkata Press, Melbourne)
Webster, R. (1999) Targeted Fauna Surveys on Cowl Cowl Station’s Proposed Development Sites, Ecosurveys Pty Ltd Environmental Consultants, Deniliquin.
Wilson, P.G. (2001) Leptorhynchos (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae), notes, new taxa, and a leptotypification. Nuytsia 13(3): 607-611.