Austral Toadflax - 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: Thesium australe

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Profile last updated: 11 Apr 2023

Description

Austral Toadflax is a small, straggling herb to 40 cm tall. Leaves are pale green to yellow-green, somewhat succulent, 1 - 4 cm long and 0.5 - 1.5 mm wide. Flowers are minute and white, emerging where the leaves meet the stems and appearing in spring. The fruit is small and nut-like, developing in summer. This species is often hidden amongst grasses and herbs.

Distribution

Austral Toad-flax is found in very small populations scattered across eastern NSW, along the coast, and from the Northern to Southern Tablelands. It is also found in Tasmania and Queensland and in eastern Asia. Although originally described from material collected in the SW Sydney area, populations have not been seen in a long time. It may persist in some areas in the broader region.

Habitat and ecology

Occurs in grassland on coastal headlands or grassland and grassy woodland away from the coast.
Often found in association with Kangaroo Grass (Themeda australis).
A root parasite that takes water and some nutrient from other plants, especially Kangaroo Grass.

Regional distribution and habitat

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

Threats

Loss and degradation of habitat and/or populations for residential, infrastructure and agricultural developments.
Overgrazing by cattle and sheep, with particularly heavy grazing in summer, as plant is soft and palatable and sought as a forage species.
Weed invasion from morning glory, asparagus fern, and buffalo grass.
Road widening, straightening and maintenance can disturb and remove important individuals as the species is abundant on roadside verges as it has been cleared and grazed elsewhere.
Fire severely impacts the species in late spring when resprouting, particularly after good rain. The threat of fire is exacerbated by an abundance of fuel from exotic tussock grasses. Coastal headland fires from recreational users can get out of control or complete fire suppression can remove the disturbance needed to compete with coastal shrubs.
Rabbits graze on this species.
Weed control activities can impact the species such as slashing, trampling and overspray.
Trampling and erosion caused by recreational users walking off track. disturbing the soil and impacting the species.
Risk of harm to the species from weed control due to misidentification as the weed golden dodder.
Development pressure will increase as the need to relocate housing from lowlands increases due to more frequent floods.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Office of Environment and Heritage has identified 15 priority actions to help recover the Austral Toadflax in New South Wales.

Activities to assist this species

Protect known populations from changes to land use.
Do not undertake road works, 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.
Mark sites and potential habitat onto maps (of the farm, shire, region, etc) used for planning (e.g. road works, residential and infrastructure developments, remnant protection, rehabilitation).
Search for new populations in potential habitat.

Information sources

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)
Harden, G.J. (ed.) (1992) Flora of New South Wales Vol. 3. UNSW Press, Kensington, NSW.
Walsh, N.G. and Entwisle, T.J. (1999) Flora of Victoria; Volume 4, Dicotyledons Cornaceae to Asteraceae. (Inkata Press, Melbourne)

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Australian Alps	Snowy Mountains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Beardy River Hills	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Deepwater Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Ebor Basalts	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Moredun Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Round Mountain	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Tenterfield Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Carrai Plateau	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Cataract	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Chaelundi	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Comboyne Plateau	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Guy Fawkes	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Gorges	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Rocky River Gorge	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Manning	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Washpool	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Predicted	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
Ocean	Batemans Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Manning Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Tweed-Moreton	Known	None
Other State	ACT	Known	None
Other State	Jervis Bay Territory	Predicted	None
South East Corner	Bateman	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bondo	Known	Kosciuszko National Park
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Crookwell	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kybeyan-Gourock	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Monaro	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Predicted	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Predicted	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Predicted	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Jervis	Known	None