Anglesea Grevillea

The Anglesea Grevillea Grevillea infecunda is an open root suckering shrub which only occurs in the Anglesea and Aireys Inlet area of Victoria, Australia. 

Distribution

All known records of the Anglesea Grevillea. Source: VBA 2015

Identification

The Anglesea Grevillea grows 0.3 – 1.2m high. Leaves are dark green and hairless on the upper surface, while the lower surface is paler in colour and has a covering of sparse hairs, and are very variable in shape and size.

The Anglesea Grevillea is often confused with Holly Lomatia Lomatia ilicifolia which both occur within the same habitat (refer to images).

The series of photos shows the difference between Holly Lomatia leaves and Anglesea Grevillea leaves. The Holly leaves are those on the left and the Grevillea leaves are on the right. The underside of the Grevillea leaf is paler in colour.

Habitat & ecology

Anglesea Grevillea occurs in open areas of dry sclerophyll forest or woodland with sandy or gravelly soils in the hilly country around Anglesea and Airey’s Inlet. There are eleven known populations with plant numbers estimated at over 1,635 individuals. The populations are confined to National Park, Forest Park and other reserves in the Anglesea  Aireys Inlet area.

Flowering occurs from October to December. Flowers are yellow-green to brown in colour with long, red styles. The seed produced by this plant is thought to be non-viable and it appears to reproduce only through root suckering.

Threats

Threats to Anglesea Grevillea populations include:

• Accidental damaged - mainly caused by roadside slashing, and vehicles driving over individual plants.

• Physical disturbance - caused by 4WD’s, trail bikes, horses and other recreational activities.

• Physical disturbance - earthworks, areas which have been subject to gravel removal and excessive disturbance in the Anglesea  Aireys Inlet area do not support populations of the Anglesea Grevillea.

• Cinnamon fungus (Phytophthora cinnamonmi).

• Inappropriate fire regime  - (too frequent or insufficient burning has been  observed to be detrimental but the precise burning interval is not yet determined).

• Weed invasion

Preventing the spread of Cinnamon Fungus

Cinnamon Fungus Phytophthora cinnamonmi is a soil borne disease which attacks and kills plant roots systems. It is easily introduced to unaffected sites. To prevent its spread please brush and wash down your boots and other items which can transport soil before you walk in the bush. To further reduce the spread of PC you should always walk on existing tracks

More information on how to prevent the spread of this fungus  Parkweb - Cinnamon Fungus

Conservation of the Anglesea Grevillea

• Current management actions for Anglesea Grevillea are co-ordinated through the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) Victoria in conjunction with Parks Victoria and local conservation groups such as Friends of Eastern Otways and ANGAIR.

• Monitoring known populations of Anglesea Grevillea.

• Conducting searches for additional populations in similar habitat and entering information into the relevant DELWP databases.

• Areas within the Eastern Otways National Park have been fenced off to prevent accidental or deliberate damage caused by visitors.

• Surveys are undertaken to assess impacts of Cinnamon Fungus to Anglesea Grevillea or its habitat.

• A Recovery Team has been established to assist with communication between relevant agencies.

• Community involvement and awareness.

• Continued weed control to prevent the invasion of competitive pest plants.

Surveys of the Anglesea Grevillea were conducted by ANGAIR and the Friends of Eastern Otways in 2015. More than 4 hectares of bush were surveyed to collect information on the locations of plants. An additional 500 records of Anglesea Grevillea were collected and are in the process of being added to the Victorian Biodiversity database. 

DELWP Biodiversity Officer, Rani Hunt and volunteers from ANGAIR and Friends of Eastern Otways undertake surveys of Anglesea Grevillea in 2016 to understand how the plant responds to fire. The project was set up in November 2013 in a Bushfire Management Zone in the Otway Forest Park behind Anglesea, which subject to fuel reduction burning.   This survey is monitoring bushland that was burnt through the DELWP Planned Burning program in Autumn 2015. Source: DELWP 2016.

References

Australian Government  - Species Profile and Threats Database

DEPI (2014) Threatened flora advisory list - Victoria (now  DELWP).

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Action Statement No. 204 Anglesea Grevillea pdf

VBA (2015) Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP). Accessed October 2015.

Images used with permission from Rani Hunt, Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP),  Anglesea, Victoria. 

Threatened species feature pages

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