This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 1/10/2008 Approved Conservation Advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) Approved Conservation Advice for Eremochloa muricata

This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this Conservation Advice was approved; this includes existing plans, records or management prescriptions for this species.

Description Eremochloa muricata, Family , is a perennial, mat-forming or densely tufted grass. The culms, leaf sheaths and leaf blades are hairless. The spikelets are 4.5–5 mm long and the lower glume (bract) has large apical wings.

This species differs from the closely related E. bimaculata in having a sessile, broadly winged spikelet approximately 6 mm long (Buitenhuis & Veldkamp, 2001; Sharp & Simon, 2002). It is possible that E. muricata and E. bimaculata intergrade, but this has not been investigated (Landsberg & Clarkson, 2004).

Conservation Status Eremochloa muricata is listed as endangered. This species is eligible for listing as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) as, prior to the commencement of the EPBC Act, it was listed as endangered under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth). Eremochloa muricata is also listed as endangered under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ().

Distribution and Habitat Eremochloa muricata is known in from a single verified collection in 1976 from the grassy exposed rocky headland of Cape Flattery, in northern Queensland (Queensland Herbarium, 2008). The species also occurs in , and Burma (Clarkson, 2000). Population size and structure is unknown. Searches on similar headlands along the east coast of Cape York Peninsula over the past 20 years have been unable to confirm the species at any other locations (Clarkson, 2000). A specimen of E. muricata was found at the original site in 2001 (Landsberg & Clarkson, 2004). More were found on all other headlands in the Cape Flattery area, but because they lacked reproductive structures it was not possible to determine whether they were E. muricata or E. bimaculata (Landsberg & Clarkson, 2004). The single known locality is in an area of remnant vegetation (Environmental Protection Agency, 2008) as defined under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Queensland) and is therefore currently protected from broad-scale clearing. This species occurs within the Cape York (Queensland) Natural Resource Management Region. The distribution of this species is not known to overlap with any EPBC Act-listed threatened ecological communities.

Threats The main potential threats to E. muricata are grazing and increased vulnerability to stochastic events, as it is known from only one locality (Landsberg & Clarkson, 2004; Queensland Herbarium, 2008). Landsberg & Clarkson (2004) also consider some possible threat from expansion of nearby port activities.

Eremochloa muricata Conservation Advice - Page 1 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 1/10/2008 Research Priorities Research priorities that would inform future regional and local priority actions include: • More precisely assess population size, distribution, ecological requirements and the relative impacts of threatening processes. • Determine the taxonomic status of this population of Eremochloa muricata, relative to the similar and nearby populations of E. bimaculata ,and whether this population is indeed native. • Design and implement a monitoring program or, if appropriate, support and enhance existing programs. • Undertake survey work in suitable habitat and potential habitat to locate any additional populations/occurrences/remnants.

Regional and Local Priority Actions The following regional and local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of Eremochloa muricata. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Monitor known populations to identify key threats. • Monitor the progress of recovery, including the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary. • Manage any other known, potential or emerging threats. • Minimise adverse impacts from land use at known sites. • Ensure that the site containing this sole Australian population is protected from expansion of nearby infrastructure, or the indirect impacts of development. • Investigate formal conservation arrangements such as the use of covenants, conservation agreements or inclusion in reserve tenure. Trampling, Browsing or Grazing • Where appropriate manage total grazing pressure at important/significant sites through exclusion fencing or other barriers. Conservation Information • Raise awareness of E. muricata within the local community. Enable Recovery of Additional Sites and/or Populations • Undertake appropriate seed collection and storage. • Investigate options for linking, enhancing or establishing additional populations. • Implement national translocation protocols (Vallee et al., 2004) if establishing additional populations is considered necessary and feasible. This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to E. muricata, but highlights those that are considered to be of highest priority at the time of preparing the conservation advice.

Information Sources: Buitenhuis, AG & Veldkamp, JF 2001, ‘Revision of Eremochloa (Gramineae--Rottboelliinae)’, Blumea, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 399–420. Clarkson, JR 2000, ‘Threatened Conservation in Cape York Forges Ahead’, Danthonia, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1 & 5. Environmental Protection Agency 2008, Copy of the certified regional ecosystem map for the purpose of the Vegetation Management Act 1999, online RE Maps, Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, viewed 8 May 2008, .

Eremochloa muricata Conservation Advice - Page 2 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 1/10/2008 Landsberg, J & Clarkson, J 2004, Threatened Plants of the Cape York Peninsula: A report to the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. Queensland Herbarium 2008, specimen label information, viewed 8 May 2008. Sharp, D & Simon, BK 2002, AusGrass: Grasses of Australia, ABRS Identification Series, interactive CD ROM, ABRS/CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. Vallee, L, Hogbin, T, Monks, L, Makinson, B, Matthes, M & Rossetto, M 2004, Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants in Australia (2nd ed.), Australian Network for Plant Conservation, Canberra.

Eremochloa muricata Conservation Advice - Page 3 of 3