Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 87:49–62, 2004 Flora and vegetation of the Eastern Goldfields Ranges: Part 7. Middle and South Ironcap, Digger Rock and Hatter Hill N Gibson Science Division, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Wildlife Research Centre, PO Box 51 Wanneroo WA 6065
[email protected] (Manuscript received July 2003; accepted June 2004) Abstract A study of the flora and plant communities of part of Forrestania greenstone belt between Middle Ironcap and Hatter Hill (some 80 km ESE of Hyden), recorded a total flora of 345 taxa of which 342 were native and three were introduced. Three species of threatened flora and 29 taxa being considered for listing were found. Ten species are considered to be endemic to the range and a further eight species are restricted to similar landforms within 100 km of the range. A new species of Stenanthemum is only known from two populations. Despite considerable mining and exploration activity in the area, the flora and vegetation remain poorly known. Thirty-eight quadrats were established along the range system and data from these quadrats were used to define four community types. Differences in these community types were strongly related to edaphic gradients. Very little of the Forrestania vegetation system is reserved and the results of this survey support recommendations for the establishment of nature reserves to conserve this vegetation system. Keywords: flora, vegetation, Goldfields, Ironcap, Hatter Hill, Digger Rock, Western Australia, greenstone Introduction wildfire in summer of 1993 that consumed almost all vegetation between Mt Holland and Middle Ironcap.