Department for Environment and Heritage Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grassland nationally listed as Critically Endangered
Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grassland, Mokota Conservation Park (Photograph by Tim Bond)
Description The Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grassland of South Australia is a grassland dominated by Iron- grasses (Lomandra multiflora ssp. dura and/or Lomandra effusa), with tussock-forming (clumping) grasses, low shrubs and a range of other native plants in the ground layer. Trees and tall shrubs are generally absent or very sparse (less than 10% cover).
Distribution Iron-grass Grasslands are unique to South Australia. Their main distribution is on the slopes and hills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, west of the River Murray and throughout the Mid North (see adjacent map). Patches also occur on the eastern side of the River Murray near Tailem Bend, and may occur along the Hummocks Range north of the Gulf St Vincent.
Conservation Status The Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grassland of South Australia is nationally listed as a critically endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Your comments are valued. Conservation Act 1999. To provide comments or information in the Major threats to this community include development of the recovery plan for this clearance and fragmentation, inappropriate ecological community, please contact: grazing regimes, and weed invasion. Jean Turner Grassy Ecosystems Recovery Project DEH, 3/17 Lennon St, Clare 5453 Ph: (08) 8841 3451 Email:- [email protected] Department for Environment and Heritage
SPECIES FOUND IN IRON-GRASS GRASSLAND Some Commonly Occurring Species:
Scented Mat-rush Hard Mat-rush Crested Spear-grass Brush Wire-grass Lomandra effusa Lomandra multiflora ssp. dura Austrostipa blackii Aristida behriana
Narrow-leaf New Holland Daisy Australian Bindweed Yellow-wash Bluebell Richard’s Pipit Vittadinia blackii Convolvulus erubescens Wahlenbergia luteola Anthus novaeseelandiae
Some Species of Conservation Significance:
Blue Devil Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard Rare White-spot Rush-skipper Plains-wanderer Eryngium ovinum Tiliqua adelaidensis Trapezites luteus luteus Pedionomus torquatus (Vulnerable in SA) (Endangered in SA/Aust) (Vulnerable in SA) (Endangered in SA/ Vul in Aust)
Long-flower Cryptandra Trailing Hop-bush Small Scurf-pea Behr's Cowslip Orchid Cryptandra sp. Long hypanthium Dodonaea procumbens Cullen parvum Diuris behrii (Rare in SA) (Vulnerable in SA/Aust) (Vulnerable in SA) (Vulnerable in SA)
Photo credits: Jean Turner, Adrian Shackley, Tony Robinson, Brian Furby, Mark Hutchinson, Roger Grund, David Ong, Anthony Pieck.