Clover Glycine

Gylcine latrobeana

A Nationally Threatened Species of the Grassland and Grassy Woodland Communities

Description Clover Glycine ( ) is a small perennial herb that belongs to the pea family. It grows up to 10 cm tall and is generally found in native grasslands and grassy woodlands.

The flowers from September to December. It reproduces from seed and may also spread from its root system (rhizomes).

The leaves of Clover Glycine look a lot like common pasture clover; three rounded leaflets Leaflet structure. Photo: M. Morton from a single centre. The leaves are hairless on the upper surface and have silky hairs underneath. The leaflets are as long as 20 mm Distribution and as wide as 12 mm. Clover Glycine has a wide distribution across Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Typically Clover Glycine is low growing across the Tasmania. ground. The pea-like flowers are mauve to purple and up to 6 mm long. Each flower stalk is upright In Victoria it crosses the state from North East and has 3-8 flowers crowded near the end of Victoria, Gippsland, Central Victoria and Western stalk. Victoria. It is also found in and around Melbourne and surrounding areas.

Clover Glycine habitat. Photo: Jenni Thomas Source: Flora Information System, DSE 2004 Clover Glycine ( Glycine latrobeana )

Similar species Conservation status Clover Glycine is most similar to Twining Glycine Clover glycine is listed under both the Victorian ( ) and Small-leaf Glycine Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (the ‘FFG ( ). The different species are Act’) and the Commonwealth Environment distinguishable by the shapes of their leaves. Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the ‘EPBC Act’) as ‘Vulnerable’.

Clover Glycine

Twining Glycine

Small-leaf Glycine

[Source: Department of Primary Industries, Clover Glycine. Photo: M. Morton Water and Environment. 2003.]

Decline and threats Why are threatened species important? It is possible that Clover Glycine was rare before • provide us with all of our food and a quarter European changes to the landscape occurred. of our medicines – the potential of many plants to Studies in Tasmania show it’s natural occurence supply food, medicines or other commodities there is patchy. remains unexplored, and what other useful The protection and appropriate management of compounds could exist in as yet undiscovered Clover Glycine populations will benefit many plants? grassland and grassy woodland habitats which • Because of Australia’s long isolation from other contain a variety of other rare and threatened landmasses, many of our species are found plants that co exist with this species. nowhere else Being part of natural grassland and grassy • Conservation of biodiversity is essential to woodlands makes it vulernable to a range of maintaining ecosystem processes such as nutrient threatening processes, in our landscape these are cycling, carbon dioxide / oxygen balance and areas of high productivity and mixed landuse. control of pests and diseases, all of which underpin the economic viability and sustainability of our Threatening processes include: primary industries • Grazing pressure from both introduced • Extinction is forever… herbivores, such as sheep and rabbits, and native animals. • Habitat loss and fragmentation. The destruction of habitat for urban growth is one of our current and future conservation issues.

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, September 2005 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2005

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