173

FLORA OF TABLE CAPE

by J.H. Willis

(with two plates and an appendix)

Historical notes are provided on the original vegetation of Table Cape before its alteration by extensive agricultural clearing, as well as a description of the current vegetation. Floristic details of the four major current habitats arc given. A census is presented of 248 species of vascular , bryophytes and lichens, including exotics, recorded at thc Cape bctwccu 1832 and 1967. Key Words: flora, Table Cape, early vegetation, vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, .

In BANKS, M.R. et al. (Eds), 1991 (31:iii): ASPECTS OF TASMANIAN BOTANY -A Tf?IBUTE TO W/11/lFRFD CURTIS. Roy. Soc. Tasm. Hobart: 173-178. https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.124.2.173 INTRODUCTION

The northwestern coast of Tasmania, between Burnie and Robbins Island, is interrupted by three bold equidistant bluffs - Table Cape near Wynyard, Rocky Cape, and Circular Head (or The Nut) at Stanley; all were given these names by Captain on 5 December 1798 (Flinders 1814). Table Cape and The Nut have much in common, both consisting of basalt, rising about 150 m above the sea and formerly carrying lofty eucalypt forest. Intervening Rocky Cape is quite different - white quartzite of Precambrian origin, with a predominantly heathland flora rich in species (at least 260 indigenous kinds, including 46 orchids). Floristic accounts of the vegetation on The Nut and Rocky Cape were published by Willis (I 966) and Firth (1969) respectively. It is, thus, appropriate that some record be made of the plants, both native and naturalised, known to inhabit the Table Cape promontory.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Settlement at Table Cape, with the consequent impact on the pristine vegetation, did not commence until the early l 850's - some 25 years after Van Diemens Land Company settlement at and around The Nut in 1826. Visiting missionary-botanist James Backhouse (1843) had given the first description of the Cape in its natural condition. Coming from Circular Head, doubtless along PLATE I the VDL Company's rough bush track, he ascended the Musk daisy-bush ( argophylla), now extremely summit plateau on 14 November 1832 and was rare at Table Cape. (Photo: Fred Bishop.) impressed by the "luxuriant vegetation" which included "Stately Stringybarks and White Gums, attaining to Mercer (1963---64)described the activities of pioneer about 200 feet in height"; he specifically mentioned settlers in the area. By l 850, surveyor Peter Lemonde tree fems (Dicksonia antarctica), prickly acacia Lette was occupying one of the first houses in what is (Acacia verticillata), musky aster (Olearia argophylla now Wynyard, on the east bank of the . - pl. !), Macquarie Harbour vine (Muehlenbeckia From this base, Lette surveyed Table Cape, dividing adpressa) and white clematis (Clematis aristata). the cape into 50 acre (approx. 20 ha) holdings -- with 174 IFf. Willis

of saffle Crown land reserved for a monogyna, Nypcricwn gramineum, Viola hederacea which llUI until 1888. A and ,euc-rioides. settler 0[1 the subdivided land of the Shekleton from Dundalk, Ireland, who, in 1853, selected WOO acres (405 ha) (later of the Table Cape plateau originally increased to 2000 acres (810 ha); he built carried a dense growth of talilvIda/eum ericij()iia over lind resided there until his death in all swamplands or areas with high water Another &mall seltlement had been established about tableo Sizeable relics of this formation still exist south 1851 the Alexander brothers, near the present Table from the H):,""'V"''', draining into a creek that road forms a srm,H 'Naterfall over the H0l1heastern escarpment. Before the turn M()sr of recorded fern such taller forested country on Table shrubs as bicolor, Tasmannia lanceolata Backhousein 1832. and Zieria arhoresccns are to be found here, with a few on the rich, red volcanic soil. shade-tolerant herbs. on the vvestem Tussock Grassland and Herbfield (Induced) Puitel'laea juniperina, Goodia As on The Nut, areas cleared for pasture and crops have I,."·/,,,,·d,>m australis and Glycine clandestina, the evolved into open grasslands dominated by Arrhropodium millejlo/'um and two orchids, Pterostylis (e.g. introduced Dactylis nutans and P. peduncl/lata, that are now absent from and Lolium perenne (perennial the contrastingly denuded sud'ace of The Nut at Stanley. in mixture with the indigenous Spicer (J 878) frequently cited Circular Head as a Danthonia (wallaby grasses) and, in damper locality t()f species, Ro(~ky Cape occasionally (notably Foa labillardieri (tussock grass). Cropland may for orchids), but Table Cape not at all. His records are become a herbfieJd presenting a plethora of alien plants undoubtedly based largely on the collections of Ronald ._.- clovers medics (Medicago), vetches C. Gunn, Tasrnania's greatest amateur botanist who (Vida), chickweeds (Stellaria and Cerastium), thistles was Police Magistrate at Circular Head from 1836-38. (Carduus, Cirsium and Sonchus) etc. Grasses, with at Rodway (1903) echoed all the records of Spicer for least 33 account for 17% of the total vascular Circular Head and Rocky Cape, but ignored Table flora. --- with one exception, the rare slender tree fern cWlningilamii), which has long since been Coastal Declivities and Cliffs presumed extinct hereabouts. He also (Rodway 1913, The steepest terrain on Table Cape, west, north and 1914) recorded seven species of mosses from Circular east of the lighthouse at about 120 m a.s.\., affords the Head and an eighth from Table Cape, Sphagnum most diverse and complex of habitats _. everything hrothcrusii, which is probably referable to the common from a community of stunted trees (e.g. Banksia S. cymbifolioides C. MueH. marginata, Exocarpos cupl'essij'ormis, Bursaria During January 1967, while the author was staying at spinosa and Leucopogon parvi/7orus) at the edge of Wynyard, he took the 0pp0l1unity to make a list of the escarpments to a selvage of salt-tolerant plants against species on Table Cape. Only two days could be the sea _. notably Stipa (coast spear grass), spared for this project, and the census in the appendix Distichlis distichophylla (salt grass), Sarcocornia is a result of that effolt. This list is not intended to be (beaded glasswort), Carpobrotus rossii comprehensive; further critical examinations throughout (karka!la Of noon·flower), Muehlenheckia adpressa every season are bound to augment it considerably. (Macquarie vine or Macquarie grape), Apium prostratum (sea celery), Samo/us repens (brookweed), Lobelia a/ata (angled lobelia) and small tree Myoporum PRINCIPAL PLANT HABITATS insulure (common boobialla). Shrubs of the escarpments include Correa alba (white correa), Cyathodes Forest juniperina (crimson berry), Alyxia huxifolia (sea box) Reference has been made to tree cover and Solanum vescum (kangaroo apple). Rock crevices Bush) on the western slopes. are colonised by Asplenium f/ahelhfolium (necklace viminaiis and E. are the dominant fern), Pleuroso/,us rut/folius (blanket fern), Einadia with Pomaderris Acacia melanoxylon and A. nuton~ (nodding saltbush), Pelargonium australe verticilIata among subordinate tree,; or tall shrubs; a (austral stork's bill), Galium aus/rale (tangled sparse herbaceous nora includes Acaen(} bedstraw) etc.

novae·"zelandiac 1 Poranthera Stackhousia Cape 175

PLATE 2 Aerial view of'Table (Photo: Dept of Planning and Environment, Hohart.)

CENSUS OF PLANT SPECIES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Of the 190 species of vascular plants listed in the The author is for assistance from Mr Charles appendix, 63 are naturalised aliens. Their arrangement Turner, Burnie, who kindly material from follows that of Buchanan 1'1 (II. (J 989), wherein articles by Peter Mercer in the Arts Council Bulletin families, genera and are all set out ""."lOt"' .. ''''''''.) (Novcmher 196:\ and July 1964): the [",teMr Mol. under each of the major headings (ferns), Firth, who recorded the two orchids from Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. Bryophytes (mosses Bush; the of the and hepatics -. 41 and a few lichens are listed and National I-JerbariufrI. Melbourne; separately and arranged alphabetically as to genera and Centre. Hobart, which species, farniiial names being exciude(l of 1hblc 176 .TN. Willis

RODWAY, L, 19m: THE TASMANIAN FLORA. Gov! Printer, REFERENCES Hobart. RODWAY, L., 19J:".: Tasmanian Hnmrlhvta

BACKHOUSE, J., 1843: A NARRATIVE OF It VISIT TO THE Pmc. R. Soc. Tasm. AUSTRALIAN COLONIES: J 10-111. RODWAY, L., 1914: Tasmanian Bryophyta, Part 3. Pap. Proc. J\.M., tvkCiL-\RY-BROWN, r\. & ORClL"'..RD, r\,E.) R. Soc. Tasm. i913: 177-263. 1989: A CB-ISUS Tf-IE VASCUlAR PLANTS SPICER, W.W., 1878: A HANDBOOK OF THE PLANTS OF OF TASMANIA. I:Clsm Herb. Oee. Publ. No.2: 82 pp. TASMANIA. J. Walch & Sons, Hobart. FIRTH, M.J., 1969: Flora of Cape. Rcc. Q. Viet. MIAs. Wll.US, J.i·L, 1966: Flora of Tne Nut. Rce. Q Viet. Mus. 21: 33: 1-16. 1-12. v!., 18J4: TERRA AUSTRALIS 1. c. & VV, Ni~ol, London: dX\fi-viL 14 March 1990) MERCER, P., 1963··{)4: The early of the Far North West Coast. Pm15 XIV-XX. Arts Council Bull. Nov. 1963 J.H. Willis and luI. 1964. 102 Male Street, Brighton, , 3186 APPENDIX Census of Plant Species on Table Cape

An asterisk (*) indicates naturalised aliens, (n denotes a species now restricted to a large paperbark swamp south of the lighthouse, (:n any species that occurs also on The Nut.

VASCULARES l. inundata R.Br. t PTERIDOPHYTA (FERNS) I. flodosa (Rottb.) RBf. t ADIANT ACEAE I. subtillissima Boeckler t Adiaflfum aethiopicwn L. -f: Lcpidopserma f?ladiatum Labill. :j: ASPIDIACEAE L. laterale var. majus Benth. H Po!ystichllll1 pl'Olilemm (R.Br.) C. Pres!' ~ IRIDACEAE ASPLENIACEAE Diplarrena moraea Lahill. :1' Asplenium .f7ahellifolilun Cay_ :r JUNCACEAE Pleurosn/'Us rutifolius (R.Br.l Fee Juncus bufonius L. :j: BLECHNACEAE .J. ?effi,sus L. *t Blechnum minus (RBr.) Ettingsh. :f .J. kraussii Hochst. B. I1UdWII (Labil!.) Melt. ex Luerss. :t .J. pallidus R.Br. t B. wattsii M.Tindale j: J. pauciflorus R.Br. t Doudia media R.Br. LUZlila meridionalis Nordensk. CYATHEACEAE L. flaccida (Buchenau) Edgar Cyolhea cunningi10mii HookJ. - presumed extinct LILIACEAE DENNSTAEDTIACEAE Arthropodium milleflorum (DC.) Macbride fiistiopleris incisa (Thunb.) .J.Smith "i:j: Bulbine bulhosa (R.BL) Haw. + Hypolepis f?landulifaa Brownsey & Chinnock Dianella revoluta RBr. :j: ,-ugosliia (Labi]l.) J.Smith :f D. tasmanica Hook.f Pt" .... I",~ esculentum (PorSl.f.) Cockaync :j: ORCHIDACEAE DICKSONTACEAE Pterostylis flutan" R.Br. Rock ledges in Dakings Dicksonia antarctica Lahill. "f+ Bush. GLEICHENiACEA.E P. pedunculata R.Br. Rock ledges in Dakings Bush. Gleici1cllia microphylla H.. Br. '1' POACEAE POLYPODIACEAE Agrostis avenacea J.Gmelin Microsorum diversif'olium (Wind.) Copeland j: A. capillaris L. *:J: SINOPTERTDACEAE A. aff. hiemalis (Walt.) Britton et al. Pellaea fa/mla (R.Br,) Fee A ira cmJophyllea L. *:j: Avena fatua L. *j: MONOCOTYLEDONEAE Briza minor Lo *:t CENTHOLEPlDACEAE Bromus diandrus Roth. *:j: Cenlro/epis strigosa (RJ3r.) Roemer & Schultes :(: B. hordeaeeus *t CYPEHACEAE B. slailis L. * Carel appress'a R.Br. tt Cynosurus aistatus L. * C< hu:'vicuhnis R,Br. C echinatus L. * C< grumiana BooH Dactylis glomerata L. *:j: C. inver_so R.Br. Danthonia caespitosa Gaudich. lsolepl's cerrwa (Vahl) RoerHer & Schultes D. pi/osa RBr. :j: f'lora Cape 177

D, racemosa RBf. Sag ina procumbcns L. *+ Deyeuxia quadriseta (Labill.) Benth, Silene gulii!'a L. *:j: Dichelachne crinita (L.f,) Hook,f, Stellaria media (L.) Cyrilla *:j: Distichlis distichophylla (Labill.) Fassett :I: S, pungens Brongn, :j: Echinopogon ovatus (ForstJ.) P,Beauv. CHENOPODIACEAE Elymus scaber (R,BLl A.Love:j: A triplex prostrata Boucher ex DC, *:\: Ehrharta slipoides Labill, t Chenopodium album L. * Glyceria maxima (Hartman) Holmb, * Einadia nutans (RELl AJ, Scott i: Holcus lanatus L. *:j: Rhagodia candol/eana Moq. :j: Hordeum murinum ssp. /eporinum (Link) Arcang. Sarcocornia quinque/lora (Bunge ex Ung,-Stemb.) Lolium perenne L. *:j: AJ, Scott :j: Phalaris minor Retz, * CLUSIACEAE Poa annua L. * Hypericum gramineum Forst.f. p, labillardieri Steudel :j: CONVOLVULACEAE p, poiformis (Labill.) Druce :j: Dichondra repens J.R. & Forst.f. :j: p, tenera F.Muell. ex Hook.f. CRASSULACEAE Stipa stipoides (Hook.f.) Veldk. :j: Crassula sieberiana (Schultes & Schultes) Druce :j: Vulpia bromoides (L.) Gray *:j: EPACRIDACEAE XANTHORRHOEACEAE Cyathodes juniper ina (Forst.) Druce :j: Lomandra longifolia Labill. :j: Leucopogon ericoides (Smith) RBf. L. parviflorus (Andr.) Lindl. :j: DICOTYLEDONEAE EUPHORBIACEAE AIZOACEAE Poranthera microphylla Brongn, :j: Carpobrotus rossii (Haw.) Schwantes :j: FABACEAE Tetragonia implexicoma (Miq.) Hook.f. :j: Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. in Aiton :j: T. tetragonioides (Pallas) Kuntze A, vertleillma (L'Herit.) Willd, :j: APIACEAE Genista monspessulana (L.) L.Johnson *:j: Apium prostratum Labill. ex Vent. :j: Glycine clandestina J.Wendl. APOCYNACEAE Goodia lotifalia Salisb. Alyxia buxifolia RBr. :j: Indigofera australis Willd. Vinca major L. *:j: Medicago polymorpha L. *:j: Pultenaea daphnoides I.Wend\. t Actites megalocarpa (Hook.f.) N.Lander :j: p, juniperina Labill. Bellis perennis L. * Trifolium dubium Sibth. *:j: Carduus tenuifiorus Curtis *:j: T, pratense L. * Cassinia aculeata (Labill.) RBf. T. repens L. *:j: Cirsium vulgare (Suvi) Ten, *:j: T. subterraneum L. * Gnaphalium involucra tum ForstJ, :j: Vicia sativa L. *:j: Hypochoeris radicata *:j: V. tetrasperma (L.) Schreber *:j: Olearia argophylla (Labill,) Benth. :j: FUMARIACEAE 0, lirata (Sims.) Hutch. Fumaria officinalis L. *:j: O. ramulosa (Labill.) Benth, GERANIACEAE Picris hieracioides L. * Erodium moschatum (L.) L'Herit ex Aiton * Senecio hispidulus ARich. :j: Geranium solanderi Carolin t S, lautus Forst.f. ex WilId, :j: Pelargonium australe Willd. :j: S, linearifolius A,Rich. :j: HALORAGACEAE S, minimus Poiret 'I Gonocarpus te'Ucrioides DC. Sonchus mper (L.) Hill. * LAMIACEAE S. oleraceus *:j: Prunella vulgaris L. BRASSICACEAE LlNACEAE Brassica rapa L. * Linum marginaie A.Cunn. ex Planchon CapseUa bursa-postoris (L.) Medikus * MYOPORACEAE Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (L.) Hayek *1'+ Myoporum insulare RBr. :j: Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. '" MYRTACEAE CAMPANULACEAE Eucalyptus obliqua L'Herit. Lobelia alata Labill. :j: E. viminalis Labill. t Wahlenbergia gracilis (ForsLf.) Schrader :j: Melaleuca ericifolia Smith :j: CAPRIFOLIACEAE ONAGRACEAE Sambucus gaudichaudiana DC. t:j: Epilobium billardierianum SeT. ex DC. t S. nigra L. * OXALIDACEAE CARYOPHYLLACEAE Oxalis latifolia Humb, et al. * Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. *:j: 0, perennans Haw, :j: 178 IIi Willis

PITTOSPORACEAE BRYOPHYTA Bursari« spinosa vaL macrophylla Hook. :j: MUSCI (MOSSES) Pittosporum bieolor Hook. -r Achrophyllum dentatum (Hook.f. & Wils.) Vitt & PLANTAGINACEAE Crosby Plantago lanceolala L. * Amphidium cyathicarpum (Mont) Broth. P. varia R.Br. Barhula calycina Schwaegr. POLYGONACEAE Bartramia ithyphylla Brid. Muehl ellbeckia adpressa (Labi!!.) Meissner Breutelia ajfinis (Hook.) Mitt. Rumex acetosella L. *1- Bryum billardieri Schwaegr. R. brownii Campd(~ra B. ciawlium (Schimp.) C.Muell. R. crisp~s L. *:j: B. subapiculatum Hampe R. pulcher L. ** Calyplrochaeta apiculata (Hook.f. & Wils.) Vilt PORTULACACEAE CamplOchaete gracilis (Hook.f. & Wils.) Par. Calandrinia calyptrata Hook.f. * Campy/opus hiea/or (Homsch. ex CMuell.) Wils. C. caulescens Humb. et at. * C. introflexus (Hedw.) Brid. PRIMULACEAE Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. Anagallis arvensis L. *:j: Ditrichum cylindricarpum (CMueIL) F.MuelL PROTEACEAE Fissidens asplenioides Hedw. Banksia marginata Cav. :j: F. leptociadus CMuell. ex Rodw. RANUNCULACEAE F. pallidus Hook.f. & Wils. Clematis aristata R.Bf. ex DC F. tenel/us Hook.f. & Wils. Ranunculus repens L. * Funaria hygrometrica Hedw. RHAMNACEAE Grimmia pulvinata (Hedw.) Sm. Pomaderris apetala Labi!!. :j: Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. ROSACEAE Lembophyllum divulsum (Hook.f. & Wils.) Lindb. Acaena novae-zelandiae Kirk. :j: Phi/onotis tenuis (Tay!.) Reichdt. A. echinata Nees in Lehm. :j: Racomitrium crispuium (Hook.f. & Wils.) Hook.f. & Crataegus monogyna Jacq. *:j: Wils. Rosa rubiginosa L. * Racopilum convolutaceum (C.Muell.) Reichdt. Ruhus jruticosus agg. * Rhynchostegium tenuifolium (Hedw.) Reichdt. R. parvifolius L. *:j: Sematophyllum homomallum (Hampe) Broth. RUBIACEAE Sphagnum cymbifolioides C.Muell. Coprosma quadrifida (Labil!.) Robinson t:J: Thuidiumfurfurosum (HookJ. & Wils.) Reichdt. Galium aparine L. *:j: Tortula papil/osa Wils. G. australe DC :j: T. princeps De Not. G. gaudichaudii DC. :j: Weissia controversa Hedw. Sherardia arvensis L. *:j: Zygodon intermedius B.S.G. RUTACEAE HEPATICAE (LIVERWORTS) Correa alha Andrews :j: Chiloscyphus biciliatus (Hook.f. & Tay!.) Gott. et al. Zieria arborescens Sims t C. muricatus (Lehm.) Engel & Schust. SANTALACEAE C. semiteres (Lehm.) Lehm. & Lindenb. Exocarpos cupressiformis Labil!. Frullania faleiloba Tay\. ex Lehm. SAPINDACEAE Lejeunea drummondii Tay\. Dodonaea viscosa ssp. spathulata (Smith) J.West Metzgeria fure·ala (L.) Dumort. SCROPHULARIACEAE Plagiochila fasciculata Lindenb. Parentucellia viscosa (L.) Camel * Zoopsis leitgebiana (Carr. & Pears.) Bastow Verhascum thapsus L. * LICHENS Veronica arvensis L. ** Caloplaca ?cinnaharina (Ach.) Zahlbr. SOLANACEAE Ciadia aggregata (Sw.) Ny!. Solanum nigrum L. * Flavoparmelia rutidota (Hook.f. & Tay!.) Hale S. vescum F.Muell. Lecanora rupicola (1...) ZahlbL STACKHOUSIACEAE Lecidea sp. Stackhousia monogyna Labill. Pseudocyphel/aria crocata (L.) Vainio URTICACEAE Ramalina celastri (Sprengel) Krog & Swinsc. Urtica incisa Poiret H R. inflata (Hook.f. & Tay!.) Hook.f. & Tay!. VIOLACEAE Rhizocarpon sp. [minute black apotheciaj Viola hederacea LabilL :{: Rinodina ?thiomela (Ny!.) Miill.Arg. WINTERACEAE Siereocauion ramulosum (Sw.) Rausch. Tasmannia lanceolata (Poiret) A.CSmith t Sticta sp. [grey 1 Teloschistes chrysophthalmus (L.) Th.Ff. T. ?spinosus (Hook.f. & Tay!.) I. Murray Tephromela ?atra (Huds.) Hafelner Xanthoparmelia ?tasmanica (HookJ. & Tayl.) Hale Xanthoria liRulata (Korber) PJames