DRAFT PLAN OF MANAGEMENT FOR BEMBOKA CROWN LAND RESERVE

Jackie Miles, Consultant Botanist Hawkshead Road, Brogo 2550 Phone: 6492 7285

22 April 2003

The large area of Crown Land Reserve lying north from the Bemboka cemetery and east from the Recreation Reserve at the confluence of Colombo Creek and the Bemboka River is 18 hectares in area, and carries open grassy woodland derived from Candelo Dry Grass Forest, which is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

Candelo Dry Grass Forest is probably the most depleted ecological community in the region. It has borne the brunt of the agricultural activity in the region, along with Bega Dry Grass Forest. It is naturally restricted in distribution to the driest parts of the Bega and Towamba valleys. And, because it occurs principally around Candelo, which is the heart of the African lovegrass infestation in the region, many remnants have been lost to weed invasion in recent years. Many existing remnants have the groundcover biodiversity greatly reduced due to grazing and weeds, and the trees are often suffering dieback as a result of high levels of insect attack of the foliage.

The trees on the Reserve are generally in better health than those seen in most privately owned remnants in the region, and have been reproducing freely. However, because of a previous history of being leased for grazing, probably mostly by , there is a lack of a shrub layer and of the small tree layer of wattles which typically occurs in the absence of grazing pressure. The adjacent road reserve still carries this understorey vegetation, as does the Bemboka River bank. Most of the Reserve carries a grassy groundcover, and in most parts of the site it is of a relatively low species diversity, although still better than that of regularly grazed remnants. Kangaroo grass is dominant on some parts of the site. Other native grasses such as microlaena, paddock lovegrass, plume grass and poa tussock are all common, along with a number of exotic grasses. The area with the most disturbed and weedy groundcover is located on the slopes with a more sheltered southerly aspect nearest the access point onto the block from the Bemboka cemetery and on the highest point of the block where two old internal fences converge. This area seems to have been a cattle camp in the past. The greater the distance from the gate and the old cattle camp site, the better the condition of the groundcover. The far north-western side of the site has the best quality groundcover. The reserve road also carries low numbers of regionally significant native herbs such as bulbine lily, lespedeza and yellow buttons, all species which are much more abundant in the adjacent cemetery, where they are free of grazing pressure. (Update – the cemetery was re-fenced in late 2006 and most of the areas where these occurred were severely disturbed, so the cemetery may no longer be such a good repository of regionally significant species. It is to be hoped that some of these species could be extended into the Crown Reserve, where they would be subject to less disturbance.)

The Crown Land was formerly divided by an internal fence into two paddocks, though this fence is now derelict. The paddock to the west of this fence is in better condition than the remainder of the area, with more regionally uncommon species such as native sorghum, yellow rush-lily, yellow buttons and curved rice-, and a greater dominance of kangaroo grass. This may be because of the fence reducing stock access to this section in the past, or because this section has a northerly aspect which tends to make it drier and hence more resistant to invasion by exotic species.

The following regionally significant species are found on the site:

Eucalyptus melliodora yellow box is an indicator species for Candelo Dry Grass Forest. More typically a species of the tablelands and slopes, it is largely confined on the far south coast to the area between Bega, Tantawangalo and Bemboka, where it can be locally common. As may often be the case with plants living close to the limit of their natural distribution, it frequently looks unhealthy, being badly defoliated by insect attack regularly. It is common, and generally in good health on the Reserve.

Eucalyptus tereticornis forest red gum is regarded as being depleted in the wild since, although still common in the Bega valley, it is almost entirely restricted to modified agricultural landscapes, where its long-term persistence may be threatened by dieback and lack of regeneration. It is common on the Reserve.

Sorghum leiocladum native sorghum is a robust tussock grass distinguished by “ballet skirts” of hairs around the nodes on the seed stalks, and rusty red seed heads. It is highly palatable to stock and generally only found in ungrazed or lightly grazed situations. However, in these areas it may become very common. It is quite common in the adjacent cemetery, and was seen on the road reserve and fenced-off river bank. It is likely to be found on the Reserve with further appropriately timed surveys.

Glycine tabacina and G. ?tomentella these two similar purple pea-flowered twiners are confined to agricultural areas, with hairy glycine (G. ?tomentella) being further restricted to Candelo Dry Grass Forest. Both are scattered over the site, but G. tabacina is more common.

Pimelea curviflora var. sericea curved rice-flower is a subshrub to about 30 cm high with tiny yellow or red which are held in the axils. It is uncommon and possibly confined to Candelo Dry Grass Forest remnants. Only a few small plants were found on the north-facing slope at the western end of the site.

Calotis lappulacea yellow burr-daisy is generally confined to Candelo Dry Grass Forest, where it is mostly found on roadsides. This may be partly because of a preference for harsh sites such as cutting faces. It occurs on a section of steep bank above Colombo Creek near the north-west corner of the site, and on another similarly eroded site near the Bemboka River.

Bulbine glauca yellow bulbine lily is generally confined to ungrazed areas because it is highly palatable to livestock. It is occasionally seen in forest surrounding the farming areas, particularly in association with rocky outcrops, but seems to be most common in agricultural areas. It is common on graves in the cemetery, where it is protected from mowing, and was seen in the road reserve. It may appear in the Reserve in time.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum yellow buttons is a short silver-leaved daisy generally confined to Candelo Dry Grass Forest, where it is mostly found in ungrazed situations. It is scattered through the drier western end of the site.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum clustered everlasting is a similar but taller plant with a clumped growth habit and narrower , also generally confined to Candelo Dry Grass Forest. It is less common in the district generally than yellow buttons. One cluster of plants occurs near the northern boundary fence.

The banks of the Bemboka River carry riparian scrub in only fair condition, due to the presence of woody weeds, including blackberry, hawthorn, cotoneaster, cherry plum, tree of heaven and willow. However, some regionally significant species such as swamp millet and native sorghum also occur in this area. There is a much better developed native shrub layer in this area, which is fenced off from the bulk of the Reserve. The banks of Colombo Creek carry largely exotic vegetation dominated by kikuyu, but do include some areas with native aquatic plants such as swamp millet and smartweed.

Management issues

Weeds

The Reserve has a substantial infestation of St Johns wort, and there is African lovegrass in the reserve road and in the cemetery, although none has been detected on the Reserve itself as yet.

The blackberry and other woody weeds on the Bemboka River bank need to be dealt with. At present the level of infestation is manageable, but it could become very much worse with a few more years of neglect. There are also small patches of other woody weeds on the river bank, including cherry plum, tree of heaven, cotoneaster and hawthorn. Willows along the Bemboka River have recently been treated with and it would be desirable to complete the clean-up of exotic woody weeds in the river by treating the blackberry and other weedy trees and shrubs. There is still abundant native riparian scrub and trees present to replace the exotic vegetation.

Blackberry is also scattered throughout the Reserve, and a couple of other woody weeds, briar rose and African boxthorn, are present in low numbers. These all need to be dealt with. Other common, but not noxious, woody environmental weeds are cotoneaster and hawthorn. These would have spread by bird-distributed seed from the nearby village of Bemboka, and are likely to continue to do appear. On-going control of woody weeds will therefore be required, but the amount of effort should not be great after the initial knock-down of the existing infestations, which have developed over a long period.

The frontage to Colombo Creek is not fenced off from the remainder of the Reserve. It carries grassy vegetation, with a mixture of exotic and native grasses, and patches of cumbungi and other native aquatic plants in the creek. A few blackberry plants occur in this area. . There is also an infestation of periwinkle encroaching through the fence from the neighbouring block on the western boundary.

Native vegetation management - grazing

It would be preferable for this block not to be leased for grazing again. While occasional grazing can reinvigorate kangaroo grass pasture by removing the bulk of dead matter from the grass tussocks, it is also responsible for the loss of biodiversity in the herb component of the groundcover. The contrast in this respect between the grazed Crown Land and the mown cemetery is quite marked. There is also the near-certainty that livestock will introduce the seeds of noxious and other weeds in their manure. African lovegrass is routinely introduced into Travelling Stock Reserves in the region in this manner.

Fencing with adjacent private property is in poor condition, and cattle do appear to be grazing the site occasionally, although where they are gaining access is uncertain. Two cattle died on the block in the recent (2002-03) drought. The western boundary fence needs replacement as it is particularly poor. The fence along the Bemboka River bank is mostly still in stock-proof condition, although it is not likely to remain so for very much longer. At present it would be unlikely to be put to the test very often as dense woody weed infestations in the river bed probably inhibit cattle from attempting to cross the river. Once these are cleaned up the state of the fencing may become a more important issue. On the southern boundary, the fence with the road reserve is in poor condition at the eastern end and this could be significant since stock can move into the road reserve from the adjoining Travelling Stock Reserve and a paddock which is part of the cemetery but which is leased for grazing periodically. However both these paddocks are very small and the level of stocking of them is not high.

Native vegetation management -fire

It is likely to be advantageous to the native vegetation to commence a program of periodic burning of the site. This may help to improve the balance between native and exotic grasses, since most native grasses are well adapted to fire.

It is impossible to say with any confidence what the character of the original grassy forests (Bega and Candelo Dry Grass Forests) of the granite country of the Bega valley might have been before European impacts. However, the considerable overlap in species between remnants of these vegetation types (especially Candelo Dry Grass Forest) and the natural grasslands and grassy woodlands of the Southern Tablelands suggests that they might once have been fairly similar in appearance. That is, grasses and herbs would have dominated the understorey, and presumably trees and shrubs were relatively sparse. If this is so, it was probably achieved by regular burning by Aboriginals, since in the absence of fire remnants generally turn into dense thickets of eucalypt, angophora or wattle regeneration, with very little species diversity in the groundcover. Plants which are normally found in wetter forests such as pittosporum and various vines which are spread by birds tend to invade remnant stands which are not burnt.

These points suggest that fire may be necessary to maintain the character and species diversity of grassy remnants. Some of these have been observed to dramatically improve their apparent species diversity after a fire. Many small herbs are suppressed by dense grass growth, but remain present as tubers or woody roots. The release from shading and competition from grasses achieved by a fire can produce an impressive flowering of native herbs following a burn. This has been pointed out by many researchers in the field of grassland management, and has been observed to be the case in the Bega valley in locations such as the Wyndham and Rocky Hall cemeteries. A survey of roadside remnant vegetation (Miles, 2001) found that many of the most diverse and weed-free sites had been recently burnt, and that neighbours of such sites often reported a history of regular (even annual) burning. In the nearby Bemboka cemetery even a small and very cool burn conducted in May 2002 appears by the following autumn to have produced an appreciable increase in native legumes in the burnt area when compared with an adjacent area which was mown at the same time.

Another valuable use of fire is in thinning tree regeneration. There has already been a substantial amount of tree regeneration occur on the Reserve, which is in broad terms a good thing. However, in the absence of any grazing pressure to thin seedlings, regeneration can become very thick, and some current stands of eucalypt saplings are likely to eventually become forest, unless active management is undertaken to prevent this. Given the high conservation significance of the community Candelo Dry Grass Forest, and the fact that much of its species diversity typically occurs in the groundcover layer, it would be preferable to try to maintain at least those parts of the area which are presently grassland in this open and relatively treeless condition. Regular burning is a simple way of achieving this, since fire will keep eucalypt saplings in check, although only very small plants are killed outright. Larger plants will generally re-shoot from the large woody lignotuber, but regular burning will at least keep them small and discourage them from forming a dense thicket which shades out the grassy layer.

Fire frequency is difficult to prescribe, in the absence of any research in grassy ecosystems in this region. However, the prescription usually cited for grasslands in Victoria, where much of the research on grassy ecosystems has been done, is for a fire every 3-5 years.

Given that the Reserve has a grazing history it is unlikely that a burn will reveal a high diversity of native herbs. However, it may improve the diversity and abundance of herbs to some extent. It is also likely to reduce the levels of some common weeds of grassy vegetation such as flatweed and fleabane, at least in the first year after the burn. However, to achieve this effect, the fire does need to be reasonably hot. A fire lit in very cool or moist conditions, or where fuel levels are low will not produce sufficient heat at ground level to kill low- growing weeds.

It would be preferable not to burn the entire Reserve on any one occasion, but to divide it into say four blocks and only burn one in any one year. This would mean that there would be a burn conducted on some part of the Reserve every year, allowing for one year off out of five when conditions are too wet or too dry to burn. This would be a preferable way to proceed, since it would make burning there a regular part of the annual calendar, rather than something which can be put off from year to year and consequently gets forgotten about. If machinery is brought in to mow breaks for fire control, it should be thoroughly cleaned to remove weed seed first. Tractors and slashers, and even lawn mowers, are a great way of spreading weeds, especially if they have been used previously on very weedy areas.

August is a good time to burn, since plants begin growing around this time, with the result that the ground will not be left bare for too long. Ground left bare over the winter is likely to result in increased levels of invasion by exotic annual grasses and herbs, many of which grow through the winter to produce seed in spring. Alternatively late summer might also be suitable, since if adequate soil moisture is available most native grasses will continue growing into early winter, to rapidly re-establish the groundcover. If conditions are dry, burning should be deferred for another season, since recovery will be slow and selective grazing pressure on plants from rabbits and native herbivores may be high.

Native vegetation management - rehabilitation

There is some scope for habitat restoration along Colombo Creek as the creek frontage lacks tree and shrub cover, although the banks are stable and well grassed. Without grazing pressure the kikuyu could become very tall and thick in this area, which may adversely affect the survival of any trees or shrubs planted there. However, if trees could be got to survive there, the shade they eventually cast could help suppress the kikuyu and encourage the recolonisation of the banks by native groundcover species.

Apart from the immediate creek banks there is no need to plant any additional trees or shrubs on the site. Although the shrub layer is currently lacking from most of the site, a seed source of appropriate species does occur around the edges of the Reserve, and shrubs and wattles will probably gradually spread into the Reserve in the absence of grazing pressure. Indeed the challenge may be to prevent them from becoming too thick and suppressing or altering the composition of the grassy groundcover.

There is potential to try and restore some of the groundcover species diversity, so that the Reserve more closely resembles the adjacent cemetery. This would take some of the conservation pressure off the cemetery, which is after all intended primarily as a burial place rather than a conservation reserve. It would also make the local conservation of these regionally significant grass and herb species more secure, by ensuring they survive on a larger area of land with fewer conflicting land uses and community expectations. Species to be planted on the reserve should be drawn from the wider Bemboka area, and be species which are known to occur within Candelo Dry Grass Forest remnants in other parts of the Bega valley. Appropriate species which are relatively easy to propagate are:

Herbs or subshrubs: Arthropodium milleflorum Pale vanilla lily Bulbine glauca Bulbine lily Bossiaea buxifolia Calotis lappulacea Yellow burr-daisy Chrysocephalum apiculatum Yellow buttons Chrysocephalum semipapposum Tall everlasting Cullen microcephalum Mountain psoralea Desmodium brachypodum Large tick-trefoil Dianella longifolia Blue flax-lily Dianella revoluta Blue flax-lily Leptorhynchos squamatus Scaly buttons Leucochrysum albicans ssp albicans var albicans Hoary sunray Lespedeza juncea Lespedeza Lotus australis Austral trefoil Velleia paradoxa Spur velleia Vittadinia cuneata Fuzzweed Vittadinia muelleri Fuzzweed Zornia dyctiocarpa Zornia Grasses: Austrostipa verticillata Slender bamboo grass Capillipedium parviflorum Scented-top grass Chloris truncata Windmill grass Sorghum leiocladum Native sorghum

However, if species are going to be propagated for planting into the site, careful attention would need to be paid to collection of seed from an appropriate local source and from a sufficiently large number of plants to maximise the chances of adequate genetic diversity in the planted individuals. The primary aim of the planting would be to establish viable, self- sustaining populations of these species on the site, although the educational benefits which would be gained from such a project should not be overlooked.

The possible negative effects of planting activities should also be considered. Plants would need to be cultivated in the smallest possible pots, to reduce the soil disturbance involved in planting them. The pots would need to be kept weed-free throughout the growing period to avoid introducing new weed species onto the site.

Because the site carries a listed Endangered Ecological Community, any such activity would need to be carried out under a licence from the Threatened Species Unit of NPWS, or whichever government body is administering the Threatened Species Conservation Act at the time. Monitoring of the outcomes would be required, to ensure that the results justify the effort involved, and that there are no adverse impacts on the vegetation of the Reserve.

Community involvement

The site is ideal for use by school groups to study the local ecology. The contrast between formerly grazed remnant vegetation and the cemetery, which has no grazing history, is instructive. There is some scope for involving the local primary school in habitat restoration along Colombo Creek, and the possibility of collecting seed of regionally significant species from the cemetery and other remnant vegetation patches around Bemboka, propagating and planting them into the Reserve.

It will be necessary to enlist the aid of the local Rural Fire Service brigade to undertake burning off. It may present some difficulties, since vehicle access to the site is restricted, though not impossible. The Bemboka brigade do appear to take responsibility for burning some areas of public land in the area, so it may not be difficult to persuade them to undertake this aspect of the management of the Reserve.

Bega Valley Shire Council will need to provide assistance with controlling noxious weeds on the site, although the responsibility for control of non-noxious species may be problematic, unless community members can be brought to an interest in the project.

The site provides some scope for small community development projects such as improving the pedestrian access to the site by restoring the old bridge over Colombo Creek between the Reserve and the Recreation Reserve, although only to foot traffic standard. Another alternative is to install stepping stones if the bridge is beyond restoration. The main potential community use is likely to be for passive recreation, particularly swimming in the Bemboka River, if the blackberry infestations which currently limit access to the river are removed. However, caution should be exercised with regard to improving access too much. It would be detrimental to the ecological integrity of the site if access for cars or motor bikes became possible. Construction of informal BMX bike obstacle courses by local children is another potential negative effect of increased usage of the area by the community.

Summary of recommendations

Action Responsibility Change Reserve status to remove the possibility of the Reserve being leased DLWC for grazing. Control noxious woody weeds on the Reserve and the adjacent river bank BVSC and road reserve (old highway between the Reserve and the cemetery). Control other noxious weeds in the Reserve (St John’s wort) and search for BVSC African lovegrass infestations. Control woody weeds not declared noxious on Reserve, river bank & road Greencorps reserve project? Replace fencing on western boundary and repair that on other boundaries ?? Implement regular burning regime on a 3-5 year cycle, burning different Bemboka RFS parts of the Reserve in rotation. brigade in consultation with Bega Valley Fire Control Officer Undertake restoration of riparian tree and shrub cover along Colombo Creek Possible involvement by local school, Landcare group, interested residents. Undertake collection of seed and propagation of appropriate species to Interested restore groundcover biodiversity damaged by past grazing, set up process for locals with monitoring outcomes of planting activities. propagation skills, school, Landcare? Set up photo-points for monitoring of changes to vegetation over time, on ?? creek, in secondary grassland areas, in areas of eucalypt regeneration.

PLANT SPECIES LIST FOR THE SITE

*Introduced species are preceded by an asterisk. A abundant or locally dominant C common U uncommon or only common in a very restricted area 1 only 1 to a few individuals seen R only seen on riverbank, outside Reserve fence RR only seen on adjacent ungrazed road reserve

Scientific name Common name Family Abundance TREES Acacia mearnsii black wattle Fabaceae 1 Acacia melanoxylon blackwood Fabaceae 1 *Ailanthus altissima tree of heaven Simaroubaceae U, R Angophora floribunda rough-barked apple Myrtaceae U Eucalyptus globoidea white stringybark Myrtaceae C Eucalyptus melliodora yellow box Myrtaceae C Eucalyptus tereticornis forest red gum Myrtaceae C Eucalyptus viminalis ribbon or manna gum Myrtaceae C Exocarpos cupressiformis native cherry Santalaceae 1 *Pinus radiata radiata pine Pinaceae 1 *Populus nigra cv. Italica Lombardy poplar Salicaceae U, R *Prunus cerasifera plum Amygdalaceae U, R *Salix fragilis crack willow Salicaceae R

SHRUBS, SUB-SHRUBS Acacia floribunda white sallee wattle Fabaceae C, R Amyema pendulum a mistletoe Loranthaceae C Bursaria spinosa ssp blackthorn Pittosporaceae U lasiophylla Callistemon subulatus river bottlebrush Myrtaceae U, R Cassinia longifolia dogwood 1 Cassinia trinerva dogwood Asteraceae 1 *Cotoneaster glaucophyllus cotoneaster Malaceae C Hakea microcarpa small-fruited hakea Proteaceae 1 Hymenanthera dentata tree violet Violaceae U Indigofera australis austral indigo Fabaceae 1 Leptospermum emarginatum twin-flower teatree Myrtaceae U, R Leptospermum lanigerum woolly teatree Myrtaceae U, R Leptospermum obovatum river teatree Myrtaceae C, R *Lycium ferocissimum African boxthorn Solanaceae U Pimelea curviflora var sericea curved rice-flower Thymeleaceae 1 Pomaderris aspera hazel pomaderris Rhamnaceae 1, R Prostanthera lasianthos mint bush Lamiaceae U, R *Rosa rubiginosa briar rose Rosaceae U Rubus parvifolius small-leaved bramble Rosaceae U *Rubus ulmifolius blackberry Rosaceae C Scientific name Common name Family Abundance FERNS Adiantum aethiopicum maidenhair Adiantaceae U Cheilanthes sieberi ssp sieberi rock or mulga fern Sinopteridaceae U Doodia aspera prickly rasp fern Blechnaceae U Pteridium esculentum bracken Dennstaedtiaceae U

VINES AND TWINERS Glycine tabacina Fabaceae C Glycine tomentella Fabaceae U *Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle Caprifoliaceae 1, R

FORBS *Acetosella vulgaris sheep sorrel Polygonaceae U Alternanthera denticulata lesser joyweed Amaranthaceae U *Anagallis arvensis scarlet pimpernel Primulaceae U Arthopodium milleflorum pale vanilla lily Anthericaceae U Asperula conferta common woodruff Rubiaceae U *Aster subulatus wild aster Asteraceae U, R *Bidens pilosa cobbler’s peg Asteraceae U Bulbine glauca bulbine lily Asphodelaceae 1, RR *Centaurium erythraea centaury Gentianaceae U *Centaurium tenuiflorum centaury Gentianaceae U *Cerastium glomeratum mouse-ear chickweed Caryophyllaceae U Chenopodium ?carinatum Chenopodiaceae U Chrysocephalum apiculatum yellow buttons Asteraceae U Chrysocephalum clustered everlasting Asteraceae 1 semipapposum *Cirsium vulgare black or spear thistle Asteraceae U Commelina cyanea scurvy weed Commelinaceae U *Conium maculatum hemlock Apiaceae U, R *Conyza albida fleabane Asteraceae U Cotula australis Apiaceae U Cymbonotus sp. bear’s ear Asteraceae U Cynoglossum australe Boraginaceae U Desmodium varians slender tick trefoil Fabaceae C Dianella longifolia blue flax-lily Phormiaceae U Dichondra repens kidney weed Convolvulaceae U *Echium plantagineum Patterson’s curse Boraginaceae 1, R Einadia hastata berry saltbush Chenopodiaceae U Einadia nutans climbing saltbush Chenopodiaceae U Einadia trigonos fishweed Chenopodiaceae U Epilobium billardierianum ssp willow herb Onagraceae U cinereum *Erodium ?cicutarium stork’s bill Geraniaceae U *Geranium molle Geraniaceae U Geranium solanderi native geranium Geraniaceae U *Gnaphalium coarctatum cudweed Asteraceae U Scientific name Common name Family Abundance Gratiola peruviana brooklime Scrophulariaceae U, R *Hirschfeldia incana Buchan weed Brassicaceae 1 Hydrocotyle laxiflora stinking pennywort Apiaceae C *Hypericum perforatum St John’s wort Clusiaceae U *Hypochaeris radicata cat’s ear, flatweed Asteraceae C Hypoxis hygrometrica weathergrass Hypoxidaceae C *Leontodon taraxacoides lesser hawkbit Asteraceae U *Lepidium africanum peppercress Brassicaceae U *Lotus uliginosus bird’s foot trefoil Fabaceae U Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife Lythraceae U, R *Marrubium vulgare horehound Lamiaceae U *Medicago sp. medic Fabaceae U *Mentha piperita eau-de-cologne mint Lamiaceae U, R *Modiola caroliniana orange-flowered mallow Malvaceae U *Myosotis caespitosus Boraginaceae U, R *Oenothera sp. evening primrose Onagraceae U Oxalis perennans native oxalis Oxalidaceae C *Paronychia brasiliana Brazilian whitlow Caryophyllaceae C Persicaria decipiens knotweed Polygonaceae U, R Persicaria hydropiper water pepper Polygonaceae U, R Persicaria lapathifolia Polygonaceae 1, R Persicaria prostrata Polygonaceae 1 *Petrorhagia nanteuilii Caryophyllaceae U *Phytolacca octandra inkweed Phytolaccaceae U *Plantago lanceolata plantain Plantaginaceae C Plantago ?varia Plantaginaceae U Plectranthus parviflorus cockspur flower Lamiaceae U *Polycarpon tetraphyllum four-leaved allseed Caryophyllaceae U *Rorippa nasturtium- water cress Brassicaceae U, creek aquaticum Rumex brownii native dock Polygonaceae C *Rumex sp. dock Polygonaceae U Samolus valerandii Common brookweed Primulaceae U Senecio hispidulus var. hill fireweed Asteraceae U hispidulus *Senecio madagascariensis fireweed Asteraceae U Senecio quadridentatus cotton fireweed Asteraceae U *Sida rhombifolia Paddy’s lucerne Malvaceae U Sigesbeckia orientalis Indian weed Asteraceae U *Silene gallica French catchfly Caryophyllaceae U *Solanum chenopodioides whitetip nightshade Solanaceae U *Sonchus oleraceus sow thistle Asteraceae U *Tagetes minuta stinking roger Asteraceae U *Taraxacum officinale dandelion Asteraceae 1 *Tolpis umbellata Asteraceae 1 Tricoryne elatior yellow rush lily Anthericaceae C *Trifolium arvense hare’s foot clover Fabaceae U Scientific name Common name Family Abundance *Verbascum virgatum twiggy mullein Scrophulariaceae U *Verbena bonariensis purpletop Verbenaceae U *Verbena rigida purple verbena Verbenaceae U *Vinca major periwinkle Apocyanaceae 1 Wahlenbergia communis tufted bluebell Campanulaceae C Wahlenbergia gracilis sprawling bluebell Campanulaceae C

GRASSES Aristida vagans Poaceae U Austrodanthonia pilosa var. wallaby grass Poaceae U pilosa Austrostipa rudis spear grass Poaceae U *Axonopus affinis carpet grass Poaceae C, creek Bothriochloa macra red grass Poaceae C *Briza minor shivery grass Poaceae U Chloris truncata windmill grass Poaceae U Cymbopogon refractus barbed wire grass Poaceae U Cynodon dactylon couch grass Poaceae U Dichelachne micrantha common plume grass Poaceae U Echinopogon ovatus hedgehog grass Poaceae U *Ehrharta erecta panic veldtgrass Poaceae C, R Entolasia marginata bordered panic Poaceae U *Eragrostis curvula African lovegrass Poaceae 1, RR Eragrostis leptostachya paddock lovegrass Poaceae A Isachne globosa swamp millet Poaceae U, R, creek *Lolium perenne perennial ryegrass Poaceae U Microlaena stipoides weeping grass Poaceae A Panicum effusum hairy panic Poaceae U *Paspalum dilatatum paspalum Poaceae U Paspalum distichum water couch Poaceae U, creek *Pennisetum clandestinum kikuyu Poaceae U *Pennisetum villosum foxtail grass Poaceae 1 Phragmites australis common reed Poaceae U, R Poa labillardieri silver or poa tussock Poaceae C Sorghum leiocladum wild sorghum Poaceae 1, RR, R *Sporobolus africanus Parramatta grass Poaceae U Sporobolus creber slender rat’s tail grass Poaceae U Sporobolus elongatus slender rat’s tail grass Poaceae U Themeda triandra kangaroo grass Poaceae A *Vulpia bromoides squirrel tail fescue Poaceae U

GRAMINOIDS Carex inversa knob sedge Cyperaceae U *Cyperus aggregatus Cyperaceae U *Cyperus eragrostis umbrella sedge Cyperaceae U, R Cyperus gracilis Cyperaceae U Cyperus lucidus Cyperaceae U, R Scientific name Common name Family Abundance Fimbristylis dichotoma Cyperaceae 1 *Juncus articulatus jointed rush Juncaceae 1, creek Juncus usitatus common or tussock rush Juncaceae 1 Lomandra longifolia spiny matrush Lomandraceae U Schoenoplectus validus river club-rush Cyperaceae U, R Typha orientalis cumbungi Typhaceae U, creek