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62-409: A national conference is held biennially for members of the state-based societies. The combined membership is around 9000 people. The Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP) was established in 1957 by a group of people who "pledged to promote the establishment and breeding of Australian native plants for garden, park and farm". By 1958 active regional Societies had been established in six States and

124-426: A cool and damp environment since water is required for reproduction, the majority of Australian species are found in bushland and rainforest, there are aquatic, epiphytic ( Platycerium , Huperzia and Asplenium ), and terrestrial species including large tree ferns from the genera Cyathea and Dicksonia . The algae are a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms. Many studies of algae include

186-536: A few. Over the years, important texts on Australian flora have been either published by members, or funded by SGAP, including: The societies are: Membership to these societies totals about 9000 people. The vast majority of members live in Australia, though there are members in Europe and America. A quarterly colour journal, Australian Plants , has been distributed nationally since 1959, with each region producing

248-438: A leaf vegetable; and, lemon aspen , lemon myrtle , mountain pepper as spices. A few Australian native plants are used by the pharmaceutical industry, such as two scopolamine and hyoscyamine producing Duboisia species and Solanum aviculare and S. laciniatum for the steroid solasodine . Essential oils from Melaleuca , Callitris , Prostanthera , Eucalyptus and Eremophila are also used medicinally. Due to

310-582: A quarterly newsletter. The journal produced a very large range of materials which have been collated. Bill Payne was the journal's editor from its inception until 2001. It is a 48-page newsletter in A5 format. Text from the Trove entry, states: - V.1 no.1 has cover title "Commonwealth journal of the Society... V.1 no.1-3 each issued in several "reprintings" with differing pagination and contents. "Australian plants"

372-422: A range of native food crops began in the late 1970s with the assessment of species for commercial potential . In the mid-1980s restaurants and wholesalers started to market various native food plant products. These included wattles for their edible seeds; Davidson's Plum , desert lime , finger lime , quandong , riberry , Kakadu plum , muntries , bush tomato , Illawarra plum for fruit; warrigal greens as

434-475: A spatial scale determined by temperature and precipitation. There are four types of forest biomes: tropical , temperate , subtropical, and boreal . Most of the world's forest cover (45%) is found in the tropics, which is defined by high temperature and humidity. The boreal zone, which includes Russia and the Arctic , contains the second largest amount of forest (33%). The temperate/subtropical zone, located between

496-547: A species of Acacia and Synaphea in 1768 as Adiantum truncatum and Polypodium spinulosum respectively by Dutch philologist Pieter Burman the Younger , who stated they were from Java. Later, both were found to be from Western Australia, likely to have been collected near the Swan River, possibly on a 1697 visit there of fellow Dutchman Willem de Vlamingh . This was followed by Cook's expedition making landfall at what

558-453: A third of the world's land surface is covered with forest, with closed-canopy forest accounting for 4 - 5 billion hectares of land. Forests provide many ecosystem services that humans and animals cannot survive without, but anthropogenic actions and climate change are threatening global forest cover in potentially irreversible ways. According to the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020,

620-495: Is a major threat to floral biodiversity; 20 introduced species have been declared Weeds of National Significance . As of 2006, 61 plant species were known to have become extinct since European settlement; and a further 1,239 species were considered threatened. Protected areas have been created in every state and territory to protect and preserve the country's unique ecosystems. These protected areas include national parks and other reserves, as well as 64 wetlands registered under

682-457: Is also the center of origin of Eupomatiaceae , Pittosporaceae , Epacridaceae , Stackhousiaceae , Myoporaceae and Goodeniaceae . Other families with high occurrences are Poaceae , Fabaceae , Asteraceae , Orchidaceae , Euphorbiaceae , Cyperaceae , Rutaceae , Myrtaceae (specially Leptospermoideae ) and Proteaceae . Australia's terrestrial flora can be collected into characteristic vegetation groups. The most important determinant

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744-448: Is around 17% of the total land area, equivalent to 134,005,100 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 133,882,200 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 131,614,800 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390,300 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 18% of

806-444: Is complemented by the Society's online publication, "Australian plants online," but the content of the two publications is completely different. Flora of Australia International Associated acts The flora of Australia comprises a vast assemblage of plant species estimated to over 21,000 vascular and 14,000 non-vascular plants , 250,000 species of fungi and over 3,000 lichens . The flora has strong affinities with

868-405: Is due to the regeneration abilities of forests, as well as a conscious global effort to reduce deforestation. Plantation forests are one method of reforestation / afforestation that has become increasingly popular since the 1990s. Intensively planned to be biodiverse and well-managed, these forests exist for the purpose of regenerating our global forest cover. Although it is impossible to gain back

930-544: Is largely attributable to the radiation of some families like the Proteaceae , Myrtaceae , and Fabaceae . Data from Orchard modified to AGPII classifications. The native Australian flora contains many monocotyledons . The family with the most species is the Poaceae which includes a huge variety of species, from the tropical bamboo Bambusa arnhemica to the ubiquitous spinifex that thrives in arid Australia from

992-817: Is not well characterised; Australia is estimated to have about 250,000 fungal species of which roughly 5% have been described. Knowledge of distribution, substrates and habitats is poor for most species, with the exception of common plant pathogens. Lichens are composite organisms comprising, in most cases, an Ascomycete fungus and a unicellular green alga, their classification is based on the type of fungi. The lichen flora of Australia and its island territories, including Christmas Island , Heard Island , Macquarie Island and Norfolk Island , currently comprises 3,238 species and infra-specific taxa in 422 genera, 34% of which are considered to be endemic. The first Australian plants recognised and classified in Linnaean taxonomy were

1054-553: Is now Botany Bay in April 1770, and the early work of Banks , Solander and Parkinson. Botanical exploration was enabled by the founding of the permanent colony at Port Jackson in 1788, and the subsequent expeditions along Australia's coastline. The Australian flora was utilised by the Indigenous inhabitants of Australia. Indigenous Australians used thousands of species for food, medicine, shelter, tools and weapons. For example,

1116-672: Is one of 30 tree species from the Brachychiton . There are about 75 native mistletoes that parasitise Australian tree species, including two terrestrial parasitic trees, one of which is the spectacular Western Australian Christmas tree . Australia's salt marshes and wetlands are covered by a large variety of salt and drought tolerant species from the Amaranthaceae which include the saltbushes ( Atriplex ) and bluebushes ( Maireana and Chenopodium ). Many of these plants have succulent leaves; other native succulents are from

1178-464: Is rainfall, followed by temperature which affects water availability. Several schemes of varying complexity have been created. As of 2022, the NVIS (National Vegetation Information System) divides Australia's terrestrial flora into 33 Major Vegetation Groups , and 85 Major Vegetation Subgroups . According to the scheme the most common vegetation types are those that are adapted to arid conditions where

1240-790: Is sometimes considered a realm (Australian realm), while some authors unite the area with other regions to form the Australasian realm . In phytogeography, the area is considered a floristic kingdom (Australian kingdom), with the following endemic families, according to Takhtajan: Platyzomataceae (now included in Pteridaceae ), Austrobaileyaceae , Idiospermaceae (now part of Calycanthaceae ), Gyrostemonaceae , Baueraceae , Davidsoniaceae , Cephalotaceae , Eremosynaceae , Stylobasiaceae , Emblingiaceae , Akaniaceae , Tremandraceae , Tetracarpaeaceae , Brunoniaceae , Blandfordiaceae , Doryanthaceae , Dasypogonaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae . It

1302-620: The Cretaceous when Australia was covered in subtropical rainforest. Australian ferns and gymnosperms bear a strong resemblance to their Gondwanan ancestors, and prominent members of the early Gondwanan angiosperm flora such as the Nothofagus , Myrtaceae and Proteaceae were also present in Australia. Gondwana began to break up 140 million years ago (MYA); 50 MYA during the Eocene Australia separated from Antarctica, and

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1364-534: The Cronquist system is also available. At the higher taxonomic levels the Australian flora is similar to that of the rest of the world; most vascular plant families are represented within the native flora, with the exception of the cacti , birch and a few others, while 9 families occur only in Australia. Australia's vascular flora is estimated to be 85% endemic; this high level of vascular plant endemism

1426-667: The Cyperaceae ; the genus Patersonia of temperate iris-like forbs from the Iridaceae ; and, the kangaroo paws from the family Haemodoraceae . The Xanthorrhoea grass trees, the screw palms of the Pandanaceae and palms are large monocots present in Australia. There are about 57 native palms; 79% of these only occur in Australia. The dicots are the most diverse group of angiosperms. Australia's best known species come from three large and very diverse dicot families:

1488-524: The Fabaceae , the Myrtaceae and the Proteaceae . The Myrtaceae is represented by a variety of woody species; gum trees from the genera Eucalyptus , Corymbia and Angophora , Lillipillies ( Syzygium ), the water-loving Melaleuca and Bottlebrush and the shrubby Darwinia and Leptospermum , commonly known as teatrees, and Geraldton wax . Australia is also a centre of diversity for

1550-510: The Nepenthaceae . Aquatic monocots and dicots both occur in Australian waters. Australia has about 51,000 square kilometres of seagrass meadows and the most diverse group seagrass species in the world. There are 22 species found in temperate waters and 15 in tropical waters out of a known 70 species worldwide. Aquatic dicots include the mangroves ; in Australia there are 39 mangrove species that cover 11,500 square kilometres and comprise

1612-663: The Ramsar Convention and 16 World Heritage Sites . As of 2002, 10.8% (774,619.51 km ) of the total land area of Australia is within protected areas. Protected marine zones have been created in many areas to preserve marine biodiversity; as of 2002, these areas cover about 7% (646,000 km ) of Australia's marine jurisdiction. In 2003, the Australian Government's Threatened Species Scientific Committee identified 15 biodiversity hotspots in Australian and 85 characteristic ecosystems, as classified by

1674-773: The Rosales are notably represented by the Moraceae whose species include the Moreton Bay Fig and the Port Jackson Fig , and the Urticaceae whose members include several tree sized stinging nettles; Dendrocnide moroides is the most virulent. There are also numerous sandalwood species including the quandongs and native cherry, Exocarpus cupressiformis . The bottle tree of the Sterculiaceae

1736-697: The Rutaceae , with the fragrant Boronia and Eriostemon , the Myoporaceae with the Eremophila , and members of the Ericaceae with Victoria's Floral Emblem Epacris impressa . Amongst the most ancient species of flowering hardwood trees are the Casuarinaceae , including beach , swamp and river oaks, and Fagaceae represented in Australia by three species of Nothofagus . Trees of

1798-466: The Simpson Desert . A further 39% of native vegetation is covered by a combination of: Other groups with restricted areas of less than 70,000 square kilometres include tropical or temperate rainforest and vine thickets , tall or open eucalypt forests, Callitris and Casuarina forests, and woodlands and heath. Australia has over 21,077 described species of vascular plants, these include

1860-401: The angiosperms , seed-bearing non-angiosperms (like the conifers and cycads), and the spore-bearing ferns and fern allies. Of these about 11% are naturalised species; the remainder are native or endemic. The vascular plant flora has been extensively catalogued, the work being published in the ongoing Flora of Australia series. A list of vascular plant families represented in Australia using

1922-567: The cyanobacteria , in addition to micro and macro eukaryotic types that inhabit both fresh and saltwater. Currently, about 10,000 to 12,000 species of algae are known for Australia. The algal flora of Australia is unevenly documented: northern Australia remains largely uncollected for seaweeds and marine phytoplankton, descriptions of freshwater algae are patchy, and the collection of terrestrial algae has been almost completely neglected. The bryophytes – mosses , liverworts and hornworts – are primitive, usually terrestrial, plants that inhabit

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1984-569: The golden peas , Glycine species and the Sturt's desert pea . The Mimosoideae is best known for the huge genus Acacia which includes Australia's floral emblem the golden wattle . Many plant families that occur in Australia are known for their floral displays that follow seasonal rains. The Asteraceae is well represented by its subfamily Gnaphalieae , which included the paper or everlasting daisies; this group has its greatest diversity in Australia. Other families with flowering shrubs include

2046-703: The ACT with the Federal Association (ASGAP) being formed in 1962 Initially the focus was on growing and learning about Australian Flora more for home and amenities plantings – members included botanists and horticulturists as well as enthusiastic laypeople. As time has gone on, there has been an increasing focus on conservation, and advocacy for conservation, of Australian Flora. The Wildflower Society in Western Australia has been particularly diligent in liaising with government bodies in that state and

2108-517: The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia. Some effort is being made to ensure each is represented within a protected area under Australia's Biodiversity Action Plan . Region specific articles Forest cover Forest cover is the amount of trees that covers a particular area of land. It may be measured as relative (in percent ) or absolute (in square kilometres / square miles ). Nearly

2170-832: The New South Wales body is a member of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW . The national association changed its name to the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) in 2008. Rare and "hard to find" Australian plants can be purchased at their plant sales, which typically occur twice a year, spring and autumn, in many regions. Over the years, many important figures in Australian Botany and Horticulture have been members, Alex George , John Wrigley , Rodger Elliot , Angus Stewart and Ivan Holliday to name

2232-481: The Proteaceae, with woody, well-known genera such as Banksia , Dryandra , Grevillea , Hakea , the waratah and Australia's only commercial native food crop, the macadamia . Australia also has representatives of all three legume subfamilies. Caesalpinioideae is notably represented by Cassia trees. The Faboideae or pea-flowered legumes are common and many are well known for their flowers, including

2294-471: The United States). Russia has the largest forest area in the world, at 815 million hectares (a fifth of global forest cover). The other four countries all house more than 100 million hectares of forest each. The small African nation of Gabon , while only containing 0.58% of the world's forest cover, has the largest forest-to-land ratio of any country (91.3%). Forests are found throughout the world on

2356-497: The area has not been significantly reduced by human activities such as land clearing for agriculture. The dominant vegetation type in Australia is the hummock grasslands that occur extensively in arid Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It accounts for 23% of the native vegetation, the predominant species of which are from the genus Triodia . Zygochloa also occurs in inland sandy areas like

2418-526: The development of a more complex flora. From 25 to 10 MYA pollen records suggest the rapid radiation of species like Eucalyptus , Casuarina , Allocasuarina , Banksia and the pea-flowered legumes , and the development of open forest; grasslands started to develop from the Eocene . Collision with the Eurasian Plate also led to additional South-east Asian and cosmopolitan elements entering

2480-491: The ecosystem services lost when a plot of forest is destroyed for industrial purposes, these new regenerative methods carry hope for the future of our global forest biome. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 ( license statement/permission ). Text taken from Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 Key findings​ , FAO, FAO. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

2542-532: The establishment and maintenance of sclerophyll forest, especially on the east coast of Australia. Adaptations to fire include lignotubers and epicormic buds in Eucalyptus and Banksia species that allow fast regeneration following fire. Some genera also exhibit serotiny , the release of seed only in response to heat and/or smoke. Xanthorrhoea grass trees and some species of orchids only flower after fire. In biogeography and zoogeography, Australia alone

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2604-644: The flora like the Lepidium and Chenopodioideae . The development of aridity and the old and nutrient poor soils of the continent led to some unique adaptations in the Australian flora and evolutionary radiation of genera – like Acacia and Eucalyptus – that adapted to those conditions. Hard leaves with a thick outer layer , a condition known as scleromorphy , and C 4 and CAM carbon fixation which reduce water loss during photosynthesis are two common adaptations in Australian arid-adapted dicot and monocot species respectively. Rising aridity also increased

2666-570: The flora of Gondwana , and below the family level has a highly endemic angiosperm flora whose diversity was shaped by the effects of continental drift and climate change since the Cretaceous . Prominent features of the Australian flora are adaptations to aridity and fire which include scleromorphy and serotiny . These adaptations are common in species from the large and well-known families Proteaceae ( Banksia ), Myrtaceae ( Eucalyptus - gum trees), and Fabaceae ( Acacia - wattle). The arrival of humans around 50,000 years ago and

2728-479: The forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 67% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership , 32% private ownership and 1% with ownership listed as other or unknown. Australia was part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana , which also included South America , Africa , India and Antarctica . Most of the modern Australian flora had their origin in Gondwana during

2790-559: The frequency of fires in Australia. Fire is thought to have played a role in the development and distribution of fire-adapted species from the Late Pleistocene . An increase in charcoal in sediment around 38,000 years ago coincides with dates for the inhabitation of Australia by the Indigenous Australians and suggests that man-made fires, from practices like fire-stick farming , have played an important role in

2852-543: The genera Athrotaxis , Actinostrobus , Microcachrys , Microstrobos , Diselma and the Tasmanian Huon pine , sole member of the genus Lagarostrobos . Callitris is a notable exception; species from this genus are found mainly in drier open woodlands. The most recently discovered species of conifer is the living fossil Wollemi pine , which was first described in 1994. Although many Australian conifers are referred to as 'pines', there are no members of

2914-581: The genera Carpobrotus , Calandrinia and Portulaca . Succulent stems are present in many of the Euphorbiaceae in Australia, though the best known members are the non-succulent looking fragrant Wedding bushes of the genus Ricinocarpos . Carnivorous plants which favour damp habitats are represented by four families including the sundews , bladderworts , pitcher-plants from the Cephalotaceae , which are endemic to Western Australia , and

2976-465: The genus Triodia . There are more than 800 described species of orchid in Australia. About one quarter of these are epiphytes. The terrestrial orchids occur across most of Australia, the majority of species being deciduous – their aboveground parts die back during the dry season and they re-sprout from a tuber when it rains. Other families with well-known representatives include the alpine Tasmanian button grass , which form tussock-like mounds from

3038-413: The least fragmented, whereas subtropical dry forest and temperate oceanic forests are among the most fragmented. The World Health Organization has compiled a list of ecological goods and services that depend on forests and without which humans could not survive, including: flood and drought mitigation, water purification, erosion control, and disease reduction. Tropical forests especially act as one of

3100-434: The number of trees worldwide has dropped by 46%. Since 1990, the world has lost 178 million ha of forest (an area roughly the size of Libya). Although global forest area is decreasing, the rate at which we are losing trees has slowed. In the 1990s the world was losing 7.8 million ha of area per year, but in the 2000s this rate slowed to 5.2 million ha, and in the 2010s it shrank even further (down to 4.7 million). This pattern

3162-522: The pastoral industry is based on native pasture species including Mitchell grass , saltbush , bluebush , wallaby grass , spear grass , tussock grasses and kangaroo grass . Until recently the macadamia nut and Tetragonia tetragonoides were the only Australian food plant species widely cultivated. Although commercial cultivation of macadamia started in Australia in the 1880s, it became an established large-scale crop in Hawaii . The development of

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3224-485: The pine family ( Pinaceae ) native to Australia. Spore bearing vascular plants include the ferns and fern allies . True ferns are found over most of the country and are most abundant in tropical and subtropical areas with high rainfall. Australia has a native flora of 30 families, 103 genera and 390 species of ferns, with another 10 species being naturalised. The "fern allies" are represented by 44 native species of whisk ferns , horsetails and lycophytes . Ferns prefer

3286-498: The settlement by Europeans from 1788, has had a significant impact on the flora. The use of fire-stick farming by Aboriginal people led to significant changes in the distribution of plant species over time, and the large-scale modification or destruction of vegetation for agriculture and urban development since 1788 has altered the composition of most terrestrial ecosystems, leading to the extinction of 61 plant species by 2006, and endangering over 1000 more. In Australia forest cover

3348-437: The starchy roots of Clematis microphylla were used in western Victoria to make a dough that was baked, and the leaves of the plant were used as a poultice applied to skin irritations and blisters. Forestry species include a number of eucalypts used for paper and timber, huon pine , hoop pine , cypress pine , Australian Blackwood , and sandalwood from Santalum spicatum and S. lanceolatum . A significant area used by

3410-425: The structure of native forests; wetlands have been filled in; and broad scale land-clearing for crops, grazing and urban development has reduced native vegetation cover and led to landscape salinisation, increased sediment, nutrient and salt loads in rivers and streams, loss of habitat and a decline in biodiversity. The intentional and unintentional release of invasive plant and animal species into delicate ecosystems

3472-634: The third largest area of mangroves in the world. Other native aquatic dicots here include water lilies and water milfoils . Gymnosperms present in Australia include the cycads and conifers . There are 69 species of cycad from 4 genera and 3 families of eastern and northern Australia, with a few in south-western Western Australia and central Australia . Native conifers are distributed across 3 taxonomic families ( Cupressaceae , Podocarpaceae , Araucariaceae ), 14 genera and 43 species, of which 39 are endemic. Most species are present in wetter mountainous areas consistent with their Gondwanan origins, including

3534-498: The tropical and the boreal, contains 25%. Almost half of global forest cover (49%) is relatively continuous, while 9% is found in fragments with little to no connectivity. Roughly 80% of the world's forest area is found in patches larger than 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres). The remaining 20% is located in more than 34 million patches across the world with the vast majority being less than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) in size. Tropical rainforests and boreal coniferous forests are

3596-500: The tropics, cool-temperate regions and montane areas; there are some specialised members that are adapted to semi-arid and arid Australia. There are slightly fewer that 1,000 recognised species of moss in Australia. The five largest genera are the Fissidens , Bryum , Campylopus , Macromitrium and Andreaea . There are also over 800 species of liver- and horn-worts in 148 genera in Australia. The fungal flora of Australia

3658-480: The wide variety of flowers and foliage, Australian plant species are also popular for floriculture internationally. Modification of the Australian environment by Indigenous Australians and following European settlement has affected the extent and the distribution of the flora. The changes since 1788 have been rapid and significant: displacement of Indigenous Australians disrupted fire régimes that had been in place for thousands of years; forestry practices have modified

3720-404: The world has a total forest area of 4.06 billion hectares (10.0 billion acres), which is 31% of the total land area. More than one-third of the world's forest cover is primary forest: naturally regenerated forests with native species and no visible indication of human activity. More than half (54%) of the world's forests are found in only five countries ( Brazil , Canada , China , Russia and

3782-443: The world's largest carbon sinks , accumulating atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and thus mitigating climate change. Maintaining the size, continuity, and biodiversity of the world's forests is crucial for human health and prosperity. However, forest cover is severely threatened by deforestation , as a direct consequence of agriculture , grazing , and mining . Since the onset of agriculture (about 12,000 years ago),

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3844-618: Was relatively isolated until the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate with Asia in the Miocene era 5.3 MYA. As Australia drifted , local and global climatic change had a significant and lasting effect: a circumpolar oceanic current developed, atmospheric circulation increased as Australia moved away from Antarctica, precipitation fell, there was a slow warming of the continent and arid conditions started to develop. These conditions of geographic isolation and aridity led to

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