The population of a critically endangered plant species only found on the NSW north coast has resurrected itself from a mere 10 trees 10 years ago to more than 1,500 trees today.
Senior Threatened Species Project Officer with the Government’s Saving our Species program (SoS), Dianne Brown said the critically endangered plant, Coastal Fontainea, now had a far better chance of surviving thanks to clear-thinking scientists, Government funding and the community.
“In 2010 we had just 10 adult trees left – only one of which was female – and genetic testing on the seedlings showed inbreeding,” Ms Brown said.
“Safeguarding Coastal Fontainea’s future was critical,” she said.
“Today, we have 1,564 Coastal Fontainea plants, some of which have grown to 5m tall.”
“Many are now flowering, fruiting and producing seedlings with a broader genetic pool, we are thrilled with the results.”
Ms Brown said the SoS program had sought scientific advice from the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney on establishing viable populations.
“As a result, cuttings were taken from the 10 remaining trees and planted in small clumps across private and public land,” she said.
She said the Coastal Fontainea was a small evergreen tree which grew to around eight to 10 metres in height and was only found on volcanic soils in the littoral rainforest near Lennox Head.