The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is calling for land holders and property owners across the State to keep their eyes peeled for critically endangered plants and contribute to an emergency seedbank.
NPWS said the State’s Saving our Species program (SoS) had established an emergency seedbank for scrub turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens) and native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) which were in rapid decline due to Myrtle rust, a fungal disease.
Senior Threatened Species Officer with SoS, Craig Stehn said Myrtle rust was most easily identified by the bright yellow spores which developed on new growth.
“The fungus usually attacks young leaves and new shoots,” Mr Stehn said.
“With post-fire re-sprouting and germination events starting to occur, understanding the impact and spread of myrtle rust is more important than ever,” he said.
“Scrub turpentine and native guava are two critically endangered species from the Myrtaceae family that are extremely susceptible to Myrtle rust, with both of these species experiencing severe population decline over the past decade as a result of the disease.”
Mr Stehn said SoS was working with the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and their Australian PlantBank facility to establish an emergency collection of seeds and plant material, which would be used for research into disease resistance and breeding, as well as a source for potential future translocation projects.
“While we’ve collected cuttings from approximately 300 plants at more than 40 locations between Sydney and the Queensland border so far, collecting more seeds is our priority and we need the community’s help,” he said.
“With the scrub turpentine and native guava across the State currently flowering and fruiting, now is the perfect time for land holders with these plants on their properties to get in touch with us and help to conserve these critically endangered native plants,” Mr Stehn said.
Readers interested in supporting the emergency seedbank can become involved by contacting Mr Stehn at [email protected].
