land systems of the simpson desert region

LAND SYSTEMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION

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LAND SYSTEMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERTREGION

By Rosemary Purdie

Natural Resources Series No. 2

Division of Water and Land Resources

Institute of Biological Resources

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Australia 1984

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry

Purdie, Rosemary.

Land systems of the Simpson Desert region.

ISBN 0 643 03724 1.

1. Landforms — Northern Territory — Simpson Desert.2. Deserts — Northern Territory 3. Desert f lo ra — Northern Territory — Simpson Desert. 4. Sand dune flora — Northern Territory — Simpson Desert.I. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia). Division of Water and Land Resources. II. Title. (Series : Natural resources series (Canberra, A.C.T.); no. 2).

551,4'099429'1

Cover

Palaeozoic strike ridges with longitudinal dunes in the north west of the Simpson Desert

Photograph: J.A. Cavanagh

Prin ted by C S IR O , M e lbourne

84. 284-1050

ABSTRACT

The Simpson Desert is a classic area of longitudinal dunes in Australia. The nature and origin of the dunefields and of other landforms in the region are reviewed, together with the dominant vegetation they support and factors affecting the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the plant communities. An area of about 219 000 km^ covering the Simpson Desert region is mapped and described in more detail in terms of 32 land systems comprising six land zones: dunefields, fringing dunefields, sand plains, flood plains, gibber plains and dissected residuals.

About 800 plant species from 75 families are known from the mapped area, and are listed in an Appendix. The flora is discussed in terms of plant life forms, distribution of species in land zones, and overall geographic distribution. Rare plants, and species characteristic of highly saline or gypseous habitats are also listed and briefly discussed.

This report was written while the author was a Visiting Scientist at the Division of Water and Land Resources. It was originally prepared as part of an assessment of the Simpson Desert for listing on the National Estate Register of the Australian Heritage Commission.

C O N TE N TS

Page

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. LANDFORMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION 1

3. VEGETATION OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION 6

4. LAND SYSTEMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION 8

5. FLORA OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION 42

6. SUMMARY 50

References 51

APPENDIX I Criteria used for description of dune systems 54

APPENDIX II Species list 56

■ " Median annual rainfall► • • • • Northern lim it of dunefieds

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Alice SpringsT o d d

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iLakes

Finke

BirdsvilleA Q ld

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Ambullinna • Waterhole

D E S E R T

G oyderL a g o o n

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Fig. 1. Simpson Desert area, showing main geographic features, median annual ra in fa ll and no rthe rn lim its o f dunefields.

1. INTRODUCTION

The Simpson Desert is an area of dunefields extending over about 200 000 km ^ of land (Sprigg 1963) in the general region where the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia adjoin (Fig. 1). It is bounded approximately by the Mulligan River, Eyre Creek and the Diamantina River to the east, by the Finke and Macumba Rivers to the west, by Lake Eyre North and the Warburton River to the south, and by an extensive sandplain into which it grades in the north.

The Desert is classified as a hot desert (Williams and Calaby in press), and lies in the driest part of Australia. Most of the area falls w ithin the 150 mm median annual rainfall isohyet, and a large portion has a median annual rainfall of less than 100 mm (Fig. 1). The rainfall pattern is extremely erratic, both in its yearly and seasonal occurrence. There is a slight tendency for rain to fall in summer rather than winter, particularly in the north. The mean annual temperature is 21—23°C (Folk 1971), but temperatures reach maxima of 46—49°C in summer (Folk 1971; Mond 1974) and minima of —6°C in winter (Purdie unpubl. data).

The first European to enter the Simpson Desert was the explorer Charles Sturt, who, in 1845 penetrated to about latitude 24°40'S near the Northern Territory/Queensland border while searching for an inland sea (Sturt 1849). Sturt's description of wave upon wave of parallel, red dunes covered in spinifex and stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions was the first description of the Desert.

Although the dunefields were subsequently entered by a number of explorers (discussed in Madigan 1938; Bonython

1980), the first scientific work was not carried out until 1939, when C.T. Madigan led an expedition across the Desert from west to east (see Fig. 20, section 5.2) (Madigan 1945). Despite its large size the Simpson Desert has received relatively little scientific attention since Madigan's trip. Detailed studies and description of the soil and/or vegetation are restricted to Boyland (1970), Wiedemann (1971), Fatchenand Barker (1979a, b) and Buckley (1979a, 1981, 1982a—e).

The landforms, soil and/or vegetation of parts of the Desert and adjacent areas have been mapped and briefly described during various regional surveys. These include the studies of Blake (1938), Boyland (1979) and Wilson et a l. (in press) in Queensland, Perry et al. (1962) and Latz (1978) in the Northern Territory, and Lautet al. (1977), Lewis (1981) and Graetz et al. (1982) in South Australia. Slightly different approaches were used in each of these surveys, resulting in descriptions of land systems, environmental associations, ecological associations and vegetation associations. All have been synthesized to help provide the land system descriptions presented in this report.

Although the Simpson Desert is primarily composed of dunefields, a number of other landforms occur both within the confines of the Desert itself, and in the surrounding areas. These include floodplains, alluvial plains, gibber plains and dissected residuals. In this report, most emphasis is placed on the dunefields of the Desert, but descriptions are provided for all other land systems in the region.

2. LANDFORMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION

2.1 Dunefields

The Simpson Desert is part of a continental swirl of longitudinal sand ridges (Jennings 1968). It differs from most of the other large desert areas in this system (Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Gibson) in that it is developed in a basin which still accumulates alluvial sediments (Wasson 1983a), but it is considered to be a classical area for parallel dunes in Australia (Mond 1974). The Simpson Desert region as considered in this report is defined in Fig. 2.

The general form of the dunes in the Simpson Desert has been described by Madigan (1945, 1946), Sprigg (1963), Wopfner and Twidale (1967), Mabbutt (1968) and Twidale (1972). They are predominantly longitudinal dunes IQ - 35 m tall and up to 200 km or more long, which run parallel to each other for hundreds of kilometres in a NNW—SSE

direction, at an average spacing of 511 m ( + 328 m) (Wasson unpubl. data). The actual intercrest distance varies directly with dune height, and is related to the type of substrate in the interdune corridor (Twidale 1972; Mabbutt 1980). Dunes about 15 m high with sandy corridors have an intercrest distance of about 200 m, while dunes 30 m or more high with gibber plains between them commonly have intercrest distances greater than 600 m. The dunes are also characterized by the presence of Y-junctions (also called tuning-fork connections or convergences) which most commonly open to the south (Mabbutt and Sullivan 1968).

The dunes are composed predominantly of quartz sand (Carroll 1944), although in southern areas they may contain up to 20% of clay pellets (Wasson 1983b), and their colour ranges from pale brownish to deep reddish-brown.

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They are mostly asymmetrical in cross section, particular ly in the east, w i th a steep eastern slope averaging about 2 0 ° and a gentler western slope about 12° (Madigan 1946). The crests are usually serrated, and often contain mobile sand which is sculptured daily according to the direction o f w ind strong enough to move the sand particles (Twidale 1972). The interdune areas, which occupy up to fou r- f i f ths o f the to ta l dunefields (Fo lk 1971), may be sandy or f requently consist of old alluvial plains or gibber plains. In the south of the Desert, many large claypans and saltpans (salinas) are also present in the corridors.

The origin of the dunes in the Simpson Desert has been w ide ly discussed (see, fo r example, Madigan 1946; King 1956; Mabbutt 1967, 1968, 1980; Wopfner and Twidale 1967; M abbutt and Sullivan 1968; B rookf ie ld 1970; Folk 1971; Twidale 1972; Twidale and Wopfner 1981; Wasson 1983b; Ash and Wasson 1983). A lthough some evidence suggests tha t dunes in the southern, eastern, and parts of the northern and central Desert are o f Recent origin (Twidale and Wopfner 1981), palaeosols w i th in the dunes appear to be more than 10 000 years old (Wasson unpubl. data) indicating that dune in i t ia t ion occurred at a much earlier t ime.

The dunes are of aeolian origin (i.e. w ind derived), and owe the ir longitudinal and parallel nature to the resultant effect o f a bidirectional strong w ind regime. However, the direct ion of the dunes is slightly d i f fe ren t to the resultant direction o f present day sand shift ing winds (Brookfie ld 1970). Ash and Wasson (1983) have also calculated that present day windiness in the area is at least 10% lower than when the dunes were form ing. Hence it appears tha t there has been a change both in the d irect ion and strength o f the w ind regime since that which bu i l t the dunes, although Wopfner and Twidale (1967) considered tha t the general pattern o f winds had not changed greatly in the past few thousand years. The Y - junc t ions between adjacent dunes are thought to be formed from cross winds which displace sand f rom the mobile ends o f the sand ridges (M abbu tt and Sullivan 1968).

Original concepts o f dune fo rm at ion invoked long-distance transport o f sand. For example, in the southern Simpson Desert, this mechanism was used to explain the deepening co lour o f sand w ith increasing distance f rom sand sources in the Lake Eyre North region and its associated ancient streams and lakes (Wopfner and Twidale 1967). Sand particles furthest f rom the ir origin were considered oldest and to have become more th ick ly coated w i th clay and iron than particles closer to the ir source. However, recent evidence f rom detailed studies o f the composit ion o f dune sediments, grain size and colour, and desert hydro logy, suggest that several mechanisms may have been responsible fo r dune fo rm ation , occurring f rom a large number of sources (Wasson 1983b; see also Twidale 1972). The three main mechanisms discussed by Wasson (op. cit.) can be summarized as fo l lows:

A . D e fla tio n o f lakes and floodp la ins connected to, and receiving a lluv ia l sediments from , active streams (Southern Simpson Desert)

Floods in the ancient precursors of the Diamantina River and Eyre Creek deposited alluvial sediments (derived f rom mountain ranges to the north-east of the Desert) on the ir f loodpla ins and in the Lake Eyre region, p robably during the late Pleistocene. Transverse dunes were formed dow nw ind of the floodplains and lakes (i.e. on the northern side) by wave action when water was present, and later by defla t ion o f the dry lake beds and beaches. Longitudinal dunes then fo rm ed dow nw ind o f these transverse dunes f rom the crests and upwind slopes. The dunes so formed are o f pale brown sand and contain up to 20% of clay pellets derived f rom the alluvial sediments.

The basic process o f longitudinal dune fo rm ation f rom transverse dunes was f irst described in detail by Twidale (1972). This type o f dune fo rm at ion is sti ll occurring f rom the active f loodp la ins of the Diamantina and Macumba Rivers (Twidale 1972; Graetz et at. 1982), and probably also f rom Eyre Creek and Lake Eyre North after major floods.

B. D e fla tio n o f saltpans n o t connected to active streams (Southern Simpson Desert)

Many o f the salinas characteristic o f the southern Simpson Desert may once have been connected to drainage lines entering the ancient precursor of Lake Eyre. However, after in it ia l dune fo rm at ion , e.g. as in A above, these salinas became cut o f f f rom active streams, and the ir on ly source of sediments was then f rom the localized catchment area o f the immedia te ly surrounding dunes. Regular changes in the level o f the water table resulted in cycles of we tt ing of the salina surfaces by the saline ground water fo l lowed by drying wh ich al lowed salts to crystall ize in the sandy muds thus fo rm ing clay pellets. Transverse dunes formed on the downw ind side of the salinas f rom sand and the clay pellets, during deflat ion of dry saltpans or by wave action on the shore line when the water table was high enough to f i l l them w i th water. Longitud ina l dunes, composed o f pale brown sand and contain ing up to 20% of clay pellets, then formed dow nw ind o f the transverse dunes.

The above complex o f saltpans and aeolian dunes derived f rom sediments whose origin is related to ground water behaviour and chemistry o f the pans is termed 'bo inka ' (Macumber 1980). It is thought tha t this method o f dune fo rm at ion is no longer occurring in the southern Simpson Desert, since the present water table is too low to al low active def lat ion o f the salinas. However, the occurrence of the boinka indicates the fo rm er presence o f environmental conditions no longer found in the area, i.e. a seasonally ho t atmosphere combined w i th the presence of water in the interdune corridors.

5

The last major phase of active formation of the pale brown, clay-rich dunes probably ceased at about 13 000 years BP due to falling water tables, decreased deposition of alluvial sediments and decreased windiness, which allowed the dunes to become stabliIized.

C. Redistribution o f alluvial sediments (Northern Simpson Desert)

The alluvial plains which underlie the northern Simpson Desert were associated with the ancestors of northern rivers such as the Hale, Hay and Plenty. The sandy alluvium of the plains was derived from the erosion of low ranges to the north and north-west (Carroll 1944; Mabbutt 1968;Twidale 1972). Dunes were formed by aeolian redistribution of these sediments from slightly elevated areas which were not influenced by the ground water. The dunes were thus formed from a large number of local sources without the intermediate stage of transverse dunes. The dunes so formed consist of red-brown quartz sand; the clay pellets typical of the southern areas are absent.

The period during which this type of dune formation occurred is uncertain, since the dunes could have formed whenever the climate favoured strong winds and low vegetation cover. Contrary to the long-distance transport explanation of the dark red-brown sand colour, Wasson (1983b) considers that the sand particles were red-brown prior to dune formation, were derived from a source d ifferent to that of the pale southern dunes, and that the predune red sediments were probably older than the sediments from which the pale dunes were formed.

Although most of the Simpson Desert consists of parallel, longitudinal dunes, various areas of reticulate dunes are also present, usually near river systems. Mabbutt (1968) suggested that these areas have an abundant sand supply and receive continuing run-on of water from the rivers. He considered that they may represent either incomplete stages of dune formation, in which the effects of secondary winds are still evident, or, ancient dune systems which have been modified by a change in the wind pattern and therefore have palaeoclimatic significance. Although in the northwestern Simpson three distinct dune patterns have been described, based on measurable features of the dunefields (Mabbutt 1982; Mabbutt and Wooding 1983), little other data are available for the reticulate dunes.

2.2 Rivers and Floodplains

The channels and associated floodplains of the Mulligan River, Eyre Creek, and the Diamantina, Warburton, Macumba and Finke Rivers, lie on the eastern, southern and western boundaries of the Simpson dunefields. These alluvial systems probably originated during pluvial periods in the late Tertiary and Pleistocene when they formed part

of the huge drainage system of the ancient Lake Eyre. Lake Eyre North is still the drainage focus of these rivers, and, except for the Finke (Graetzefa/. 1982), water from them may eventually drain into Lake Eyre during exceptionally large floods.

The rivers have their catchments in higher rainfall areas north of the Desert, e.g. the Diamantina River rises in far north-western Queensland where the median annual rainfall is between 300—400 mm (Anon. 1980). Because of this, floods in the rivers provide a moisture regime much greater than that which would occur on the margins of the Desert itself from rainfall. This is reflected in the relative luxuriance of the vegetation on the alluvia and the associated areas compared with deserts in other continents receiving a similar low rainfall (Twidale and Wopfner 1981).

The nature of the floodplains has been described by Perry et a l . (1962), Mabbutt (1969, 1977), Twidale (1981) and Wilson et a l. (in press). They are characterized by the presence of large numbers of interconnecting (anastomosing) channels which are largest on the inner floodplain where the flooding frequency is highest, and grade into more numerous, smaller and shallower channels on the outer, less frequently flooded plains. Associated with the inner floodplains are extensive areas of low lying swamps, often with deeply gilgaied soils, while various lakes, saltpans and claypans occur on the outer floodplains. In places, the larger channels coalesce to form permanent waterholes up to 15 km long.

This so-called 'channel country' forms a huge natural irrigation system, in which the channels spread water out over the plains from oncoming floods, and help drain the plains as the floods move southwards. The movement of the water is exceptionally slow due to the very low gradients of the plains (Mabbutt 1977). As well as providing moisture, floods deposit large amounts of sediment which ultimately help provide sand and clay particles for dune formation.

The channel systems of the eastern creeks and rivers, particularly of the Diamantina, form some of the most important ephemeral wetlands in arid Australia. The wetlands associated with the floodplains of Kallakoopah Creek and of the Warburton and lower Macumba Rivers, become increasingly saline towards Lake Eyre, and are unique within the southern (Graetz et at. 1982) and northern Simpson Desert areas.

In the northern Simpson Desert, several rivers and creeks, whose headwaters drain from ranges to the north and northwest, extend south between the dunes and eventually disappear in the Desert. The periodic floods which discharge into the dunefields provide a moisture regime in excess of that expected from local rainfall alone. The influence of this moisture may extend far beyond the visible river channels through subsurface seepage. For example, moisture from the Field River, whose channels disappear among

6

dunes near the Northern Territory/Queensland border, reasserts an influence on the vegetation further south along Gnallan-a-Gea Creek (Gasteen pers. comm.).

2.3 Gibber Plains and Residuals

Extensive stone-covered plains and associated hills and tablelands occur on the eastern and south-western margins of the Simpson Desert. They have been described by Wopfner and Twidale (1967), Mabbutt (1969, 1977), Twidale (1981), Graetz et at. (1982) and Wilson et a !. (in press).

These landforms are mainly derived by dissection and redistribution of silcrete which was common in much of southern Australia (Mabbutt 1977) during the mid-Tertiary (Wopfner and Twidale 1967; Graetz et a t. 1982). Erosion of the silcrete landscape resulted in the formation of gently undulating plains and hill slopes whose surfaces were covered with a dense pavement of coarse stones (gibbers). Areas resistant to erosion persisted as islands (mesas, buttes) and tablelands with a silcrete capping. In some areas, tectonic movements followed by secondary silicification has resulted in gibbers being derived from pre-Cambrian, Ordovician and Cretaceous parent material.

The dense gibber pavements are extremely impermeable to water (Crocker 1946), and hence after rainfall, surface runo ff is high and often causes localized flooding in adjacent river systems. The gilgai depressions which are frequently associated with the gibber plains also benefit from this runoff, and support vegetation more typical of the alluvial

plains. Vegetation on the gibber pavement itself is extremely sparse due both to lack of water and high soil salinity.

North-west of the Simpson Desert, a complex of mountain ranges, uplands and tablelands of extremely varied geology and topography is present, which represents the easterly portions of the Macdonnell Ranges. Because of its geo- morphological complexity, and the more north-westerly location of the main range systems in the Macdonnells, this complex is only briefly summarized in this report.

2.4 Sandplains

In the northern Simpson Desert, the dunefields gradually merge into flat to slightly undulating sandplains. The structure and origin of these and similar plains in the central Australian region have been discussed by Perry et a/. (1962) and Mabbutt (1967, 1968, 1969).

The sandplains overlie old alluvial plains, and have been formed by aeolian reworking of sandy alluvial sediments derived mostly from crystalline rocks. As a result, the soils of the sandplains contain about 10 times more clay than those of the northern dunefields. The sandplains are considered to be areas where surface drainage persisted for a long time, and they thus experienced decreased aeolian activity because of their higher moisture content and greater vegetation cover.

Although both sandplains and the adjacent dunefields in this area are now stable, the original transition from plain to dunefield was probably governed by the proportion of clay in the soil and the degree of aeolian activity.

3. VEG ETATIO N OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION

3.1 Dunefields

The vegetation of the Simpson Desert dunefields has been described in detail by Crocker (1946), Boyland (1970), Wiedemann (1971), Fatchen and Barker (1979a, b), Buckley (1979a, 1981), Lewis (1981) and Wilson et al. (in press), and summarized by Buckley (1979b) who drew together much of the previous published work.

Although the vegetation has variously been described in terms of both discrete associations (Crocker 1946; Boyland 1970; Wilson et at. in press) and vegetation continua (Wiedemann 1971; Fatchen and Barker 1979a), distinct vegetation zones corresponding to the crest, slopes and corridors are usually recognizable, although further zonal subdivisions are often possible (Buckley 1981). The zonation is related to differences in soil depth, texture, m obility, penetrability, moisture relations and nutrient status (especially nitrogen) (Fatchen and Barker 1979a;

Buckley 1982a). Crests usually exhibit low nitrogen, high mobility and penetrability, and coarser soil texture than slopes and corridors,

In general, Zygoch/oa paradoxa, the sandhill cane-grass, occurs on crests and mobile slopes, while Triodia basedowii, a spinifex, occurs on stable slopes and sandy interdune corridors. A range of shrubs, particularly species of Acacia, EremophUa and Grevillea, and seasonally abundant herbs are associated with both the Zygoch/oa and Triodia communities. The less sandy corridors show a wide variation in their soil type, and support a correspondingly wide range of vegetation communities. These include low open woodlands or tall open shrublands of Eucalyptus microtheca, Acacia georginae, A. arteura, A. kempeana and Hakea spp., low open shrublands of Atriplex vesicaria, Maireana aphylla, Halosarcia spp., Atriplex nummu/aria and Muehlenbeckia

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cunninghamii, and sparse shortgrasslands with scattered low trees and shrubs.

Several factors other than soil are important in determining the nature of the vegetation present at any place at any given time, and the heterogeneity of the vegetation over large areas.

(a) Fire. Landsat images taken in 1981 show a mosaic of fire scars in the Simpson Desert; on the ground the veg

etation changes profoundly over a very short distance (Purdie unpubl. data; Copley pers. comm.). In recently burnt areas Triodia may be virtually absent and the ground dominated by shortgrasses and forbs (Pech and Graetz 1982; Gasteen pers. comm.). Most species are able to regenerate after fire (Buckley 1979a; Maconochie 1982); those in Triodia communities from seed germination and vegetative regrowth, and those in Zygoch/oa communities from seed germination alone. The hummock grasses are able to regenerate from both tillers and seed. Hence past fires influence the cover of the Triodia and Zygochioa, the density of shrub species, and possibly the composition of the herb stratum.

(b) Past rainfall events. Differences in vegetation composition due to rainfall have been commented on by a number of authors (Wiedemann 1971; Fatchen and Barker 1979b; Buckley 1981; Wilson et a/, in press). The most obvious d ifferences are in the presence of large numbers of ephemeral species which appear after even light falls of rain, and which die as the soil moisture drops, leaving seeds in the sand to germinate when conditions again become favourable. However, less obvious, longer-term effects also occur. For example, during a west-east transect across the Desert in 1982, gross differences in the vegetation were found compared with that encountered along the same route 10 years earlier (Fatchen and Barker 1979b; Fatchen pers. comm.; Purdie unpubl. data). In the western part of the Desert, Acacia iiguiata and A. murrayana were represented only by scattered shrubs in 1972 but formed open shrubland in 1982. Acacia jennerae, which was not recorded in 1972, was common in interdune corridors 10 years later. It is thought these differences were due to the consecutive above-average wet years from 1973—76 which followed the drought conditions of 1972. Widespread, standing dead Cassia nemophiia shrubs common in the corridors in 1982 probably also represented post-wet populations which had reached the end of their life cycle. Such episodic rainfall events thus also have long-term effects on the structure and species composition of the vegetation.

(c) Grazing. Introduced animals such as cattle, horses and donkeys affect the dunefields where permanent water is available, mostly around the Desert margins, but rabbits and camels, which can survive in areas where surface water is absent, may affect the whole Desert. Day (1916) noted that rabbits had caused the destruction of smaller shrubs and herbage over large areas along the Hale River. Although

not obvious in the Southern Simpson Desert in 1936 (Colson 1940), rabbits now appear to have entered most of this area, since evidence of them was found across the entire 26°S traverse in 1982 (Purdie unpubl. data) and they have been seen in the vicinity of Kallakoopah Creek (Buckley 1982f). The number of empty warrens in 1982 compared with the number of fresh droppings, indicated a greatly reduced current rabbit population which will never-the-less provide the nucleus for a population explosion with the onset of more favourable conditions. Ringbarking of mature shrubs of selected species is already influencing the vegetation in many areas, and grazing of seedlings after a run of wet years has the potential to drastically affect the composition of the vegetation further. Pech and Graetz (1982) consider that remobilization of the dune crests due to overgrazing by rabbits is unlikely to occur because of the lack of permanent water supplies.

The cycles of fire and drought/wet have probably operated for thousands of years, and still maintain the vegetation in a dynamic state resulting in spatial and temporal heterogeneity of community structure and composition which are often not apparent at a single place or time. The degree to which introduced animals have affected the vegetation in less than a century of impact is not known, but it is thought that 'rabbits pose the most significant present-day threat to the ecological integrity of the Simpson Desert' (Pech and Graetz 1982). When considering the present vegetation in the area, it is important that all three factors be taken into account.

3.2 Other Land Systems

The vegetation of the sandplains, floodplains, gibber plains and dissected residuals in the Simpson Desert region have been described in detail by Perry et a/. (1962), Lewis(1981) , Purdie (1982) and Wilson et at. (in press), and briefly considered by Laut et ai. (1977) and Graetz et at.(1982) .

The sandplains north of the Desert are mostly dominated by Triodia basedowii and a suite of mal lee eucalypts (mainly Eucalyptus gamophyiia and E. pachyphy/ia) and shrubs (including many species of Acacia, Grevillea and Eremophila). Acacia georginae also forms low open woodlands on sandplains to the north-east.

The vegetation of the floodplains varies with the moisture regime, which is related to the frequency, duration and depth of flooding. Woodland communities of Eucalyptus microtheca (clay soils) and E. camaldulensis (sandy or gravelly soils) occur along larger channels, and are often associated with low shrubs such as Muehienbeckia cunninghamii, Chenopodium auricomum and Atrip iex nummu/aria which form low shrublands and low open shrublands in swamps. The vegetation becomes sparser as the moisture regime decreases. Outer floodplains are usually devoid of

8

perennial vegetation, but support ephemeral grasslands, herblands or forblands after seasonal floods. Old floodplains no longer subject to inundation frequently support Astrebla pectinata tussock grasslands in the east and low chenopod shrublands or Acacia low open woodlands in the west.

On gibber plains where the pavement is extremely dense, vegetation is absent. With decreasing stone cover, short grasses and ephemeral forbs (particularly species of Atrip/ex, Babbagia and Sclerolaena ) become seasonally abundant. In gilgai depressions which receive run-on from the adjacent pavement, Atrip lex vesicaria low shrubs and Astrebla pectinata and other perennial tussock grasses occur. Areas with sparse gibbers support A. pectinata open tussock grasslands or Acacia georginae communities in the east, and low open chenopod shrublands in the west. Low trees and shrubs, usually species of Acacia, Eremophiia and Cassia, are res

tricted to rocky outcrops and drainage lines over large areas.

The vegetation of the residuals varies with the geology and topography. In central- and south-western areas the vegetation is similar to that on the gibber plains, and trees and shrubs are rare except along drainage lines. In the north-east and parts of the north-west, shrub communities dominated by species such as Acacia aneura, A. cyperophyi/a, A. stowardii, A. kempeana, Eremophiia freetingii and Cassia spp. are common. In the far north-west, the eastern Mac- donnell Ranges support a variety of communities which are often dominated by hummock grasses (Triodia spp.), mallee eucalypts and a range of shrub species.

The vegetation of all land systems in the Simpson Desert region is described in more detail in section 4.

4. LAND SYSTEMS OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION

The Simpson Desert region has been mapped (Fig. 2) and described in terms of the land zones shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Land zones of the Simpson Desert region

Land zone N um ber o f land

systems described

T o ta l area o f2

land systems (km )

D unefie lds 11 139 650

Fringing dunefie lds 9 19 840

Sandplains 1 12 450

F loodpla ins 4 13 470

G ibber plains 3 23 130

Dissected residuals 4 8 400

The delineation and description of land systems was based on the interpretation of photopatterns on 1981 Landsat colour images, and using data from an aerial and ground survey of the Desert (Purdie unpubl. data) and maps and reports of Perry et at. (1962), Laut et ai. (1977), Latz (1978), Boyland (1979), Lewis (1981), Graetz etal. (1982) and Wilson et a i. (in press). The dunefields are considered in most detail, and the remaining land systems described in broad terms to provide a summary of the country which surrounds, and to a lesser extent occurs within, the Simpson dunefields. Minor areas of Alluvial Plains (as described and mapped by Wilson et a l. (in press)) which occur in the north-east of the region (Fig. 2) are not considered further as they are best developed in more easterly areas.

Each land system is described in terms of its characteristic landforms, soil types and vegetation (land units) with a profile diagram to show the relationships between the units. The land systems are not static entities, since factors such as wind, rainfall, floods, fire and grazing, which show seasonal and yearly variation, continually affect the soil, vegetation and landform causing both short-term and longterm changes in them. Hence the descriptions and profile diagrams are idealized representations of the land systems, and give no indication of the spatial heterogeneity and temporal changes occurring within the component units.

An estimate of the area covered by each land system within the mapped region is given in each description. These values are referred to as 'total area' or 'mapped area', where the systems respectively occur wholly within or extend beyond the boundaries of the region shown in Fig. 2.

4.1 Dune Systems

The main dunefields of the Simpson Desert have been divided into 11 dune systems on the basis of differences in dune type, height, length, spacing, crest type, convergences, vegetation and type of interdune corridors. The criteria for dune system descriptions are summarized in Appendix I. The boundaries of each dune system in Fig. 2 were drawn from Landsat images, and mostly represent areas where maximum changes, rather than abrupt transitions, occurred within the dunefields.

4.1.1 Description. The systems are described in the following pages and are illustrated in Figs 3—10.

9

D)UNE SYSTEM: D1

L o c a t io n :

T otal area:

S iu m m a ry :

111 lu s tra tio n :

D)ata sources:

north-east Simpson Desert

28 440 km 1 2

a large area o f fre q u e n tly very long, m edium -height, long itud in a l dunes w ith few cross connections, laid over a c layey pla in w h ich is exposed between dunes m ostly east o f the F ie ld R iver — Gnallan-a-gea Creek; overall dune trend NNW — SSE

Figure 3

C opley 1981; Eardley 1946; Gasteen 1976—78; Madigan 1945, 1946; Purdie unpub l. data; W innecke 1884

m

UJnit Landfo rm type (frequency) Soil descrip tion V egetation descrip tion

1 D U N E (com m on) Red siliceous sand(Uc 1.23)

Type: long itud in a lLength: m edium to very longHeight: m ediumCrests: singleSpacing: m edium to closeConnections: few

P redom inantly Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith scattered Grevillea ju n c ifo lia , G. stenobo trya , Swainsona rig ida, Acacia ligu la ta , Cassia pleurocarpa, C. nem oph ila, A d riana h o o ke ri and Dodonaea angustissima shrubs, w hich may fo rm sparse shrublands on crests. Zygochloa sparse hum m ock grassland rarely present, usually in v ic in ity o f rivers and creeks (Hay, F ie ld, Gnallan-a-gea, M ulligan)

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R(com m on, m ostly west of F ie ld R iver — Gnallan-a-gea Creek)

3 P LA IN(com m on, m ostly east o f F ie ld R iver — Gnallan-a-gea Creek)

4 A L L U V IA L P LA IN(rare: associated w ith floo d plains o f Hay and Fie ld R ivers and M ulligan Creek)

Red siliceous sand Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith scattered Acacia ligu la ta ,(Uc 1.23) A. m urrayana, A . aneura, A. ramulosa, Grevillea spp.. Cassia

spp. and E rem ophila la tro b e i shrubs

Sandy clay to tex tu re con trast soil; lim e o ften in p ro file ; gibber pavem ent sometimes present in east and north-east

a. Acacia georginae low open w ood land w ith shortgrasses or rarely A streb la pectina ta ;

b. sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered E ucalyptus te rm ina lis trees and Cassia spp. and Erem ophila lo n g ifo lia shrubs;

c. E ucalyptus pachyphy lla ta ll open shrubland (restricted to Gnallan-a-gea Creek)

Grey to brow n cracking a. Sparse grassland w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro thecaclay trees;

b. Acacia georginae low open w ood land w ith scattered M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii and Chenopodium au ricom um shrubs

10

DUNE SYSTEM: D2

Loca tion : cen tra l-north Simpson Desert

2To ta l area: 4460 km

S um m ary: a small area o f re ticu la te , and low , re la tive ly short, crowded, long itud ina l dunes w ith sandy corridors, possibly associatedw ith the old a lluvia l flo o d p la in o f the P lenty R iver; overall dune trend N N W —SSE

Illu s tra tio n : —

Data sources: Copley 1981; Eardley 1946; Madigan 1945, 1946; W innecke 1884

m

Landfo rm type (frequency) Soil descrip tion Vegetation descrip tion

DUNE (com m on)

Type: re ticu la te andlong itud ina l

Length: m edium (long, dune) H eight: lowCrests: single and m u ltip le Spacing: very close C onnections: numerous

Red siliceous sand (Uc 1.23)

P redom inantly Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith scattered Grevillea ju n c ifo lia , G. s tenobo trya and Cassia p leurocarpa shrubs on otherw ise bare crests, and Acacia ligu la ta , Cassia nem ophita, E rem ophila la tro b e i and E. obovata shrubs on slopes. Zygochloa sparse hum m ock grassland rare o r absent on crests

IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R (com m on)


Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith scattered Acacia ligu la ta , A. aneura, Dodonaea angustissima, E rem ophila long ifo lia , E. m acdonne llii, E. obovata and Hakea leucoptera shrubs

Fig. 3. Dune system D 1: aerial v iew o f long itud ina l dunes w ith few cross connections

and sandy in te r-dune co rrido rs supporting Triod ia hum m ock grassland.

11

DUNE SYSTEM: D3

Loca tion : cen tra l-n o rth to south-w est Simpson Desert

To ta l area: 46 780 km ^

S um m ary: an ex trem e ly large area o f long itud ina l dunes w hich shows great in te rna l va ria tion in dune length, he ight, spacing, crest typeand degree o f cross-connecting. These sub-systems grade in to each o ther th ro u g h o u t the area. The dunes are laid dow n over aclayey a lluvia l p lain w h ich is o ften exposed. Overall dune trend N N W —SSE

m

(a) D3 N O R T H

I llu s tra tio n : —

Data sources: C opley 1981; Eardley 1946; Madigan 1945, 1946; Purdie unpub l. data; Sym on 1969; W innecke 1884

U n it Landfo rm type (frequency) Soil type

1 DU N E (com m on) Red siliceous sand(Uc 1.23)

Type : long itud ina lLength: short to longH eight: low to high Crests: single o r m u lt ip le C onnections: few to numerous

Vegetation type

Zygoch loa open hum m ock grassland on crests and Trioda hum m ock grassland on slopes, w ith a low to m edium shrub layer o f Acacia d ic tyo ph leb a , A . m urrayana, A . ligu la ta ,A. m a it la n d ii, Dodonaea angustissima, Grevillea ju n c ifo lia ,G. s te n o b o trya , and E rem ophila m acdonne llii. Zygoch loa drops ou t as dunes grade in to no rthe rn sandplain

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R (com m on)

Red siliceous sand Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith a shrub layer o f Acacia(Uc 1.23) m urrayana, A. ligu la ta , Grevillea spp., Erem ophila spp. and

A driana h o o ke ri

3 P LA IN(com m on)

Red sandy clay Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered shrubs o f E rem oph ilalong ifo lia , Rhagodia spinescens, Cassia nem oph ila , Hakea eyreana and H. leucoptera

Acacia georginae low open w ood land or scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees

w ith the o ld a lluvia l plains o f the P lenty and Hay Rivers in the east o f the area)

P LA IN(rare: m ostly associated

Red clayey sand to brow n cracking clay

12

<b) D3 SOUTH

I llu s tra tio n : Figure 4

Data sources: Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b; Graetz e t al. 1982; Laut e f a/. 1977; Purdie unpub l. data; D.E. Sym on 1980

U n it Land fo rm type (frequency) Soil descrip tion

1 DU N E (com m on) Red to reddish-ye llo w siliceous

Type: long itud in a l sand (Uc 1.23)Length: shortHeight: m ediumCrests: single o r m u ltip leSpacing: close to very closeC onnections: few to numerous

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R (rare to com m on)

F irm , red to reddish- ye llow siliceous sand (Uc 1.43)

3 P LA IN(rare to com m on)

Reddish sandy clay or clay, o ften w ith sandstone nodules in p ro file

V egetation descrip tion

Zygoch loa open hum m ock grassland on crests w ith scattered A cacia d ic tyoph leba , A . ligu la ta , A . m urrayana, Grevillea ju n c ifo lia and G. s tenobo trya ; Triod ia hum m ock grasslands on slopes w ith a shrub layer o f Acacia ligu la ta, A . m urrayana, Dodonaea angustissima, Pimelea pen ic illa ris and Erem ophila m a cdonn e llii

T riod ia open to sparse hum m ock grassland w ith scattered Acacia ligu la ta , A . m urrayana, A. jennerae, Dodonaea angustissima and P hyllan thus fu e rn ro h rii

a. Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered Acacia victoriae ssp. arida, A. osw ald ii, Cassia nem oph ila, E rem ophila lo n g ifo lia and Hakea leucoptera shrubs;

b. A tr ip le x vesicaria or rarely Maireana pyram ida ta low open shrubland

4 C LA Y P A N (rare)

Reddish clay w ith Barescalded surface

Fig. 4. Dune system D3 S O U TH : A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland in in te r-dune co rr id o r w ith

Triod ia open hum m ock grassland and scattered Acacia ligu la ta shrubs on the dune slope.

13

DUNE SYSTEM: D4

Loca tion : central-w est Simpson Desert

To ta l area: 9670 km ^

S um m ary: an area o f short, low ,crow ded , long itud in a l dunes and re ticu la te dunes w ith sandy co rrido rs ; overall dune trendN N W -S S E

Illu s tra tio n : Figure 5

Data sources: Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b; Purdie unpub l. data; Sym on 1969

m

U n it Landfo rm type (frequency)

1 DU N E (com m on)

Type : re ticu la te andlong itud ina l

Length: short (long, dune)H eigh t: low Crests: m ostly single Spacing: very close Connections: few (long, dune)

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R(com m on)

Soil descrip tion



Vegetation descrip tion

Zygochloa open hum m ock grassland on crests and Triod ia hum m ock grassland on slopes, w ith a low m edium shrub layer o f Acacia ligu la ta, A. m urrayana, A . ramulosa, Grevillea ju n c ifo lia and G. s tenobo trya

Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith a low to m edium shrub layer, w hich may be dom inan t a fte r a series o f w e t seasons, o f Acacia ligu la ta , A . m urrayana, Grevillea ju n c ifo lia , G. stenobo trya, Erem ophila m acdonne llii, E. w ills ii and Halganea cyanea

Fig. 5. Dune system D4: closely spaced dunes w ith Zygochloa (fo reground) on crest, Triod ia on slopes and sandy in te rdune co rr id o r, and scattered Acacia ligu la ta and A. m urrayana shrubs.

14

DUNE SYSTEM: D5

L o ca tion : north-w est S impson Desert

9To ta l area: 7470 km

S um m ary: a small area o f m edium to high, re la tive ly short, lo n g itud in a l dunes laid over a clayey p lain which is o ften exposed betweendunes; overall dune trend N N W —SSE


Data sources: Buckley 1981; Copley 1981; Eardley 1946; Madigan 1945, 1946; Perry e t a / . 1962; Purdie unpubl data; Wiedemann 1971

m

U n it Land fo rm typ e (frequency)

1 D U N E (com m on)

Typ e : long itud ina lLength : sho rt to m edium H e igh t: m edium to high Crests: m ostly single Spacing: m ediumC onnections: few


3 P LA IN(com m on)

Soil descrip tion Vegetation description

Red siliceous sand Zygoch ioa open hum m ock grassland on crests w ith low shrubs(Uc 1.23) such as Grevillea stenobotrya, Acacia murrayana, Calotis

erinacea and Crota laria spp; Triod ia hum m ock grassland on slopes w ith an o ften dense shrub layer o f Thryptom ene maisonneuvei, Acacia d ic tyoph leba, A . murrayana, Grevillea stenobo trya , Cassia nem ophila and Hakea eyreana

Red siliceous sand Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith a low shrub stratum as above

Red clayey sand, red Sparse shortgrassland w ith Acacia aneura, and A. kempeanaearths and tex tu re shrubs com m on in places; scattered Hakea spp.. Eucalyptuscontrast soils; a surface te rm ina lis o r rarely E. m icro theca trees also presentpavement o f gibber stones sometimes present

15

DUNE SYSTEM: D6

Loca tion : fa r no rth -w est S impson Desert

2Mapped area: 4300 km

S um m ary: a small area o f re ticu la te dunes w ith an overall long itud in a l trend, to irregular, very short, crowded, lo ng itud in a l dunes,associated w ith the M acdonnell Ranges and the f lo o d p la in o f the Todd R iver; overall dune trend N W -S E

11 lu s tra tio n : Figure 6

Data sources: Purdie unpub l. data

m

U n it Land fo rm typ e (frequency) Soil descrip tion

1 DU N E (com m on) Red siliceous sand(Uc 1.23)

Type: re ticu la te andlong itud in a l

Length : very sho rt (long, dunes)H eigh t: ? low Crests: ? m ostly single Spacing: very close C onnections: numerous

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R (com m on)


3 P LA IN (? rare)

Red sandy clay


Zygochloa open hum m ock grassland on crests and Triod ia hum m ock grassland on slopes; scattered shrubs present

Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith scattered shrubs

Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered trees and shrubs such as Eucalyptus term inalis. Acacia aneura, A . kempeana and Hakea spp.

Fig. 6. Dune system D6: aerial v iew o f short, long itud ina l dunes south o f the

Rodinga Range w ith the Todd R iver f lo o d p la in in the foreground.

16

DUNE SYSTEM: D7

Loca tion : cen tra l-south Simpson Desert

Mapped area: 24 050 km ^

Sum m ary: a large area o f re la tive ly sho rt long itud in a l dunes overly ing an o ld alluvia l clay plain w ith numerous claypans and saltpans(salinas). The salinas are connected to active drainage systems on ly in the south where associated w ith Kallakoopah Creek and the W arburton R iver. Overall dune trend N N W —SSE

Illu s tra tio n : F igure 7

Data sources: B oyland 1970; Buckley 1981; Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b; Graetz e t at. 1982; Laut et ai. 1977; Purdie unpubl. data;D.E. Sym on 1980; W innecke 1884

m

U n it Land fo rm type (frequency)

1 DU N E (com m on)

Type: long itud in a lLength : sho rt to rarely

m ediumH eight: low to high Crests: m o s tly m u lt ip le Spacing: close to very close C onnections: few


3 P LA IN(com m on)

4 (i) C L A Y P A N or (in south)F L O O D O U T (com m on)

4 (ii) S A L IN A (com m on)

5 LU N E T T E or LEE M O U N D (rare)

Soil descrip tion

Pale red (n o rth ) to ye llow ish -w h ite to w h itish (south) loose siliceous sand (Uc 1.23)

Pale reddish to w h itish f irm siliceous sand (Uc 1.43)

Pale reddish sandy loam

Brow n to grey, se lfm u lch ing , cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

Crusted saline an d /o r gypseous material

G ypsife rous, saline sandy clay

W hitish siliceous sand (Uc 1.21)

Vegetation description

Zygochloa sparse to open hum m ock grassland on crests and slopes w ith sparsely scattered Acacia d ic tyoph leba, A. ligu la ta,A. m urrayana and Dodonaea angustissima shrubs in the no rth , and occasional Acacia m urrayana, A . sessiliceps and Hakea leucoptera shrubs in the south. Zygochloa restricted to crest and upper slopes in south towards Lake Eyre and is eventually replaced by N itra ria b iiia rd ie ri low open shrubland. Triodia sparse hum m ock grassland present on slopes on ly in extrem e no rth o f area where it grades in to D4

Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered Acacia te tragonophylla ,A. osw ald ii, A. victoriae ssp. arida, Cassia nem ophila, Hakea leucoptera and H. eyreana shrubs in the no rth , grading to bare ground in the extrem e south

Sparse shortgrassland (sandier soils) o r a low open shrubland o f A tr ip le x vesicaria (more clayey soils), w ith Acacia georginae low open w ood land to ta ll open shrubland associated w ith it no rth o f about la titude 26 °20 'S

Bare soil where soil surface is scalded; low open shrubland o f A tr ip le x vesicaria, Maireana aphy lla or rarely Sclerostegia tenius in the no rth , grading to a sparse ephemeral herbalnd w ith increasing sa lin ity towards the sou th; rarely M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii low open shrubland in the south-east

Bare

Samphire (Halosarcia spp.) low open shrubland w ith Scaevoia collaris, Frankenia spp. and Lawrencia spp.

N itra ria b iiia rd ie r i low open shrubland or Zygochloa sparse hum m ock grassland; rarely Muehlenbeckia cocco loboides low open shrubland in the south

17

Fjg. 7a. Dune system D7: samphire (Halosarcia halocnem oides) low open shrubland on margin o f salina.

Fig. 7b. Dune system D7: Acacia georginae low open w ood land w ith an open, low

shrub stra tum o f A tr ip /e x vesicaria, in w ide in te r-dune co rrido r.

18

DUNE SYSTEM: D8

L o c a tio n :

To ta l area:

S u m m a ry :

I l lu s tra t io n :

Data sources:

central-east S impson Desert

7710 km 2

a small area o f long, re la tive ly high long itud ina l dunes laid down over the ancient flo o d p la in o f Eyre Creek w h ich is exposed between m ost dunes; overall dune trend N N W —SSE

Figure 8

Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b ; Graetz e t at. 1982; Laut e t at. 1977; Purdie unpubl. data; D.E. Sym on 1980

m

U n it Landfo rm type (frequency) Soil descrip tion

1 DU N E (com m on) Red to reddish-ye llo w siliceous

Type: long itud ina l sand (Uc 1.23)Length: longH eight: m ostly m edium to high Crests: m ostly single Spacing: m ostly m edium C onnections: few

2 P LA IN(com m on)

Reddish siliceous sand to sandy clay

3 C LA Y P A N or S A U N A (rare)

+ /— crusted, saline gypseous soil


Zygochloa sparse to open hum m ock grassland on crests and slopes, w ith sparsely scattered Acacia d ic tyoph leba , A . ligu la ta , A. m urrayana, A. ramulosa and Dodonaea angustissima shrubs; in some areas Zygochloa is absent and on ly an ex trem e ly sparse shrubland present. Triod ia open hum m ock grassland occurs on slopes in the no rth o f the area where it grades in to D1

Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered Acacia v ic to riae ssp. arida, Hakea leucoptera and Cassia nem oph ila shrubs and E ucalyptus te rm ina lis trees, w ith Acacia georginae low open w ood land com m on no rth o f about la titu de 2 6 °2 0 'S ; rare ly A tr ip ie x vesicaria low open shrubland

Bare where soil surface is scalded or crusted; samphire (Halosarcia spp.) low open shrubland

Fig. 8. Dune system D8: aerial view o f long itud ina l dunes, more sandy co rrido rs w ith Acacia v ictoriae ssp. arida, Hakea leucoptera and Cassia nem ophila shrubs, less sandy corridors w ith Acacia georginae low open w oodland.

19

DUNE SYSTEM: D9

Loca tion :

T o ta l area:

S u m m a ry :

Illu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

central-east S impson Desert

4830 km 2

a small area o f m edium to high long itud in a l dunes laid over the present, active f lo o d p la in o f Eyre Creek; overall dune trend N N W -SS E

Figure 9

Boyland 1970; Copley 1981; Eardley 1946; Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b; G ra e tz e fa /. 1982; Laut e ta l. 1977; Madigan 1945, 1946; Purdie unpubl. data; W ilson e ta l. in press; W innecke 1884

m


1 DUNE (com m on)

Type: long itud ina lLength : m edium H eight: m edium to highCrests: m ostly single Spacing: m edium Connections: few

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R(rare to com m on)

3 P LA IN(rare to com m on)

4 A L L U V IA L F L O O D P LA IN (com m on)

5 M A IN C H A N N E L (rare)

6 C LA Y P A N or S A L IN A (rare)

Soil descrip tion Vegetation descrip tion

Red to pale red siliceous sand (Uc 1.23)

Zygochloa sparse to open hum m ock grassland on crests and upper slopes w ith /w ith o u t Triod ia open hum m ock grassland on slopes; scattered Acacia ligu la ta , A. d ic tyoph leba , A . m urrayana and A . ramulosa shrubs present on slopes and crests

Reddish siliceous Scattered shrubs o f Acacia spp. w ith /w ith o u t Triod ia sparsesand to open hum m ock grass layer

Reddish sandy clay

Grey or brow n, selfm u lch ing, cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

Grey self-m ulching cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

Sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered Acacia te tragonophylla ,A. v ictoriae ssp. arida, Cassia nem oph ila and Hakea leucoptera shrubs and E ucalyptus term ina lis trees; occasionally Acacia georginae low open w ood land in the no rth

Variable depending on the m oisture gradient (frequency, du ra tion and depth o f flo o d in g ): fro m E ucalyptus m icro theca low open w ood land w ith a low shrub layer o f A tr ip le x num - m ularia, M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii and Chenopodium auricom um (w et), to low shrubland o f A tr ip le x num m ula ria , M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii o r Maireana aphy lla , to bare plains (d ry) w h ich support seasonal ephemeral herblands

Fringing w ood land o f E ucalyptus m icro theca w ith Acacia salicina, A . s tenophylla and Lys ip h u llu m g ilvum com m on, and a low shrub layer o f M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii and A tr ip le x num m ula ria

+ /— crusted, saline Bare where soil surface scaled or crusted; samphire (Halosarciaa n d /o r gypseous soil spp.) low open shrubland or chenopod ephemeral herbland

20

Fjg. 9. Dune system D9: aerial view o f long itud ina l dunes overly ing the active f lo o d p la in o f Eyre Creek; E ucalyptus m icro theca low open w ood land in in te r-dune corridors.

Fjg. 10. Dune system D 10: dune crest w ith scattered Zygoch loa hum m ocks and m ob ile sand.

21

DUNE SYSTEM: D10

L o c a tio n :

T o ta l area:

S u m m a ry :

I llu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

central-east Simpson Desert

1090 km 2

a small area o f m edium -length, high, long itud ina l dunes laid over a clayey p lain w hich is fre que n tly covered w ith a pavement o f gibber stones; overall dune trend N N W —SSE

Figure 10

C opley 1981; Eardley 1946; Madigan 1945, 1946; Purdie unpubl. data; W ilson e t at. in press

m

4(5 ,6 )


1 D U N E (com m on)

T yp e : long itud in a l Length : m ediumH eigh t: high Crests: single o r m u lt ip le Spacing: m edium to d is tantC onnections: few

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R(rare to com m on)

3 P LA IN(com m on)

4 P LA IN(com m on)

5 A L L U V IA L P LA IN (rare)

6 C LA Y P A N (rare)


Red siliceous sand Zygochloa open hum m ock grassland on crests and upper slopes(Uc 1.23) and Triod ia hum m ock grassland on slopes, w ith scattered Acacia

ligula ta, A . m urrayana, A. ramulosa. Cassia p leurocarpa, C. nem ophila, Hakea leucoptera, Dodonaea angustissima and A ta laya hemiglauca shrubs


Red sandy clay

Desert loam w ith a dense pavement o f silcrete gibber stones

Triod ia hum m ock grassland w ith shrubs as above

Sparse shortgrassland w ith E ucalyptus term inalis, Hakea eyreana, Cassia pru inosa, C. o ligophy lla , C. ph y llo d inea , Grevillea stria ta and Acacia v ictoriae ssp. arida trees and shrubs; occasionally E ucalyptus term ina lis o r Hakea eyreana low open w ood land or ta ll open shrubland

Seasonal sparse ephemeral fo rb land or herbland o f shortgrasses and chenopods

Grey to brow n, selfm u lch ing, cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii or Maireana aphy lla low open shrubland, w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees in w e tte r areas

Grey cracking clay A tr ip le x num m ula ria o r Maireana aphy lla low open shrubland, o r Eragrostis australasica open hum m ock grassland

22

DUNE SYSTEM: D11

L o c a tio n :

T o ta l area:

S u m m a ry :

south-east S impson Desert

800 km 2

a small area o f re la tive ly short, high, w ide ly spaced, lo ng itud in a l dunes laid over a clayey gibber pla in , and an a lluvia l plain w h ich probab ly represents the present, active o u te r flo o d p la in o f the D iam antina R iver; overall dune tre nd NNW —SSE


Data sources: Graetz e t at. 1982; Laut e ra /. 1977; L e w is1 9 8 1 ; Purdie unpub l. data

m

U n it Land fo rm typ e (frequency)

1 DUNE (com m on)

Type: long itud in a l Length: short Height: high Crests: single o r m u lt ip le Spacing: d is tan tC onnections: few

2 IN T E R D U N E C O R R ID O R(rare)

3 P LA IN(com m on)

4 A L L U V IA L P L A IN :SWAMPS A N D LA K E S

(com m on)


Red siliceous sand Zygochloa open hum m ock grassland on crests and Triodia(Uc 1.23) hum m ock grassland on slopes, w ith scattered low shrubs o f

Acacia ligu la ta and Cassia spp.; rarely a sparse shrubland o f Hakea spp. and Acacia spp. w ith scattered Zygochloa and Triod ia hum m ock grasses

Red siliceous sand IT r io d ia open hum m ock grassland w ith scattered low shrubsor sandy clay and scattered areas o f Acacia Pcambagei

Reddish desert loam w ith a sparse to dense pavement o f g ibber stones; gilgai depression present in places

Variable depending on the density o f the gibber pavement: fro m an ephemeral short grassland or chenopod herbland (dense), to A streb la pectina ta open tussock grassland (sparse; also in gilgai), w ith scattered Acacia te tragonophylla , Erem ophiia fre e lin g ii and Cassia spp. shrubs

Grey, self-m ulching, cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

Variable depending on the m o isture gradient (frequency, du ra tion and depth o f flo o d in g ): fro m Muehlenbeckia cunningham ii, C henopodium auricom um o r A tr ip lex. num m ularia low shrubland w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees (w et), to ephemeral herbland o r grassland (d ry) o r samphire low open shrubland (saline)

23

4.1.2 Discussion. Little detailed soil and vegetation data are available for systems D1, D2, D4, D6 and D11. In terms of size in relation to plant collections and vegetation descriptions, system D1 is very poorly represented, although it is this system to which Sturt's original descriptions of the Desert mainly apply, and which typifies the classical concept of the Simpson dunefields. The description of D1 is necessarily tentative, particularly in terms of the degree to which Zygoch/oa is present on dunes. Although Copley (pers. comm.) noted Zygoch/oa on most dune crests in the southern part of the system, it is rarely mentioned in the descriptions of Winnecke (1884) which cover large areas further north.

Systems D2, D4 and D6 contain large portions of reticulate or disorganized longitudinal dunes. These have recently been mapped and discussed by Mabbutt and Wooding (1983). System D6 differs from all other dune systems in the NW—SE orientation of its dunes, and in being associated with the Amadeus Basin rather than the Eromanga Basin. Mabbutt (1968) considered the dunes in this area to be younger than those further east.

System D7 is unique within the Desert, and exhibits a number of features related to the large number of salinas, present in the interdune corridors, which characterize the system. These features include the pale sand colour and presence of up to 20% clay pellets in the dunes (Wasson 1983a, b), the probable different mechanisms of dune formation compared with the northern systems (see section 2.1), and the absence of Triodia from most of the area. The latter has been attributed to high soil gypsum content (Madigan 1945), but may also be related to high soil salinity and clay content.

The boundary between systems D1 and D8 has been arbitrarily drawn and is based on the presumed location of the ancient floodplain of Eyre Creek. Although the systems are quite distinct, particularly in the absence of Triodia in central and southern areas of D8 and its predominance in D1, no obvious transition point was evident on Landsat images.

4.2 Fringing Dune Systems

On the basis of photopatterns on Landsat images, nine fringing dune systems have been delineated (Fig. 2). These systems frequently occur on the margins of the main dunefields or fringe non-dune land systems within the Desert itself. They are often associated with the currently active floodplains of the rivers in the region, and represent areas where either the dunes form a complex with the floodplains, or where longitudinal dune formation is currently taking place. The systems are usually small in area, and in most cases there are little data pertaining to them. In the following descriptions it is assumed that the landforms, soils and vegetation are similar to those of the adjacent systems indicated.

F1. Location: north-east to south-east Simpson Desert


Summary: longitudinal and reticulate dunes associated with the currently active floodplains of the Mulligan River, Eyre Creek and the Diamantina River.

Component land systems: D1 (north), D10, D11(south), C1.

Dunes in F1 frequently show the pattern of active longitudinal dune formation from transverse dunes or leeside mounds on the northern side of the floodplains, e.g. of the Diamantina River near Birdsville, and of the Eyre Creek floodplains north of the Muncoonie Lakes.

F2. Location: central-north Simpson Desert

9Total area: 710 km

Summary: longitudinal, distant dunes associated with salinas and claypans which themselves were probably associated with the ancient floodplains of the Hay and Plenty Rivers; minor low tablelands are also present.

Component land systems: D1, D3, unit 4 of D7, P2,R 1.

Data sources: Winnecke 1884; Madigan 1945;Latz 1978

F3. Location: north-west Simpson Desert

Total area: 1770 km^

Summary: low, longitudinal dunes associated with the currently active floodplains of lllogwa Creek and the Hay and Todd Rivers.

Component land systems: D3, D6, S1, C2.

Data sources: Latz 1978; Purdie unpubl. data.

The corridors between dunes in F3 probably become inundated during major floods. On dunes closer to the main channels of the rivers, Triodia is often absent.

F4. Location: north-west, central-north Simpson Desert

9Total area: 4770 km

Summary: low, crowded, longitudinal dunes, reticulate dunes and sandy plains associated

24

w i t h th e f l o o d o u t s o f l l l o g w a C re ek and

o f t h e P le n ty , H a le a n d T o d d R ivers .

S u m m a r y : lo w , r e t i c u la te d u n e s o f w h i t i s h sand,

c la y p a n s and sa l inas w h ic h f o r m a zone

b e tw e e n L a k e E y re N o r t h and d u n e

C o m p o n e n t la n d sys te m s : D 1 , D 4 , D 5 , ? D 3 , S1, C 2 ,

r a re ly P2.

s y s te m D 7 , and w h i c h are assoc ia ted w i t h

th e f l o o d p l a i n s o f t h e l o w e r reaches o f

t h e M a c u m b a and W a r b u r t o n R ive rs and

D a ta so u rce s : E a rd le y 1 9 4 6 ; L a tz 1 9 7 8 . o f K a l l a k o o p a h C re ek .

F 4 re p re se n ts areas w h e re th e f l o o d w a t e r s o f th e r ive rs

p e te r o u t in th e S im p s o n D e se r t . T r io d ia is a b s e n t f r o m th e

d u n e s in so m e areas.

C o m p o n e n t la n d sys te m s : D 7 , C4.

D a ta so u rce s : L e w is 1 8 7 5 ; P u rd ie u n p u b l . d a ta .

F5. L o c a t i o n : c e n t ra l - w e s t S im p s o n D e s e r t

D u n e s in F 7 are d e r iv e d f r o m sand and c la y sources in L a ke

E y re N o r t h , th e r ive rs and sa linas, and o f t e n have c o n s o l i

d a te d bases w h i c h s h o w e v id e n ce o f ac t ive e ro s io n .

T o t a l area: 2 5 0 0 k m ^

S u m m a r y : d is o rg a n iz e d , s h o r t l o n g i t u d i n a l d u n e s

assoc ia ted w i t h th e c u r r e n t l y a c t ive f l o o d -

p la in s o f t h e F in k e R iv e r , A m b u t c h e r a

C re e k , A d m u d a r in g a C re e k a n d th e lo w e r

M a c u m b a R ive r .

F 8 . L o c a t i o n : s o u th - w e s t S im p s o n D esert

oT o t a l area: 4 7 0 k m

S u m m a r y : d is o rg a n iz e d lo n g i t u d i n a l d u n es assoc i

a te d w i t h th e s o u th e r n end o f th e a n c ie n t

C o m p o n e n t la n d s y s te m s : D 3 , D 4 , D 5 , C 3 . f l o o d p l a i n o f E y re C reek .

D a ta s o u rc e : E a rd le y 1 9 4 6 . C o m p o n e n t la n d s y s te m s : D 8 , C1.

F 9 . L o c a t i o n : s o u th - w e s t S im p s o n D ese rt

F 6. L o c a t i o n : s o u th - w e s t S im p s o n D e s e r t 9T o t a l area : 1 8 0 k m

T o t a l area : 2 1 1 0 k m ^S u m m a r y : d is o rg a n iz e d d u n e s assoc ia ted w i t h th e

S u m m a r y : r e t i c u la te and l o n g i t u d i n a l d u nes , sa l inas,

c la y p a n s and s w a m p s a sso c ia ted w i t h th e

M a c u m b a R iv e r and its n o r t h e r n t r i b u

ta r ies .

c u r r e n t l y a c t ive f l o o d p l a i n o f t h e lo w e r

D ia m a n t in a R iv e r and th e u p p e r reaches

o f K a l l a k o o p a h C reek and th e W a r b u r t o n

R iv e r .

C o m p o n e n t la n d s y s te m s : D 3 , u n i t 4 o f D 7 , C 3 .C o m p o n e n t la n d s y s te m s : D 7 , C1.

D a ta so u rces : G ra e tz e t a / . 1 9 8 2 . 4 .3 N on-dune Systems

D u n e s in F 6 s h o w th e p a t t e r n o f a c t iv e l o n g i t u d i n a l d u n e

f o r m a t i o n d o w n w i n d f r o m sand sou rces d e r iv e d f r o m th e

M a c u m b a R iv e r and p o s s ib ly f r o m th e sa l inas.

4 .3 .1 D es c r ip t io n . T h e n o n -d u n e sys tem s o c c u r r in g in th e

S im p s o n D e s e r t r e g io n are d e sc r ib e d and i l l u s t r a te d as

f o l l o w s :

F 7 . L o c a t i o n : c e n t ra l - s o u th S im p s o n D e s e r t

s a n d p la in s : p. 2 5 , Fig. 11

f l o o d p l a i n s : p p . 2 7 - 3 2 , F igs 1 2 - 1 5

g ib b e r p la in s : pp . 3 3 - 3 7 , F igs 1 6 - 1 8

M a p p e d area : 3 3 9 0 k m ^ d isse c te d res idu a ls : pp . 3 8 - 4 2 , F ig . 19.

25

SANDPLAIN: S1

L o ca tio n :

Mapped area:

S um m ary:

Illu s tra tion :

Data sources:

north-east to north-west

12 450 km 2

fla t plains w ith m ino r low dunes and drainage lines

Figure 11

Perry e t al. 1962; Purdie unpub l. data; W ilson e t at. in press; W inkw orth 1967

m

U n it Land fo rm type(frequency)

1 P LA IN(com m on)

2 D U N E, S A N D Y RISE (com m on)

3 A L L U V IA L P LA IN , D R A IN A G E L IN E

(rare)


Sandy red earths (Gn 2.12, Gn 2.13)

Red clayey sands, sandy te x tu re con trast soils


Red earthy sand, usually w ith lim e in p ro file (Uc 5.21)

Red earthy sand (Uc 5.21), red earths, red tex tu re con tras t soils and red clays (D r, Dy, U f)

Triod ia , rarely Plectrachne s c h in tz ii, hum m ock grassland w ith trees and shrubs e ither scattered or loca lly do m inan t (*) and fo rm in g low open woodlands or open shrublands; com m on tree and shrub species include E ucalyptus term inalis, E. ga m oph y lla *, E. p a c h y p h y lla * , E. papuana, Hakea spp., Acacia ancistrocarpa, A . d ic tyoph leba , A. estroph io la ta , A. ligu la ta , A . m a itla nd ii, Grevillea ju n c ifo lia , G. stenobo trya, E rem ophila m a cdonn e llii and E. obovata

Acacia georginae low open w ood land to ta ll open shrubland w ith a low shrub layer o f Erem ophila m acdonne llii, E. obovata and E. la tro b e i

E ucalyptus pachyphy lla , E. gam ophylla sparse to open shrubland w ith a hum m ock grass layer o f Triod ia , rarely Z ygoch loa , and scattered shrubs o f Acacia spp. and Grevillea spp.

Acacia georginae ta ll open shrubland w ith scattered Erem ophila obovata and E. la tro b e i shrubs, and a ground layer o f shortgrasses or rarely Triod ia longiceps

Low open w ood land o f E ucalyptus m icro theca, Acacia aneura or A. georginae, w ith scattered low shrubs o f Cassia spp. and E rem oph ila spp., and a ground layer o f sho rt grasses a n d /o r perennial tussock grasses

26

tym '

Fig. 11. Sandplain system S 1 : Triod ia open hum m ock grassland w ith low A ta laya hemiglauca shrubs.

27

FLOODPLAIN SYSTEM: C1

Loca tion :

Mapped area:

S um m ary :

Illu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

north-east to south-east

7140 km 2

cu rre n tly active floo dp la in s , channels and associated areas o f M ulligan R iver, Eyre Creek and the D iam antina R iver

Figure 12

Eardley 1946; Graetz e t at. 1982; Laut e t at. 1977; L e w is1 9 8 1 ; Madigan 1945; Purdie unpubl. data; W ilson e t al in press

m

Landfo rm type (frequency)


F L A T A L L U V IA L P LA IN (com m on)

Brow n or grey cracking clays and a lluvia l tex tu re con trast soils (Ug, D y ); soil surface crusted, scalded or selfm ulch ing

Seasonally present, sparse to open grassland, herbland or fo rb land o f a large num ber o f ephemeral species; rarely Sporobolus m itc h e ll i i sparse to open grassland

C H A N N E L L E D A L L U V IA L P LA IN (com m on)

Grey cracking c lay ; surface crusted or se lf-m ulch ing; channels anastomosing (Ug 5.24, Ug 5.28)

Variab le depending on m oisture grad ien t (frequency, depth and du ra tion o f flo o d in g ): fro m Eragrostis setifo lia ,Sporobolus m itc h e llii sparse to open grassland, o r seasonal herbland, w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees and M uehlenbeckia curm ingham ii, C henopodium auricom um shrubs (d ry), to E ucalyptus m icro theca low open w oodland w ith a shrub layer o f Acacia stenophylla , E rem ophila b ig n on iiflo ra , C henopodium auricom um and M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii along channels (wet)

SWAMPS(m oderate ly com m on)

Grey, self-m ulching, cracking clay (Ug 5.24, Ug 5.28)

M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii an d /o r C henopodium a u ricom um , Maireana aphy/la open scrub to low open shrubland, w ith scattered Acacia s tenophylla

M A IN C H A N N E L(S ) (rare)

Grey cracking c la y ; channels anastom osing (Ug 5.24)

Fring ing low w ood land to low open w ood land o f E ucalyptus m ic ro theca , ? rarely E. cam aldulensis, w ith a dense M euhlenbeckia cunn ingham ii shrub layer and scattered L ys ip h y llu m g ilvum . Acacia s tenophy lla and A. salicina trees and shrubs

LA K ES , C LA Y P A N S (rare)

Grey cracking clays, surface usually crusted or scalded (Ug 5.24)

Low open shrubland o f A tr ip le x num m ula ria , Maireana aphylla or C henopodium au rico m u m , o r samphires (Halosarcia and Sclerostegia spp.) where saline; Eragrostis australasica open hum m ock grassland

28


L o c a tio n :

Mapped area:

S u m m a ry :

Illu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

cen tra l-n o rth to north-w est

2580 km 2

cu rre n tly active floo dp la in s and associated areas o f the T odd, Hale, P lenty, Hay and F ie ld Rivers, w hich extend southwards in to the dune systems o f the Simpson Desert

Figure 13

Copley 1981; Eardley 1946; Latz 1978; Madigan 1945; Purdie unpubl. data; W innecke 1884

m

systemsystem

Land fo rm type (frequency)


A L L U V IA L P LA IN , F L O O D O U T

(com m on)

Red or brow n cracking clay, s ilty c lay ; tex tu re con trast soils where siliceous sand present on surface

Variable depending on soil type and m oisture gradient (frequency, depth and du ra tion o f flo o d in g ): fro m Eucalyptus m icro theca w ood land to low open woodland (w et), w ith Zyghoc/oa hum m ock grass layer and scattered Acacia m urrayana and E rem ophila m a cdonn e llii shrubs where sandy surface, or w ith scattered Acacia farnesiana, Cassia nem ophiia, E rem ophila ion g ifo lia , A tr ip le x num- m ula ria and M uehienbeckia cunn ingham ii shrubs on increasingly c layey soils, o r low open shrublands o f A tr ip le x num m ula ria , M uehienbeckia cunn ingham ii w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees; grading in to Acacia georginae low open w ood land (d ry) w ith scattered A tr ip le x num m ula ria shrubs or perennial tussock grasses

S A N D Y RISE,S A N D Y P LA IN

(m odera te ly com m on)

Red sandy loams or sandy clays

Shrubby low open w ood land to wooded shrubland or ta ll open shrubland o f E ucalyptus term inalis, Acacia estroph io la ta , A . v ictoriae ssp. victoriae, A . m urrayana, A ta laya hemiglauca. Cassia nem oph iia and GreviHea s tria ta ; rarely an ephemeral herbland w ith scattered trees and shrubs


Coarse sandy soils E ucalyptus camaldulensis w ood land to low open w oodland, rare ly w ith a shrub layer o f Melaleuca g lom era ta , w ith a ground layer o f perennial tussock grasses, Cyperus spp. and ephemeral herbs, o r Zygochloa hum m ock grass

Reddish cracking clay or a lluvia l s ilty o r loam y soils

E ucalyptus m icro theca low w ood land to open woodland, w ith a ground layer o f perennial grasses and ephemeral herbs, rarely Zygochloa hum m ock grass where surface sandy, and scattered Acacia farnesiana shrubs

29

Fig. 13. F loodp la in system C2: aerial v iew o f main channel o f the Hay R iver runn ing south (tow ard ho rizon )

between lo n g itud in a l dunes; E ucalyptus m icro theca low open w ood land (A) on floo dp la in .

Fig. 14a. F lo odp la in system C3: aerial view o f anastomosing channels o f W odm ura Creek, a tr ib u ta ry

o f the M acumba R iver; channels lined by E ucalyptus m icro theca trees.

30


L o c a tio n :

Mapped area:

S u m m a ry :

Illu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

central-w est to south-west

2650 km 2

cu rre n tly active floo dp la in s and associated areas o f the F inke and Macumba Rivers and o f A lla p a lilla and A m b u llin n a Creeks

F igure 14

Eardley 1946; Graetz e t al. 1982; Laut e t al. 1977; Perry e t al. 1962; Purdie unpubl. data; D. E. Sym on 1980

m



F L A T A L L U V IA L P LA IN (com m on, especially in the no rth )

S ilty a lluv ia l soils; sandy te x tu re con trast soils; surface scalded, crusted or w ith sand deposits (inner p la in )

Absent where surface scalded; seasonal shortgrassland, or ephemeral chenopod herblands w ith scattered Acacia shrubs; Maireana aphy lla low open shrubland

Brown and red a lluv ia l soils, reddish-brown calcareous earths (ou te r p la in )

Sparse to low open w ood land o f Acacia georginae/cambagei, A. aneura, rarely E uca lyp tus papuana in n o rth , w ith a seasonal herbaceous ground layer; rarely A tr ip le x vesicaria low shrubland

A L L U V IA L P LA IN OR FLO O D O U T , usually channelled

(com m on, m ostly in the south)

A llu v ia l clays, loams or s ilty soils; grey, self-m ulching, cracking clays (Ug 5.24); w ith gilgai o r anastomosing channels

Low shrubland to open shrubland o f A tr ip le x num m ula ria , Maireana aphylla o r C henopodium a u ric o m u m , w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees

S ilty a lluv ia l soils, te x tu re con trast soils; channelled

Acacia aneura low w ood land w ith a g round layer o f short grasses and forbs (rare, associated w ith the F jnke River)

Crusty red tex tu re con trast soils

Sparse to open grassland w ith a sparse to open shrub layer o f Acacia v ictoriae and Cassia spp. (m oderate ly com m on, associated w ith the Macumba R iver)

SWAMPS, LA K E S (m oderate ly com m on, m ostly in the south)

Grey cracking c lay ; surface crusted to self-m ulching

Absent where surface crusted; sparse ephemeral herbland; low open shrubland o f A tr ip le x num m ula ria o r Chenop o d iu m au ricom um ; Eragrostis australasica open hum m ock grassland; samphire (Halosarcia and Sclerostegia spp.) low open shrubland where saline


A llu v ia l s ilty soils, coarse sand, grey siliceous loam; channels anastom osing (no rthe rn )

Fringing w ood land to low open w ood land o f Eucalyptus m icro theca o r E. cam aldulensis, o r less o ften Acacia estroph io la ta o r A. georginae/cam bagei, w ith a g round layer o f perennial tussock grasses, o r Zygoch loa hum m ock grass where sandy

Brow n, se lf-m ulch ing, cracking c lay ; channels anastomosing (southern)

Fringing low w ood land to low open w ood land o f E uca lyptus m ic ro theca , rarely E. cam aldulensis, o fte n w ith a low shrub layer o f M euhlenbeckia cu n n in g h a m ii, scattered to dense Acacia salicina, A. s tenophy lla shrubs, and a perennial tussock grass layer; A cacia cambagei low open w oodland o ften on fla ts adjacent to channels

LE V EE(rare)

Reddish sandy loam Open tussock grassland w ith scattered E uca lyp tus papuana trees (in n o rth ), and Acacia aneura, A . cambagei, A . tetra- gonophy lla and Cassia nem oph ila shrubs

31

Fig. 14b. F loodp la in system C3: A tr ip le x num m ula ria open shrubland on the f lo o d p la in o f the F inke River.

Fig. 15. F loodp la in system C4: Scaevola co llina on gypseous p lain adjacent to lower

Macumba R iver, w ith w h itish dunes o f system D7 in background.

32


Loca tion :

Mapped area:

S um m ary:

I llu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

south

1100 km 2

cu rre n tly active floodp la ins and associated areas o f the low er Macumba R iver, W arburton R iver and K allakoopah Creek where they f lo w th rough the southern Simpson Desert before entering Lake Eyre N orth

Figure 15

Buckley 1981; Eardley 1946; G ra e tz e fa /. 1982; Madigan 1945; Purdie unpubl. data; D.E. Sym on 1980

m



1 P LA IN(com m on)

Reddish, h igh ly gypseous soil

Scaevola co llaris sparse low subshrubland w ith scattered Acacia ligu la ta , A. salicina and A. v ic to riae ssp. arida low shrubs

Pale reddish, gypseous, sandy clay

N itra ria b illa rd ie r i sparse lo w shrubland w ith scattered Maireana aphylla , M. py ram ida ta and A izoon qu a d rifid u m low shrubs

2 A L L U V IA L P LA IN (com m on)

T extu re con trast soils o f w h itish siliceous sand over reddish sandy clay o r brow nish cracking clay

Open shrubland o f Acacia ligu la ta , A . salicina, A. steno- p h y lla and A. v ictoriae ssp. arida, w ith scattered Eucalyptus m icro theca trees

Grey cracking clay (Ug 5.24)

Maireana aphy lla low shrubland to sparse seasonal herbland

3 S A N D Y RISE (com m on)

C onsolidated or loose w h itish , coarse, siliceous sand

N itra r ia b illa rd ie r i low open shrubland, sometimes w ith Zygochloa sparse hum m ock grassland on crests; rarely M uehlenbeckia cocco loboides low open shrubland

4 M A IN C H A N N E L(S ) (rare)

Reddish to grey cracking clay, o r te x tu re con tras t soil where overlain by w h ite siliceous sand

E ucalyptus m icro theca low open w ood land w ith a dense M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii low shrub layer fre q u e n tly along deeper channels, o r w ith Cyperus gym nocaulos along po o rly de fined channels

5 M IN O R C H A N N E L(S ) (rare)

W hitish , coarse sand Acacia salicina fring ing ta ll shrub land to ta ll open shrubland w ith scattered E ucalyptus m ic ro theca trees and clum ps o f Solanum o ligacanthum subshrub

Grey siliceous loam (Urn 1.21)

A tr ip le x num m ula ria open shrub land, to Melaleuca spp. ta ll open shrubland (saline soils), to samphire (Halosarcia and Sclerostegia spp.) sparse low shrubland

6 C LA Y P A N S , S A L IN A S (rare)

Greyish, h igh ly saline and /o r gypseous soil

A bsent where surface crust present; samphire (Halosarcia and Sclerostegia spp.) low open shrubland

33

GIBBER PLAIN SYSTEM: P1

L o c a tio n :

Mapped area:

S um m ary :

I llu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

north-east to south-east

11 780 km 2

fla t to gently undu la ting gibber plains w ith m ino r escarpments, low hills , mesas and in te rna lly dra ined lakes and claypans

Figure 16

Graetz e ta l. 1982; Laut e t at. 1977; Lewis 1981; W ilson e t at. in press

m

10 km

Land fo rm type (frequency)

Soil descrip tion V egetation descrip tion

F L A T TO U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN S (com m on)

Desert loams and m in o r red clay w ith a dense gibber pavem ent o f silcrete or ironstone, rare ly cha lcedony or la te n te ; gilgai depression sometimes present (D r, Dy, U f)

Seasonal, sparse to open grassland, herbland o r fo rb land composed o f ephemeral grasses such as A ris tid a co n to rta , Chloris scariosa, Tripogon lo li ifo rm is and S porobolus actinodadus, and fo rbs such as A tr ip le x spp., Babbagia spp., Sclerolaena spp. and many Asteraceae. Trees and shrubs absent

Red to brow n crusty cracking clay and red te x tu re con trast soil, w ith sparse to m odera te ly dense cover o f gibbers as above; gilgai depressions o ften present

A ris tid a la t ifo lia o r A streb la pectina ta sparse to open tussock grassland, seasonally w ith ephemeral grasses and forbs. Shrubs absent o r sparsely scattered in no rthe rn and centra l areas, bu t fo rm low open shrubland in the sou th ; com m on species include Acacia te tragonophy lla , Cassia spp. and Erem ophila spp.

LOW H ILL S , MESAS A N D ESCARPMENTS

(rare to m oderate ly com m on)

L ithoso ls(Urn 1.23, Urn 1.43)

Low shrubland to shrubby sparse grassland or herbland o f Acacia te tragonophylla , Scaevola spinescens, Cassia he lm sii, C. phy llod inea , C. o ligo phy lla , C. pru inosa and E rem ophila fre e ling ii shrubs, and various shortgrasses and ephemeral forbs, w ith scattered E uca lyp tus te rm ina l is trees

LA K E S , C LA Y P A N S (rare to m oderately com m on)

Red, brow n and grey cracking clay, surface crusted, scalded or self-m ulching (Ug)

Variab le depending on m oisture g rad ien t (depth, d u ra tion and frequency o f inun da tio n ): fro m M uehlenbeckiacunn ingham ii low open scrub to low open shrubland w ith scattered Acacia stenophylla shrubs (w et), to C henopodium auricom um , A tr ip le x num m ula ria sparse to open, low shrubland, Eragrostis australasica open hum m ock grassland, o r samphire (Halosarcia and Sclerostegia spp.) low open shrubland where saline, to sparse tussock grassland or seasonal, sparse herbland or grassland (d ry)

A llu v ia l te x tu re con trast soil (D y)

Maireana aphy lla , rarely M. a s tro tr ich a , low open shrubland w ith scattered Acacia stenophylla , A . te tragonophylla , E rem ophila b ig n o n iiflo ra , E. m aculata, E. po lyc lada and Cassia spp. shrubs

A L L U V IA L P LA IN (rare)

Grey cracking clay, surface crusted or self-m ulching, channels present o r absent (Ug 5.24)

Variab le depending on m oisture grad ien t (depth, d u ra tion and frequency o f flo o d in g ): fro m seasonal, sparse to open grassland or herbland w ith scattered E uca lyp tus m icro theca trees and C henopodium auricom um , M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii shrubs (w et), to A streb la pectina ta open tussock grassland (d ry)

34

P1 Continued


5 C H A N N E LS ,D R A IN A G E LIN ES

(rare)


E uca lyp tus m icro theca fring ing low w ood land to low open w ood land w ith scattered L ys ip h y llu m g ilvum . Acacia salicina, A . cambagei/georginae, A . stenophylla , E rem ophila b ig n o n iiflo ra and M uehlenbeckia cunn ingham ii shrubs, and a perennial tussock grass layer

Red clay (U f 6.31) Sparse to open, low shrubland o f Acacia farnesiana, A.te tragonophylla , Cassia o ligo phy lla , C. p h y llo d inea and Rhagodia spinescens, w ith a perennial tussock grass layer

Red, b row n and grey cracking clay, surface self-m ulching (Ug)

Fig. 16. G ibber p lain system P1 : f la t p la in no rth o f B irdsville w ith dense gibber pavement.

35

G IB B E R P L A IN S Y S T E M : P2

Location :

Mapped area:

S um m ary :

Illu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

n o rth to no rth-north-east

3420 km 2

fla t to gently undu la ting g ibber plains w ith m ino r drainage lines, in the T o ko Range area

Figure 1 7

Purdie unpub l. data; W ilson e t a /, in press

m

Height

10 km



F L A T TO G E N T LY U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN S

(com m on)

Desert loams w ith a dense g ibber pavement o f cha lcedony, ironstone and siliceous sandstone; lim e and gypsum present in p ro file (D r 1.33, D r 2.33)

Seasonal, sparse to open grassland o r herbland o f sho rt grasses and ephemeral herbs such as Sporobolus ac tino- cladus, C hloris scariosa, Enneapogon avenaceus, Sclerolaena spp., Le p id ium ph lebope ta lum and Pterigeron d e n ta tifo liu s . Trees and shrubs absent

Red and brow n cracking clay, surface self-m ulching, w ith sparse to dense cover o f iro n stone or siliceous gravel; gypsum present at depth (Ug 5.3)

A streb la pectina ta tussock grassland to open tussock grassland, seasonally w ith a large num ber o f ephemeral herbs fro m the fam ilies Poaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae and others. Trees and shrubs absent

F L A T TO G E N T LY U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN S

(com m on)

C rusty red clays, o ften w ith lim e in p ro file , o r calcareous red earths, w ith sparse to dense cover o f cha lcedony, or siliceous o r ironstone gravel (U f 6, Gc 2.22)

Acacia georginae ta ll shrubland to low open w ood land w ith scattered Cassia spp. low shrubs, to A ris tid a la tifo lia , A. armata, Enneapogon spp., E nteropogon acicularis, Eragros- tis xe rophy lla open tussock grassland w ith scattered Acacia georginae shrubs

Red cracking clay, lim e in p ro file , surface self-m ulching, w ith sparse cover o f ironstone gravel; gypsum present at depth (Ug 5.37, Ug 5.38)

Acacia georginae ta ll open shrubland o ften w ith scattered Cassia ph y llo d in e a low shrubs, and a perennial tussock grass layer o f A streb la pectinata , A ris tid a la tifo lia and Eragrostis seti fo lia

D R A IN A G E LINES, A L L U V IA L F LA T S

(rare)

A llu v ia l te x tu re con trast soil, red c lay, o r red and brow n cracking clay, surface sometim es scalded, lim e sometimes present a t depth (D r, Dy, U f, Ug)

Acacia georginae ta ll open shrubland to low w ood land , o ften w ith Cassia o ligo phy lla low shrubs; E ucalyptus m icro theca , o r where lim estone exposed, E. camaldulensis, frin g ing low w ood land to low open w ood land where channels present; sparse to open perennial tussock grass layer o f B o th rioch loa ewartiana, Eragrostis se tifo lia and E ulalia fu lva present be low trees and shrubs

F L A T A L L U V IA L P LA IN (rare)

Red, brow n and grey crackingclay(Ug)

A streb la pectina ta tussock grassland to open tussock grassland; seasonal, sparse to open grassland, herbland o r fo rb - land

36

Fig. 17. G ibber p la in system P2: gently undu la ting pla in south o f T o ko Range,

w ith gibber pavement, Acacia georginae shrubs and shortgrasses.

Fig. 18. G ibber pla in system P3: undu la ting p lain w ith g ibber pavement, A tr ip le x

vesicaria shrubs and A streb la pectina ta tussock grass.

37

GIBBER PLAIN SYSTEM: P3

Lo ca tion :

Mapped area:

S u m m a ry :

I llu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

no rth -w est to south-west

7930 km 2

fla t to undu la ting g ibber plains, foo ts lopes and tablelands w ith m in o r escarpments, mesas and drainage lines

F igure 18

Graetz e t al. 1982; Laut e t al. 1977; Perry e t al. 1962; Purdie unpub l. data

m

10 km


1 F L A T TO U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN S A N D FOOTSLOPES

(com m on)

2 MESA A N D T A B L E L A N D (m oderate ly com m on)

3 ESCARPM ENTS, R IDG ES A N D LOW S TO N Y RISES

(rare)

4 D R A IN A G E LIN ES(rare)

5 A L L U V IA L P LA IN(rare)


C rusty red te x tu re con trast soil w ith a dense pavement o f silcrete gibbers; gilgai depressions com m on (D r 1.33)

Red te x tu re con trast soil w ith dense silcrete pavement; gilgai depressions com m on; w idespread (D r 1.33)Reddish, pow dery calcareous loam , gypsum com m on; south o f the Macumba (Urn 1,33)

L ith o so l; reddish siliceous loam w ith gibbers (Urn 1 .43); gypsum ou tcrops south o f the Macumba

G ravelly loam, clay-loam and red c lay ; self-m ulching cracking clay w ith surface stone

Red te x tu re con trast soil (D r 1.33)

B row n and grey, self-m ulching clay, o ften w ith gilgai depressions o r channels (Ug 5.38)

a. A tr ip le x vesicaria sparse to low open shrubland w ith a sparse A streb la pectina ta tussock grass layer (o ften restricted to gilgai), and Sclerolaena spp., A tr ip le x spp. and Enneapogon spp. seasonally com m on

b. Acacia aneura low open w ood land w ith scattered Cassia spp., Erem ophila spp. low shrubs, and short grasses (rare, present on ly in central-west)

a. A tr ip le x vesicaria sparse low shrubland w ith A streb la pectina ta tussock grass in gilgai, and Sclerolaena spp., A tr ip le x spp., and shortgrasses seasonally com m on; isolated low trees and shrubs som etimes present

b. Acacia aneura low open w ood land w ith a shortgrass layer o f Enneapogon spp., D ig ita ria spp. (rare, present o n ly in central-west)

a. A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland, o ften w ith scattered Acacia aneura, A . te tragonophy lla , E rem ophila fre e ling ii and P tilo tu s obovatus shrubs

b. Acacia aneura, A . kempeana ta ll open shrubland w ith Cassia spp., Erem ophila spp. low shrubs (rare, present on ly in central-west)

Tall shrubland to low w ood land or low open fo res t o f Acacia aneura, A . cype roph y lla and A . cambagei/georginae-, grades in to u n it 5

A tr ip le x vesicaria, Maireana aphy lla , rarely M. a s tro tr ich a , low open shrubland w ith m ino r Acacia cambagei/georginae low open w ood land, and shortgrasses o r A streb la pe c tina ta tussock grass

Chenopodium auricom um , A tr ip le x num m ula ria , Maireana aphy lla low open shrubland to low shrubland, o ften w ith scattered E ucalyptus m icro theca trees; E. m icro theca, E. cam aldulensis o r Acacia cambagei/georginae frin g ing low open forest to low w ood land along channels, w ith a perennial tussock grass layer o f Eulalia fu lva, E nteropogon acicularis and Eriachne ben tham ii

38

DISSECTED RESIDUAL SYSTEM: RI

L o c a tio n :

Mapped area:

S u m m a ry :

I l lu s tra t io n :

Data sources:

north-east, north-w est

2680 km 2

fla t to undu la ting tops and steep slopes o f dissected residuals and low h ills

F igure 19

Latz 1978; Perry e ta l. 1962; Purdie unpubl. data; W ilson e ra /, in press

m

10 km


1 T A B L E L A N D , LOW H IL L S

(com m on)

2 U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN (m odera te ly com m on, m ostly in the north-east)

3 ESC AR PM ENT,RO C K O UTCRO P

(m odera te ly com m on)


Gravelly red earth (Urn 5.51)

Red calcareous earth and gradational soils; lim estone o ften if p ro file(Urn 5.11, Urn 5.61, Gc 1.12)

L ithosols, ou tcrops o f silcrete, claystone, m udstone, sandstone, limestone (Urn 1.43)

a. Low open shrubland to shrubby sparse grassland o f Cassia he lm sii, C. o ligophy lla , C. pru inosa, Erem ophila cordatisepala, E. free ling ii, E. la trobe i, Maireana georgei, Scaevola spinescens and Synostem on rigens shrubs, and A ris tid a spp., Enneapogon spp. and D ig ita ria spp. grasses, w ith scattered E ucalyptus term ina lis trees

b. S hrubland to open shrubland or low open shrubland o f Acacia aneura, A . s tow a rd ii, w ith a sparse grass layer and scattered shrubs as above

a. Low open scrub to low open shrubland o f Cassia desolata, C. he lm sii and C. o lig o p h y lla , w ith a short grass layer o f Enneapogon spp. and D ig ita ria spp.

b. Acacia georginae open shrubland, o ften w ith a Cassia o ligo phy lla shrub layer, and w ith a ground layer o f A ris tid a la tifo lia , Enneapogon spp. and forbs

Acacia cype rophy lla , A . aneura, rarely A . s tow a rd ii, shrubland; low open shrubland o f Cassia spp., Erem ophila spp. etc. as in 1a; o r sparse shortgrassland w ith scattered shrubs as in 1a

4 IR R E G U L A R SLOPES (m odera te ly com m on, m ostly in the north-east)

Calcareous lithoso ls, red calcareous earths (Urn 1.1, Urn 1.3, Urn 5)

Acacia kempeana shrubland to open shrubland w ith scattered Erem ophila fre e ling ii low shrubs, and a ground layer o f shortgrasses and forbs

5 E R O S IO N A L SLOPE (rare)

Red te x tu re con trast soils, A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland w ith a sparseusually w ith surface stone A streb la pectina ta tussock grass layer, and scattered Cassia

spp. and Erem ophila spp. low shrubs o ften present; sparse grassland w ith scattered shrubs

39

R1 continued



6 V A L L E Y FLO O R , A L L U V IA L FA N

(rare)

Red sand, red clayey sand, a lluvia l soil, calcareous earth, te x tu re con trast soil

Acacia georginae or A . aneura ta ll open shrubland o r low open w ood land w ith an A tr ip le x vesicaria low shrub layer, or w ith a ground layer o f Eragrostis e riopoda and A ris tid a b row n ian a , or o the r forbs and short grasses

7 D R A IN A G E L IN E , R U N -O N F L A T

(rare)

Gravelly loam , sandy loam , sandy clay loam , red clay (Uc 5, Urn 1, U f 6)

Acacia cype rophy lla , A. georginae, ra re ly A. aneura, ta ll shrubland to ta ll open shrubland w ith scattered A ta laya hemiglauca, Grevillea stria ta, E uca lyp tus camaldulensis, Cassia o ligo phy lla and Erem ophila fre e lin g ii trees and low shrubs, and a tussock grass layer o f E ula lia fulva, Themeda australis, E riachne m ucronata and E nteropogon ac icu la ris in drainage lines; A ta laya hemiglauca, E uca lyp tus te rm ina lis low open w ood land w ith scattered Cassia and E rem oph ila shrubs as above, and a sparse ground layer o f shortgrasses and fo rbs on adjacent fla ts

Fig. 19. Dissected residual system R 1 : aerial v iew o f T o ko Range showing tab le land dissected by drainage lines.

40

DISSECTED RESIDUAL SYSTEM: R2

Lo ca tion : north-w est


S um m ary: steep-sided hills , dissected spurs and associated valleys


Data sources: Perry e t al. 1962

m

10 km

U n it Land fo rm typ e Soil descrip tion(frequency)

1 H IL L S , SPURS T extu re con trast soil(com m on)

2 E R O S IO N A L TE R R A C E Red earths, lithoso ls(m odera te ly com m on)

3 S TO N Y S U M M IT , LOW E SC AR PM ENT, C O N C AVE H IL L SLOPE

(rare)

4 D R A IN A G E LIN E(rare)

L ithoso ls ; exposed shale, claystone, sandstone

Red earth, red clayey sand, te x tu re con trast soils

5 A L L U V IA L P L A IN , A llu v ia l soils, tex tu reC H A N N E L con trast soils

(rare)


A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland w ith Sclerolaena spp. and shortgrasses

A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland w ith Sclerolaena spp. and shortgrasses; Acacia aneura low open w ood land w ith a tussock grass layer o f Eragrostis e riopoda; Acacia georginae low open w ood land w ith an A tr ip le x vesicaria low shrub layer

Sparse shortgrassland o r fo rb land w ith scattered low trees and shrubs

Absent, o r Acacia aneura ta ll open shrubland w ith a grass layer o f Eragrostis eriopoda and A ris tid a brow niana

Acacia aneura low open w ood land or ta ll open shrubland w ith a low shrub layer o f Maireana aphy lla on plains; Acacia calc ico la open shrubland w ith shortgrasses along tr ib u ta ry channels; Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Acacia estroph io la ta low w ood land to low open w ood land w ith a tussock grass layer o f E nteropogon acicularis on main channels

41


Lo ca tion : south-west


S um m ary: dissected tablelands, mesas, ridges, and associated footslopes


Data sources: Graetz e t al. 1982; Laut e t al. 1977

m

10 km



FOOTSLOPE, U N D U L A T IN G P LA IN

(com m on)

Crusty red te x tu re con trast soil w ith a dense g ibber pavem ent; reddish, f irm siliceous loam w ith ou tcrops o f porcel- lan ite ; (D r 1.33, Urn 1.43) gilgai depressions o fte n present

A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland, o ften w ith an A streb la pectina ta sparse tussock grass layer, especially in gilgai, w ith shortgrasses and Sclerolaena spp. seasonally com m on; samphires (Halosarcia spp.) com m on in some areas

T A B L E L A N D , MESA (com m on)

Crusty red te x tu re con trast soil w ith a dense silcrete gibber pavem ent; b row n, selfm ulch ing, cracking c lay ; reddish pow dery calcareous loam (D r 1.33, Ug 5.38, Urn 5.11) gilgai depressions com m on

A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland w ith Sclerolaena spp. and samphires (Halosarcia spp.) com m on; m in o r A streb la pectina ta sparse tussock grassland w ith shortgrasses and forbs seasonally com m on

R ID G E , ESC AR PM ENT (m oderate ly com m on)

Reddish, f irm siliceous loam (Urn 1 .43); rock ou tcrops of gypcrete, silcrete, po rce llan ite

A tr ip le x vesicaria low open shrubland w ith Sclerolaena spp. and samphires (Halosarcia spp.) com m on

A L L U V IA L P LA IN (rare)

B row n, self-m ulching, cracking clay (Ug 5.38) gilgai depressions and channels com m on

A streb la pectina ta open tussock grassland w ith shortgrasses and forbs seasonally com m on; Acacia cam bagei (upper reaches), E ucalyptus camaldulensis, E. m icro theca (low er reaches), low w ood land w ith scattered Acacia tetragono- p h y lla shrubs and a tussock grass layer o f Eulalia fu lva

42


L o c a tio n :

Mapped area:

S um m ary :

I llu s tra tio n :

Data sources:

north-west

3740 km 2

eastern ou tlie rs o f the M acdonnell Ranges

Perry e t al. 1962; Purdie unpub l. data

D escrip tion : System R4 consists o f a com plex o f m ounta in ranges, uplands and tablelands w ith m in o r plains and drainage systems. Thegeology, soils and topography are ex trem e ly variable, a lthough many o f the ranges have an east-west trend.

Rock types include sandstone, s ilts tone, limestone, conglom erate, qua rtz ite , d o lo m ite , shale, gneiss, schist, massive granite and basic intrusives.

The vegetation usually consists o f Acacia kempeana, A . aneura o r o th e r shrub and low tree species w h ich fo rm sparse to open shrublands or woodlands, w ith a g round layer e ither o f fo rbs and shortgrasses, o r o f various hum m ock grasses, inc lud ing Triod ia c le land ii, T. hubbard ii, T. irr ita ns , T. pungens and T. spicata. U ndu la ting plains have low w ood land or open w oodlands o f Acacia aneura o r A. georginae w ith shortgrasses and forbs, w h ile drainage channels are usually fringed by low w ood lands or low open woodlands o f E ucalyptus camaldulensis and Acacia es tro p h io la ta , w ith a tussock grass ground layer.

4.3.2 Discussion. As noted earlier, the non-dune system descriptions are intended to provide a broad summary of the remaining country in the Simpson Desert area. Hence, the systems described here often represent an amalgamation of several systems described by other authors (Perry et at. 1962; Laut et al. 1977; Graetz et al. 1982; Wilson et a l . in press). Although this has resulted in a degree of topographic variation within the systems mapped in Fig. 2, the dominant vegetation and soil types are considered to be relatively uniform. Because of this approach, not all units necessarily occur in every area of a given system.

The transition between the non-dune and dune systems, and between systems in the non-dune areas, is often gradual. For example, the floodplains often form complexes with

the adjacent dune systems, described earlier as fringing dune systems, or gradually merge into gibber plains. The dissected residual systems R1 and R3 and associated gibber plains similarly form complexes and gradual transition zones, particularly in the north-east of the region.

In the central-north where the sandplains are best developed, the boundary between areas where dunes are present (systems D1 and D3) and absent (system S1) is relatively clear on Landsat images, although the corresponding changes in vegetation are less distinct (see section 5.1).

Of all the non-dune systems described, C4 appears to be the least studied, despite its unique nature as a saline wetlands area.

5. FLORA OF THE SIMPSON DESERT REGION

A species list has been compiled for the Simpson Desert region (Appendix II) from reliable data in published reports (Symon 1969: Boyland 1970; Wiedemann 1971; Fatchen and Barker 1979a, b; Buckley 1981;Jessop 1981a), unpublished species lists (Gasteen 1976-78; Latz 1978; D.E. Symon 1980; Copley 1981) and unpublished records (CSIRO Central Australian Laboratory; Northern Territory Herbarium; Purdie unpubl. data). The habit, geographic location and land zone(s) of occurrence are indicated for most species. Plant nomenclature follows that of the Flora of Central Australia (Jessop 1981b) unless otherwise indicated.

Almost 800 species have been recorded in the region, from 75 plant families. The largest families are the Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae, which contain about 115, 90, 85 and 55 species respectively, and comprise 44% of the total flora. These families are typical of vegetation over large areas of arid Australia (Perry and Lazarides 1962; Boyland 1974, 1980; Purdie in press a).

Of the total species present, 20% are trees and shrubs, and 57% are ephemerals or short-lived perennial species (Table 2). The trees and shrubs mostly occur in the families Caesal- piniaceae, Chloanthaceae, Mimosaceae, Myoporaceae,

43

Table 2. Life-form distribution of species

L ife -fo rm *

Species H+V P S T L To ta l

N um ber 450 173 140 16 10 789

% 57 22 18 2 1

* D efined in A ppe nd ix 11.

Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and Sapindaceae. The large number of ephemeral and short-lived perennial species are usually absent from the vegetation during dry periods, and may be overlooked during wet periods because of their small size. As a result, the absence of this component from a particular geographic area or land zone listed in Appendix II may not necessarily indicate a real lack of presence so much as a possible lack of collection. For this reason, the ephemeral component has been excluded from the analyses in section 5.2.

5.1 Distribution of Species in Land Zones

The distribution of species in the different land zones is indicated in Appendix II and summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Distribution of species in land zones

Species L ife -fo rm (% )**

Land zone No. %* H+V P S+T L

D unefields 372 47 55 22 22 1

Sandplains 161 20 44 20 36 0

F loodpla ins 422 54 65 21 12 2

G ibber plains 285 36 62 20 17 1

Dissected residuals 217 28 44 28 27 1

* % o f to ta l species in all land zones (789).

* * % o f to ta l species in a given land zone.

Although many species are restricted to a particular habitat, such as gibber plain or river channel, they are recorded as being present in other land zones because these habitats occur in them. Hence, many of the species shown to occur in the dunefields do not grow on the dunes themselves, but are associated with the various corridor communities.

The similarity of habitats in the northern dunefields and sandplains is reflected by a gradual transition from 'pure' sandplain to 'pure' dune vegetation. Species which are typical of the sandplains, such as Eucalyptus pachyphylla, Hakea macrocarpa, Acacia estrophiolata and A. coriacea, also occur in the northern parts of dune systems D1 and D3 in a broad transition zone. The more southerly occurrence

of Eucalyptus pachyphylla along Gnallan-a-Gea Creek (Gasteen pers. comm.) in system D1 appears to be unique w ithin the Desert.

The land zones in Table 3 with the highest numbers of species present are the dunefields and floodplains, which exhibit the greatest habitat diversity and/or the occurrence of seasonally high moisture regimes. Contrary to the prediction of Maconochie (1982), the sandplains have the lowest total number of species, possibly due to low habitat diversity. The proportion of these species which are trees and shrubs (36%), however, is higher than for any other land zone. Although the dissected residuals also have a high proportion of trees and shrubs in their flora, in absolute numbers, the dunefields have the highest number of tree and shrub species but they comprise only 22% of the dunefield flora.

The floodplains contain both the highest proportion and number of ephemeral species in their flora, due to the higher moisture status of these areas. This ephemeral component transforms the channel country after floods, from bare cracked ground to carpets of luxuriant herbage. The flora of the gibber plains contains a similarly high proportion of ephemeral species, although the total number of species is lower and the composition different.

5.2 Geographic Distribution of Species

The species listed in Appendix II were allocated to the geographic zones shown in Fig. 20. Of the 789 species listed for the Simpson Desert region, 17% of the ephemeral and short-lived perennial species, and 23% of all other species, are widespread in the area, i.e. they occur in five or all six of the geographic zones.

The distribution of all species within the Desert region is summarized in Table 4. Two factors have a profound

Table 4. Geographic distribution of species in the Simpson

Desert region

Geographic zone*

Species NW SW CN CS NE SE T o ta l

N um ber 499 331 312 217 469 341 789

% 63 42 40 28 59 43

No. o f

co llec tio n 2170 1020 875 1225 1910 1160 8360

records

* Geographic zones as de fined in A ppe nd ix II and Fig. 20.

influence on these figures, namely, the intensity of plant collecting and the diversity of habitats in each zone. The

44

___★

\ / / ‘

N O R T H E A S T

I----- ^N O R T HC E N T R A L

W E S TN O R T H

------ f

S O U T H - E A S T

S O U T H - W E S T

C E N T R A L S O U T H

Route of Madigan (1939; N.T.QId.S.A.)and Copley (1981; N.T.QId)

Route of Winneke (1883)Collection localities

Fig. 20. Geographic zones and plant collections in the Simpson Desert region.

low proportion of species occurring in the central-south reflects both low habitat diversity (dissected residuals, gibber plains and sandplains are virtually absent) and relatively few collecting localities despite the large number of specimens recorded. In contrast, the north-west zone contains a high proportion of species: all land zones are

represented in this area which has been well collected (Fig. 20) due to good access and its relatively close proxim ity to research centres at Alice Springs. Although 59% of all species have been recorded in the north-east, the dunefields in the area have been very poorly collected.

45

T h e d a ta in A p p e n d i x II suggest reg iona l d i s t r i b u t i o n s f o r a

n u m b e r o f species in th e S im p s o n D e se r t reg io n . W i t h i n th e

W ES TER N C A E S A L P I N I A C E A E

*Cassia o ligo phy lla v a r . sericea

d u n e f ie ld s , f o r e x a m p le , species such as A c a c ia e s t r o p h io -

la ta , A d r ia n a h o o k e r i , N e w c a s te / ia d o r a n i i , N . c e p h a la n th a ,

T h r y p t o m e n e m a is o n n e u v e i and W a ith e r ia in d ic a o c c u r

C H E N O P O D I A C E A E

?*Maireana lueh m an n ii

o n l y in th e n o r t h , G y r o s te m o n r a m u /o s u s o n l y in th e

n o r t h - w e s t , G ile s ia b in i f l o r a o n l y in th e w e s t , and P im e le a

C H L O A N T H A C E A E

*Newcastelia cephalantha va r . tephropepla

p e n ic i l la r i s o n l y in th e s o u th . E x c lu d in g th e e p h e m e ra l and

s h o r t - l i v e d p e re n n ia l c o m p o n e n t , th e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f such

species has been c o n s id e re d in a w i d e r a r id A u s t r a l ia n

M Y O P O R A C E A E

E rem ophiia ro tu n d ifo lia

c o n t e x t , f r o m d a ta in th e F lo r a o f C e n t ra l A u s t r a l i a (Jessop

1 9 8 1 b ) . A t t h is b ro a d g e o g ra p h ic leve l, o n l y a sm a l l n u m b e r

P O A C E A E

Eragrostis lanipes

o f species have d is t r i b u t i o n s re s t r ic te d t o p a r t i c u la r g e o

g ra p h ic re g io n s . These species are l is ted in T a b le 5 and th e

d a ta s u m m a r iz e d in T a b le 6. I t can be seen t h a t w h e n co n -

S A P I N D A C E A E

Dodonaea viscosa v a r . spatulata

Table 5. Species with restricted geographic distributions

EA ST ER N C H E N O P O D I A C E A E

Halosarcia c u p u lifo rm is

F R A N K E N I A C E A E

(*)F ranke n ia fo liosa

N O R T H E R N A S T E R A C E A E

Streptoglossa odor aM Y O P O R A C E A E

?*E rem oph ila m aciU ivray i

B R A S S I C A C E A

Stenopeta lum decipiensS O L A N A C E A E

(*)S o lanum o ligacanthum

E U P H O R B I A C E A E

E uphorb ia m acgiH ivrayi

F A B A C E A E

N O R T H -W E S T E R N A C A N T H A C E A E

Sarco justic ia kempeana

C rota laria d iss itiflo ra Tephrosia brachycarpa *Tephrosia rosea

B O R A G I N A C E A E

*H e lio tro p iu m p le io p te ru m

M A L V A C E A E

Gossypium australe

M I M O S A C E A E

Acacia ne lson ii

Gossypium b ic k ii Hibiscus b u rto n ii

P O A C E A E

Plectracbne sch inz ii

M I M O S A C E A E

Acacia adsurgens Acacia cowleana

P R O T E A C E A E

Hakea m acrocarpa

M Y O P O R A C E A E

Erem ophiia cordatisepaia

S T E R C U L I A C E A E

*T riu m fe tta w inneckeana

P O A C E A E

D ichan th ium tenuicu ium Enneapogon purpurascens

S O U TH -W E S T E R N n il

P R O T E A C E A E

Hakea cho rdop hy lla

N O R T H -E A S T E R N P O A C E A E

Triod ia molesta

s o l a n a c e a e

Solarium ch ippendale i

S O U T H -E A S T E R N F R A N K E N I A C E A E

F rankenia pseudoflabe lla ta

s t e r c u l i a c e a e

W aitheria indica

M A L V A C E A E

(*)S ida in tr ica ta

S O U TH E R N P O L Y G O N A C E A E

*M ueh!enbeckia cocco loboides+ O n l y t re e s , s h ru b s , s u b s h r u b s a n d l o n g e r - l i v e d p e r e n n ia l

g rasses c o n s id e r e d .

P R O T E A E C E A E* S p e c ie s o c c u r r i n g in d u n e f i e l d s o n d u n e s .

? *Hakea k ipp is tiana ( * ) S p e c ie s o c c u r r i n g in d u n e f i e l d s in c o r r i d o r s .

46

Table 6. Summary of species occurring in restricted geographic zones

(a) T o ta l species

(b) Species occu rring o n ly on dunes

sidering all land zones in the Simpson Desert area, there is evidence fo r broad gradients o f d is tr ibu t ion f rom north to south, and to a lesser extent f rom west to east and n o r th west to south-east (Table 6a). I f on ly those species occurring on the dunes are considered, the f lo r is t ic gradients are less pronounced (Table 6b), although m inor west — east, north — south and north-west — south-east gradients occur.

Regional studies by Fatchen and Barker (1979b) and Buckley (1981) in the Simpson Desert have indicated the presence o f east-west gradients in the geographic d is tr ibu t ion o f species. However, the species they indicate as ty p i fy in g the gradients, such as Rhagodia spinescens (Buckley 1981), GreviHea ju n c ifo lia , Cassia nem ophila and Acacia m urrayana (Fatchen and Barker 1979b), are d i f fe r ent to those found in the above analysis, and in fact are widespread th roughou t the Desert (A ppend ix II) . East- west gradients both w i th in the Simpson Desert and in the w ider central Austra lian dunefields have been explained in terms o f plant migration and differences in rainfal l, soil and fire frequencies (Fatchen and Barker 1979b; Buckley 1981).

N o r th -sou th gradients o f d is tr ibu t ion have previously been expla ined fo r sandplains (W inkw orth 1967) and accepted fo r dunefields (Buckley 1981) in terms o f c l imatic var iab i l i ty . However, soil factors also have a nor th -sou th

influence in the Simpson Desert, f rom clay-free dune soils in the north to clay-rich dune soils in the south. The d is tr ibu t ion of Triod ia basedow ii, described as bimodal by Fatchen and Barker (1979b) bu t caused by its absence f rom dunes in systems D7 and D8, appears to be tied to these soil differences. Acacia cambagei, wh ich Fatchen and Barker (1979b) considered indicative o f an east-west gradient, is in fact A. georginae (the species has been m isidentif ied by all workers prior to 1982) which shows a no r th -sou th gradient o f d is tr ibu tion , probably related to the ancient f loodpla ins o f the northern rivers. A lthough present in all geographic zones in Append ix II, the species is absent f rom most o f the central and southern areas o f D7 and D8, possibly due to decreasing rainfall or to the increasing sal in i ty o f the corr idor soils.

W ith the exception o f M uehlenbeckia cocco/oboides, which may be locally dom inant, all the species listed in Table 5 as indicating f lor is t ic gradients in the Simpson are relatively m inor components o f the vegetation. Other perennial species showing gradients in the Desert, such as Triod ia basedow ii and Acacia georginae, are widespread in areas beyond the Desert itself. Overall, d is tr ibu t ion gradients are present in the Simpson Desert f lora, mostly along a north — south axis, but the number o f species involved (at least for perennials) is relatively low.

47

★ A cacia ne Iso n ii

A c a c ia peuce

% A c a c ia p ickard ii

(“ ig. 21. D is tr ib u tio n o f Acacia ne lsonii, A. peuce and A. p ic k a rd ii .

48

In very general terms, the flora of the Simpson dunefields is similar to that of the Tirari and Strzelecki dunefields to the south-east (Cleland et al. 1925; Lewis 1981). However, there are distinct differences in species composition between the Simpson dunefields and those to the west and north-west (Chippendale 1958; Buckley 1981). Zygoch/oa, which is common on crests in most of the Simpson dunefields, is rare or absent from dunes in the other central Australian deserts (Buckley 1981). Buckley listed 20 species which were confined to, or more common in, the western Simpson Desert, and 25 species similarly characteristic of the other central Australian dunefields. Although at least eight of the latter species have proved to be fairly widespread in the Simpson, there are still a number of species common in the western deserts which are absent from the Simpson Desert.

5.3 Species of Saline/Gypseous Habitats

The salinas and streams associated particularly with systems D7 and C4 provide a highly saline and/or gypseous environment which prevents the growth and survival of many plant species. Those species able to tolerate the conditions of this unique environment, and whose presence indicates high soil salinity or gypsum, are listed in Table 7.

Table 7. Species tolerant of high soil salinity and gypsum

A IZ O A C E A E *A izoo n q u ad rifid umTrianthem a trique tra

A S T E R A C E A E *E rioch lam ys b e h rii*Gnephosis sk irropho ra M inu ria denticu la ta

*M. suaedifolia

CHENOPODI A C E A E Halosarcia cu p u lifo rm is*H. halocnem oides subsp. halocnem oides H. halocnem oides subsp. longispicata H. indica subsp. le iostachya

*H. pergranulata subsp. pergranula ta H. pergranulata subsp. divaricata H. pergranulata subsp. elongata

*Maireana appressa *M. astro trie ha Sclerolaena u n if lo ra Sclerostegia tenuis

F R A N K E N IA C E A E

GOODEN I AC EA E

M A L V A C E A E

*Frankenia foliosa F. gracilis F. spp.

*Scaevola collaris

*Law rencia glom e rata *L. incana *Sida in tr ica ta

5.4 Rare Species

Nine rare species listed in Leigh et al. (1981) occur in the Simpson Desert region (Table 8). Only the distribution of the three tree and shrub species (Fig. 21) are known accurately (Deveson 1980; Northern Territory Herbarium unpubl. data; Grandison unpubl. data).

POACEAE

P O LY G O N A C E A E

S O L A N A C E A E

Z Y G O P H Y L L A C E A E

Eragrostis d ie ls ii *Eragrostis falcata

PMuehlenbeckia cocco loboides

?Solanum o ligacanthum

*N itra ria b illa rd ie r i *Z yg o p h y llu m aurantiacum

The disjunct distribution of Acacia peuce is of biogeograph- ical significance. Crocker and Wood (1947) first postulated that the populations on the western and eastern margins of the Simpson Desert represent remnants of a species once widely distributed over the area now occupied by the dunefields. This was supported by Deveson (1980), who considered the species to be a climatic and edaphic relict. Deveson (op. cit.) postulated that the present populations at Andado, Birdsville (Fig. 22) and south of Boulia became disjunct during the late Pleistocene, and that the species may be a remnant of a subtropical Late Tertiary flora which was widespread over the north-western Eromanga Basin. Although individual A. peuce trees are thought to have a life span of 200—500 years (Deveson 1980), the Andado and Birdsville populations are declining. In contrast, the Boulia populations are stable and possible increasing.

* Species to le rant of high soil gypsum concentration.

Detailed distribution and population data are not available for Acacia pickardii, but the similarity of its distribution and habitat to those of A. peuce suggest it may have a similar history and therefore also be of biogeographic significance.

Although the rare species Dipteracanthus corynothecus occurs in the Toko Range on the north-eastern edge of the Simpson, this area has added biogeographic importance because at least two species. Atrip/ex vesicaria (Cheno- podiaceae) and l/Vedelia stirlingii (Asteraceae), are at the north-eastern limits of their known distribution. The Toko Range is also the only current location of 14/. stirlingii in Queensland.

Table 8. Rare plant species known to occur in the Simpson Desert area

(Leigh e t al. 1981)

49

Fam ily Species Risk^ H ab it^ Land system

A C A N T H A C E A E D ipteracanthus corynothecus 3V P P1, R 1A M A R A N T H A C E A E P tilo tus eichleranus 3R HAPI A C EA E E ryng ium supinum 3K HCH EN O PO D IAC E A E Sclerolaena w ilson ii 3R HM IM O S A C E A E Acacia n e lso n ii^ 2 R /2 V S R4

Acacia peuce 3 VC T P1, P3Acacia p ic k a rd ii 3V S P1, P3, R 1, R4

P O R T U LA C A C E A E C alandrinia disperma 3K H DZ Y G O P H Y L L A C E A E Z yg o p h y llu m h u m illim u m 3K H

1. Risk Code

D is tr ib u tio n : 2 — species w ith restric ted A ustra lian d is tr ib u tio n , range < 1 0 0 km3 — species w ith range > 1 0 0 km bu t w hich occur o n ly in small

popu la tions restric ted to specific habitatsConservation status : C — know n to be represented w ith in a na tional park or o ther procla im ed

reserveK — p o o rly know nR — rare, bu t no t endangeredV — vulnerab le, bu t no t p resently endangered

2. Proposed new ad d ition and probable risk code

3. As de fined in A ppend ix II

Fig. 22. Acacia peuce trees in area no rth o f B irdsville.

50

6. SUMMARY

The Simpson Desert region contains a diversity o f land systems whose landforms and f lora are typica l of this region of arid Australia. The land systems include dunefields, sandplains, f loodpla ins, gibber plains and dissected residuals. The dunefields are considered in greatest detail, since the Simpson Desert itself is a classic area of longitudinal dunes in Australia, bu t the landforms, vegetation and f lora have not previously been described coherently fo r the Desert as a

whole.

The dunefields o f the Simpson Desert cover an area of about 159 500 km ^, and show considerable variation, w i th eleven main dune systems and nine m inor dune systems recognizable f ro m differences in dune type, size and dist r ibu t ion , and soil and vegetation characteristics. The dunefields provide evidence fo r several stages of geomorpho- logical development, and provide clues to past c l imatic conditions in the region. They are thought to be derived f rom at least three d if fe ren t mechanisms o f dune fo rm at ion , tw o operating in the south and one in the north , which have resulted in north-south differences in soil colour, soil composit ion and plant species dominance. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the vegetation w i th in the dune systems are largely related to factors such as wi ldf ires, episodic rainfall events and grazing, particular ly by rabbits.

Of the non-dune systems in the region the floodpla ins are probably o f greatest significance. The Goyder Lagoon area on the lower Diamantina River, and the Muncoonie Lakes area at the junc t ion o f Eyre Creek and the Mulligan River, are among the most im portan t ephemeral wetlands in arid Australia. The f loodp la in system encompassing the active

f loodpla ins of the Warburton River, Kallakoopah Creek and the lower Macumba River is a unique, saline, ephemeral wetlands about which l i t t le is known.

A pp rox im a te ly 800 plant species occur in the Simpson Desert region, the greatest p ropo rt ion growing on the floodplains and dunefields. Most species have been recorded in the north-west and north-east o f the region where habitat diversity is highest. The lowest p ropo rt ion o f species occurs in the central-south, where fewer localities have been co llected and where the habitat diversity is low. Gradients o f species d is tr ibu t ion occur th roughou t the region as a whole, along north - south, east - west and north-west - southeast axes. D is tr ibu t ion gradients also occur w i th in the dune- f ie ld f lora, but appear to involve fewer species than was previously thought. A t least nine rare plant species have been recorded f rom the Simpson region, two of which (Acacia peuce and A. p ic k a rd ii) have distr ibutions of bio-

geographical significance.

Acknowledgments

This report was prepared using many o f the facil it ies at the Division o f Water and Land Resources, CSIRO, Canberra. The Australian Heritage Commission provided funding fo r the collection of field data f rom the Simpson Desert region. Peter Latz, Bruce Thompson and Margaret Friedel in Alice Springs, and Peter Copley, Ralph Grandison and David Symon in Adelaide readily provided unpublished species lists. Drs R.J. Wasson and R.W. Galloway provided useful comments on an early d ra ft o f the manuscript.

51

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52

Jessop, J. (ed.) (1981b). F lora o f Central Austra lia . (A ustra lian System atic Botany S ociety/R eed : Sydney.)

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M a bbu tt, J.A . (1980). Some general characteristics o f aeolian landscapes. In 'A eo lian Landscapes in the Semi-arid Zone o f South Eastern A ustra lia ', eds. R.R. S to rr ie r and M.E. Stannard, pp. 1—15. (A ustra lian S ociety Soil Science : R iverine Branch.)

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54

A PPE N D IX I

C R IT E R IA USED FOR D ESC R IPTIO N OF DUNE SYSTEMS

P A R T 1

Character D escrip tion Data sources com m ents

Dune type Long itud ina l ----- »—

R eticu la te

Determ ined fro m Landsat images

Dune length Class Length (km )

V ery short < 1 0S hort 1 0 - 2 5M edium 25 - 50Long 50 - 75V ery long > 75


Dune he ight Class Height (m)

Low < 1 0M edium 1 0 - 2 0High 2 0 - 30+

Measured and estim ated heights fro m topograph ic maps, Buckley 1981; Gasteen pers. com m .; Graetz e t at. 1982; Madigan 1945, 1946; W iedemann 1971; W innecke 1884; W opfner and Tw ida le 1967

Crest type Single ________

M u ltip le

Determ ined fro m Landsat images and fro m Purdie unpubl. data

Crest spacing Class Crests/km

V ery close > 3Close 2 - 3M edium 1 - 2D istant < 1

Measurements fro m Landsat images; measured and estim ated inter-crest distances fro m Buckley 1981; Fatchen and Barker 1979b; Madigan 1945, 1946; Purdie unpub l. data; W iedemann 1971; W innecke 1884; W opfner and Tw ida le 1967

C onnections Few ----- — '__________

Num erous -----~


Soil M ost names, and all symbols, refer to those o f N orthco te 's descrip tion o f A ustra lian soils (N o rthco te 1971 ; N o rthco te et al. 1975)

Various sources, as ind ica ted in each system sum m ary

V egetation S truc tu ra l fo rm a tio n * and do m inan t species

Various sources, as ind ica ted in each system sum m ary

See Part 2.

55

APPENDIX I

P AR T 2

S truc tu ra l fo rm a tio ns (m od ified fro m Specht 1970)

Plant fo rm

and height

Projected fo liage cover o f ta llest s tra tum

30 - 70% 10 - 30% < 1 0 % / « 1 0 %

Trees, 10—30 m open forest w ood land open/sparse w ood land

Trees, 10 m low open forest low w ood land low open/sparse w ood land

Shrubs, 5 —8 m ta ll shrubland ta ll open/sparse shrubland

Shrubs, 2 —5 m open scrub shrubland open/sparse shrubland

Shrubs, 2 m low open scrub low shrubland low open/sparse shrubland

H um m ock grass hum m ock grassland open/sparse hum m ock grassland

Tussock grass tussock grassland open tussock grassland sparse tussock grassland

Shortgrass shortgrassland open shortgrassland sparse shortgrassland

Ephemeral grass grassland open grassland sparse grassland

Herbs^ herbland open herbland sparse herbland

Forbs^ fo rb land open fo rb land sparse fo rb land

1. N on-w oody plants fo rm in g the ground layer.

2. Herbs o ther than grasses or grass-like plants.

56

A P PE N D IX II

SPECIES LIST

A. Families, and species w ith in fam ilies, are listed a lphabe tica lly .

B. Geographic Zone: species presence is indicated (+) w ith in each o f the fo llo w in g geographic zones as de fined in Fig. 20

NW = n o rth -w e s t SW = sou th-w est CN = ce n tra l-n o rth CS = cen tra l-sou th NE = no rth -east SE = south-east

C. Land Zone: species presence is ind ica ted (+) w ith in the fo llo w in g land zones:

D = D unefieldsS = SandplainC = F loodpla insP = G ibber plainsR = Dissected residuals

species hab it ind icated as fo llow s :

H = ephemeral, annual, o r short-livedperennial herb, sometimes w ith anunderground perennating organ

P = longer-lived perennial grasses andforbs, subshrubs

S = shrubsT = treesV = perennial v in e /tw in e rL = stem parasite

H abit de term ined fro m Jessop (1981b), Cunningham e t al. (1981) and Purdie (in press b)

E. represents in troduced, na tura lized species

Legend fo r species lis t

1. N om encla tu re a fte r Jacobs and P ickard (1981)2. N om encla tu re a fte r W ilson (1980)3. N om encla tu re a fte r Lee (1980)4. N om encla tu re a fte r Lee (1948)5. N om encla tu re a fte r B .K. Sym on (1980)6. N om encla tu re a fte r Sym on (1981)

57

APPENDIX II: SPECIES LIST

GEOGRAPHIC LAND HZONE ZONE A

ACANTHACEAE NU SW CN CS NE SE D S C P R B

Dipteracanthus corynothecus (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Bremek. ex Barker + + - _ + - - - - + + PRostellularia pogonanthera F. Muell. + - - - + - - - - + + PSarcojusticia kempeana (F. Muell.) Bremek. ex Hj. Eichler + P

ADIANTACEAECheilanthes lasiophylla Pichi - Serm. + - - - + - H

AIZOACEAEAizoon quadrifidum F. Muell. + - - + + + + - + - - SGlinus lotoides L. + + + - + + -- + --- HGlinus orygoides F. Muell. + - - - - + -- + --- HMollugo cerviana (L.) Ser. + - - - - + -- + ---- HMollugo molluginea (F. Muell.) Druce + - - - - - PTrianthema pilosa F. Muell. + + + + + - -*■ + +•-- HTrianthema triquetra Willd. + + + + + + + - + + + HZaleya galericulata (Melville) Hj. Eichler + + - - + + + - + - + H

AMARANTHACEAEAchyranthes aspera L. - - - - + - - - + - - HAlternanthera angustifolia R. Br. - + + - - - ---- + - HAlternanthera nodiflora R. Br. + - + + + + - - + + - HAmaranthus grandiflorus (3.M. Black) 3.M. Black + + + - + - ? - + -- HAmaranthus interruptus R. Br. + - - - + - ------ + HAmaranthus macrocarpus Benth. ^ - - - - + - ------ + HAmaranthus mitchellii Benth. + + + - + - - - + + - HGomphrena brachystylis F. Muell. + - - - + - -------+ HGomphrena sp. aff. G. cunninghamii (Moq.) Druce - - - - + - ------ + HPtilotus atriplicifolius (A. Cunn. ex Moq.) Beni

var. atriplicifolius + + + + + + + + - + + PPtilotus eichleranus Beni + + HPtilotus exaltatus Nees var. exaltatus + + - - + - -- + + + HPtilotus gaudichaudii (Steud.) 3.M. Black uar. gaudichaudii - + HPtilotus helipteroides (F. Muell.) F. Muell. uar. helipteroides + - - - + - ---- -- + HPtilotus helipteroides (F. Muell.) F. Muell. uar. minor

(3.M. Black) Hj. Eichler + + + - - - + - - - + HPtilotus latifolius R.Br. uar. latifolius + + + + + + + - - - - PPtilotus macrocephalus (R. Br.) Poir. + + - - + - -----+ - HPtilotus murrayi F. Muell. uar. murrayi - - - - - + - - + + - HPtilotus nobilis (Lindl.) F. Muell. uar. nobilis + +++11 PPtilotus obovatus (Gaud.) F. Muell. uar obovatus + + - + + + + 1 + + PPtilotus obov/atus (Gaud.) F. Muell. uar. parviflbrus (Lindl.) Beni"' - - + - - - + ------ PPtilotus parvifolius (F. Muell.) F. Muell. uar. parvifolius + SPtilotus polystachyus (Gaud.) F. Muell. var. polystachyus

forma polystachyus + + + + + + + + + - + Hforma rubriflorus (3.M. Black) Beni + + + + + - + + + -- H

Ptilotus schwartzii F. Muell. ex Tate var. schwartzii - - - - + — ---- + + H

AMARYLLIDACEAECrinum flaccidum Herb. + + - - + + - - + - - H

APIACEAEDaucus glochidiatus (Labill.) Fischer et al. + + - - + + -- + + - HEryngium supinum 3.M. Black - - - - - + -- + --- HTrachymene glaucifolia (F. Muell.) Benth. + + + + + + + + ---- H

APOCYANACEAECarissa lanceolata R. Br. - - - - + - ---- + - S

ASCLEPIADACEAECynanchum floribundum R. Br. - - - - - + -----+ - SLeichhardtia australis R. Br. - - + - + - - + -- + \lSarcostemma australe R. Br. + - - - + - ------ + s

58

APPENDIX II continued.


NW SW CN CS NE SE D S c p R B

ASTERACEAEAngianthus pusillus (Benth.) Benth. + + - - - - + - - - - HBrachycome campylocarpa 3.M. Black - - - - - + + - + - - HBrachycome ciliaris (Labill.) Less. var. lanuginosa (Steetz) Benth. + + - - + + + - - - - HBrachycome ciliaris (Labill.) Less. var. subintegrifolia G.L. Davis1 + + - HBrachycome iberidifolia Benth. - + - - - - + - + - - HBrachycome tesquorum 3.M. Black - - - - + - - + - - - HCalocephalus knappii (E. Muell.) Euart & 3. White + - + - - + + - - - - HCalocephalus platycephalus (F. Muell.) Benth. + - - + + + + - + - - HCalotis erinacea Steetz + + + + + + + - - - - PCalotis hispidula (F. Muell.) F. Muell. + + + - + + + - + + + HCalotis kempei F. Muell. + HCalotis latiuscula F. Muell. & Tate + - - + - - - - — HCalotis multicaulis (Turcz.) Druce + + + - + + + - + + - HCalotis porphyroglossa F. Muell. ex Benth. + - - - + + - + + + - HCentip8da cunninghamii (DC.) R. Br. & Aschers. + + - - - + - - + - - HCentipeda minima (L.) R. Br. & Aschers. + - - - + + - - + - - HCentipeda thespidioides F. Muell. + + + - + + - - + + - HCraspedia chrysantha (Schlechtd.) Benth. - - + - - + + - - - - HCraspedia pleiocephala F. Muell. - - - - + + - - + + - HDichromochlamys dentatifolia (F. Muell.) Dunlop - + + - + + + - - + + HEclipta alatocarpa Melville + + - HEpaltes australis Less. - - - + - + - - + - - HEpaltes cunninghamii (Hook.) Benth. - - - - + + - - + - - HEriochlamys behrii Sond. & F. Muell. ex Sond. - - - + - - + - - - - HFlaveria australasica Hook. - - - - + - - - - + - HGlossogyne tenuifolia (Labill.) Cass. - - - - + - - - + - - HGnaphalium diamantinensis P.G. Wilson - - - - - + - - + - - HGnaphalium luteo—album L. - - - + + + - - + - - HGnaphalium sphaericum Willd. + HGnephosis eriocarpa (F. Muell.) Benth. + + + + + + + - + + - HGnephosis foliata (Sond.) Hj. Eichler + + + - + + - - + + - HGnephosis skirrophora (Sond. & F. Muell. ex Sond.) Benth. - - + + + - + - - - - HHelichrysum ambiguum Turcz. var. ambiguum + + - + - + + - - - - HHelichrysum ambiguum Turcz. var. paucisetum 3.M. Black + + + - - - + - - - - HHelichrysum apiculatum (Labill.) DC. - - + - + - + + - - - PHelichrysum cassinianum Gaud. + - - - - - HHelichrysum davenportii F. Muell. + - + - - - + - - - - HHelichrysum podolepideum F. Muell. - + - - - + - - - + + PHelichrysum semifertile F. Muell. + - - - - + + - + - - HHelipterum charsleyae F. Muell. + + - - - - + - + + - HHelipterum fitzgibbonii F. Muell. + - - - - - ? - - - - HHelipterum floribundum DC. + + - + + + + - + + - HHelipterum microglossum (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Maiden & Betche - + - - + - - - + + - HHelipterum moschatum (A. Cunn. ex DC.) Benth. + + + + + + + + - - - HHelipterum pterochaetum (F. Muell.) Benth. + - - - + - - - - - + PHelipterum stipitatum (F. Muell.) F. Muell. ex Benth. + - + - - - + - - - - HHelipterum strictum (Lindl.) Benth. + + - - + + + - + - - HHelipterum tietkensii F. Muell. + - + - - - + - - + - HHelipterum uniflorum 3.M. Black - + - - + + - - + - - HIsoetopsis graminifolia Turcz. - - - - + - - - ? - - HIxiochlamys cuneifolia (R. Br.) F. Muell. & Sond. ex Sond. + - - - - - ? HIxiochlamys nana (Euart & White) Grau. - + + - - - ? ? HIxiolaena brevicompta F. Muell. - - - - + + - - + - - HIxiolaena leptolepis (DC.) Benth. + + - - - + - - + - - HIxiolaena tomentosa Sond. & F. Muell. ex Sond. + - - - - + - + - - HMillotia greevesii F. Muell. subsp. greevesii var. greevesii - - - + - - + - - - - HMinuria cunninghamii (DC.) Benth. - - - - + - + - + - - PMinuria denticulata (DC.) Benth. + + - + - + + - - + - HMinuria integerrima (DC.) Benth. - + - - + + - - + + - HMinuria leptophylla DC. + + - - - + - - + + - HMinuria rigida 3.M. Black - - - + - + - - + - - HMinuria suaedifolia (F. Muell.) Benth. - - - + + - + - + - - PMyriocephalus rudallii (F. Muell.) Benth. + - - - + + - - + - - HMyriocephalus stuartii (F. Muell. & Sond. ex Sond.) Benth. + + + + + + + - + - - HPluchea dentex R. Br. ex Benth. - - - - + - - - - - + PPluchea rubelliflora (F. Muell.) B.L. Robinson - - - + - + - - + - - PPluchea tetranthera F. Muell. + - + - + + + + + + - P

59

APPENDIX II continued


NW SW CN CS NE SE D S C P R B

ASTERACEAE continuedPodolepis canescens A. Cunn. ex DC. + + + - - - + — - - HPodolepis capillaris (Steetz) Diels + - - - + - - — + - HPterocaulon serrulatum (Montr.) Guill. - - - - + + - — + + PPterocaulon sphacelatum (Labill.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex F. Muell. + - - - + + - - + - - PRutidosis helichrysoides DC. + + + - + + + + + + - HSenecio cunninghamii DC. + - - + + + - - + - - HSenecio gregorii F. Muell. + + + + + + + - + - - HSenecio lautus Forst, f. ex Willd. - + + + + + + - + - - H

♦Sonchus asper (L.) Hill - - - - + - - - + - - H♦Sonchus oleraceus L. + - - + + + - - + - - HSphaeranthus indicus L. - - - - + + - + + + + HStreptoglossa adscendens (Benth.) Dunlop + + - - + + - - + + - HStreptoglossa cylindriceps (D.M. Black) Dunlop + + HStreptoglossa liatroides (Turcz.) Dunlop + + + HStreptoglossa odora (F. Muell.) Dunlop + - - - + - - + - + + PVittadinia spp - - + - - + + - + - -Waitzia acuminata Steetz.Waitzia citrina (Benth.) Steetz. Wedelia stirlingii Tate

BORAGINACEAEHalgania sp. aff. H. cyanea Lindl. + + + - + - + + - - - sHeliotropium asperrimum R. Br. + pHeliotropium bacciferum Forsk. - - + - + - -- + --- HHeliotropium curassavicum L. + - - + + + -- + ---- HHeliotropium filaginoides Benth. + + - - + - - - - + + PHeliotropium ovalifolium Forsk. Heliotropium paniculatum R. Br.1

- - + - - + - - + -- H- - - - + - + - + + + H

Heliotropium pleiopterum F. Muell. + - - - - - + ------ PHeliotropium tenuifolium R. Br. + + - - + - + " “ + “ HOmphalolappula concava (F. Muell.) Brand + + - - + + + - + -- HPlagiobothrys plurisepaleus (F. Muell.) Dohnston + - - - - - ? HTrichodesma zeylanicum (Burm. f.) R. Br. + + + + + + + + + + + H

BRASSICACEAEArabidella eremigena (F. Muell.) Shaw - - - + + + + - + -- HArabidella glaucescens Shau - - - + - + + ------ HArabidella nasturtium (F. Muell.) Shau + + - - + + - - + + - HArabidella procumbens (Tate) Shau + - - - - + ? HBlennodia canescens R. Br. + + + - + + + + ---- HBlennodia pterosperma (D.M. Black) D.P'l. Black + + + + + + + ------ H

♦Brassica tournefortii Govan + + HHarmsiodoxa blennodioides (F. Muell.) Schulz - - - + - + + - + - - HHarmsiodoxa puberula Shau - - - - + - -- + ---- HLepidium muelleri-ferdinandi Thell. + + + - + + -- + ---- HLepidium oxytrichum Sprague + HLepidium phlebopetalum (F. Muell.) F. Muell. + + + + + + + - + + + HLepidium sagittulatum Thell. - - - - - + ? HMenkea crassa Shau - - - - - + ? HMenkea sphaerocarpa F. Muell. - - - - - + -- + ---- H

♦Sisymbrium erysimoides Desf. + HStenopetalum decipiens Shau - - + - + - -----+ + PStenopetalum lineare R. Br. ex DC. + + + - + + + -- + - HStenopetalum nutans F. Muell. + + — — — + - - + + - H

BRUNONIACEAEBrunonia australis Sm. + - + - - - + ------ H

CAESALPINIACEAECassia artemisioides Gaud. + + - - + + + - + -- SCassia desolata F. Musil. + - - - + + - 4 - + + SCassia helmsii Symon + - + - + + + + - + + sCassia nemophila A. Cunn. ex Vogel var. nemophila + + + + + + + -*■ + + - sCassia nemophila A. Cunn. ex Vogel var. zygophylla (Benth.) Benth. + + + + + + + + - + + s

x x a

60

APPENDIX I I c o n t i n u e d



CAESALPINIACEAE c o n t i n u e d

C a s s ia o l i g o p h y l l a F. M u e l l . v a r i o l i g o p h y l l a + + + - + + - + - + + SC a s s ia o l i g o p h y l l a F . M u e l l . uar. s e r i c e a Symon - - - + - - + — - SC a s s ia p h y l l o d i n e a R. B r . + - - - + + + - - + + sC a s s ia p l e u r o c a r p a F. M u e l l . + + + + + + + + ------ - sC a s s ia p r u i n o s a F. M u e l l . + - - - + + - ------ + sC a s s ia s t u r t i i R. B r . - + - - + - - ---------- + sL y s i p h y l l u m g i l v u m (F .F l . B a i l . ) P e d le y - - - - + + + - + - - TP e t a l o s t y l i s c a s s i o i d e s (F . M u e l l . ) Symon - - + - + - + + ------ - s

CAP1P ANUL ACEAE

L o b e l i a h e t e r o p h y l l a L a b i l l . + - + - _ _ - + ------ - Hl iJa h le n b e rg ia spp + + + + + + - + + - - H

CAPPARACEAE

C a p p a r is l a s i a n t h a R. B r . ex DC. - - - - + - - - - + + SC a p p a r is m i t c h e l l i i L i n d l . - - + - + + - + ------ - SC a p p a r is s p in o s a L . u a r . n u m m u la r ia (D C . ) F.M. B a i l . + - - - + - - - + - +• sCleome v / is c o s a L . + - + - + - + +■ + + + H

CARYOPHYLLACEAE

P o ly c a rp a e a co rym bosa ( L . ) Lam.P o ly c a rp a e a s p i r o s t y l i s F . M u e l l . s u b s p . g l a b r a ( W h i te & F r a n c i s )

- + - - ““ + H

P e d le y + - + - - - + + - - - H* S a g in a a p e t a l a A rd . + + H

S p e r g u l a r i a r u b r a ( L . ) 0 . & C. P r e s l . - - - - + + - - + - - H

CEIJTROLEPID ACEAE

C e n t r o l e p i s p o ly g y n a (R . B r . ) H i e r o n . + - - - - + - - + - - H

CHEN0P0DIACEAE

A t r i p l e x s p . a f f . A. s e m ib a c c a ta R. B r . - + + _ _ - + _ _ _ _ PA t r i p l e x a n g u l a t a B e n th . + + - + + + - - + + - HA t r i p l e x c o n d u p l i c a t a F . n u e l l . + + - - + - - - + + - HA t r i p l e x c o r d i f o l i a D.M. B la c k - - + - - - - - - ? - HA t r i p l e x c r a s s i p e s D.M. B la c k + + + - + + + - + + - HA t r i p l e x e a r d le y a e A e l l e n + - + - - - - - + + - HA t r i p l e x e l a c h o p h y l l a F . M u e l l . + + + - + - + + + - HA t r i p l e x f i s s i v a l v i s F . M u e l l . - + - - + + + - + + - HA t r i p l e x h o lo c a r p a F. M u e l l . + + + + - + + - + + - HA t r i p l e x i n f l a t a F. M u e l l . - + - + - _ ? ? HA t r i p l e x l e p t o c a r p a F . M u e l l . - - - + + + HA t r i p l e x l i m b a t a B e n th . + + + + - + + - _ + + PA t r i p l e x l i n d l e y i Moq. + + - - - + - _ + + + HA t r i p l e x m u e l l e r i B e n th . + + + _ HA t r i p l e x n u m m u la r ia L i n d l . + + - + + + - - + + + SA t r i p l e x p s e u d o c a m p a n u la ta A e l l e n 1 - + HA t r i p l e x q u i n i i F. M u e l l . - + - _ - _ _ — - + + PA t r i p l e x s p o n g io s a F. M u e l l . + + + + + + + _ + + - HA t r i p l e x t u r b i n a t a (R .H . A n d e r s . ) A e l l e n - + + + — HA t r i p l e x u e l u t i n e l l a F. M u e l l . + + + + + + + — + + HA t r i p l e x v / e s i c a r i a B e n th . + + - + + + + _ + + + SB abb ag ia a c r o p t e r a F. M u e l l . & T a te + + _ + + + + - + + — HB abb ag ia d i p t e r o c a r p a F . M u e l l . + + + + + + + - + + — HB abb ag ia p e n t a p t e r a F. M u e l l . + - _ _ + _ — _ + + + HC henopodium aur icomum L i n d l . + + + _ + + + - + + — SC henopodium c r i s t a t u m (F . F l u e H . ) F . M u e l l . + + + _ + _ + + + — — HC henopodium i n f l a t u m A e l l e n 1 _ _ _ _ + — — — + + HC henopodium m e lanoca rpum (B .M . B l a c k ) O.M. B la c k + - - _ + _ + _ + - — HD is s o c a r p u s p a ra d o x u s (R . B r . ) F. M u e l l . ex U l b r i c h + + + + + + + + + PD y s p h a n ia m y r io c e p h a la B e n th . - - _ + _ — + _ — — — HD y s p h a n ia p l a n t a g i n e l l a F . M u e l l . - _ + + _ — + — + HD y s p h a n ia r h a d i n o s t a c h y a ( F . F l u e l l . ) A .3 . S c o t t - - _ + _ — + — + — _ HD y s p h a n ia s im u la n s T a te «a» - + + + - + - + — HD y s p h a n ia sp. 1 + - - _ _ _ + _ - _ _ HD y s p h a n ia sp. 2 + - + - - _ + _ - + + HE n c h y la e n a to m e n to s a R. B r . + + + + + + + + + + + P

61



NW SW CN CS NE !BE D S C P RB

CHENOPODIACEAE c o n t i n u e d

H a l o s a r c i a c u p u l i f o r m i s P .G . W i ls o n H a l o s a r c i a h a lo c n e m o id e s (N e e s ) P .G . W i ls o n

s u b s p . h a lo c n e m o id e s ^

- - - - + - _ _ + _ _ P

- - - + + - + - + - - Ps u b s p . l o n g i s p i c a t a P .G . W i ls o n 2 - - - + - - + - + ? - P

H a l o s a r c i a i n d i c a ( W i l l d ) P .G . W i ls o n s u b s p . l e i o s t a c h y a ( B e n t h . )P .G . W i ls o n ^ + + - + - - + - + ? - P

H a l o s a r c i a p e r g r a n u l a t a ( 3 . PI. B l a c k ) P .G . W i ls o ns u b s p . p e r g r a n u l a t a 2 - - - + - - + - + ? - Ss u b s p . d i v a r i c a t a - + ------+ ? - Ps u b s p . e lo n g a ta - + ------+ ? - P

P la i rea na a p h y l l a (R. B r . ) P .G . W i ls o n + + + + + + + - + + - SP la i rea na a p p re s s a ( B e n t h . ) P .G. W i ls o n + - + + - - - - + + - PP la i rea na a s t r o t r i c h a ( L . A . S . D ohn son ) P .G . W i ls o n + - - + - + + - - + - SP la i rea na c a m p a n u la ta P .G . W i ls o n - - - - + - --------------+ SP la i rea na c i l i a t a (F . H u e l l . ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - - - + ----------+ _ HP la i rea na c o r o n a t a (3.01. B l a c k ) P .G . W i ls o n + + + - + - + + + + + HP la i rea na g e o r g e i ( D i e l s ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - - + + ---------+ + SP la i rea na i n t e g r a (P .G . W i ls o n ) P .G . W i ls o n + + + - - + + - - + + SP la i rea na l a n o s a ( L i n d l . ) P .G . W i ls o n - - + - + - + ----------+ HP la i rea na lu e h m a n n i i ( F . P l u e l l . ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - - - - + -------------- PP la i rea na m ic r o c a r p a ( B e n t h . ) P .G . W i ls o n + - - - + - - - + + - HP la i rea na p e n ta g o n a (R .H . A n d e r s . ) P .G . W i l s o n 2 - - - - - + HP la i rea na p l a n i f o l i a (F . P l u e l l . ) P .G . W i ls o n + - - - - + --------------+ SP la i rea na p y r a m id a ta ( B e n t h . ) P .G . W i ls o n - - - + + + + ------+ - SP la i re a n a s c l e r o p t e r a ( 3 . PI. B l a c k ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - - - - + - + ------ HP la i re a n a s p o n g io c a r p a (F . M u e l l . ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - - - - ----------+ + PP la i re a n a to m e n to s a Ploq. s u b s p . to m e n to s a + - - - - + ? SP la i rea na t r i p t e r a ( B e n t h . ) P .G . W i ls o n + - - - + - ----------+ + SP la i re a n a v i l l o s a ( L i n d l . ) P .G . W i ls o n + - - - + - - + - + + SP la la co ce ra t r i c o r n i s ( B e n t h . ) R .H . A n d e rs . - - - - - + ----------+ - PN e o b a s s ia c f . p r o c e r i f l o r a ( F . P l u e l l . ) A .3 . S c o t t + + - - + - - - + + - PR h a g o d ia n u ta n s R. B r . + - + - + + - - + + - PR hag o d ia p a r a b o l i c a R. B r . + - - - - + ------+ -------- sR hag o d ia s p in e s c e n s R. B r . + + + + + + + + + + - sS a l s o l a k a l i L . + + + + + + + + + + + HS c l e r o l a e n a a n d e r s o n i i ( I s i n g ) A .3 . S c o t t + + - - + + + - + + + HS c l e r o l a e n a a n i s a c a n t h o i d e s (F . P l u e l l . ) D om in i - - - - + - -------+ ? - HS c l e r o l a e n a b i c o r n i s L i n d l . v/ar b i c o r n i s + + - + + + + + + + 1 PS c l e r o l a e n a c a l c a r a t a ( I s i n g ) A .3 . S c o t t + + - - + - -------+ + - HS c l e r o l a e n a c o n v e x u la (R .H . A n d e r s . ) A . 3 . S c o t t + + + - - + + + + + + HS c l e r o l a e n a c o r n i s h i a n a (F . P l u e l l . ) A .3 . S c o t t + - - - + - - - - + + HS c l e r o l a e n a d e c u r re n s ( 3 . PI. B l a c k ) A .3 . S c o t t + - - + + + + -------+ + HS c l e r o l a e n a d i a c a n t h a (N ee s ) B e n th . + + + + + + + - + + - HS c l e r o l a e n a d i v a r i c a t a (R . B r . ) Domin + + - + - + + + + + + HS c l e r o l a e n a e r i a c a n t h a ( F . P l u e l l . ) U l b r i c h + + - - + - - + + + + HS c l e r o l a e n a i n t r i c a t a (R .H . A n d e r s . ) A .3 . S c o t t + + + + + + + + + + - HS c l e r o l a e n a j o h n s o n i i ( I s i n g ) A .3 . S c o t t + - + - + - + - - + - H

S c l e r o l a e n a l a n i c u s p i s ( F . M u e l l . ) B e n th . + + - - + + + - + + + H

S c l e r o l a e n a l i m b a t a ( 3 . PI. B l a c k ) U l b r i c h - - - - + - H

S c l e r o l a e n a l o n g i c u s p i s ( F . P l u e l l . ) A .3 . S c o t t - - - - + - ------------+ - HS c l e r o l a e n a m u r i c a t a (P lo q . ) Domin v a r . m u r i c a t a + - + - + + + - + + - HS c l e r o l a e n a p a r a l l e l i c u s p i s (R .H . A n d e r s . ) A .3 . S c o t t - + - - + - + - - + - HS c l e r o l a e n a p a t e n t i c u s p i s (R .H . A n d e r s . ) U l b r i c h + + - - + + - H

S c l e r o l a e n a t a t e i (F . P l u e l l . ) A .3 . S c o t t - - - - - + HS c l e r o l a e n a u n i f l o r a R. B r . - - - + + + -------+ - - HS c l e r o l a e n a u r c e o l a t a ( I s i n g ) A . 3 . S c o t t - - + - - - + ----------------- HS c l e r o l a e n a w i l s o n i i ( I s i n g ) A .3 . S c o t t - + - + + + + ----------------- HS c l e r o s t e g i a t e n u i s ( B e n t h . ) P .G . W i ls o n + + - + + + + 1 + + PT h r e l k e l d i a i n c h o a t a ( 3 . PI. B l a c k ) 3 . PI. B la c k - + - - - - ------------+ _ HT h r e l k e l d i a s a l s u g i n o s a (F . P l u e l l . ) B e n th . - - + - - - + ----------------- H

62


CHLDANTH ACEAEDicrastylis costelloi F.M. Bail. war. costelloiDicrastylis costelloi F.M. Bail. var. eriantha (F. Muell.) Munir Dicrastylis costelloi F.M. Bail. var. violacea Munir Dicrastylis doranii F. Muell.Neucastelia cephalantha F. Muell. var. cephalantha Neucastelia cephalantha F. Muell. var. tephropepla Munir Neucastelia spodiotricha F. Muell.

CONV/OLV/UL ACEAEBonamia media (R. Br.) Hall. f.Convolvulus erubescens Sims Cressa cretica L.Cuscuta victoriana YunckerEvolvulus alsinoides L. var. villosicalyx van Ooststr.Ipomoea lonchophylla J.M. Black Ipomoea muelleri Benth.Ipomoea polymorpha Roem. & Schultes

CRASSULACEAECrassula colorata (Nees) Ostenf. var. tuberculata Toelken

CUCURBIT ACEAE*Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.*Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf.Cucumis melo L. subsp. agrestis (Naudin) Greb.

*Cucumis myriocarpus Naudin *Momordica balsamina L.Mukia maderaspatana (L.) M.D. Roem.Mukia micrantha (F. Muell.) F. Muell.

CYPERACEAEBulbostylis barbata (Rottb.) C.B. Clarke Cyperus bulbosus Vahl.Cyperus dactylotes Benth.Cyperus difformis L.Cyperus gilesii Benth.Cyperus gymnocaulos Steud.Cyperus hamulosus M. Bieb.Cyperus iria L.Cyperus ixiocarpus F. Muell.Cyperus laevigatus L.Cyperus nervulosus (Kukenth.) S.T. Blake Cyperus pulchellus R. Br.Cyperus pygmaeus Rottb.Cyperus rigidellus (Benth.) D.M. Black Cyperus squarrosus L.Cyperus victoriensis C.B. Clarke Eleocharis acuta R. Br.1 Eleocharis pallens S.T. Blake Eleocharis papillosa Latz Fimbristylis dichotoma (L.) Uahl.Fimbristylis sp. aff. F. dichotoma (L.) Uahl.Fimbristylis littoralis Gaud.Lipocarpha microcephala (R. Br.) Kunth.Scirpus congruus (Nees) S.T. Blake Scirpus litoralis Schrad.

DROSERACEAE Drosera indica L.

ELATINACEAEBergia ammannioides Heyne ex RothBergia pedicellaris (F. Muell.) F. Muell. ex Benth.Bergia perennis (F. Muell.) F. Muell. ex Benth.Bergia trimera Fisch. & Mey.

GEOGRAPHICZONE

NW SW CN CS NE SE

LAND HZONE A

D S C P R 8

+ + + + + + 1++

- -+ + + - + - + — - -+ + + + + - + + 1 - -- - + - - - + - - - -- - + - + - 1++ - -- - + - - - 1++ - -+ + + + + + - -

_ _ + _ + + + _

+ + + - + + - + + + +- + - + - + - - + - -+ + - - + - ++ + - - + - + + + + ++ - - - + - - - + + -+ - + - + - + + + - -+ + + + + + + + +

+ + - - - - + - - - -

+ + _ + + _ - - + _

+ - + - - + + 1 + - -+ + - - + - + - + - -- - - + - - - - - + -- - - - + - - + - - -+ - + + + + ++1 - ++

'+ - - +

+ _ _ _ + _ + - - + _

+ + - - + + + - - - -- + - - ++ - - + - - - - + + -+ - - + + -+ + - + + + - - + - -+ + -+ + - - + - - - + + -

+ - - +- + - - - + - - + - -+ + -- - - - + - - - + - -+ - - - + + - - + - -+ - - + - + + - - + ++ + - - - + + - - + -+ + + + + +

+

+ c«

11 —

- - - - + + - - + - -+ ++ - + + + + + + + + ++ - + - - - + - - + -- - - - + - - - + - -

-+

- -+ 1

+ +

- - +??

SSSSSSS

HHHHHHHH

H

HHHHHHH

H

HHHHHPPHHHHHHHP

H

++++

- - + + -+ + -----+ - + ---

HHHH+ +

IO

lI

IO

-I

II

O.

63


NW

GEOGRAPHICZONE

SW CN CS l\IE !5E

LANDZONE

D S C P R

HAB

EUPHORBIACEAEAdriana hookeri (F. Muell.) Huell.-Arg. + — + _ + _ + - — — — SEuphorbia australis Boiss. + - - - + - - + - + + HEuphorbia boophthona C.A. Gard. - - - - - + - - + - + HEuphorbia coghlanii F.FI. Bail. - - + - - - -- + + - PEuphorbia drummondii Boiss. + + + + + + + 1 + + + HEuphorbia inappendiculata Domin - - - - + - ---- + - HEuphorbia macgilliurayi Boiss. - + - - - - PEuphorbia paruicaruncula Hassall + -- + + - HEuphorbia tannensis Spreng, subsp. eremophila (A. Cunn.) Hassall

uar. eremophila + + + + + + + - + + + PEuphorbia wheeleri Baill. + + + + + + + - + -- HPhyllanthus fuernrohrii F. Huell. + + + + - + + ------ PPhyllanthus lacunarius F. Muell. + + + + + + ---- + - HPhyllanthus simplex Retz. H

*Ricinus communis L. + + SSynostemon rigens F. fluell. - - - - + - ------ + SSynostemon trachyspermus (F. Muell.) Airy Shaw + + + + + - + + + + - P

FABACEAEAeschynomene indica L. + HCrotalaria cunninghamii R. Br. + + + + + + + - + -- SCrotalaria dissitiflora Benth. subsp. dissitiflora - - + - + - -- + + - PCrotalaria dissitiflora Benth. subsp. rugosa (Benth.) A.T. Lee - - - - + - -- + - + PCrotalaria eremaea F. Muell. subsp. eremaea + + + + + + + + + -- SCrotalaria eremaea F. Muell. subsp. strehlowii (E. Pritzel) A.T. Lee + + + - + - + - + - - PCrotalaria nouaehollandiae DC. subsp. nouaehollandiae + + - + - + + - + - - PCrotalaria nouaehollandiae DC. subsp. lasiophylla (Benth.) A.T. Lee - - + - - - + + + -- PCrotalaria smithiana A#T. Lee + + + - + + + + + -- PGlycine canescens F.D. Hermann + + + - + + - + + -- PGlycine falcata Benth. - - - - + - ---- + _ PIndigofera breuidens Benth. uar. breuidens - - - - - + + -- -- + PIndigofera breuidens Benth. uar. uncinata Benth. + + + - - - + - - - + sIndigofera colutea (Burm. f.) Merrill + + + - + + + + + + + HIndigofera georgei Pritzel - + PIndigofera linifolia (L. f.) Retz + - + - - - + - + + + HIndigofera linnaei S. Ali + - - - + + + ■¥ + + - HIndigofera paruiflora Heyne ex Wight & Am. + + PIndigofera trita L. f. - - - - + - -- + + - HIsotropis wheeleri F. Muell. ex Benth. + - + + + - + + ---- SLotus cruentus Court + + + + + + - - + + - HMuelleranthus stipularis (D.M. Black) A.T. Lee + - - - - - + ------ PMuelleranthus trifoliolatus (F. Muell.) Hutch, ex A.T. Lee Psoralea australasica Schltdl.3

+ - + - - - - + - + - P+ + + + + - -- + --- P

Psoralea cinerea Lindl. + + - - + + - - + + - HPsoralea graueolens Domin + - + - - - + ------ HPsoralea pallida N.T. Burb.3 + + + + + + + ------ PPsoralea patens Lindl.3 + + + + - + -- + --- PRhynchosia minima (L.) DC. + - + - + - + - + + + HSesbania cannabina (Retz.) Poir. - - - - + - -- + --- HSwainsona burkei F. Muell. ex Benth. subsp. burkei + - - - + - ---- + _ HSwainsona burkittii F. Muell. ex Benth.4 + - - - - - HSwainsona campylantha F. Muell. + + - - + - - - + + - HSwainsona flauicarinata 3.M. Black + + - - + - + + ---- HSwainsona microphylla A. Gray subsp. affinis A.T. Lee + - + - - + + + - + - HSwainsona microphylla A. Gray subsp. pallescens A.T. Lee + - - - - - + ------ HSwainsona microphylla A. Gray subsp. tomentosa A.T. Lee - - - + - + ? HSwainsona oligophylla F. Muell. ex Benth. + + - - + - -- + + - HSwainsona oroboides F. Muell. ex Benth. + + HSwainsona paruiflora Benth.4 - - - + - - + ------ HSwainsona phacoides Benth. + + + + + + + + + + - HSwainsona stipularis F. Muell. uar. purpurea A.T. Lee - - - + - - HSwainsona rigida (Benth.) 3.M. Black - + + + + + + ------ STempletonia egena (F. Muell.) Benth. + - - + - - + ------ STephrosia brachycarpa F. Muell. ex Benth. + - + - + - - + ---- PTephrosia brachyodon Domin + - + + - - + - + - 4- PTephrosia rosea F. Muell. ex Benth. - - + - + - + ------ PTephrosia sphaerospora F. Muell. + + - + + + + ----------- PTephrosia supina Domin - - + - + - + + - + + PTrigonella suauissima Lindl. + + + + + + ---- + ------ HVigna lanceolata Benth. + + + - - - - - + + - HZornia albiflora Mohlenbrock - - + - + - + + ------- H

64

APPENDIX II continuedGEOGRAPHIC LAND H

ZONE ZONE ANW SW CN CS NE SE D S C P R B

ERANKENIACEAEE rankenia annua Summerh. _ - + _ _ - - + _ - - HE rankenia cordata 3.1*1. Black - - - - - + + - — - PErankenia foliosa 3.1*1. Black - - - + - - + - + - - PErankenia gracilis Summerh. + - - + + + + - + + - PErankenia planifolia Sprague & Summerh. + - + - PErankenia pseudoflabellata Summerh. - - - - - + - - + - - PFrankenia serpyllifolia Lindl. + + - - + + + - + + + PE rankenia uncinata Sprague + + - - + - + - + - - PErankenia sp. 1 - - - + - - + - — - PErankenia spp. + - - + + - + - + - - P

GENTIANACEAECentaurium spicatum (L.) Fritsch + - - + - + + - + - - H

GERANIACEAEErodium cf. angustilobum Carolin + - - - - + + - - - - HErodium crinitum Carolin + - - - + - + - - - - HErodium cygnorum Nees subsp. cygnorum + + - - + + + - - + - HErodium cygnorum Nees subsp. glandulosum Carolin + + + - - - + - - + H

GOODENIACEAEGoodenia berardiana (Gaud.) Carolin + + + - - - + - - - + HGoodenia cycloptera R. Br. + + + + + + + - + - - HGoodenia fascicularis E. Muell. & Tate - + - - + + + - + + - HGoodenia glabra R. Br. + - + - - - + + - - - HGoodenia heterochila E. Muell. + - + + - + + - - - - HGoodenia hirsuta E. I*luell. + + HGoodenia lunata 3.1*1. Black + + - + - + + - + + + HGoodenia modesta 3.1*1. Black + - - - - - + - - - - HGoodenia uilmoriniae E. I*luell. - - - - + - - - - - + HLechenaultia divaricata E. (*luell. + + + + + + + + + - - SScaeuola collaris E. l*luell. - + + + + - + - + - - PScaevola depauperata R. Br. + + + + + + + + - - - PScaevola ovalifolia R. Br. + + + + + + + + + - + PScaevola parvifolia E. Muell. ex Benth. + - + - - - + + - - - PScaevola spinescens R. Br. + + - + + + - - - + + sVelleia connata E. I*luell. - - + - - - + - - - - HVelleia glabrata Carolin + - - - - - + - - - - H

GYROSTEI*ION ACEAECodonocarpus cotinifolius (Desf.) E. l*luell. Gyrostemon ramulosus Desf. +

+ - + - - T + ------- S

HALORAGACEAEHaloragis aspera Lindl. Haloragis glauca Lindl. Haloragis gossei E. I*luell. Haloragis uncatipila Orchard P'lyriophyllum verrucosum Lindl.

ISOETACEAEIsoetes muelleri A. Braun. + H

3UNCAG INACEAETriglochin calcitrapum Hook.Triglochin centrocarpum Hook.

LAHIACEAEMentha australis R. Br.Teucrium racemosum R. Br. uar. racemosum

+ + - - - + + - + + - H+ - + - - - - - + + - H

- - - - + + - - + ---H+ - - + + + + - + + - H


65


NW SW 1CN CS NE !5E D S C P RB

LIL IACEAE

* A s p h o d e lu s f i s t u l o s u s L . - + HB u l b i n e s e m ib a r b a ta (R . B r . ) Hau. v a r . d e p i l a t a 3 . n . B la c k + + + - + + + - + + - HC a e s ia l a t e r i f l o r a R. B r . + + + - - - + -------------- PT h y s a n o tu s e x i l i f l o r u s F . M u e l l . + - + - - - + -------------- HWurmbea d e s e r t i c o l a M a c f . + - - - - - + ------+ - H

LORANTHACEAE

Amyema h i l l i a n u m ( B l a k e l y ) D an se r - - - - + - + -------------- LAmyema m a i d e n i i ( B l a k e l y ) B a r l o u + - - + - + + - + + + LAmyema p r e i s s i i ( M i q . ) T ie g h . + + - + - + + - + + + LAmyema quandang ( L i n d l . ) T ie g h . + + - - + - ------+ -------- LAmyema sangu ineum (F . M u e l l . ) D anse r - - - - + - - - + ------ LD i p l a t i a g r a n d i b r a c t e a (F . M u e l l . ) T ie g h . + - - - - + + -------------- LL y s i a n a e x o c a r p i ( B e h r ) T ie g h . + + - - - + ------+ + + LL y s ia n a m u r r a y i ( T a t e ) T ie g h . + LL y s i a n a s p a t h u l a t a ( B l a k e l y ) B a r lo u + - - - - - + - + ------ LL y s i a n a s u b f a l c a t a ( H o o k . ) B a r l o u + - - - + + + - + ------ L

LYTHRACEAE

Ammania m u l t i f l o r a Roxb. _ + + - - + ------+ -------- HL y th ru m h y s s o p i f o l i a L . + - - - - + _ _ + _ _ H

MALU ACEAE

A b u t i l o n f r a s e r i ( H o o k . ) H ook , ex Walp. + - - - + + -------------- + PA b u t i l o n h a lo p h i l u m F. M u e l l . + + - - + - ---------+ + PA b u t i l o n l e u c o p e t a lu m (F . M u e l l . ) F. M u e l l . ex B e n th . - - - - + - - - + + + SA b u t i l o n m a lv /a e fo l iu m ( B e n t h . ) D.M. B la c k + - - - + - - - + + - HA b u t i l o n o to c a rp u m F. M u e l l . + + + + + + + + + - + PA b u t i l o n sp. - - - - + - -------------- + SGossyp ium a u s t r a l e F . M u e l l . - - - - + - -------------- + SGossyp ium b i c k i i P ro k h . - - - - + - - + ---------- SH i b i s c u s b r a c h y s i p h o n i u s F. M u e l l . + H

H i b i s c u s b u r t o n i i F .M . B a i l . - - - - + - ------------- + SH i b i s c u s k r i c h a u f f i a n u s F . M u e l l . + + + + + + + + - - - PH i b i s c u s s t u r t i i H ook . \j a r . g r a n d i f l o r u s B e n th . + - + - + - -------------- + PH i b i s c u s t r i o n u m L . u a r . v e s i c a r i u s H o c h r . + HL a v a t e r a p l e b e i a Sims - + - + + + + - + - - HL a u r e n c i a g l o m e r a t a H ook . + - + + + - + - + - + H

L a u r e n c i a in c a n a (D .M . B l a c k ) M e l v i l l e - - - + - - + - + ------ S* M a lv a p a r v i f l o r a L . + - - - - - + -------------- H* M a lv a s t r u m am er icanum ( L . ) T o r r . + + + - + + ------+ + + H

S id a am m oph i la F . M u e l l . ex O .H . W i l l i s + + + + + + 1+++

P

S id a c o r r u g a t a L i n d l . + + + + + + + ----------+ P

S id a c u n n i n g h a m i i C .T . W h i te + + + + + + + + ---------- P

S id a f i b u l i f e r a L i n d l . + + + + + + +++1+

P

S id a f i l i f o r m i s A. Cunn. + - - - + - + ----------+ P

S id a g o n i o c a r p a ( F . M u e l l . ex B e n t h . ) Domin - - - - + - ------+ + - HS id a i n t r i c a t a F . M u e l l . - - - + - + + - + ------ P

S id a p e t r o p h i l a F . M u e l l . - - - - + - -------------- + SS id a p l a t y c a l y x F . M u e l l . ex B e n th . + - - - + - + ------+ + P

S id a r o h le n a e Domin - + + - + + + - + ------ PS id a t r i c h o p o d a F . M u e l l . + + - - + + ------+ + + P

MARSILEACEAE

M a r s i l e a d ru m m o n d i i A. B ra u n . + + - - + + -------+ + - H

M a r s i l e a e x a r a t a A. B ra u n . + + + - + + 1+++1 H

M a r s i l e a h i r s u t a R. B r . + - - - + - 1++1+

H

P l a r s i l e a sp. - - - - + - “ - + " " H

MELIACEAE

O ue n ia a c i d u l a F . M u e l l . - - + - + + 1 + + 1 4- T

66

APPENDIX II continuedGEOGRAPHIC LAND H

ZONE ZONE A

NW 5W CN cs NE SE D S C P R B

MIMOSACEAE

A c a c ia a d s u rg e n s Maiden & B l a k e l y - - - - + - - 4 - - - SA c a c ia a n e u ra F . M u e l l . ex B e n th . + + + - + - + - + + + TA c a c ia b r a c h y s ta c h y a B e n th . + + - - - + + - - - - SA c a c ia cam bage i R .T . Baker - + ? - - - - - + + + TA c a c ia c o r i a c e a DC. - - + - - - + + - - - SA c a c ia c o u le a n a Ta te - - + - - - - 4 - - - sA c a c ia c y p e r o p h y l l a F. M u e l l . ex B e n th . + + - - + - - - - + + TA c a c ia d i c t y o p h l e b a F. M u e l l . + + + + + + + + - - - SA c a c ia e s t r o p h i c l a t a F. M u e l l . + - + - + - + + + - - TA c a c ia f a r n e s i a n a ( L . ) W i l l d . - - + - + - - - + + 4 SA c a c ia g e o r g in a e F.M B a i l . + + + + + + + - + + 4 TA c a c ia j e n n e r a e Maiden - - + + - - + - - - - SA c a c ia kempeana F. M u e l l . + - - - + - + - - - 4 sA c a c ia l i g u l a t a A. Cunn. ex B e n th . + + + + + + + + 4 - - sA c a c ia m a i t l a n d i i F. M u e l l . - - + - - - + - - - - sA c a c ia m u r ra y a n a F. M u e l l . ex B e n th . + 4 + + + + + + + - - sA c a c ia n e l s o n i i M a s l i n + + 4 sA c a c ia o s w a l d i i F. M u e l l . - - - + - + 4 - - - - s

A c a c ia peuce F. M u e l l . + - - - - + - - - + - TA c a c ia p i c k a r d i i T i n d a l e + - - - - + - - - + 4 TA c a c ia r a m u lo s a UJ.V. F i t z g . 4 4 - + + + + - - - - sA c a c ia s a l i c i n a L i n d l . + + - + + + + - + - - sA c a c ia s e s s i l i c e p s F. M u e l l . + 4 - + - - + - - - - sA c a c ia s t e n o p h y l l a A. Cunn . ex B e n th . - + - + + + + - + + - sA c a c ia s t o u / a r d i i Ma iden + - + - 4 - - + - - 4 sA c a c ia t e t r a g o n o p h y l l a F. M u e l l . + + - + + + - - + + 4 sA c a c ia v a l i d i n e r v i a M a iden & B l a k e l y - - + - - - - + - - - sA c a c ia v i c t o r i a e B e n th . s u b s p . v / i c t o r i a e + + + + + + - + + - - sA c a c ia v i c t o r i a e B e n th . s u b s p . a r i d a P e d le y - + - + + + + - + - - sN e p t u n ia d im o rp h a n th a Domin - - - - + - - - - - 4 HN e p t u n ia monosperma F. M u e l l . - + - - + - - - + - 4 H

MORACEAEFicus platypoda (Miq.) A. Cunn. ex Miq.

MYOPORACEAEE r e m o p h i l a b i g n o n i i f l o r a ( B e n t h . ) F. M u e l l . - - - - 4 4 - - 4 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a c o r d a t i s e p a l a L . S . S m i th - - - - 4 - - - - - - sE r e m o p h i l a d u t t o n i i F. M u e l l . 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a f r e e l i n g i i F . M u e l l . 4 4 - - 4 - - - - 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a g o o d u i n i i F. M u e l l . - - - - 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a l a t r o b e i F . M u e l l . 4 4 4 - 4 4 4 4 - 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a l o n g i f o l i a (R . B r . ) F. M u e l l . 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - * sE r e m o p h i l a m a c d o n n e l l i i F . M u e l l . 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - - sE r e m o p h i l a m a c g i l l i v r a y i 3 .M . B la c k - - - - - 4 sE r e m o p h i l a m a c u la ta ( K e r . ) F . M u e l l . v /a r . m a c u la ta 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a o b o v a ta L .S . S m i th v a r . o b o v a ta 4 - 4 - 4 4 4 4 - - - sE r e m o p h i l a p o l y c l a d a (F . M u e l l . ) F. M u e l l . - - - - - 4 - - - 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a r o t u n d i f o l i a F . M u e l l . - 4 - - - - - - - 4 - sE r e m o p h i l a w i l l s i i F. M u e l l . 4 4 4 4 4 - 4 - - - - sMyoporum acum ina tu m R. B r . - - — - - 4 s

MYRTACEAE

C a l y t r i x l o n g i f l o r a F. M u e l l . - - 4 - - - - 4 - - - sE u c a l y p t u s c a m a ld u le n s i s D ehnh. 4 4 4 • 4 - - 4 4 4 t- TE u c a l y p t u s g a m o p h y l la F. M u e l l . - - 4 - - - - 4 - - - sE u c a l y p t u s i n t e r t e x t a R .T . Baker - - 4 - - - 4 - - - sE u c a l y p t u s m i c r o t h e c a F. M u e l l . 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - TE u c a l y p t u s p a c h y p h y l l a F. M u e l l . - - 4 4 - 4 4 - - - sE u c a l y p t u s papuana F . M u e l l . 4 - 4 - - - - 4 - - TE u c a l y p t u s s o c i a l i s F . M u e l l . ex M iq . - - 4 - - - - 4 - - - SE u c a l y p t u s t e r m i n a l i s F . M u e l l . 4 - 4 - 4 4 4 4 - 4 h TM e la le u c a g lo m e r a t a F. M u e l l . 4 4 - - - - - 4 - - ST h ryp to m e n e m a isonneuv /e i F . M u e l l . 4 — 4 4 4 — S

NYCTAGINACEAE

B o e r h a v ia d i f f u s a L . 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 - H

67


PEDAL IACEAEDosephinia eugeniae F. Muell.

PITTOSPORACEAEPittosporum phylliraeoides DC. uar. microcarpa S. Moore

PLANTAGINACEAEPlantago drummondii Decne. Plantago multiscapa B.G. Briggs Plantago \/aria R. Br.

POACEAEAgrostis avenacea C.C. Gmel.

*Alopecurus geniculatus L.Amphipogon caricinus F. Muell.Aristida anthoxanthoides (Domin) Henr.Aristida armata Henr.5 Aristida brouniana Henr.Aristida contorta F. Muell.Aristida inaequiglumis Domin Aristida ingrata Domin^Aristida latifolia DominAristida nitidula (Henr.) S.T. Blake ex O.M. Black Aristida strigosa (Henr.) S.T. Blake ex D.M. Black Astrebla elymoides F. Muell. ex F.M. Bail.Astrebla lappacea (Lindl.) DominAstrebla pectinata (Lindl.) F. Muell. ex Benth.

*Avena fatua L.Brachiaria miliiformis (Presl.) Chase Brachiaria piligera (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Hughes Brachiaria praeteruisa (Domin) C.E. Hubbard Brachyachne ciliaris (0. Kuntze) C.E. Hubbard Brachyachne conuergens (F. Muell.) Stapf

*Cenchrus ciliaris L.Cenchrus pennisetiformis Höchst. & Steud. ex Steud. Chloris pectinata Benth.Chloris scariosa F. Muell.Chloris uentricosa R. Br.^Chloris virgata Sw.Chrysopogon fallax S.T. Blake Cymbopogon ambiguus A. Camus Cymbopogon obtectus S.T. Blake Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers Dactyloctenium radulans (R.Br.) Beauu.Dichanthium affine (R. Br.) A. CamusDichanthium sericeum (R. Br.) A. CamusDichanthium tenuiculum (Steud.) S.T. BlakeDigitaria ammophila HughesDigitaria brownii (Roem. & Schult.) HughesDigitaria coenicola (F. Muell.) Hughes war. coenicolaDigitaria ctenantha (F. Muell.) HughesDiplachne fusca (L.) StapfDiplachne muelleri Benth.Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link Echinochloa turnerana (Domin) 3.M. Black Elytrophorus spicatus (Willd.) A. Camus Enneapogon auenaceus (Lindl.) C.E. Hubbard Enneapogon cylindricus N.T. Burb.Enneapogon oblongus N.T. Burb.Enneapogon polyphyllus (Domin) N.T. Burb.Enneapogon purpurascens (R. Br.) Beauv.Enteropogon acicularis (Lindl.) Lazar.Eragrostis australasica (Steud.) C.E. Hubbard Eragrostis basedouii Dedw.Eragrostis confertiflora 3.M. Black Eragrostis dielsii Pilger Eragrostis elongata (Willd.) Dacq.Eragrostis eriopoda Benth.Eragrostis falcata Gaud.



+ - - - - - -------+ H

"" — + ? S

+ + + _ + + + - + + - H- + H+ + + + + H

+ ____+ _____ H- - - - - + -------+ - - H- - + - + - - + - - + P

+ + + - + + + -------+ + H

- - - - + - ----------- + + H

+ + + + + + + + + - - H

+ + + + + + + + + + + H

- - - - + - -------+ - + P- - + - + - - + ------------ H

+ - - - + + - + + + + H

+ P

+ + P

+ + - - + - - - + + - P

+ P

+ + + + + + + - + + + P

+ - - - - - + - - - - H

+ - + - + - + - + - - H- - - - + - -------+ - - H

+ + - - + - -------+ --------- H

+ + + - + - ------------+ - H- - - - + - - - + + - H

+ P

+ P

+ + + - + + + - - + - H- - - - + - - - - + + H- - - - + - - - + - - H

+ + H- - - - + + - - + + + P

+ P- - - - + - - - - - + P

+ - - - + - -------+ --------- P

+ + + + + + + + + + + H

+ + + + - - + - + - - H

+ + - - + - - - + + - H- - - - + - - - + - - P

+ + - - - + -------+ --------- H

+ - + - + - - + + + + H- - + - + + - - - + + H- - + - + - - - - + + H

+ + + - + + - - + + - H

- + - - + + - - + + - H- - - - + - - - + - - H- - - - - + -------+ ---------- H- - - - - + -------+ - - H+ + + + + + + + + + + H

+ + + + + + + - - + + P

+ - - - + - -----------------+ P

+ + + - + + + - + + + H- - - - + - - - - - + P

+ - + - + - + - + + + P

+ + + - + + + - + + - P

+ + + + + + + - + + - H

+ + + H

+ + + + + + + + + + - H- - - - - + - - + - - H

+ + + + + - + + + - + P- - + + - - + - + - - P

68


POACEAE continuedEragrostis kennedyae Turner Eragrostis laniflora Benth.Eragrostis lanipes C.E. Hubbard Eragrostis leptocarpa Benth.Eragrostis pergracilis S.T. Blake

*Eragrostis pilosa (l.,) Beauv.5 Eragrostis setifolia NeesEragrostis speciosa (Roem. & Schult.) Steud.Eragrostis tenellula (Kunth) Steud.5 Eragrostis xerophila Domin Eragrostis sp.Eragrostis sp.Eragrostis sp.Eriachne aristidea E. Muell.Eriachne armitii F. Muell. ex Benth.Eriachne benthamii W. Hartley Eriachne helmsii (Domin) U. Hartley Eriachne mucronata R. Br.Eriachne nervosa Ewart & CooksonEriachne pulchella DominEriochloa australiensis Stapf ex Thell.Eriochloa crebra S.T. BlakeEriochloa pseudoacrotricha (Stapf ex Thell.) 3 .M. BlackEulalia fulva (R. Br.) KuntzeIseilema dolichotrichum C.E. HubbardIseilema eremaeum S.T. BlakeIseilema membranaceum (Lindl.) DominIseilema vaginiflorum DominLeptochloa digitata (R. Br.) DominRonachather paradoxa Steud.Neurachne munroi (F. Muell.) F. Muell.Panicum australiense Domin Panicum decompositum R. Br.Panicum effusum R. Br.Panicum white! D.M. Black Paractenium novae—hollandiae Beauv.Paraneurachne muelleri (Hack) S.T. Blake Paspalidium constrictum (Domin) C.E. Hubbard Paspalidium jubiflorum (Trin.) Hughes Paspalidium rarum (R. Br.) Hughes Perotis rara R. Br.Plagiosetum refractum (F. Muell.) Benth.Plectrachne schinzii Henr.Schizachyrium fragile (R. Br.) A. Camus Setaria dielsii Herrm.Setaria surgens StapfSporobolus actinocladis (F. Muell.) F. Muell.Sporobolus australasicus Domin Sporobolus caroli MezSporobolus mitchellii (Trin.) C.E. Hubbard ex S.T. Blake Themeda australis (R. Br.) Stapf Thyridolepis mitchelliana (Nees) S.T. Blake Tragus australianus S.T. Blake Triodia basedowii E. Pritz.Triodia longiceps 3.M. Black Triodia molesta N.T. Burb.^Tripogon loliiformis (F. Muell.) C.E. Hubbard Triraphis mollis R. Br.Uranthoecium truncatum (Maid. & Betche) Stapf Zygochloa paradoxa (R. Br.) S.T. Blake

POLYGALACEAE Polygala isingii Pedley

NW

GEOGRAPHICZONE

SW CN CS NE SE D

LANCZONE

s c

1

p R

HAB

+ _ __ + + + _ H+ + + - + - + + + - - P

+ P

+ + + - + + + - + + - H- - - - + - - - - + - H- - - - + - - - + - - H+ + + + + + - - + + - P- - + - + - + + + - - H+ + + - + + - - + - - H+ - + - + + - - - + + P- - - - + - - - + - - H+ - - - - - + - - - -- - - - + - - - + - -

+ + + + + - + + + - - H- - - - + - - - - - + H+ + - - + + - - + + - P

+ P+ - - - + - + - + - + P- + P

+ + H+ + + - - + - - + - - H+ H

+ + - - + + - - + - - H

+ + + - + + + - + + + P

+ + + + H+ + + + - H

+ + + + + - + - + + + H- + + - + + + - + - - H+ + - - + - - - + - - P

+ + + - P

+ - - - + - - - - - + P+ - + + - - + + - - - H+ - + + + + - - + - - H- - + - + - + - - - - H+ - + - + + + - + - - H

+ - + + - + - - - - H+ - + - + - + + - - + P+ - - - - - + - + - - P- - - - + - - - + - - P+ - - - + - - - + - + H- - + - + - + + + - + H+ + + + + + + - + - - H- - + - - - - + - - - P- - + - + - - + - - + H+ + + - - - - - + + - H+ - + - + - - + + + - H+ + + - + + + - + + + H- - - - + - - - + + + H+ - - - + - - - + + - H- - - - + + - - + + - P

+ - - - + - - - + - + P- - - - + - - - - - + P+ + + + + + + + + + + H+ + + + + + + + - - - P- - - - + - + - - - - P- - - - + - - - - - ? P+ + - - + + + - + + + H+ + + + + - + + + - - H+ + - H+ + + + + + + + +

" "P

+ + + H

69

APPENDIX II continuedGEOGRAPHIC

ZONELANDZONE

NW sw CN cs NE SE D S c P R B

POLVGONACEAE*Emex australis Steinh. + - HFluehlenbeckia coccoloboides 3.FI. Black - - - + - - + - + - - SFluehlenbeckia cunninghamii (Fleisn.) F. Pluell. + + - - + + + - + + - SPolygonum glabrum klilld. - - - - + - - - + - - PPolygonum plebeium R. Br. + + - - + + - - + - - HRumex crystallinus Lange + + - + + + - - + + H

PORTULACACEAECalandrinia balonensis Lindl. + _ + _ + + + + --- - HCalandrinia disperma 3.P'1. Black + - - - - + — - HCalandrinia polyandra Benth. + + + + - + + — - HCalandrinia ptychosperma F. Pluell. + + + - + + + — - HCalandrinia pumila F. Pluell. + + - - - - + - + - - HCalandrinia remota 3.PI. Black + + + - - + + — - HCalandrinia volubilis Benth.1 - - - + - - + — - HPortulaca intraterranea 3.PI. Black + + + + + + + — - HPortulaca oleracea L. 4 * + + + + + + + + + + HPortulaca pilosa L. subsp. pilosa + - + - + - 4 - + + + + H

POTAPIOGETDNACEAEPotamogeton tricarinatus F. Pluell. & A. Benn. ex A. Benn. + P

PROTEACEAEGrevillea juncifolia Hook. + + + + + + + + - - - SGrevillea nematophylla F. Pluell. - - - - + - + — - SGrevillea stenobotrya F. Pluell. + + + + + + + + - - - SGrevillea striata R. Br. + - + - + + + + + - + THakea chordophylla F. Pluell. - - + - - - - + - - - SHakea eyreana (S. Ploore) D. PlcGillivray + + + + + + + ---+ + SHakea kippistiana - - - - - + ? SHakea leucoptera R. Br. + + + + + + + — + - SHakea macrocarpa R. Br. - - + - - - - + --- - SHakea suberea S. Ploore - - + - + - - + --- + S

RANUNCULACEAE*Flyosurus minimus L. - - - - - + - - + - - HRanunculus pumilio R. Br. - - - - - + - - + - - H

RHAPINACEAEUentilago viminalis Hook. - - - - + - - - + - + S

RUBIACEAEDentella pulvinata Airy Shaw var. pulvinata Hedyotis pterospora F. Pluell.Pomax umbellata (Gaertn.) Solan, ex Fliq. Synaptantha tillaeacea (F. Muell.) Hook, f,

RUPPIACEAE Ruppia sp.

SANTALACEAEAnthobolus leptomerioides F. Pluell.Santalum acuminatum (R. Br.) DC.Santalum lanceolatum R. Br.

- - ++ + -+ + +

+ ------- P+ + + ---H

-----+ - S? - ? - - S+ - + - + S

SAPINDACEAEAtalaya hemiglauca (F. Pluell.) F. Pluell. ex Benth. Dodonaea angustissima DC.Dodonaea microzyga F. Pluell.Dodonaea petiolaris F. Pluell.Dodonaea viscosa 3acq. var. spatulata (Sm.) Benth. Heterodendrum oleaefolium Desf.

+ + -+ + ++ - -

+ + + - ++ + ---------- + +

------- +- + - - -

-o x

70


SCROPHULARIACEAE

G lo s s o s t i g m a d ia n d ru m (l_. ) 0 . K un tze P l im ulus g r a c i l i s R. B r .P l im ulus p r o s t r a t u s B e n th .P l im ulus re p e n s R. B r .P lo rga n ia f l o r i b u n d a B e n th .P lo rga n ia g l a b r a R. B r .P e p l i d i u m m u e l l e r i B e n th .

SOLANACEAE

D a t u r a l e i c h h a r d t i i E. P l u e l l . ex B e n th .D u b o i s i a h o p u o o d i i (F . P l u e l l . ) P. P l u e l l .N i c o t i a n a e x c e l s i o r ( 3 . Pi. B l a c k ) 3 . PI. B la c k

* N i c o t i a n a g la u c a G ra h .N i c o t i a n a g o s s e i DominN i c o t i a n a m e g a lo s ip h o n H e u rc k & P l u e l l . - A r g . s u b s p . s e s s i l i f o l i a

P. H o r t o nN i c o t i a n a o c c i d e n t a l i s W hee le r s u b s p . o b l i q u a N .T . B u rb . N i c o t i a n a r o s u l a t a (S . M oore ) Domin s u b s p . i n g u l b a ( 3 . PI. B l a c k )

P. H o r t o nN i c o t i a n a s im u la n s N .T . B u rb .N i c o t i a n a v e l u t i n a W hee le r Solanum c e n t r a l e 3 . PI. B la c k Solanum che nopo d inu m P. P l u e l l .So lanum c h i p p e n d a l e i Symon^Solanum c le is to g a m u m Symon Solanum c o a c t i l i f e r u m 3 . PI. B la c k Solanum e l l i p t i c u m R. B r .Solanum e s u r i a l e L i n d l .

* S o la n u m n ig r u m L .Solanum o l i g a c a n t h u m P. P l u e l l .Solanum p e t r o p h i l u m P. P l u e l l .So lanum q u a d r i l o c u l a t u m P. P lu e l l .So lanum s t u r t i a n u m P. P l u e l l .So lanum t u m u l i c o l a Symon

STACKHOUSIACEAE

P la c g re g o r ia r a c e m ig e r a P. P l u e l l .S t a c k h o u s i a c l e m e n t i i Domin S t a c k h o u s ia i n t e r m e d i a P.P1. B a i l .

STERCULIACEAE

G i l e s i a b i n i f l o r a P. P l u e l l .K e r a u d r e n i a i n t e g r i f o l i a S te u d .P le lh a n ia o b l o n g i f o l i a F . P l u e l l .R u l i n g i a l o x o p h y l l a P. P l u e l l .W a l t h e r i a i n d i c a L .

STYLBBASIDIACEAE

S t y l o b a s iu m s p a t h u l a t u m D e s f .

TETRAGONIACEAE

T e t r a g o n i a e remaea O s t e n f .T e t r a g o n i a t e t r a g o n i o i d e s ( P a l l a s ) K u n tz e

TH YP1ELAEACEAE

P im e le a c o n t i n u a 3 . PI. B la c k P im e le a p e n i c i l l a r i s R. B r .P im e le a s p . a f f . P. s i m p l e x P. P lu e l l .P im e le a t r i c h o s t a c h y a L i n d l .

TILIACEAE

C o r c h o r u s sp.T r i u m f e t t a w in n e c k e a n a P. P l u e l l .

NW

GEOGRAPHICZONE

SW CN CS NE SE

LANDZONE

D S C P R

HAB

+ + H- - - - - + ----- + + - H- - - - - + - - + + - H- - - + - + ----- + -------- H+ + + + + + + - + ----- P+ - + + + + ----- + + - P+ +

" "+ ----- + - H

4- + + _ + + + ----- H- - - - + - + + --------- S- - + - - - + -------------- H+ - - - - - + ----- -------- S+ H

- _ - - + - - - + - - H- + + - - - ++1+1 H

+ + + - - - + -------------- H+ + - - + - ----------+ + H+ + + + + + + + + ----- H+ + + + - - + -------------- P+ - + - + - + + 1 + 1 P- - - - + - -------------- + P- - + - - - + -------------- H+ + + + - - + - + + - S+ + + - + + + + ------+ H+ + + + + - + ------+ - P+ - - - - - + - ---------- H- - - + + + ----- + -------- P- - + - - - ----- ---- - + S+ - - - + - - + + + + P+ - + - - - + ------+ + s

"+ _ _ + _ _ H

+ _ + ______ H- - - - - + ? P+ +

"+ + + - + ----- H

+ + _ _ _ + ------+ - P- - - - + - - + ---------- S+ + + - + + + + + + + P- - + - - - - + - - - s— “ + + _ _ + _ _ p

- - + - + - - + ---------- s

+ + ________ H““ + + + _ _ + - _ H

+ ______+ _ H- + - + - - + -------------- S

H+ + + +

"+ + ---------+ H

+ + _ - + + ----- P- - + - + - + -------------- P

71



NW SUJ CN CS NE SE D S C P RB

TYPHACEAE

Typha d o m in g e n s is P e r s . + - - - - + - - + - - P

VERBENACEAE

C le ro d e n d ru m f l o r i b u n d u m R. B r . - - + - + - - - + - - S•*1/erbena b o n a r i e n s i s L . 1 - - - - - + - - + - - P* V e rb e n a o f f i c i n a l i s L . - - - - + - - - + - - P

VIOLACEAE

H yb a n th u s a u r a n t i a c u s (F . M u e l l . ex B e n t h . ) F. M u e l l . - - - - + - - — + PH y b a n th u s enneasperm us ( L . ) F. M u e l l . s u b s p . enneasperm us + - - - - -

ZANNICHELLIACEAE

L e p i l a e n a c y l i n d r o c a r p a ( W a l p . ) B e n th . H

ZYGOPHYLLACEAE

N i t r a r i a b i l l a r d i e r i DC. - - - + - + + - + - - ST r i b u l u s a s t r o c a r p u s F . M u e l l . - - - - + - - ------+ + HT r i b u l u s h y s t r i x R. B r . + + - + + + + — - HT r i b u l u s m a c ro c a rp u s F . F l u e l l . ex B e n th . + - - - + - + — + HT r i b u l u s o c c i d e n t a l i s R. B r . + - - - + - + - + + - HT r i b u l u s t e r r e s t r i s L . + - + + + - + + + - - HZ y g o p h y l lu m ammophilum F. n u e l l . + + + + + + + - + + + HZ y g o p h y l lu m a u r a n t ia c u m ( L i n d l . ) F . M u e l l . + - - + - + + - + - - PZ y g o p h y l lu m compressum D.M. B la c k - - + - + - + — - HZ y g o p h y l lu m eremaeum ( D i e l s ) O s t e n f . - - + - - - + — - PZ y g o p h y l lu m h o w i t t i i F . M u e l l . + + + + + + + - + - - HZ y g o p h y l lu m h u m i l l im u m M. Koch - - - - - + HZ y g o p h y l lu m io d o c a rp u m F. M u e l l . - + - H

NATURAL RESOURCES SERIES

1. Coastal Lands of Australia

2. Land Systems of the Simpson Desert Region

ISSN 0813-474X

land systems of the simpson desert region

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