A surprise find on Sportsman Creek Conservation Area after the January floods is the native species of Macadadami integrifolia. Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and (facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium term.)
Classification 3VC under the ROTAP system.


Sportsman Creek Conservation Area is engaged in growing and planting this native twig rush. Commonly called Buckie rush and used extensively by the Indigenous Bundjalung peoples for basket weaving and net string bag making. A compact slender native bog grass, thrives in standing water and around flooded soils, making it the ultimate landscape plant for wet areas in the garden or for landscape re-vegetation.
Description – Hardy native grass with
slender attractive lime green foliage and reddish-brown flower spikes.
Location – Will grow in up to 25cm of
water, in full sun or part shade. Hardy tolerating frost and low nutrient
soils.
Uses – Oxygenates and removes nutrients
from pond water and provides habitat keeping ponds cleaner and healthy. THE
STEMS ARE ALSO USED AS EXCELLENT FIBRE FOR BASKET WEAVING.
Care – Low maintenance, trim by half every
two to three years and water if the bog begins to dry out. For weaving harvest
by gently pulling out individual stems.
Also called the Parrot’s Beak Orchid. This terrestrial herb species is common in moist areas of dry sclerophyll forest, wet sclerophyll forest and coastal scrub. Flowering June to September from a leafless stem usually 15-20cm and sometimes found in dense colonies. A new species for the Conservation Area.
I.D. and reference courtesy of Denis Wilson.
“A species of native Australian flowering plant. Known by common names such as False Sarsaparilla, Happy Wanderer and Waraburra. It often grows as a climbing vine and has typical pea family flowers, usually violet, white or pink. The leaves are dark green hard and leathery with prominent venation.” Found growing in Open Eucalypt Woodland and a new species for the Conservation Area.
A new educational resource providing details of over 300 significant species that can be found growing in the Clarence Valley is now available at the Clarence Environment Centre (CEC) for $7. each. The DVD provides a PDF fact sheet for each species with a photograph or image and provides scientific and common names, family name, protected status, a brief description, localities and range of occurence and threats faced.
Contact – Clarence Environment Centre. 31 Skinner St. South Grafton. N.S.W. 2460.
An erect or diffuse native shrub between 50-200cm in height. Widespread in heath and dry schlerophyll forest north from the Victorian border. Found in sandy sections across the Conservation Area.
Further reference; www.noosanativeplants.com.au/plants/267/hibbertia-linearis