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These articles are the latest published in the journal. Australian Journal of Botany is published under a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 11 March 2025

BT24020Implications of varroa mite establishment for Australian plants and their persistence

Tom Le Breton , Amy-Marie Gilpin, Chantelle Doyle and Mark K.J. Ooi

 

Varroa mite, a parasite associated with the collapse of European honeybee populations globally, has recently become established in Australia and will inevitably spread across the country. If feral honeybee populations drastically decline across Australia there may be serious consequences for native plant species in terms of their reproductive ecology and conservation. We highlight potential consequences of the spread of varroa mite, and knowledge gaps and research opportunities to prevent avoidable negative impacts on Australian flora. Illustration by Juan Camilo.

BT24020 Abstract  |  BT24020 Full Text  | BT24020PDF (663 KB)  | BT24020Supplementary Material (229 KB)   Open Access Article

Published online 06 March 2025

BT24060An assessment of the accuracy of satellite-derived woody and grass foliage cover estimates for Australia

Randall J. Donohue and Luigi J. Renzullo

 

Reasonably accurate predictions of the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of green foliage cover can be made from satellite imagery. We have produced fortnightly, Australia-wide woody and grass foliage cover layers for the past 24 years and have assessed their accuracy across a range of vegetation types and productivity gradients. Data are publicly available. Image by Randall Donohue.

BT24060 Abstract  |  BT24060 Full Text  | BT24060PDF (14.8 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 21 February 2025

BT24064Habitat for the endangered ephemeral Monotaxis macrophylla (Euphorbiaceae) in New South Wales: how do predictions compare with the evidence?

Stephen A. J. Bell

 

The endangered short-lived, ephemeral herb Monotaxis macrophylla is detectable only after fire or ground disturbance and has been attributed to 262 Plant Community Types in NSW for regulatory purposes. A review of evidence for occurrence has concluded that only 15 PCTs might be expected to support the species, substantially altering survey and assessment requirements. Photograph by Stephen Bell.

BT24064 Abstract  |  BT24064 Full Text  | BT24064PDF (1.3 MB)  | BT24064Supplementary Material (1 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 14 February 2025

BT23088_COCorrigendum to: Tasmania’s giant eucalypts: discovery, documentation, macroecology and conservation status of the world’s largest angiosperms

Brett Mifsud, Lynda D. Prior, Grant J. Williamson, Jan Corigliano, Carl Hansen, Robert Van Pelt, Steven Pearce, Thomas Greenwood and David M. J. S. Bowman

 

BT23088_CO Full Text  | BT23088_COPDF (140 KB)

Published online 06 February 2025

BT24065Assessing the storage potential of seed collections to inform the management of wild species seed banks

S. Balasupramaniyam, D. J. Merritt, F. R. Hay and E. L. Dalziell

 

Seed banks play an important role in ex situ plant conservation. However, managing wild species seed banks is complex, with seeds ageing and dying at different rates. After germinating seeds of banked seed collections to determine viability, we rapidly aged collections with high viability to differentiate the longevity to guide curation activities including future retesting schedules. This method could be used by wild seed banks to make more informed decisions about historical and ageing seed collections. Photograph by Laura Skates.

BT24065 Abstract  |  BT24065 Full Text  | BT24065PDF (1.1 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 30 January 2025

BT23088Tasmania’s giant eucalypts: discovery, documentation, macroecology and conservation status of the world’s largest angiosperms

Brett Mifsud , Lynda D. Prior , Grant J. Williamson, Jan Corigliano, Carl Hansen, Robert Van Pelt, Steven Pearce, Thomas Greenwood and David M. J. S. Bowman

 

A comprehensive survey of Tasmania’s wet eucalypt forests was conducted to find, measure and document the health and environmental characteristics of the state’s tallest and most massive trees. Results confirmed Eucalyptus regnans to be one of the world’s tallest flowering plant species, and significantly, the most massive angiosperm known to science. Photograph by Brett Mifsud.

BT23088 Abstract  |  BT23088 Full Text  | BT23088PDF (10.4 MB)  | BT23088Corrigendum (140 KB)  | BT23088Supplementary Material (1.8 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 24 January 2025

BT24023Spatially variable recruitment response to fire severity in golden-top wattle (Acacia mariae, family: Fabaceae), a thicket-forming shrub of semi-arid forests

Boyd R. Wright , Damien D. Andrew , Michael Hewins, Claire Hewitt and Roderick J. Fensham

 

Our study in the semi-arid Pilliga forest found that high-intensity fires enhance seedling recruitment in the obligate-seeding shrub Acacia mariae. However, site-specific variations suggest that other factors like post-fire precipitation and seed predation also affect post-fire recovery. These insights are crucial for refining fire management strategies and enhancing our understanding of species resilience to changing fire regimes.. Photograph by D. D. Andrew.

BT24023 Abstract  |  BT24023 Full Text  | BT24023PDF (1.6 MB)  | BT24023Supplementary Material (453 KB)   Open Access Article

Published online 09 January 2025

BT24042Half a century of change in floristics and structure in an urban grassy woodland: implications for conservation management

Jamie B. Kirkpatrick , Ian Jenkinson and Kerry L. Bridle

 

Does native vegetation in urban parks change over time? Yes and no is the answer we found after analysing data collected over a 50-year period. Whereas some sites are stable, management interventions such as weeding, burning, mowing and mechanical removal are useful tools to maintain healthy patches of native vegetation in urban areas. Map created by Ian Jenkinson.

BT24042 Abstract  |  BT24042 Full Text  | BT24042PDF (4.5 MB)  | BT24042Supplementary Material (1000 KB)   Open Access Article

Published online 09 January 2025

BT24047Origins of the rare Australian daisy Erigeron conyzoides and its implications for biological control research and conservation management

Stephanie H. Chen , Alicia Grealy, Michelle A. Rafter, Ben Gooden and Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn

 

Understanding the origins of plant species is critical for accurate risk assessment in weed biological control project as well as conservation management. Our study investigated the rare daisy Erigeron conyzoides, by using genetic data and traditional taxonomy. We discovered that the species is not a distinct endemic species native to Australia, as previously thought, but a disjunct population of the northern hemisphere species E. acer. Photograph by Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn, © CSIRO.

BT24047 Abstract  |  BT24047 Full Text  | BT24047PDF (1.9 MB)  | BT24047Supplementary Material (2.9 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 03 January 2025

BT24037Long-term surveillance of Phytophthora cinnamomi reveals no evidence of increased detections and new insights for monitoring and management

T. J. Mason , K. L. McDougall, P. Craven, C. C. Simpson, G. C. Popovic and D. A. Keith

 

Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil pathogen that can cause dieback and death in susceptible plant species. P. cinnamomi is widespread in southern Sydney conservation reserves of NSW but our study did not find evidence of increasing detections over time. We recommend that monitoring programs prioritise an increased sampling effort over a longer time series to support reliable trend analysis. Photograph by Tanya Mason.

BT24037 Abstract  |  BT24037 Full Text  | BT24037PDF (927 KB)   Open Access Article

Published online 17 December 2024

BT24019Comparison of chlorophyll content estimation using chlorophyll meters and leaf chloroplast pigments extracted from Eucalyptus urophylla and Khaya senegalensis seedlings

Leandro Dias da Silva, Raul Antonio Araújo do Bonfim, Mateus Pires Barbosa, Milton Carriço Sá, Leonardo Santos de Oliveira, Matheus Ferreira Almeida and Paulo Araquém Ramos Cairo

 

The protocol to estimate photosynthetic-pigment content was optimized in Eucalyptus urophylla and Khaya senegalensis seedlings by using different extraction methods to evaluate its relationship with values estimated using chlorophyll meters. In both species, a strong positive correlation was observed between estimated values and the values from extraction that used DMSO saturated with CaCO₃ at 65°C. Photograph by the authors.

BT24019 Abstract  | PDF (334 KB) - $35.00 

Published online 12 December 2024

BT24050Sabah’s hidden giant: Nepenthes pongoides (Nepenthaceae), a micro-endemic tropical pitcher plant from northern Borneo

Alviana Damit, Nur Adillah Mohd Yusof, Jemson Jumian, Charles Clarke and Alastair S. Robinson

 

A giant carnivorous tropical pitcher plant is described as new to science from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Named after the orangutan genus Pongo on account of its abundant covering of long, dark, rusty red hairs, Nepenthes pongoides naturally occurs in low numbers with fewer than fifty plants recorded. Coupled with the severe threat of poaching for the horticultural trade, not to mention vulnerability to single extinction level events such as wildfire, the species is assessed as critically endangered against IUCN criteria. Photograph by Alviana Damit.

BT24050 Abstract  |  BT24050 Full Text  | BT24050PDF (4.9 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 05 December 2024

BT24048High fire severity and frequency threaten the persistence of a widespread obligate-seeder Banksia in south-eastern Australia

Annette M. Muir , Nevil N. Amos and Paul D. Moloney

 

Populations of Banksia cunninghamii are declining as climate change drives more frequent, severe and widespread fires. Research on this species after south-eastern Australia’s 2019–2020 wildfires found that plants are killed by fire, with a low chance of seedling regeneration where severe fires burned eucalypt canopies, or the previous fire was less than 12 years ago. Large areas are no longer likely to support Banksia cunninghamii, and management is needed to protect juvenile plants until they produce seed cones. Photograph by Annette Muir.

BT24048 Abstract  | PDF (3.9 MB) - $35.00   | BT24048Supplementary Material (895 KB)

Published online 12 November 2024

BT24026Applying resource-selection functions to assess host preference in the endemic endoparasite Pilostyles hamiltoniorum (Apodanthaceae) and its principal host Daviesia (Fabaceae)

Ryan J. Craig , Bethany Pittway, Tingting Wu, Shane R. Turner and Jacqueline Batley

 

Understanding host usage is a significant aspect of understanding the ecology of parasitic plants. For endoparasitic plants host use is strict, although for Pilostyles, there are several species within the strict set of hosts that are used. Because of this, resource-usage functionsprovide a means to assess host usage in the genus Pilostyles. This study presents the first use of these functions in assessing Pilostyles hamiltoniorum to help understand host utilisation throughout its distribution. Photograph by Ryan Craig (2021).

BT24026 Abstract  |  BT24026 Full Text  | BT24026PDF (1.2 MB)   Open Access Article

Published online 08 November 2024

BT23105Exploring Myrtaceae diversity in the Caatinga: understanding the knowledge gaps for conservation

Paulo Sérgio Santos-Neves , Marla Ibrahim Uehbe de Oliveira and Ligia Silveira Funch

 

Brazil’s Caatinga is an ecologically diverse region teeming with unique plants. In this study, we have shed light on the gaps in our understanding of this extraordinary biome, uncovering Myrtaceae species diversity. We recorded higher species diversity than previously estimated and identified areas of greater richness and insufficient collection effort. This research has paved the way for targeted conservation efforts, safeguarding vital ecosystem services and ensuring a sustainable future for both nature and communities in the Caatinga. Photograph by Paulo Sérgio Santos-Neves.

BT23105 Abstract  | PDF (2.5 MB) - $35.00   | BT23105Supplementary Material (1.5 MB)

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1. Tasmania’s giant eucalypts: discovery, documentation, macroecology and conservation status of the world’s largest angiosperms

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   Brett Mifsud , Lynda D. Prior , Grant J. Williamson, Jan Corigliano, Carl Hansen, Robert Van Pelt, Steven Pearce, Thomas Greenwood, David M. J. S. Bowman

2. Sabah’s hidden giant: Nepenthes pongoides (Nepenthaceae), a micro-endemic tropical pitcher plant from northern Borneo

   Australian Journal of Botany 72 (8)

   Alviana Damit, Nur Adillah Mohd Yusof, Jemson Jumian, Charles Clarke, Alastair S. Robinson

3. Half a century of change in floristics and structure in an urban grassy woodland: implications for conservation management

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   Jamie B. Kirkpatrick , Ian Jenkinson, Kerry L. Bridle

4. Origins of the rare Australian daisy Erigeron conyzoides and its implications for biological control research and conservation management

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   Stephanie H. Chen , Alicia Grealy, Michelle A. Rafter, Ben Gooden, Alexander N. Schmidt-Lebuhn

5. Variable seed quality hampers the use of Themeda triandra (Poaceae) for seed production, agriculture, research and restoration: a review

   Australian Journal of Botany 72 (6)

   Marne Durnin , Emma Dalziell, Suzanne M. Prober, Petra Marschner

6. Long-term surveillance of Phytophthora cinnamomi reveals no evidence of increased detections and new insights for monitoring and management

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   T. J. Mason , K. L. McDougall, P. Craven, C. C. Simpson, G. C. Popovic, D. A. Keith

7. Assessing the storage potential of seed collections to inform the management of wild species seed banks

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   S. Balasupramaniyam, D. J. Merritt, F. R. Hay, E. L. Dalziell

8. A comprehensive functional trait database of seagrasses in tropical Queensland

   Australian Journal of Botany 72 (8)

   Chieh Lin , Robert G. Coles, Michael A. Rasheed, Alana Grech

9. Spatially variable recruitment response to fire severity in golden-top wattle (Acacia mariae, family: Fabaceae), a thicket-forming shrub of semi-arid forests

   Australian Journal of Botany 73 (1)

   Boyd R. Wright , Damien D. Andrew , Michael Hewins, Claire Hewitt, Roderick J. Fensham

10. A near-complete dataset of plant growth form, life history, and woodiness for all Australian plants

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (4)

    Elizabeth H. Wenk , David Coleman , Rachael V. Gallagher , Daniel S. Falster

11. Applying resource-selection functions to assess host preference in the endemic endoparasite Pilostyles hamiltoniorum (Apodanthaceae) and its principal host Daviesia (Fabaceae)

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (8)

    Ryan J. Craig , Bethany Pittway, Tingting Wu, Shane R. Turner , Jacqueline Batley

12. The leaf micromorphology and anatomy of gamba grass, Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Poaceae: Panicoideae)

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (2)

    Jeremy Farr , S. Krisantini, Melodina Fabillo

13. Evaluating the risk to Australia’s flora from Phytophthora cinnamomi

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (4)

    Keith L. McDougall , Sarah Barrett, Renate Velzeboer, David M. Cahill, Tim Rudman

14. Pollination strategies are exceptionally complex in southwestern Australia – a globally significant ancient biodiversity hotspot

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (2)

    Mark C. Brundrett , Philip G. Ladd , Greg J. Keighery

15. Pollination by multiple species of nectar foraging Hymenoptera in Prasophyllum innubum, a critically endangered orchid of the Australian Alps

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (5)

    Tobias Hayashi, Bronwyn M. Ayre , Björn Bohman, Graham R. Brown, Noushka Reiter , Ryan D. Phillips

16. The susceptibility of rare and threatened NSW species to the root-rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: 2. The identification of species requiring protection or further research

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (4)

    Keith L. McDougall , Edward C. Y. Liew

17. Habitat for the endangered ephemeral Monotaxis macrophylla (Euphorbiaceae) in New South Wales: how do predictions compare with the evidence?

    Australian Journal of Botany 73 (2)

    Stephen A. J. Bell

18. Seventy-five years of vegetation change after fire in Tasmanian alpine heathland

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (3)

    Ellen-Rose Sorensen, Jamie B. Kirkpatrick

19. Severely degraded high mountain vegetation recovers under different levels of wild herbivore grazing pressure, 1991–2021

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (3)

    Jamie B. Kirkpatrick , Kerry L. Bridle

20. Plant life-history data as evidence of an historical mixed-severity fire regime in Banksia Woodlands

    Australian Journal of Botany 72 (5)

    Russell G. Miller , Neal J. Enright , Joseph B. Fontaine , David J. Merritt , Ben P. Miller

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