Defining the native and naturalised flora for the Australian continent
R. J. Fensham A B C and B. Laffineur A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia.
B Department of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: rod.fensham@Qldgov.au
Australian Journal of Botany 67(1) 55-69 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT18168
Submitted: 27 August 2018 Accepted: 7 February 2019 Published: 20 March 2019
Abstract
The value of distinguishing between plant species regarded as ‘native’ and ‘alien’ has special relevance in the island continent of Australia, where European settlement was a springboard for human-assisted plant dispersal. The year of European settlement is proposed here as providing a distinction between a ‘native’ and ‘naturalised’ flora and is applied for the entire Australian flora of vascular plants. Herbarium collections and ecological criteria were employed to determine the status of 168 species of ambiguous origin. The date of 1788 proved to be a relatively straightforward criterion to assign native and naturalised status and the origin of only 27 plant species remains ambiguous. The dispersal of plants between continents is an ongoing process but European settlement of the Australian continent represents a very sharp biogeographic event for the Australian flora and provides a straightforward criterion for determining the ‘naturalised’ species.
Additional keywords: alien plants, exotic plants, flora, indigenous plants, naturalised, native.
References
Banks J (1962) Endeavour journal of Joseph Banks 1768–1771. (Trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales in association with Angus and Robertson: Sydney)Bean AR (2007) A new system for determining which plant species are indigenous in Australia. Australian Systematic Botany 20, 1–43.
| A new system for determining which plant species are indigenous in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bentham G (1863–1878) ‘Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian territory, Vols I–VII.’ (L. Reeve & Co.: London)
Borger CPD, Yan GJ, Scott JK, Walsh MJ, Powles SB (2008) Salsola tragus or S. australis (Chenopodiaceae) in Australia – untangling taxonomic confusion through molecular and cytological analyses. Australian Journal of Botany 56, 600–608.
| Salsola tragus or S. australis (Chenopodiaceae) in Australia – untangling taxonomic confusion through molecular and cytological analyses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown R (1814) General remarks, geographical and systematical on the botany of Terra Australis. In ‘Voyage to Terra Australis. Vol. 2’. (Ed. M Flinders) pp. 533–612. (G & W Nichol: London)
Buckley R, Harries H (1984) Self-sown wild-type coconuts from Australia. Biotropica 16, 148–151.
| Self-sown wild-type coconuts from Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Carolin RC (1970) A new species of Erodium L’Hér. from Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 94, 212–213.
CHAH Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria (2017) ‘Australia’s virtual herbarium.’ (Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria)
Chew MK, Hamilton AL (2011) The rise and fall of biotic nativeness: a historical perspective. In ‘Fifty years of invasion ecology: the legacy of Charles Elton’. (Ed. DM Richardson) pp. 35–47. (Blackwell: Oxford, UK)
Cook J (1968) ‘The voyage of the Endeavour, 1768–1771.’ (Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society: Cambridge, UK)
Cook GD, Dias L (2006) It was no accident: deliberate plant introductions by Australian government agencies during the 20th century. Australian Journal of Botany 54, 601–625.
| It was no accident: deliberate plant introductions by Australian government agencies during the 20th century.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Craven LA, de Lange PJ, Lally TR, Murray BG, Johnson SB (2011) A taxonomic re-evaluation of Hibiscus trionum (Malvaceae) in Australasia. New Zealand Journal of Botany 49, 27–40.
| A taxonomic re-evaluation of Hibiscus trionum (Malvaceae) in Australasia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crosby AW (2004) ‘Ecological imperialism: the biological expansion of Europe, 900–1900.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK)
Darragh T, Fensham R (2013) The Leichhardt diaries. Early travels in Australia during 1842–1844. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Culture 7, 1–540.
Davis AJ, Jenkinson LS, Lawton JH, Shorrocks B, Wood S (1998) Making mistakes when predicting shifts in species range in response to global warming. Nature 391, 783–786.
| Making mistakes when predicting shifts in species range in response to global warming.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 9486646PubMed |
Dodd AJ, Burgman MA, McCarthy MA, Ainsworth N (2015) The changing patterns of plant naturalization in Australia. Diversity & Distributions 21, 1038–1050.
| The changing patterns of plant naturalization in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fensham RJ, Bean AR, Dunlop CR, Dowe JL (2006) This disastrous event staggered me: reconstructing the botany of Ludwig Leichhardt on the expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, 1844–45. Cunninghamia 9, 451–506.
Flinders M (1814) ‘Voyage to Terra Australis. Vol. 2.’ (G & W Nichol: London)
Foreman DB, Walsh NG (1993) ‘Flora of Victoria. Vol. 1. Introduction.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne)
Gillett JG, Dunlop CR, Miller IL (1989) Occurrence, origin, weed status and control of water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) in the Northern Territory. Plant Protection Quarterly 3, 144–148.
Gross CL, Fatemi M, Julien M, McPherson H, van Klinken R (2017) The phylogeny and biogeography of Phyla nodiflora (Vebenaceae) reveals native and invasive lineages throughout the world. Diversity 9, 1–23.
| The phylogeny and biogeography of Phyla nodiflora (Vebenaceae) reveals native and invasive lineages throughout the world.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hill SR (1980) New taxa and combinations in Malvastrum A. Gray (Malvaceae, Malveae). Brittonia 32, 464–483.
| New taxa and combinations in Malvastrum A. Gray (Malvaceae, Malveae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hulme PE, Bacher S, Kenis M, Klotz S, Kuhn I, Minchin D, Nentwig W, Olenin S, Panov V, Pergl J, Pysek P, Roques A, Sol D, Solarz W, Vila M (2008) Grasping at the routes of biological invasions: a framework for integrating pathways into policy Journal of Applied Ecology 45, 403–414.
| Grasping at the routes of biological invasions: a framework for integrating pathways into policyCrossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jukes JB (1847) ‘Narrative of the surveying voyage of HMS Fly.’ (T & W Boone: London)
Kadereit JW (1988) Sectional affinities and geographical distribution in the genus Papaver L. (Papaveraceae). Beitrage zur Biologie der Pflanzen 63, 139–156.
Keighery G (1999) Predicting and preventing the west’s environmental weeds of the next century. In ‘12th Australian Weeds Conference Proceedings. Weed Management into the 21st Century: Do We Know Where We’re Going?’. Hobart, Tas. (Eds C Bishop, M Boersma, CD Barnes) pp. 572–575. (Tasmanian Weed Society: Hobart, Tas.)
Lines WJ (1992) ‘Taming the Great South Land: a history of the conquest of nature in Australia.’ (University of California Press: Berkeley, CA, USA)
Low T (1999) ‘Feral future. The untold story of Australia’s exotic invaders.’ (Viking: Melbourne)
MacGillivray J (1852) ‘Narrative of the voyage of HMS Rattlesnake, commanded by the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. etc. during the years 1846–1850.’ (T & W Boone: London)
Macknight CC (1976) ‘The voyage to marege. Maccasan trepangers in northern Australia.’ (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne)
Manzano P, Malo JE (2006) Extreme long-distance seed dispersal via sheep. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4, 244–248.
| Extreme long-distance seed dispersal via sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McNiven IJ (2008) Inclusions, exclusions and transitions: Torres Strait Islander constructed landscapes over the past 4000 years, northeast Australia. The Holocene 18, 449–462.
| Inclusions, exclusions and transitions: Torres Strait Islander constructed landscapes over the past 4000 years, northeast Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mueller Fv (1867) Australian vegetation, indigenous or introduced, considered especially in its bearings on the occupation of the Territory, and with a view of unfolding its resources. Le Journal de Botanique 5, 160–174.
Preston CD (2009) The terms ‘native’ and ‘alien’ – a biogeographical perspective. Progress in Human Geography 33, 702–711.
| The terms ‘native’ and ‘alien’ – a biogeographical perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Proske U, Haberle SG (2012) Island ecosystem and biodiversity dynamics in northeastern Australia during the Holocene: unravelling short-term impacts and long-term drivers. The Holocene 22, 1097–1111.
| Island ecosystem and biodiversity dynamics in northeastern Australia during the Holocene: unravelling short-term impacts and long-term drivers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pyšek P, Richardson DM, Rejmanek M, Webster GL, Williamson M, Kirschner J (2004a) Alien plant checklists and floras: towards better communication between taxonomists and ecologists. Taxon 53, 131–143.
| Alien plant checklists and floras: towards better communication between taxonomists and ecologists.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pyšek P, Richardson DM, Williamson M (2004b) Predicting and explaining plant invasions through analysis of source area floras: some critical considerations. Diversity & Distributions 10, 179–187.
| Predicting and explaining plant invasions through analysis of source area floras: some critical considerations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pyšek P, Jarosik V, Hulme PE, Pergl J, Hejda M, Schaffner U, Vila M (2012) A global assessment of invasive plant impacts on resident species, communities and ecosystems: the interaction of impact measures, invading species’ traits and environment. Global Change Biology 18, 1725–1737.
| A global assessment of invasive plant impacts on resident species, communities and ecosystems: the interaction of impact measures, invading species’ traits and environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pyšek P, Pergl J, Essl F, Lenzner B, Dawson W, Kreft H, Weigelt P, Winter M, Kartesz J, Nishino M, Antonova LA, Barcelona JF, Cabezas FJ, Cardenas D, Cardenas-Toro J, Castano N, Chacon E, Chatelain C, Dullinger S, Ebel AL, Figueiredo E, Fuentes N, Genovesi P, Groom QJ, Henderson L, Inderjit , Kupriyanov A, Masciadri S, Maurel N, Meerman J, Morozova O, Moser D, Nickrent D, Nowak PM, Pagad S, Patzelt A, Pelser PB, Seebens H, Shu WS, Thomas J, Velayos M, Weber E, Wieringa JJ, Baptiste MP, van Kleunen M (2017) Naturalized alien flora of the world: species diversity, taxonomic and phylogenetic patterns, geographic distribution and global hotspots of plant invasion. Preslia 89, 203–274.
| Naturalized alien flora of the world: species diversity, taxonomic and phylogenetic patterns, geographic distribution and global hotspots of plant invasion.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ricciardi A, Ryan R (2018) The exponential growth of invasive species denialism. Biological Invasions 20, 549–553.
| The exponential growth of invasive species denialism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Richardson DM (2000) Naturalisation and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions. Diversity & Distributions 6, 93–107.
| Naturalisation and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Richardson DM, Pyšek P, Simberloff D, Remanek M, Mader AD (2008) Biological invasions - the widening debate: a response to Charles Warren. Progress in Human Geography 32, 295–298.
| Biological invasions - the widening debate: a response to Charles Warren.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Santamaría L (2002) Why are most aquatic plants widely distributed? Dispersal, clonal growth and small-scale heterogeneity in a stressful environment. Acta Oecologica 23, 137–154.
| Why are most aquatic plants widely distributed? Dispersal, clonal growth and small-scale heterogeneity in a stressful environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sax DF, Gaines SD (2003) Species diversity: from global decreases to local increases. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 18, 561–566.
| Species diversity: from global decreases to local increases.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sebastian P, Schaefer H, Telford IRH, Renner SS (2010) Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (C. melo) have numerous wild relatives in Asia and Australia, and the sister species of melon is from Australia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107, 14269–14273.
| Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (C. melo) have numerous wild relatives in Asia and Australia, and the sister species of melon is from Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20656934PubMed |
Simberloff D, Martin JL, Genovesi P, Maris V, Wardle DA, Aronson J, Courchamp F, Galil B, Garcia-Berthou E, Pascal M, Pysek P, Sousa R, Tabacchi E, Vila M (2013) Impacts of biological invasions: what’s what and the way forward. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 28, 58–66.
| Impacts of biological invasions: what’s what and the way forward.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stubbs BJ (2001) The grasses of the Big Scrub district, north-eastern New South Wales: their recent history, spatial distribution and origins. The Australian Geographer 32, 295–319.
| The grasses of the Big Scrub district, north-eastern New South Wales: their recent history, spatial distribution and origins.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stuckey RL, Barkley TM (1993) Weeds. In ‘Flora of North America. Vol. 1. Introduction’. (Ed. NR Morin) pp. 193–198. (Oxford University Press: New York)
Thomas NW (1906) ‘The natives of Australia.’ (Archibald Constable and Co. Ltd: London)
Thorne RF (1972) Major disjunctions in the geographic ranges of seed plants. The Quarterly Review of Biology 47, 365–411.
| Major disjunctions in the geographic ranges of seed plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thozet A (1869) The coco-nut in Australia. Le Journal de Botanique 7, 213–214.
Toon A, Sacre E, Fensham RJ, Cook LG (2018) Immigrant and native? The case of the swamp foxtail Cenchrus purpurascens in Australia. Diversity & Distributions 24, 1169–1181.
| Immigrant and native? The case of the swamp foxtail Cenchrus purpurascens in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
van Kleunen M, Dawson W, Essl F, Pergl J, Winter M, Weber E, Kreft H, Weigelt P, Kartesz J, Nishino M, Antonova LA, Barcelona JF, Cabezas FJ, Cardenas D, Cardenas-Toro J, Castano N, Chacon E, Chatelain C, Ebel AL, Figueiredo E, Fuentes N, Groom QJ, Henderson L, Inderjit , Kupriyanov A, Masciadri S, Meerman J, Morozova O, Moser D, Nickrent DL, Patzelt A, Pelser PB, Baptiste MP, Poopath M, Schulze M, Seebens H, Shu WS, Thomas J, Velayos M, Wieringa JJ, Pysek P (2015) Global exchange and accumulation of non-native plants. Nature 525, 100–103.
| Global exchange and accumulation of non-native plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26287466PubMed |
Vilà M, Espinar JL, Hejda M, Hulme PE, Jarosik V, Maron JL, Pergl J, Schaffner U, Sun Y, Pysek P (2011) Ecological impacts of invasive alien plants: a meta-analysis of their effects on species, communities and ecosystems. Ecology Letters 14, 702–708.
| Ecological impacts of invasive alien plants: a meta-analysis of their effects on species, communities and ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21592274PubMed |
Walsh NG, Entwistle TJ (1994a) ‘The Flora of Victoria. Vol. 2. Ferns and allied plants, conifers and monocotyledons.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne)
Walsh NG, Entwistle TJ (1994b) ‘The Flora of Victoria. Vol. 3. Winteraceae to Myrtaceae.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne)
Warren CR (2007) Perspectives on the ‘alien’ versus ‘native’ species debate: a critique of concepts, language and practice. Progress in Human Geography 31, 427–446.
| Perspectives on the ‘alien’ versus ‘native’ species debate: a critique of concepts, language and practice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warren CR (2009) Using the native/alien classification for description not prescription: a response to Christopher Preston. Progress in Human Geography 33, 711–713.
| Using the native/alien classification for description not prescription: a response to Christopher Preston.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Webb DA (1985) What are the criteria for presuming native status? Watsonia 15, 231–236.
Wester L (1992) Origin and distribution of adventive alien flowering plants in Hawaii. In ‘Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: management and research’. (Eds CP Stone, CW Smith, JT Tunison) pp. 99–154. (University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu, HI)
Wheeler JR (Ed.) (1992) ‘Flora of the Kimberley region.’ (Department of Conservation and Land Management: Como, WA)
Windolf JFP (2000) The first botanical record for Australia. Austrobaileya 5, 721–723.
