Flora of the Australian Capital Territory facts for kids

The Flora of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) refers to all the amazing plants that grow naturally in this part of Australia. The ACT has many different natural areas, from cold, high mountains to thick sclerophyll forests and open woodlands.

Over the years, much of the ACT's land has been used for farming. It also experiences bushfires quite often. The plants here can be grouped into different types:

• Vascular plants: These have special tubes to carry water and nutrients. They include gymnosperms (like pines), flowering plants, and ferns.
• Bryophytes: These are small plants like mosses.
• Lichens: These are a mix of fungi and algae living together.
• Fungi: These are not plants, but they are an important part of the ecosystem.
• Freshwater algae: These are simple plant-like organisms found in water.

Did you know that four flowering plants and several lichens are found only in the ACT? This makes them very special! Most plants in the ACT are typical of the wider Australian flora, like Grevillea shrubs, Eucalyptus trees, and kangaroo grass.

Plant Homes: Where Plants Live

The ACT has different natural areas, or "habitats," where specific plants thrive.

Grasslands

Originally, large areas of Grassland covered the low plains around Canberra. Today, most of these areas have been built on or changed by farming. The main grasses that grew here were Stipa (spear grass), Danthonia (wallaby grass), and Themeda (kangaroo grass).

Trees don't usually grow in these grasslands. This is because of something called the "frost hollow effect." Cold, heavy air sinks into these low areas on frosty mornings, which can kill larger plants like trees. The few remaining grasslands now have many introduced weeds. You can still see a small piece of original grassland at Yarramundi, near Lake Burley Griffin.

Woodlands

Most of the trees in the ACT are different types of Eucalyptus trees.

Low Altitude Woodlands

These woodlands are found in lower areas. They are mostly filled with Eucalyptus melliodora (yellow box) and Eucalyptus polyanthemos (red box) trees. E. blakelyi grows in even lower spots. Along creeks, you'll often see Casuarina cunninghamiana (river oak).

Where the woodland meets the grassland, you might find Eucalyptus pauciflora (snow gum) and Eucalyptus rubida. These trees can handle colder temperatures.

High Altitude Woodlands

These woodlands are in the higher valleys in the southern ACT. Here, E. stellulata (black sally) and snow gums are the most common trees.

Dry Sclerophyll Forests

Above the woodlands, you'll find dry sclerophyll forests. The trees here include Eucalyptus dives (broad-leaved peppermint), E. mannifera var maculosa (red spotted gum), Eucalyptus rossii (scribbly gum), and Eucalyptus macrorhyncha (red stringy gum).

Places like Mount Majura, Mount Ainslie, Bullen Range, and Black Mountain are covered in this type of forest. Dry sclerophyll forests also grow on the warmer, drier north and west sides of hills below 660 metres. In the wetter gullies within these forests, you might see Eucalyptus viminalis (manna gum) and Eucalyptus radiata var robertsonii (narrow-leaved peppermint).

Wet Sclerophyll Forests

Wet sclerophyll forests grow in the western, mountainous parts of the ACT, where there's more rain and higher ground. E. fastigata (brown barrel) and Eucalyptus delegatensis (alpine ash) are the main trees. Underneath them, dense shrubs up to five metres tall create a thick layer. Some of these shrubs are Leptospermum lanigerum, Pomaderris aspera, Olearia argophylla, and Bedfordia salicina. Higher up in these forests, Eucalyptus dalrympleana and E. pauciflora (snow gum) start to appear.

Alpine Woodlands

Alpine woodlands are found in the highest parts of the ACT. E. pauciflora (snow gum) is the main tree here. It grows in scattered groups or thin patches, with Poa grasses filling the spaces in between.

Vascular Plants Found Only in the ACT

Some special vascular plants are found only in the ACT. This means they are endemic to this region.

Kambah Karpet, a unique type of Acacia dealbata found in Kambah

• Pomaderris pallida (from the Rhamnaceae family): This round bush grows 1 to 2 metres tall and has creamy flowers. It's found along the Murrumbidgee, Cotter, Paddys, and Molonglo Rivers.
• Arachnorchis actensis (Canberra Spider-orchid): A unique orchid species.
• Lepidium ginninderrense (Ginninderra Peppercress): Found in the northwest corner of the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station near Lawson.
• Muehlenbeckia tuggeranong (Tuggeranong Lignum): This plant forms a tangled mound of stems, about 1 metre high and 2 metres wide. It's extremely rare and found near Pine Island on the Murrumbidgee River.
• Corunastylis ectopa (Brindabella Midge-orchid, Ectopic Midge-orchid): Another special orchid.

Gymnosperms

Only two types of gymnosperms grow naturally in the ACT.

• Podocarpus lawrencei (mountain plum pine): This is a shrub.
• Callitris endlicheri (black cypress pine): This is a small tree. It grows in rocky soil in places like Molonglo Gorge, the Murrumbidgee River valley, and Ginninderra Gorge.

Other gymnosperms, like Pinus radiata, are planted in the ACT but are not native.

Unique Lichens of the ACT

The Australian Capital Territory has 384 known species of lichens. Eight of these are endemic, meaning they are found only in the ACT. Scientists are still studying lichens, so more unique ones might be discovered!

Here are the lichens found only in the ACT (in bold):

• Buellia molonglo
• Lecanora placodiolica
• Malcolmiella cinereovirens var. isidiata
• Pyrrhospora arandensis
• Xanthoparmelia hyposalazinica
• Xanthoparmelia paraparmeliformis
• Xanthoparmelia parasitica
• Xanthoparmelia subluminosa

Some other lichens found in the ACT are also found in other parts of the world, but not elsewhere in Australia. These include Collema fragrans and Fellhanera parvula.

Common Lichens in the ACT

These lichens are not unique to the ACT, but you can often find them here:

• Chrysothrix candellaris: This is a yellow crustose lichen, meaning it grows flat like a crust on wood.
• Ramboldia petraeoides: Another crustose lichen, found on stone.
• Flavoparmelia rutidota: A green foliose lichen, which means it has a leafy or lobed shape. It grows on wood and rocks.
• Thamnolia vermicularis: Found in high parts of Namadgi National Park.
• Rhizocarpon geographicum (map lichen): This lichen looks like a map and grows on rocks.

Images for kids

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  Flora of Curtin Park found in Curtin, ACT