Flora

Vegetation

The most widespread vegetation types on Gluepot Reserve consist of a mix of the multi-stemmed Yorrell, Red and Summer red mallee. The canopy is mostly open, and the understorey comprises shrubs such as Shrubby twinleaf, Ruby saltbush, Comb Grevillea, Mueller's daisy-bush, Silver Senna, Stiff Westringia, chenopod shrubs, and some Spinifex hummocks. This vegetation unit occurs mostly as a mosaic with several others such as Black oak woodlands and shrublands.

Another major vegetation unit is Summer red and White mallee on sand dunes, with an understorey dominated by Spinifex. White mallee and Beaked mallee dominate the upper storey, with Narrow-leaf red mallee and Ridge-fruit mallee occurring as understorey species. Other understorey species include Dark turpentine bush, Tar bush and mixed shrubs, but few chenopods.

Black oak woodland occurs mainly in the north and west of Gluepot Reserve. This low woodland is characterised by denser Black oak stands with individual trees generally being a slender upright shape. The understorey is more open comprising mainly of Ruby saltbush, Grey bindyi, Pearl bluebush, Silver Senna, and various other shrubs. Where this woodland is more open, other tree species are common, particularly Bullock bush, Sugarwood, and the occasional Red mallee, Yorrell and Beaked mallee. The understorey species are also more variable, including various chenopods, Silver Senna, daisy-bushes, emu-bushes and hop bushes.

A substantial amount of vegetation survey and plant recording has been completed at Gluepot. This will be an continuous process. A comprehensive vegetation report with colour maps of the vegetation and survey site locations is available and for sale here and at Gluepot: Hyde, M. K., 2001, The vegetation of Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve, Northern Murray Mallee, South Australia, Wallowa Mallee Research Books, Blackwood. Click here to order!

Plant species

Nearly 300 species of vascular plants have been recorded at Gluepot so far. Of these approximately 240 are native and 35 introduced. The numbers are very fluid because new species are steadily being collected, and some of the previously-reported species have been discounted after further searching or incorrect use of names. Of the crytogams, 45 Lichen species have been recorded and vouchered, but no Fungi, Liverworts or Mosses have yet been collected at all.

Approximately half of the vascular plant species have been vouchered and lodged at the State Herbarium of South Australia. The Lichen vouchers are at the National Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

A reference herbarium is being compiled at Gluepot and presently contains about half of the recorded species mounted in A4 format in reference binders This is a continuing program. A detailed species list for each major plant group is linked below.

Vascular Plants all plants recorded at Gluepot including introduced species, with conservation status and brief distribution notes added

Lichens, Liverworts and Mosses only lichens are listed as no mosses or liverworts have yet been collected on Gluepot

Survey sites

Numerous plant survey sites have been recorded on Gluepot in the past. Surveys include:

- South Olary Plains vegetation mapping (DEH)
- Pastoral Management Board assessment
- Native Vegetation Management Branch Heritage assessment
- Black-eared miner habitat survey
- Harrington thesis research survey points
- Field Naturalist Club of Victoria biological survey
- Fixed photo-points (Geography department, University of Adelaide)
- Gluepot biodiversity survey sites

between them generating over 250 sets of vegetation data at more than 140 fixed points. Site-based research at Gluepot is now concentrated on 55 biological survey sites which have pitfall trap lines permanently in place. There is a program to voucher each plant species at each of the Biodiversity survey sites to provide a complete and robust data-set as a basis for future research. Approximately 25 of the 55 Gluepot biodiversity sites have been vouchered by August 2002. Sites that have been surveyed after rain have demonstrated up to 45 vascular plant species in an area of 25 X 25 metres.