Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
6
considered naturalised, but are presumed to have disappeared from the landscape (not collected
for more than 50 years). Doubtfully naturalised species have populations that may be
in the early
stages of naturalisation and not yet established in the landscape, or their continued existence in
the landscape may be doubtful, for example where the entire Queensland population has been
subject to an eradication program. Adventive plants or weeds appearing only in gardens and other
cultivated situations are not considered to be either doubtfully naturalised or naturalised. Plants
known only from cultivation are excluded from all lists.
Many naturalised and doubtfully naturalised species pose a threat to natural ecosystems,
agriculture and grazing lands. More than 100 of these species are listed as pests (restricted or
prohibited) under the
Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014
(https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/B/BiosecurityA14.pdf).
Scientific names
The scientific names used in these census lists comply with the rules of the
International Code of
Nomenclature of Algae, Fungi and Plants (Melbourne Code)
(http://www.iapt-
taxon.org/nomen/main.php) (McNeill et. al. 2012) and the International Code of Nomenclature for
Cultivated Plants (Brickell et al. 2009). Author abbreviations are available from the
International
Plant Names Index
(http://www.ipni.org/index.html). Names at the level of Kingdom and Phylum
follow Cavalier-Smith (2004).
Data limitations
These census lists are a snapshot of the flora of Queensland as at 4 July 2017, reflecting the
accepted scientific names and distribution of Queensland plants, algae, cyanobacteria, lichens and
macrofungi in the State of Queensland based primarily on the Queensland Herbarium collections.
Other Australian herbarium collections holding Queensland plant data are not included: see
comment above regarding species not represented by a Queensland Herbarium specimen.
Additional locations from other herbaria may be accessed from the
Australasian Herbarium
(http://avh.chah.org.au/)
Readers may submit specimen collections to fill obvious distribution gaps, but are requested to
please contact us first and find out what is required. Bryophytes, algae, lichens and fungi usually
require additional processing. Note that a permit is required for collecting activities on state lands
or where listed threatened species are involved. Contact the Queensland Herbarium
Queensland.Herbarium@qld.gov.au
Queensland flora statistics 2017
The Queensland native flora is currently represented by 14,304 native species across all groups,
nearly double the number listed by Bailey in 1913 (7,781 species). These native species include
974 species currently listed as threatened: Endangered (E), Vulnerable (V), Near Threatened (N)
or Extinct in the wild (X). The remaining native species are listed as Least Concern (no symbol in
the census lists).
There are currently 1,331 non-native species that are known to have become naturalised (*) in
Queensland, including two fungi species. The naturalised flora of Queensland has been increasing
at the rate of approximately 10 species per year for more than 100 years according to Queensland
Herbarium records, and now represents more than 13% of the total vascular flora. A further 343
species are considered to be doubtfully naturalised (D). In addition, 22 native Queensland species
are recorded here as naturalised outside of their native range. In Queensland, 96 non-native
Census of the Queensland Flora 2017
7
species previously considered to be naturalised have now disappeared from the landscape (not
collected for more than 50 years) are here listed as formerly naturalised (!).
One hundred and four years of flora species discovery is summarised in Table 1. Census data
over the last 23 years are summarised in Figure 1.
Plantae: vascular plants
Vascular plants are those that have distinct vascular tissue (xylem and phloem), as opposed to the
non-vascular plants (see below). They are considered to have evolved from a single freshwater
green algal ancestor and now include approximately 250,000 species worldwide. The flowering
plants (angiosperms) are the largest group, but Queensland also has many native conifers, cycads
and ferns. The classification presented here generally follows that of the
Australian Plant Census
(
https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc
) and the
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III
(http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/) with some exceptions.
Queensland’s 8,585 native vascular plant species represent about half of the known Australian
vascular flora. More than one third of these species are endemic, that is they are only found in
Queensland. New vascular plant species are still being discovered and described in Queensland at
the rate of approximately 20 species per year. Queensland has a wide diversity of
regional
ecosystems
(
http://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/plants/herbarium/mapping-
ecosystems/
): currently there are 1,461 identified ecosystems which include many unique habitats
such as lowland tropical rainforests and desert dune systems. Queensland is also the Australian
centre of diversity for several iconic plant groups such as the cycads and zamia palms (44 species)
and the ferns and fern allies (386 species).
The three largest families of native vascular plant species in Queensland are the legumes
(Leguminosae) 885 species, the grasses (Poaceae 633 species) and myrtles and eucalypts
(Myrtaceae 597 species); these three families dominate many ecosystems. The next largest
families are the orchids (Orchidaceae 439 species – see below), the sedges (Cyperaceae 377
species) and the daisies (Asteraceae 376 species). The family with the most naturalised species is
the grasses (Poaceae 184 species), followed by the legumes (Leguminosae 180 species) and the
daisies (Asteraceae 138 species).
Ailsa Holland
Orchids
The taxonomy of a number of plant families is being actively researched. This particularly applies
in Orchidaceae at the generic level. Queensland Herbarium staff are working towards a consensus
regarding the application of scientific names to orchids where the views of researchers vary.
Mike Mathieson
Algae
Algae and Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have traditionally been grouped together based on
their ability to undertake photosynthesis in aquatic environments. Unlike land plants which evolved
from a common ancestor, different lineages of algae have evolved separately in aquatic
environments over the last three billion years. These different evolutionary histories are reflected in
the current classification scheme which assigns ‘algal’ species to four of the six Kingdoms of Life
on Earth: cyanobacteria (Bacteria), red and green algae (Plantae), euglenoids and dinoflagellates
(Protozoa, not covered in this census) and the brown algae, diatoms and several other phyla