Flaxley Landcare Group

Battunga / Flaxley Landcare / Native Vegetation

NATIVE VEGETATION

Remnant native vegetation is mainly on private properties, road reserves and small Council reserves and consists of the following associations:

Stringybark forest

 

The most extensive remnant vegetation consists of Messmate stringybarks (Eucalyptus obliqua), with Pink Gums (E. fasciculosa) and occasional Cup Gums (E. cosmophylla) on the ridge tops. Smooth barked Manna Gums (E. viminalis ssp. viminalis) have been largely cleared but some occur mainly in wet gullies.

Convolvulus erubesens  

Pink, Blue and Manna Gum Woodlands

On deep textured soils the overstorey is dominated by Pink Gums (Eucalyptus fasciculosa) on the upper slopes, grading into Blue Gums (E. leucoxylon ssp. leucoxylon) then Rough-barked Manna Gums (E. viminalise ssp. cygnetnesis) towards the lower slopes.River Red Gums (E. camaldulensis) would be likely to extend up the lower slopes in some areas. The ground layer is dominated by native grasses, (Microlaena stipoides, Austrodanthonia spp. and Austrostipa spp.), sedges, lilies, orchids and annual daisies in spring.

Burchardia umbellata

Riparian and wetland associations

The creeklines and wetlands were extensively cleared in the past but have been a focus of revegetation activities and fencing to exclude stock and in many areas are regenerating well with extensive areas of reeds, rushes and sedges. Revegetation has included River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) smooth-barked Manna Gums (E. viminalis spp.) and dense thickets of Woolly Tea-tree (Leptospermum lanigerum), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and Golden Wattle (A. pycnantha), and Silver Banksias (Banksia marginata).

 
Regenerating swamp on "battunga"

 
View of Flaxley District from the top of the Angas River Catchment.