Narrow Goodenia - profile

Scientific name: Goodenia macbarronii
Conservation status in NSW: Not listed

Description

Narrow Goodenia is an annual or short-lived perennial herb to 30 cm tall. Its leaves, at the base of the plant, are fleshy and slightly toothed, to 11 cm long by 5 mm wide. The sprays of small yellow 'crinkly' five-petalled flowers are generally produced in spring and summer.

Location and habitat

Distribution
Narrow Goodenia grows on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in NSW, south from the Guyra and Inverell districts. It is widely distributed throughout the tablelands, western slopes and western plains. The species also occurs in north-eastern Victoria and the Darling Downs in Queensland. In NSW it has been recorded at Tingha, Guyra, the Warrumbungle Ranges, east of Rylstone, the Pilliga and Denobollie State Forests, the Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Torrington and Tocumwal districts, Grenfell, Weddin Mountain, Gungal, the Milthorpe district, and Holbrook (the Type locality).

Habitat and ecology

Narrow Goodenia is an annual which appears seasonally and opportunistically in ephemerally damp or wet sitesand is often common at sites after good winter-rainfall periods. It favours moist, shaded, sandy sites, soils with impeded drainage, damp muddy areas of winter inundation, spring-fed paddocks and open areas where water is more available.
Often found in sites with some form of recent disturbance, such as depressions and clearings made by grading and excavation along roadsides, open grazing land and paddocks inundated by weed species and areas previously cleared and grazed by cattle.
Associated species at Goobang National Park sites include Eucalyptus blakelyi, Eucalyptus sideroxylon, Eucalyptus bridgesiana, Eucalyptus melliodora, Acacia vestita, Acacia deanei subsp. paucijuga, Acacia penninervis, Acacia mollifolia, Acacia implexa, Callitris endlicheri, Leptospermum divaricatum, Exocarpos strictus, Allocasuarina diminuta subsp. diminuta, Pultenaea foliosa, Hibbertia obtusifolia, Hibbertia riparia, Baeckea cunninghamii and Lomandra longifolia.
Found to be uncommon and scattered within localised populations recorded in Goobang National Park. The species has been recorded as rare, scattered, locally common and frequent in populations, with the yellow-flowering plants forming a closed carpet in one population.
Flowers chiefly from October to March and is described as a short-lived annual herb. The flowers are insect pollinated.
The mucilaginous wing or rim of the seed may be a mechanism for absorbing water to secure germination and coincidentally a dispersal temptation for ants.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

Threats

Stock grazing, pugging and trampling and pig rooting may damage the swampy habitat of the species.
The species grows in disturbed sites such as table-drains and along roadsides and is susceptible to road grading, vehicle disturbance and grazing along roadside stock routes.
Large localised colonies can appear opportunistically after rains in areas of water-collection and in damp soils, and are thus vulnerable to seasonal conditions.
Competition from exotic weed species is also a threat, particularly competition from other seasonally opportunistic species.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 3 priority actions to help recover the Narrow Goodenia in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

Undertake pig control in the vicinity of known populations.
If necessary, exclude stock from the habitat.
Erect signs to alert road maintenance staff to the presence of this species
Control weed infestations as required taking care to avoid damage from herbicide application.
Mark sites and potential habitat onto maps used for planning maintenance work, and ensure that planners are aware of the species.

References

Benson, D. and McDougall, L. (1997) Ecology of Sydney plant species. Part 5 Dicotyledon families Flacourtiaceae to Myrsinaceae. Cunninghamia 5(2): 330-544, p. 374.
Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition (CSIRO: Melbourne).
CANB Herbarium Records. Databased specimen records from the Canberra Botanic Gardens and Australian National Botanic Gardens (CSIRO and Australian National Botanic Gardens: Canberra).
Carolin, R.C. (1990) Nomenclatural notes and new taxa in the genus Goodenia (Goodeniaceae). Telopea 3(4): 533-534.
Carolin, R.C. (1992a) Goodeniaceae. 7. Goodenia. Flora of Australia 35: 147-281, pp. 174-175.
Carolin, R.C. (1992b) Goodenia. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 3 (New South Wales University Press: Sydney).
Harden G.J. (ed.) (1992). Flora of New South Wales Vol. 3. UNSW Press, Kensington, NSW.
Haviland, E. (1885) Some remarks on fertilisation of the genus Goodenia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 10: 237-240.
Jacobs, S.W.L. and Pickard, J. (1981) Plants of New South Wales. A census of the cycads, conifers and angiosperms (Royal Botanic Gardens: Sydney).
MEL Herbarium Records. Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of Victoria (Royal Botanic Gardens: Melbourne).
NSW Herbarium Records. Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of New South Wales (Royal Botanic Gardens: Sydney).
Porteners, M.F. (1997) Vegetation Survey of Goobang National Park. Report for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Sydney).
Walsh N.G. and Entwisle T.J. (1999). Flora of Victoria; Volume 4, Dicotyledons Cornaceae to Asteraceae. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Walsh, N.G. and Entwisle, T.J. (eds) (1999) Flora of Victoria. Volume 4 (Inkata Press: Melbourne).