Athrotaxis cupressoides, is also known as pencil pine, despite being a species of the family Cupressaceae, and not a member of the pine family. Found either as an erect shrub or as a tree, this species is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. Trees can live for upwards of 1000 years, sustaining a very slow growth rate of approximately 12 mm in diameter per year.
Callitris oblonga, also known as the South Esk pine, pygmy cypress pine, pigmy cypress pine, river pine, or Tasmanian cypress pine, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is endemic to Australia, where it is native to New South Wales and Tasmania, with one subspecies introduced in Victoria. It is considered vulnerable and faces a number of threats including land clearing, habitat degradation, and damage from or competition with invasive species.
Richea pandanifolia, the pandani or giant grass tree, is a distinctive endemic Tasmanian angiosperm. It is dicot of the family Ericaceae and is found in central, western and south west Tasmania. It is a favourite among hikers and nature lovers.
Pterygopappus is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gnaphalieae within the family Asteraceae. There is only one known species, Pterygopappus lawrencii, which is endemic to alpine Tasmania. It forms thick, light blue/green mats with densely packed leaves. It is most common in the mountains of the northeastern part of the island. It is a slow grower and prefers cool, moist environments.
Gleichenia alpina, commonly known as alpine coral-fern, is a small fern species that occurs in Tasmania and New Zealand. It grows in alpine and subalpine areas with moist soils and is a part of the Gleichrniaceae family.
Actinotus bellidioides, sometimes known as tiny flannel-flower, is an endemic Australian rosette herb. The species name comes from Bellis, a genus of Asteraceae and Greek oides, meaning "resembles". The name refers to the similarity of the leaves with the genus Bellis.
Cenarrhenes is a monytypic genus in the family Proteaceae containing the single species Cenarrhenes nitida, known as the Port Arthur plum or native plum. Cenarrhenes nitida is an evergreen shrub to small tree endemic to the rainforests and scrublands of western Tasmania. It bears white flowers in late spring followed by the development of fleshy fruit.
Tasmanian cushion plants are low growing, highly compact, woody, spreading mats that can grow up to 3 m in diameter, located mainly on the island of Tasmania. These mats are made up of tightly packed stems that grow at the same rate so that no apical rosettes protrude above the rest. The term cushion plant refers to a characteristic growth habit adopted by various species from a range of families to adapt to alpine and subalpine environments and areas of high latitude. They are adapted to grow in low nutrient areas and typically have deep taproots. Cushion plants are very slow growing and do not grow high above ground; mounds typically remain under 30 cm high. Underneath the living surface of the cushion, the plants either allow dead leaves to persist or produce non-photosynthetic material, resulting in an insulating effect.
Campynema is a genus in the family Campynemataceae first described in 1805. It contains only one known species (monotypic), Campynema lineare, endemic to the island of Tasmania in Australia. Its closest relative is Campynemanthe, endemic to New Caledonia, sole other genus of the family.
Richea gunnii, the bog candleheath or Gunns richea, is an endemic Tasmanian angiosperm. It is a dicot of the family Ericaceae and is found in Central, Western and North-east Tasmania.
Rubus gunnianus is a species in the genus Rubus of the family Rosaceae. It is a small herb that grows in subalpine and alpine habitats above 900m throughout Tasmania, and bears edible fruit. It is commonly known as the native strawberry or Tasmanian alpine raspberry.
Trochocarpa cunninghamii is a flowering plant species of the family Ericaceae. It is commonly referred to as straggling purpleberry due to its round flattened mauve drupe fruits. This woody shrub is usually found in the understorey of rainforests and subalpine forests in the Central Plateau and western Tasmania, and is endemic to Tasmania.
Chionogentias diemensis is a flowering herbaceous alpine plant in the family Gentianaceae, endemic to the island of Tasmania in Australia. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian mountain gentian. Chionogentias diemensis has been classified into two sub-species: the Tasmanian snow-gentian and the Ben Lomond snow-gentian.
Olearia ledifolia, commonly known as rock daisy bush, is a species of flowering plant of the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to Tasmania and found at higher altitudes where it grows as a low, compact bush with tough, leathery leaves and small white and yellow daisy-like "flowers" in summer.
Dracophyllum minimum, commonly known as heath cushionplant or claspleaf heath, is a species of bolster cushion plant endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It is a low growing, highly compacted plant with white flowers, commonly found in alpine areas of the south, centre and west of Tasmania.
Oreobolus pumilio, commonly known as alpine tuftrush or Ibrang`rank, is a small mat forming herb which is distributed throughout the Australasian region. It is a relative of the sedge. It is often found in cushion plant communities, in alpine environments, where it is a dominant species. As a cushion plant, it is an ecological engineer and enables other species to grow in the alpine herblands to which it is native to.
Ewartia meredithiae, commonly known as the rusty cushion plant, is a Tasmanian endemic cushion plant species. Out of the four species in Australia from this small genus, Tasmania has three, all of which are low growing, alpine species.
Ozothamnus rodwayi, commonly known as alpine everlastingbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae that is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It is a widespread small, dense alpine shrub abundantly found in alpine and high subalpine heaths and woodlands.
Euphrasia striata, commonly known as ‘shiny striped eyebright’ is an endemic Tasmanian species, which is a member of the Scrophulariaceae family. The distinctive purple striations on the petals, from which the name was derived, are characteristic of the species.
Anemone crassifolia, commonly known as mountain anemone, is a perennial herb in the family Ranunculaceae and is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The species is common in high alpine moorlands of western and southern Tasmania at approximately 1000m. It is the only representative of the genus Anemone found in Australia.
1.^ HCM Cushion moorland: western facies, 2016 Tasmanian Vegetation Monitoring and Mapping Program- TASVEG, Retrieved 21 March 2020
3.^ Jordan, Greg. "Key to Tasmanian Dicots". Key to Tasmanian Dicots. University of Tasmania. Retrieved 21 March 2020
4.^ Flora of Australia, Volume 37, Asteraceae 1, 2015, pp. 29 Retrieved 21 March 2020
6.^ Wiltshire, Robert (c. 2010). Field Botany. School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania. pp.62- 71
7.^ "Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tasmania’s Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity and Natural Systems", 2008, Department of Primary Industries and Water Resource Management and Conservation, pp 28- 31 Retrieved 21 March 2020
