What is the flora and fauna of Western Australia?
As well as being home to iconic Australian animals, such as red kangaroos and crocodiles, Western Australia has 141 of Australia’s 207 mammal species, 439 reptile species, 1,600 fish species and more than 12,000 species of wildflowers – making it one of the largest collections of wildflowers in the world.
How many plant species are in Western Australia?
There are about 13,000 species of plants in Western Australia, of which 3,000 are yet to be formally named.
What plants are found in Western Australia?
Australia’s plants
- Acacia (Wattles) Australia boasts more than 1,200 species of Acacia, which are commonly known as wattle trees.
- Eucalypts. With 2,800 species of eucalypts (gum trees), these are the trees most commonly associated with Australia.
- Proteaceae.
- Melaleuca.
- Wildflowers.
- Haemodoraceae.
- Eremophila.
What are some examples of Australian flora?
Australia’s unique flora includes the Proteaceae family of Banksia, Dryandra,Grevillea, Hakea and Telopea (waratah). The most common vegetation types today are those that have adapted to arid conditions, where the land has not been cleared for agriculture.
What is exclusive to Western Australia?
There’s a long list of things that makes Perth Mint unique: it has the world’s biggest collection of investment gold bars, it’s Australia’s only precious metals refinery and it’s home to a one-tonne gold coin, the largest and most valuable coin in the world.
What is the floral emblem of WA?
Red and Green Kangaroo Paw
Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii). The striking flower of the Red and Green Kangaroo Paw, found naturally only in Western Australia, is the State’s floral emblem.
What trees grow well in Western Australia?
Coastal
- Broad Leafed Paperbark.
- Callistemon – Kings Park Special.
- Chinese Elm.
- Evergreen Flowering Ash.
- Gleditsia Shademaster.
- Norfolk Island Pine.
- Olives. Arborwest Tree Farm Perth.
- Red-Leafed Cottonwood Tree.
Why is Australian flora and fauna so unique?
“Australia has a unique fauna because it was isolated from the rest of the world for very long periods. The Australian continent was surrounded by ocean for many millions of years, and so the plants and animals on that very large life-raft were able to evolve in distinctive ways.
Where is Waratah found?
The iconic waratah grows in forest understorey, on sandstone ridges and can be found from Gibraltar Range in the north of NSW to Lake Conjola in the south. Growing to a maximum height of 4m, this shrub has dark-green leathery serrated leaves.
What is the fauna of Perth?
WA has 141 of Australia’s 207 mammal species, 439 reptile species, 1,600 fish species and more than 12,000 species of wildflowers grow here – making it the largest collection of wildflowers in the world.
Where can I find Flora of Western Australia?
FloraBase is a public access web-based database of the flora of Western Australia. It provides authoritative scientific information on taxa, including descriptions, maps, images, conservation status and nomenclatural details. In addition to native species, FloraBase provides information on alien taxa that have naturalised in Western Australia.
How many species of plants are in Western Australia?
The flora of Western Australia comprises 10,252 published native vascular plant species and a further 1,245 unpublished species. They occur within 1,543 genera from 211 families; there are also 1,276 naturalised alien or invasive plant species more commonly known as weeds.
What did the Indigenous Australians do with the flora?
Indigenous Australians have a long history with the flora of Western Australia. They have for over 50,000 years obtained detailed information on most plants. The information includes its uses as sources for food, shelter, tools and medicine.
What kind of vegetation is in Southwest Australia?
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia.