Kunzea ericoides

Burgan at Aranda, ACT

Request use of media

Identification history

	Kunzea ericoides	24 Nov 2022	Tapirlord
	Leptospermum sp.	23 Nov 2022	lbradley

Identify this sighting

Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

6 comments

lbradley wrote:

4 Dec 2022

Ciaran - Are you confident that this is Burgan and not Leptospermum continentale? Friends of Aranda Bushland don't believe we have Kunzea ericoides in AB.

Tapirlord wrote:

4 Dec 2022

Looks like Burgan to me, it is not Leptospermum continentale which retains fruit and has sharp tips on the leaves. I'm curious as to the expertise of who made the comment and what the thought process behind it is, because this question is actually quite complex once we get into it.

Essentially the taxa "Kunzea ericoides" is a bit of a waste basket taxon, technically speaking the name refers to a shrub endemic to New Zealand. What we have in Canberra isn't quite clear, it isn't "Kunzea ericoides" but it is a similar Australian species. So one is technically correct in saying that there isn't any K.ericoides in Aranda in this sense, a little arbitrary if nothing else.

However, if the objection is to whether or not the endemic taxa known on CNM as "Kunzea ericoides" occurs in Aranda, I would be very hesitant to verify that. We have good evidence here in your photographs and there are large stands of plants growing near the caswell drive carpark on BM (which is not far in terms of seed dispersal).

Mike wrote:

4 Dec 2022

ANPS ACT Wednesday Walkers have recorded Kunzea ericoides at this location in Aranda Bushland on ALA.

lbradley wrote:

4 Dec 2022

Thanks guys. The people querying the verification are 2 long standing members of the Friends of Aranda Bushland but I think they are using the FOAB publication, Our Patch, published many years ago as their source of information. Things change. Yes, I did a bit of reading too. It seems reasonable that this would be the kunzea ericoides that Parks have recently been trying to control at BM. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking on the behalf of FOAB. I’ll take a walk tomorrow and try to get an idea of the infestation. Cheers

lbradley wrote:

18 Dec 2022

Another follow up. I took a walk with our Parkcare convenor and we walked around our stand of K ericoides. It is isolated. Our convenor concluded that because it is native and isolated that there is no cause for concern regarding it invading the surrounding woodland. If that is the case then why are they trying to control it at BM? Michael may know?

Tapirlord wrote:

18 Dec 2022

So Kunzea ericoides is a native species, but is known to form monocultures in disturbed areas which can be degrading for the local ecosystem, it is also a fire hazard. I believe the idea on BM is to keep the numbers down rather than completely eradicate, so I suspect you guys will do the same here.

Please Login or Register to comment.