The City of Canning helps to conserve specially-protected flora species listed as threatened or a priority by the Department of Parks and Wildlife.
A threatened or priority plant species is a plant species under identifiable threat of extinction, rare or otherwise in need of special protection. Some of the most common threats to native flora in the Perth metropolitan area are weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes, clearing, degradation and disease.
Some of the threatened or priority plant species found within the City of Canning are described below:
Grand Spider Orchid (Caladenia huegelii)
The City of Canning's Natural Areas Team monitors several populations of the threatened Grand Spider Orchid. Efforts by the team have seen some of the orchid populations increase in size over the past few years. Continual weed control and revegetation as well as fencing off the remaining populations will continue to protect this unique orchid for the future.
Macarthuria keigheryi
Macarthuria keigheryi is a small erect or spreading shrub growing to approximately 40 centimetres tall. There's only six populations of the shrub in Western Australia. The species grow in some of the City of Canning's natural areas, although it is difficult to find as it dies back to its rootstock during summer. Protecting Macarthuria keigheryi from grazing animals, such as rabbits and controlling weeds will assist the recovery of this species.
References:
- Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013).Macarthuria keigheryi in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra. Available from: www.environment.gov.au/sprat
- Western Australian Herbarium (1998–). FloraBase—the Western Australian Flora. Department of Parks and Wildlife.