Record number of native plants in WA

• WA has one of the world's highest rates of discovery of new plant species
• More than 10,000 species now listed

The number of plant species known in Western Australia has passed the 10,000 mark, creating a new State record, Environment Minister Albert Jacob said today.

The 10,000th species is a tiny rare daisy, found in May during a salinity survey of the Wheatbelt. Named Angianthus globuliformis, it is known from only one location on the margin of a salt lake near Lake Grace.

"There is an incredible diversity of plant species in Western Australia and if our State was a country, we would rank as the 20th richest in the world for the number of identified plant species," Mr Jacob said.

"Nationally, Western Australia has the highest number of native species followed by Queensland with 8,545."

The Minister said WA's 10,000 species had an intrinsic value in their own right and were also important for enhancing the biological process that sustain life on Earth.

"We can also appreciate this biological richness as sources of food, for medical discoveries, economic development, recreation and tourism, and as an important resource for adapting to challenges such as climate change," he said.

The WA Herbarium at the Department of Parks and Wildlife is responsible for documenting and listing all known plants, algae and fungi in the State.

"Knowing what plants we have, where they grow, and their role in the environment is crucial for conservation and sustainable development," Mr Jacob said.

New species are discovered through botanical surveys and specimens brought to the herbarium, and also from careful study of the more than 750,000 specimens in its collection.

In the last decade, on average more than 50 new species have been discovered each year. This is one of the highest rates of new species discovery in the world, which is phenomenal. Recently, 17 new species of orchids were named, taking the total number of identified spider orchids in WA to 158.

Fact File

• The WA Herbarium is the custodian for the key census of WA plants, a listing of all known plants, algae and fungi in the State
• WA has more than 12,400 distinct kinds of native plants when subspecies and varieties of species are included

Minister's office - 6552 5800

Angianthus globuliformis