Byron Flora and Fauna Study 1999 - Byron Shire Council

A GREENPRINT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Rusty Rose Walnut (Endiandra hayesii FAMILY LAURACEAE)
Introduction. Rusty Rose Walnut is an ornamental rainforest tree which is scattered in rainforest and wet sclerophyll
habitats throughout the Shire. No Recovery Plan has been prepared for Rusty Rose Walnut. A detailed species outline has
been compiled by Barry and Thomas (1994) for Rusty Rose Walnut as it occurs in Queensland.
Conservation status. Rusty Rose Walnut is listed on Schedule 2 (Vulnerable) of the TSC Act, 1995 and has a ROTAP code
of 3VC- (Briggs and Leigh 1996).
Habit. A small tree, but can reach 35 m (Floyd 1989).
Flowers. Small, pale green. Flowering October to November (Floyd 1989). No information about pollination is available.
Fruit. Drupe, purple-black, shiny, elliptical, 2.8 cm long on a swollen pedicel 1 cm long. Flesh 1 mm thick, seed cream.
Ripe March to August (Floyd 1989). Fruiting is sparse and irregular. No information about seed dispersers is available,
but the nature of the fruit suggests that frugivorous birds are probably the most important dispersers.
Habitat. Lowland subtropical rainforest on alluvium, in cool moist sheltered gullies (Floyd 1989). Barry and Thomas
(1994) refer also to locations on sedimentary soil. In the Byron Shire, Rusty Rose Walnut also occurs on basalt-derived
soils, and soils of intermediate fertility on basalt/rhyolite boundaries.
Distribution. Locally abundant from the Richmond River, NSW to Burleigh Heads, Queensland. Recorded in NSW from
Mulgum Road, Mt Nardi, and Terania Creek in Nightcap NP, Rocky Creek in Whian Whian SF; Minyon Falls FR; Wanganui;
Tuckean Swamp; Broken Head NR; Pottsville; Mebbin SF; Tyalgum; North Tumbulgum; Bilambil (Floyd 1989). Sixteen
records for the study area were compiled, including five new locations found by the authors during this survey.
Regeneration and horticulture. Grown from fresh seed with flesh removed (Floyd 1989). Rusty Rose Walnut fruits only
at irregular intervals, and seed is hard to obtain. Tip cuttings grown with mist and bottom heat have proved successful
(Barry and Thomas 1994). Seedlings and saplings can be expected to be shade-tolerant, and to respond favourably to
small light gaps. Seedlings should be planted into a partially shaded site (Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group 1998a).
Economic and cultural significance. The pink or pale red timber could be treated for borers and used for interior building
construction (Floyd 1989). No other use or significance is known other than the aesthetic and ecological values of all
native rainforest species.
Abundance and reservation. Rusty Rose Walnut is scattered throughout its range, but most records represent individuals
or small numbers of plants. It is locally fairly common in areas such as Whian Whian SF. There is insufficient documentation
of population status at each of the recorded locations to make an estimate of its overall abundance. The adequacy
of reservation of Rusty Rose Walnut is not known (Briggs and Leigh 1996), but at least a small number of plants are
represented in reserves in the Byron Shire.
Threats and amelioration. Threatening processes have not been documented in NSW, but can be assumed to include
habitat clearing and modification. In Queensland, Barry and Thomas (1994) note that weed invasion threatens the few
populations in that state. General rehabilitation measures including weed and fire management, and extension of habitat
patches will improve the conservation status of Rusty Rose Walnut. Suitable sites are fairly widespread throughout the
Shire, but the habitat is usually fragmented and degraded.
164