Select Page

QTPN Myrtle Mayday Project

Myrtle Mayday Project

The Queensland Threatened Plant Network (QTPN*) received funding from the Australian Seed Bank Partnership (ASBP) under the Australian Government’s Saving Native Species Program, to support reconnaissance surveys and seed collection for two Myrtaceae plant species listed under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999), to safeguard them against further population declines in the wild.

In collaboration with the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium (SRWC), QTPN undertook reconnaissance surveys in 2025/26 for:

1/ Eucalyptus dalveenica, or Dalveen Blue Box (Critically Endangered), a new species only known from four sites near Dalveen, Queensland, with many trees on private property. Read more about SRWC’s Eucalyptus dalveenica surveys here. Find out how Tim Collins and colleagues from the University of New England discovered the Dalveen Blue Box in 2019 here.

2/ Kardomia granitica (Vulnerable) which is endemic to Queensland where it is known from only three populations south of Stanthorpe, occurring in the crevices of granite outcrops dominated by heath in Girraween National Park.

Results

1/ Eucalyptus dalveenica: During the summer of 2025-26, the project maintained regular contact with participating private landholders who indicated that flowering was very light and no fruit was set. Therefore no surveys were completed and no seed was able to be collected for this project. In addition, no other historic seed collections were found. However, as a result of this project, Southern Downs Regional Council is now interested in the conservation of Eucalyptus dalveenica and is seeking a permit to harvest and grow seed from future summer seasons.

2/ Kardomia granitica: A field trip to Girraween National Park in April 2025 failed to locate one record of Kardomia granitica. Therefore no seed was able to be collected for this project. Instead, this species was substituted with:

3/ Kardomia silvestris: a new unrecorded population of this Endangered plant was located in Girraween National Park in August 2024 and a specimen vouchered with the Queensland Herbarium. Also found in northern NSW, this plant was once a Baeckea and is also part of the Myrtaceae family. Following survey effort recorded approximately 100 individual plants including an equal mixture of adult shrubs and juveniles, with many in flower or fruit. In March 2026, with assistance from QLD Parks & Wildlife Service, Kardomia silvestris seed was collected for the first time and is now stored ex situ in the National Seed Bank facility at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra, creating an insurance collection for future use. Approximately 700 seeds were counted and they are currently in the incubators to test their viability. SRWC members will continue to look for new populations of this species within the Park and its surrounding lands.

Background

In 2022–23, a national survey was undertaken by the ASBP to determine which Australian Myrtaceae species were held in conservation collections. This crucial survey revealed the species missing from collections, and those that are poorly represented.

Building on this baseline, the ASBP’s Myrtle Mayday project delivered a national conservation effort dedicated to securing seed from threatened Myrtaceae species, to create insurance collections against the threat of Myrtle Rust. The project:

  • Undertook reconnaissance trips to locate and assess threatened plant populations for seed collection.
  • Secured seeds and cuttings of 31 nationally threatened Myrtaceae species across Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales to serve as an insurance policy against species decline.
  • Completed research to determine seed viability and unlock germination secrets to support future restoration activities.
  • Communicated findings through scientific publications, databases, and public engagement to improve awareness of Myrtle Rust and the action being taken to mitigate its impact.
  • Expanded national conservation capacity by bringing together Australian botanic gardens, seed banks, and conservation organisation’s for a common goal.
  • Contributed to national targets in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032.

 

* The QTPN was launched in 2024 to facilitate a collaborative approach to threatened plant recovery in Queensland. Contact QTPN Project Manager Paul Donatiu for more information.

Image: Kardomia sylvestris. Credit: Paul Donatiu

Thank you to the Australian Seed Bank Partnership for supporting this project.

We acknowledge the support provided for this project by the Australian Government’s Saving Native Species Program. Funding was provided under a grant that aims to improve outcomes for nationally listed Threatened Species.