Through January 2018, RCAAE summer student Bianca Berto surveyed the distribution of 10 rare and threatened plants across the Bogong High Plains. These included some of the rarest plants in Victoria including Abrotanella nivigena (Snow-wort) and Plantago glacialis (Star-leaf Plantain).

Bianca has recently submitted 58 voucher specimens from this study to the La Trobe University Herbarium. These specimens include all 10 survey species (Abrotanella nivigena, Argyrotegium nitidulum, Deyeuxia affinis, Diplaspis nivis, Juncus antarcticus, Oreomyrrhis pulvinifica, Pappochroma paludicola, Paranetennaria uniceps, Plantago glacialis, Utricularia monanthos) from 21 locations. This submission is a valuable and significant contribution to the LTU Herbarium and increases our knowledge of where these threatened species currently occur in the landscape.

Pictured: Voucher specimens of Juncus antarcticus (Left) and Abrotanella nivigena (Right) submitted by Bianca.

More details about this survey can be found in the accompanying report.