Unique Island Species: The Bastard Oak
How seed secured by the Australian Seed Bank Partnership is helping to further increase understanding of the biogeography of Norfolk Island
By Australian Seed Bank Partnership
The National Seed Bank, Australian National Botanic Gardens
Norfolk Island
To the east of Australia, a tiny island sits in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and New Caledonia. Originally settled by Polynesian seafarers it was later used by Europeans to exile convicts before descendants of the Bounty mutineers were transported to the island.
Ungeria floribunda fruits (2018) by Leigh MurrayAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Ungeria floribunda: the Bastard Oak
The island is home to many endemic plant species, but seed collectors came here to find Ungeria floribunda (the Bastard Oak) whose seed had never been banked before. The trees are scattered throughout the forest, making them hard to spot. Once found, an arborist made short work of the trunk, clambering to the crown to retrieve their prize from the fruit-laden branches.
Ungeria floribunda leaves (2018) by Leigh MurrayAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Evolution in isolation
Typical of most islands, the plants on Norfolk evolved in isolation. Over a quarter of the plant species on Norfolk Island being endemic. The endemic Ungeria floribunda is even more unique because the Ungeria genus only occurs on Norfolk Island.
The flowering 'Bastard Oak'
U. floribunda is a tree which grows to 15 metres tall. Fruit and abundant pink flowers sprout at the top of its canopy, giving it the Latin name Floribunda, ‘flowering profusely’. Bastard Oak is an apparent reference to its timber, which is considered of inferior quality.
Ungeria floribunda fruits (2018) by Leigh MurrayAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Rat food
U. floribunda flowers and fruit are an attractive food for the introduced black rat. Undamaged seeds that were mature and viable were picked and bagged, ready for their journey to Australia and beyond.
Quarantine
Due to its location, Norfolk is outside Australia’s bio-security quarantine zone, permissions had to be obtained and the seeds inspected before they could enter the country. After bio-security clearance the seeds were stored in seed banks in the UK and Australia.
Research
The inclusion of this tree in the Global Tree Seed Bank Project allows this unique island species to be safeguarded from extinction. Future research about the seed biology of this species will increase our understanding of the bio-geography of Norfolk Island.
Collecting in the Field (2016) by ANBGAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Global Tree Seed Bank Project
Seeds from Ungeria floribunda and other threatened tree species from Australia’s external states and territories being securely stored at The National Seed Bank and duplicated at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK.
Learn more about The National Seed Bank via their website.
Stories compiled through a science communication internship at the Australian Seed Bank Partnership with Master of Science Communication student Christine Fernance from the ANU Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.
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