Friends of Waite Conservation Reserve
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Flora
The dominant plant over most of the Reserve is Grey box, Eucalyptus microcarpa, and together with understorey plants it determines the main vegetation type of the Reserve – ‘Grey Box Grassy Woodland’, a nationally threatened plant community.
Woodland vegetation is defined by trees with large canopies relative to their height that are spaced far enough apart so as to not overlap one another. ‘Box’ is a term for a type of rough bark comprising short, interlaced fibrous strands which extends up the trunk and major branches. It is characteristic of a group of Eucalypts that prefer heavy clay or loam soils. In favourable conditions Grey box can reach 25m in height.
More than 200 species of native plants have been recorded in Waite Conservation Reserve and six of these are listed as Rare or Vulnerable in South Australia. Despite a history of extensive grazing, the Reserve’s flora still includes 22 native orchid species, mostly from the more intact areas.
Download a complete plant list prepared by Dr Peter Lang, Senior Botanist, State Herbarium of SA, Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Department for Environment and Water. This plant list was last updated in April 2023.