June 1947 The Queensland Naturalist 
47 
THE VEGETATION OF NOOSA 
Being the General Botanical Report of the Easter Camp 
for 1946. 
By «. T. BLAKE 
In the vicinity of Noosa there is quite a variety of 
vegetation-types. The area examined was quite small, 
but as a result of this variety there was no opportunity 
for detailed work in the time available. 
Along the coast itself three vegetation-types may 
be distinguished. Near the mouth of the Noosa River 
and extending up the river for some miles a mangrove 
forest is developed on mud flats which are covered 
at high tides (Fig. 1). The principal species noted are 
the Spider Mangrove, Rhizophora munonaia, with its 
characteristic stilt-roots; the Grey Mangrove, Aviccnnia 
<. fficin-alis , noted for the erect peg-like pneumatophores 
proceeding from the roots and projecting above the sur- 
face of the mud (“cobbler's pegs”) ; the Black Mangrove 
Bruguiem gymnorhiza, with its dense dark green foliage 
and peculiar knee-roots — the roots bend up at intervals, 
come well above the ground and then bend sharply down 
again; and Ceriops Tagal var. australis, a dwarf species 
with small yellowish leaves and a prominently buttressed 
short trunk. As a rule Rhizophora forms stands at the 
river edge of the mangroves and the Ceriops forms com- 
munities at the landward edge of quiet backwaters. 
Avicennia occurs in intermediate areas, though it some- 
times forms the landward edge. Bruguiera is scattered. 
Extending back from the landward edge of the man- 
groves is a salt marsh with tussocks of June us maritimus 
var. australiens l s (maritime rush) in the wetter parts, 
and a turf of Sporobolus virginicus (salt-water couch) in 
the drier parts (Fig. 1). This passes into Eucalyptus 
forest. 
Between the headlands and on Coolum Beach are 
sandy beaches with a series of dunes at the upper edge 
of the gently sloping beach. The fore-dunes are relatively 
low and are colonised chiefly by Spinifex hirsutus K with 
Ipomoea pes-caprac (goat’s foot convolvulus), Carex 
pumila and Z oisia maerantka (coastal couch), particu- 
larly on the upper part. Behind the less stable edge 
Zoisia replaces Spinifex and is here accompanied by 
