Cunninghamia 1 (I): 121-123 (1981) 
121 
VEGETATION OF LION ISLAND, BROKEN BAY, 
NEW SOUTH WALES 
D. H. Benson 
(Accepted for publication 20.10.1980) 
ABSTRACT 
Benson, D. H. (National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000) 1981. Vegetation of Lion Island, Broken 
Bay, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 1 (1): 121-123. A brief description of the 
vegetation of Lion Island is given, compiled from information collected in 1973 and 
1974, and the species present recorded. 
INTRODUCTION 
Lion Island, (Lat. 33° 33' S, Long. 151° 19' E) situated at the entrance to Broken 
Bay, is a Nature Reserve administered by the New South Wales National Parks and 
Wildlife Service. The island is 560 m long and 280 m wide. It is highest at the 
eastern end (93 m a.s.l.) and descends to a saddle with a small rise (30 m a.s.l.) at the 
western end. There are cliffs on the eastern and southern sides. Geologically 
Lion Island is similar to the nearby Brisbane Water National Park. It is composed 
of a Hawkesbury Sandstone capping on the eastern end, with strata of the underlying 
Narrabeen Group exposed elsewhere. 
VEGETATION 
The major vegetation is low woodland dominated mainly by Angophora costata, 
but with Eucalyptus botryoides as co-dominant on the eastern end of the island. 
Scattered tall shrubs of species such as Banksia sen ate and Exocarpos cupressiformis 
are generally present, and a low shrub layer up to 2 m high is continuous over most 
of the island. Xcmthorrhoea arborea and Lomandra longifolia are conspicuous in 
this layer with shrubs such as Plalysace lanceolate, Hakea sericea, Dodonaea triquetra 
and Acacia ulicifolia. The litter layer is very thick, commonly up to 10 cm deep and 
few herbs were recorded. There are scattered areas of bare rock. In 1973 the 
vegetation did not appear to have been burnt for many years. 
At the western end of the island in a better protected saddle is low open-forest 
of Banksia integrifolia and Casuarina littoralis with a ground layer of Adiantum 
aethiopicum, Lomandra longifolia and Commelina cyanea. On more exposed sites 
this grades into scrub with Leptospermum Ictevigatum and Banksia integrifolia. 
Lantana camara, an exotic shrub species, is common in these situations. 
On scree slopes at the eastern end of the island and exposed to the ocean, is 
herbland with Commelina cyanea, Lobelia alata and Dichondra repens. Shrubs of 
Westringia fruticosa are found in cracks between large sandstone boulders and higher 
up on cracks and ledges on the cliff faces. In one place the scrambling climber 
Elagellaria indica forms a dense low scrub. 
TABLE 1 
Species recorded on Lion Island 1973-74 
The list is not exhaustive. 
* = exotic species 
PTERJDOPHYTES 
Adiantaccae 
Adiantum aethiopicum 
Clieilanthes tenuifolia 
Aspleniaceae 
Asplenium obtusatum var. difforme 
Dennstaedtiaceac 
Histiopteris incisa 
Pteridium esculentum 
Psilotaceae 
Psilotum nudum 
