Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 86:123-132, 2003 
Conservation status of Goodenia (Goodeniaceae) in Western Australia, 
including a review of threatened, rare and poorly known species 
L W Sage 1 - 2 & J P Pigott 1 - 3 
’Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Conservation & Land Management, 
Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983 
Current address: Swan Coastal District, Department of Conservation & Land Management, 
5 Dundebar Road, Wanneroo WA 6065 
3 Current address: 1 Redboume Avenue, Mt Eliza VIC 3930 
£3 leighs@calm.zva.gov.au 
(Manuscript received August 2002; accepted November, 2003) 
Abstract 
A comprehensive assessment of the current conservation status of Goodenia in Western Australia 
was based on information from herbarium labels at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH), 
Western Australian Department of Conservation & Land Management (CALM) filed information, 
original observations by the authors, the Flora of Australia volume 35, and personal communication 
with other botanists. Species diversity and conservation-listed taxa are assessed according to the 
Interim Biogeographic Regions of Australia for Western Australia. Phytogeography, biology, 
current conservation listings, threatening processes, apparent causes of rarity, and management 
and research recommendations are discussed. Many Goodenia are highly responsive to disturbance 
and prefer water-gaining sites, the margins of watercourses, or depressions. Highest diversity and 
conservation-listed taxa occur in the sand plain heaths of the South-West Botanical province. 
Recommended management procedures include a careful fire regime after research into the 
reproductive biology of a species, reserve design to include habitat preferences, floristic surveys of 
nearly all the conservation-listed, emergency actions to address threats in the South-West Botanical 
Province, and ex situ conservation measures once the true conservation status of a species is 
determined. Goodenia in Western Australia is unsatisfactorily known, with many requiring further 
surveying and monitoring, and over 40% of taxa listed on CALM Priority flora lists. Research into 
the biological, taxonomic and genetic resources of Goodenia is required for their effective and 
successful conservation. 
Keywords: Goodenia, Goodeniaceae, Western Australia, diversity, conservation, management 
Introduction 
The Goodeniaceae is an indicative Australian 
angiosperm plant family that is "strongly significant in 
the Australian flora" and is well represented in the 
Western Australian flora (Marchant 1973; Elliot & Jones 
1986). The Goodeniaceae are commonly encountered in 
the heathlands and shrublands in the South-West 
Botanical province of Western Australia (George et al. 
1979). There are 11 genera in the family, with Goodenia 
Smith the largest genus (Carolin 1992) of over 190 
species, with about 120 in Western Australia 
(Paczkowska & Chapman 2000; LWS, unpublished data). 
All but three species of Goodenia are endemic to Australia 
(Carolin 1992; Elliot & Jones 1986). 
Goodenia species occur in a wide variety of temperate 
habitats (Elliot & Jones 1986) usually around the edges of 
lakes and watercourses in the arid interior (Table 1). Most 
Goodenia species are perennial sub-shrubs and forbs or 
annual herbs, although species such as G. grandiflora and 
G. scapigera are shrubs. Species are usually perennial and 
resprouters, responding well after disturbance (Table 2), 
but others are annual reseeders. 
We examined specimens for taxonomic studies in 
Western Australian Goodenia (Cranfield & Sage 1997; Sage 
© Royal Society of Western Australia 2003 
1998; Sage & Pigott 1998; Sage 2000, 2001). We found that 
an overall assessment of the conservation status was 
required on this little studied genus. Of an estimated 120 
Western Australian species of Goodenia , 22 were listed by 
the Western Australian Department of Conservation and 
Land Management (CALM) as threatened or poorly 
known (CALM filed information). This study added 
another 25, to total over 40% of the genus for the state. 
This paper surveys the genus Goodenia in Western 
Australia for apparent rarity, potential threats and 
appropriate management and research 
recommendations. 
Methods 
Data on species abundance were obtained from field 
observations, from CALM filed information (unpublished 
data), the Flora of Australia volume 35 (Goodeniaceae), 
herbarium specimens, herbarium label information at the 
Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH), and personal 
communication with other botanists. Nomenclature of 
Western Australian species follows Carolin (1992) and 
recently published work (Sage 1998, 2000, 2001). 
Undescribed, distinctive species are included in this 
study. 
All other names follow WACENSUS (Western 
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