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Grevillea scapigera,
a 30-year journey of recovery Dr Siegy Krauss Research Scientist
T
he vital contribution of Kings Park to The Decade is built on many decades of research and practise in the recovery of native species and degraded ecosystems. The extraordinary story of the critically endangered Corrigin Grevillea is a flagship example. First collected in 1954, it has only ever been known from a handful of small, mainly degraded, roadside populations within 50 km of the Wheatbelt town of Corrigin. The Corrigin Grevillea was presumed extinct in 1986, a consequence of broadscale destruction of its habitat for agriculture. In 1989 a single grafted plant was identified at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, which was brought to Kings Park and initiated successfully into in vitro culture. The following year naturally occurring plants were rediscovered near Corrigin. Only 35 specimens were known in the wild at the time. A translocation was determined to be essential for the survival of the species. The aim was to re-establish at least three self-sustaining populations in the wild to improve its conservation status. In situ conservation efforts were underpinned by the establishment of a secure ex situ
collection, where 25 wild genotypes are maintained in cryopreservation and tissue culture at Kings Park. A key step was the appointment of a recovery team which included Bob Dixon from Kings Park, staff from the (then) WA Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), the Australian Nature Conservation Agency and members of the local community. The voluntary involvement and enthusiasm of the community, led by the amazing Robin Campbell in Corrigin, Kings Park volunteers and the Corrigin Landcare group which includes local farmers, has been critical. In the early 1990s, secure translocation sites were identified within the last remaining native vegetation remnants and fenced to exclude rabbits. Plantings of around 425 seedlings were initially carried out between 1993 and 1998 under strict phytosanitary guidelines. Seedlings were propagated by tissue culture from ten wild plants, as seeds were not able to be germinated. In 1999, a genetic study showed over half of all plants were from a single clone. This was addressed by increasing the number of clones from tissue culture and introducing additional wild plants.
The delicate insect pollinated flower of the Corrigin Grevillea, Grevillea scapigera. Photo: Siegy Krauss
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For People & Plants | Special Issue | Spring 2021
Corrigin Grevillea, Grevillea scapigera, in ex situ tissue culture collection at Kings Park. Photo: Siegy Krauss
