SPECIES: Acanthocladium dockeri — Spiny Daisy
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
How many times can you be so lucky? The Spiny Daisy, or Spiny Everlasting was presumed extinct in the early 90's, but before the end of the decade, it was rediscovered near Laura in the mid-north of South Australia. The Spiny Daisy, as the name suggests, is a member of the daisy family and is a perennial shrub, with woody stems and spine-tipped branches which are covered in short, white hair.
The Spiny Daisy quietly survives in five subpopulations north of Adelaide, SA. It's up against quite a list of threats as it battles for its survival. These include: vegetation clearing, agricultural activities, habitat fragmentation, population isolation, low genetic variability, grazing by sheep/rabbits/snails and week invasion.
Between 2008-2010 and in partnership with the SA Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH), FAME provided support for the recovery of the Spiny Daisy. Through the project, the Spiny Daisy was established at several new locations and the area occupied by existing plants was successfully increased.
Our work is critically important and we have shown that together we can make a difference. Visit www.fame.org.au to donate or find out more.