Sphaerolobium acanthos, commonly known as Grampians Globe-pea, is a very rare and localised pea plant confined to a few small areas in the Serra Range and the Mt William Range in the central Grampians. It is listed as Critically Endangered under the Federal EPBC Act, and Critically Endangered under the Victorian FFG Act.

Even when you know where it occurs, it is very hard to find; so very few people have ever seen it! Sadly, one of the largest populations, on the slopes of Mt William was totally destroyed by the construction team making the Peaks Trail – and no-one was sacked or prosecuted for destroying a Nationally listed Critically Endangered plant!

At WAMA we have tried to grow a number of struck cuttings gifted to us by Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Sadly, one by one they all died out and now none are left at WAMA. The reason tunns out to be that, like many pea plants, Grampians Globe-pea requires a unique rhizobium on its roots to survive.

But at this same time, Dr Noushka Reiter came and talked at the last Pomonal Flower Show on Cranbourne’s program for establishing large populations of Grampians rare and endangered plants in cultivation. This includes Sphaerolobium acanthos, and late last year, I was given several small plants from Cranbourne, thanks to Noushka, for planting out at WAMA again.
The plants were very small, but are now thriving and have already flowered beautifully! Talking with Noushka, I was told of her amazing method of inoculating all their struck cuttings and seedlings, A number of struck plants in forestry tubes were ‘planted’ in the soil beside known plants in the wild in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. After a few months, these were then lifted out and taken back to Cranbourne, where they were observed to have the required rhizobium on their roots to keep them growing and healthy. Some of this was carefully removed, and put into petri dishes in their laboratory where it was cultured successfully. Once they had the rhizobium culture, they could then inoculate all the seedlings and cutting-grown plants.

They now have many hundreds of beautiful healthy plants – enough to establish a good collection at Cranbourne, and enough to establish a number of ex-situ sites in suitable areas elsewhere in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. Even enough for us to establish at WAMA’s Gariwerd Endemic Garden!

This is an amazing example of how science and botany can combine for the successful cultivation of one of the Grampians rarest plants. And just in time, when it appears that just about ALL plants in the wild have been burnt out in last summer’s bushfires. Hopefully they will be in full flower on the first weekend in October (3–4 October) when there will be tours of the Endemic Garden to coincide with the Pomonal Flower Show.

Footnote: The APS Grampians Group Committee have written a letter of support for Cranbourne to continue getting state funding to continue this priceless research and activity for our endangered flora.