mesophyll vine forests dominated by fan palm Licuala ramsayi (commonly known as licuala palm)
mesophyll vine forests dominated by feather palm Archontophoenix alexandrae (commonly known as Alexandra palm).
Fan palm wetlands are slow growing, with fan palms reaching up to 20 m. Fan palms constitute only up to 20% of the total number of stems in any site, and these are predominantly mature trees rather than seedlings, since fan palms have low seedling numbers with commonly only 50 to 500 per hectare. There is greater plant species diversity in fan palm swamps than in the feather palm swamp wetlands. Of these, 60% are trees, with around 20 species present in most fan palm swamp wetlands and in adjacent vine forest and swamp forest types. The fan palm swamp wetlands also host a variety of shrubs, vines, epiphytes and herbs.
Feather palms grow to approximately 20 m tall and can dominate swamp wetland habitats, with up to 150 000 stems per hectare in some sites. Seedling palms form up to 95% of the total number of palm stems. The feather palm swamp has freshwater mangrove Barringtonia racemosa as a commonly occurring canopy species. Also present may be yellow penda Ristantia pachysperma, macaranga Macaranga polyadenia, or river cherry Syzygium tierneyanum.
The second feather palm swamp wetland type contains species that are shared with adjacent mesophyll vine forests such as northern silky oak Cardwellia sublimis, Beilschmiedia brunnea, cluster fig Ficus racemosa, white fig F. virens, and Ilex arnhemensis.
Most species in the palm swamp wetlands are relatively widespread in other forest types beyond the feather palm swamp wetlands, and often reflect the species composition of neighbouring rainforest communities.
Palm swamp wetlands provide habitat for rare and threatened flora such as the endangered blue tassel fern Huperzia dalhousieana.
Regional Ecosystem
Description
7.2.1d
Swampy mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm) in the sub-canopy, on sands of beach origin.
7.2.1g
Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm), on sands of beach origin. Seasonally impeded drainage on dune sands.
7.2.1h
Mesophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi (fan palm), on sands of beach origin. Seasonally impeded drainage on dune sands.
7.3.3c
Mesophyll vine forest with dominant Syzygium tierneyanum and/or Barringtonia racemosa and sub-canopy dominated by feather palms (Archontophoenix alexandrae), on poorly drained alluvial plains. Seasonally flooded alluvium.
7.12.2
Notophyll or mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm) or Licuala ramsayi (fan palm), on granites and rhyolites. Lower foothills and uplands on granite and rhyolite, with seasonally impeded drainage. Very wet rainfall zone.
7.12.2a
Notophyll to mesophyll forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae, on steep upper slopes and gully bottoms of granite and rhyolite uplands. Steep upper slopes and gully bottoms of uplands, on granite and rhyolite.
7.12.2b
Notophyll to mesophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi in swamps, on granite. Swamps on seasonally impeded drainage, on granite.
7.12.2c
Simple notophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi and Pandanus sp. (screw palm), on granite. Swamps of upland areas, on granite.
7.12.2d
Licuala ramsayi (fan palm), Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm), Oraniopsis appendiculata palm forest, in upland swamps on granite. Upland swamps on granite.
7.12.2e
Notophyll to mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae, in swamps on granite. Swamps on granite.
7.3.3
Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm), on poorly drained alluvial plains. Occurs in lowland swamps on gleyed podzolic alluvial soils derived from basaltic and granitic parent material, in the very wet rainfall zone.
7.3.3a
Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather leaf palm), on poorly drained alluvial plains. Occurs in lowland swamps on gleyed podzolic alluvial soils derived from basaltic and granitic parent material, in the very wet rainfall zone.
7.3.3b
Mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather leaf palm) recovering from disturbance, with Acacia celsa canopy or emergents. Poorly drained alluvial plains. Occurs in lowland swamps on gleyed podzolic alluvial soils derived from basaltic and granitic parent material, in the very wet rainfall zone.
7.3.4
Mesophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi (fan palm), on poorly drained alluvial plains and alluvial areas of uplands. Lowlands, lower foothills and uplands of the very wet rainfall zone, on humic gley alluvial soils with seasonally impeded drainage derived from metamorphic and granitic parent material.
7.11.2
Notophyll or mesophyll vine forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae (feather palm) or Licuala ramsayi (fan palm), on metamorphics. Foothills and tablelands on humic gley metamorphic-derived soils with seasonally impeded drainage. These poorly drained soils often display hummocky micro relief. Wet rainfall zone.
7.11.2a
Notophyll to mesophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi (fan palm) in swamps with seasonally impeded drainage of very the wet lower foothills. Swamps with seasonally impeded drainage of very the wet lower foothills.
7.11.2b
Simple notophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi and Pandanus sp. in seasonal swamps of upland and highland areas on metamorphics. Seasonal swamps of upland and highland areas on metamorphics.
7.11.2c
Licuala ramsayi, Archontophoenix alexandrae, Oraniopsis appendiculata palm forest in upland swamps on metamorphics. Upland swamps on metamorphics.
7.11.2d
Notophyll to mesophyll forest with Archontophoenix alexandrae on steep upper slopes and gully bottoms mostly of uplands, of the wet and very wet zones. Steep upper slopes and gully bottoms mostly of uplands, of the wet and very wet rainfall zones.
Last updated: 22 March 2013
This page should be cited as:
Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Coastal and subcoastal tree swamp—Palm – Flora, WetlandInfo website, accessed 18 March 2024. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/aquatic-ecosystems-natural/palustrine/palm-swamp/flora.html
— Department of Environment, Science and Innovation