Forests NSW flora ecologist Doug Binns is dwarfed by some of the yellow box trees on Glenugie Peak.  Photo by Howard Spencer.

Glenugie Peak seems determined to keep its secrets to itself as it hides behind trees in Glenugie State Forest south east of Grafton.

It is hard to get a clear photograph of the basalt hill, which juts 320 metres high out of the forest floor.

It does, however, have secrets to hide. It is the only home of the Glenugie karaka (Corynocarpus rupestris subsp. rupestris) which eeks out its existence on the basalt rock screes on the north eastern face of the peak.

But there is more: on the south western slopes can be found a thriving community of yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) trees.

Here is a mountain about five kilometres from the Pacific Ocean bearing trees which are commonly found more than 150km to the west.

It is conundrums like the flora of Glenugie that excite Doug Binns, Forests NSW flora ecologist.

Doug is based in Coffs Harbour but his interests cover the flora managed by Forests NSW across the state.

“Yellow box is more associated with the western slopes of New South Wales,” said Doug. “It is unusual to find it in this spot so close to the coast and just why it is here might remain a mystery.”

Doug routinely collects samples of trees like this and other plants he finds throughout the state for further examination and research.

Many might end up in the herbarium he maintains to further his work in ensuring that Forests NSW harvesting practices comply with sustainable forest management.

“We need to protect vulnerable species like the karaka,” said Doug.

It is the environment of the peak itself that has allowed the karaka to persist. It grows on the dry rainforest slopes, which are largely protected from fire because they do not support much growth and have little or no ground litter.

Climbing around the slopes is not easy, so the immature plants have little disturbance from macropods like kangaroos, wallabies and pademelons that might otherwise have grazed this plant to extinction.

“Corynocarpus rupestris was first described in 1984,” said Doug. “Specimens were first collected at Glenugie Peak in 1956 by Harold Hayes, a Forestry Commission employee. C. rupestris subsp. rupestris occurs only on Glenugie Peak, but there is one other subspecies (C. rupestris subsp. arborescens) which occurs at a few localities further north and into south east Queensland.

“There are scattered small stands of E. melliodora along the eastern escarpment.

“Some may be as close as 50km, but the extensive stands are on the western slopes and probably at least 150km away.

“Stands of E. melliodora have been extensively cleared on the tablelands and slopes and are listed as an endangered ecological community.”

Glenugie Peak also holds isolated populations of Caesalpinia subtropica, a prickly vine, which occurs mostly north of Lismore, but there are other populations on limestone areas of the Macleay valley, and Cryptocarya floydii, gorge laurel, which otherwise occurs mostly in the upper Macleay gorges.

A vulnerable ironbark, square-fruited ironbark (E. tetrapleura), which is restricted to the Casino-Grafton area, also occurs in the Glenugie Peak Flora Reserve.

This article appears in the Winter 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.