2CRU walk with John Brock

Date of walk – 13 and 21 October 2026

This post contains information and findings from a plant identification walk in 2CRU. 

 

Figure 1. 2CRU Monsoon Rainforest, William Burgess (left) and John Brock – 21 Oct 2026

Plants were identified by John Brock; well-known author of “Native Plants of Northern Australia”, and William Burgess (botanist).

Figure 2.  2CRU offset area is in green, western edge is 1.7km.

Figure 3. Area A & B (white shapes) were surveyed for plant species, yellow pins are large eucalypts from a 2023 survey. Area B is in the 2CRU development area.

Aim of the walk was to improve knowledge of plants in the 2CRU offset area* (Area A and C) and development area (Area B).

Survey methodology – Plants in (refer Figure 3):

• Areas A and B were identified by John Brock on 13 Oct 2026.
• Areas C were identified by John Brock and William Burgess on 21 Oct 2026.

Grasses and herbs were not included in the survey.

 

Notes

* The “2CRU offset area” term is already in common use. Technically the 2CRU offset in not an offset because it is part of 2CRU and has already been set aside for conservation.

People on plant walk:

• Area A & B: John Brock, Graeme Sawyer, David Percival, Gayle Laidlaw and Ian Redmond.

• Area C: John Brock, William Burgess, David Percival and Ian Redmond.

Stage 2 and 3 was bulldozed in 2023-24.

 

Survey Results

This is a summary of Appendix A below.

 

Figure 4. Cypress Pine (Callitris intratropica) in Area B regrowth.

Area A – 2CRU offset area – woodland, survey distance ~0.7 km

Recorded 47 plant species. The survey went through a small seasonal creek. The area has had few fires.

Previous photos relevant to Area A and C are posted here.

Area B – 2CRU development area – woodland, survey distance ~0.4 km.

Recorded 35 plant species. The area has had few fires. The understorey in regrowth areas (no large eucalypts) and non-regrowth areas (have large eucalypts) was similar.  Previous photos are posted here.

Area C – 2CRU offset area – monsoon rainforest, survey distance ~0.5 km

Recorded 50 plant species. Area is intact. No Eucalypts, Grevilleas, or Acacias (except Acacia auriculiformis) were recorded.

 

Summary

• Areas A, B and C – 92 plant species was recorded.
• Area C – consisted of only monsoon rainforest plants – 52 plant species were recorded.
• Areas A & B – consisted of approx. 70% woodland and 30% monsoon rainforest plants – 56 plant species were recorded.

Discussion

In 1944, 2CRU had nearly all of its woodland. Most of the land clearing at 2CRU took place in the early 1960’s, approx. 65 years ago, refer Figure 5 below.

Figure 5. 2CRU in 1963 (white dashed line) showing land clearing.

Area A and B (woodland) are above the escarpment (orange line) and Area C (monsoon rainforest) is below the escarpment. Areas A and C (black line) is the 2CRU offset.

Plant species

Area A – the northern part had no large eucalypts (refer Figure 3). This may be due to shallow soils observed in the area. Past clearing was not evident on aerial photography – refer: old growth trees.

Area B – consisted of regrowth areas and areas not cleared (still had large eucalypts) based on aerial photos and tree diameter. As of 2026, the current tree diameter at breast height for a regrowth eucalypt was generally less than 20cm…read more. Understorey habitat was similar in regrowth areas and areas with large eucalypts (areas not cleared).

Areas A & B – recorded some monsoon rainforest plant species brought about by an infrequent fire regime. Area A recorded more plant species than Area B because a greater area was surveyed – per hectare, plant diversity is expected to be similar for Area A and B.

Area C – consisted entirely of monsoon rainforest plants. No Eucalypts, Grevilleas, or Acacias (except Acacia auriculiformis) were recorded. Acacia auriculiformis (Black Wattle) is considered to be a monsoon rainforest plant and was the largest tree seen in Area C.

Gamba Grass – Area A & B had patches of high-density Gamba Grass that need to be eradicated.

 

Findings

• Areas A & B – consisted of approx. 70% woodland and 30% monsoon rainforest plants and held a similar diversity of plant species.
• Area B – areas with large eucalypts (areas not cleared) and healthy regrowth areas had similar understory plant species.
• Area C consisted of only monsoon rainforest plant species.

 

APPENDIX A

Plant species recorded in 2CRU – Oct 2026

John Brock identified plants in Areas A & B on 13 Oct 2026.

John Brock and William Burgess identified plants in Area C on 21 Oct 2026.

Figure 3 (copy). White areas surveyed for plant species, yellow pins are large eucalypts.

 

Monsoon Rainforest plants from Area C are in bold				Woodland		Monsoon Rainforest
Genus	Species	Stratum	Common Name	Area A offset	Area B	Area C offset
Abrus	precatorius	Vine	Crab’s Eye Vine	NO	YES	YES
Acacia	auriculiformis	Overstorey	Black Wattle	YES	YES	YES
Acacia	dimidiata	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Acacia	holosericea	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Acacia	lamprocarpa	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Acacia	latescens	Understorey		NO	YES	NO
Acacia	mimula	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Acacia	oncinocarpa	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Adenia	heterophylla	Vine		NO	NO	YES
Aglaia	brownii	Understorey	TBC	NO	NO	YES
Aida	racemosa	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Alstonia	actinophylla	Overstorey	Milkwood	YES	YES	YES
Alyxia	spicata	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Antiaris	toxicaria	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Auranticarpa	melanosperma	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Blakella	bella	Overstorey	Ghost Gum	YES	NO	NO
Blakella	polysciada	Overstorey		YES	NO	NO
Brachychiton	diversifolius	Overstorey		YES	NO	NO
Brachychiton	megaphyllus	Understorey	Red-flowered Kurrajong	YES	YES	NO
Breynia	cernua	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Bridelia	tomentosa	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Buchanania	arborescens	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Buchanania	obovata	Understorey	Green Plum	YES	YES	NO
Callitris	intratropica	Overstorey	Cypress Pine	NO	YES	NO
Calytrix	achaeta	Understorey	TBC	NO	YES	NO
Calytrix	exstipulata	Understorey	Turkey Bush	YES	YES	NO
Canarium	australianum	Overstorey		YES	NO	YES
Capparis	sepiaria	Vine		NO	NO	YES
Capparis	umbonata	Understorey	Wild Orange	YES	YES	NO
Carallia	brachiata	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Carpentaria	acuminata	Overstorey	Carpentaria Palm	NO	NO	YES
Celtis	philippinensis	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Cochlospermum	fraseri	Understorey	Kapok Bush	YES	YES	NO
Corymbia	polycarpa	Overstorey		YES	NO	NO
Cryptocarya	cunninghamii	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Cupaniopsis	anacardioides	Understorey	Tuckeroo	YES	NO	YES
Cycad	armstrongii	Understorey	Cycad	YES	NO	NO
Denhamia	obscura	Understorey		YES	YES	YES
Dioscorea	sp. TBC	Vine	Yam	NO	NO	YES
Diospyros	calycantha	Overstorey		YES	NO	YES
Dolichandrone	filiformis	Understorey		YES	NO	NO
Drypetes	deplanchei	Understorey		YES	YES	YES
Dysoxylum	acutangulum	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Elaeocarpus	arnhemicus	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Erythrophleum	chlorostachys	Overstorey	Ironwood	YES	YES	NO
Eucalyptus	miniata	Overstorey	Woollybutt	YES	YES	NO
Eucalyptus	tetrodonda	Overstorey	Stringybark	YES	YES	NO
Exocarpus	latifolius	Understorey	Native cherry	YES	YES	YES
Ficus	virens	Overstorey	Banyan	NO	NO	YES
Flacourtia	territorialis	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Flagellaria	indica	Vine		YES	YES	YES
Ganophyllum	falcatum	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Glochidion	xerocarpum	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Glycosmis	trifoliata	Understorey		YES	NO	YES
Grevillia	decurrens	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Grevillia	dryandri ssp dasycarpa	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Ixora	timorensis	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Jasminum	didymum	Vine	Native Jasmine	NO	NO	YES
Jasminum	molle	Vine		YES	NO	YES
Litsea	glutinosa	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Livistonia	humilis	Understorey	Sand Palm	YES	YES	NO
Malaisia	scandens	Vine		NO	NO	YES
Mallotus	philippensis	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Maranthes	corymbosa	Overstorey	Maranthes	NO	NO	YES
Melaleuca	argentea	Overstorey	Silver-leafed Paperbark	NO	NO	YES
Melaleuca	leucadendra	Overstorey	Weeping Paperbark	YES	NO	NO
Memecylon	pauciflorum	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Micromelum	minutum	Understorey		NO	YES	YES
Miliusa	brahei	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Minusops	elengi	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Monoon	australe	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Pandanus	spiralus	Understorey	Pandanus	NO	YES	NO
Parsonsia	velutina	Vine		YES	YES	NO
Persoonia	falcata	Overstorey	Milky Plum	YES	YES	NO
Petalostigma	pubescens	Understorey	Quinine Tree	YES	NO	NO
Santalum	album	Understorey	Sandalwod – TBC	NO	NO	YES
Sersalisia	sericea	Understorey	Pouteria	YES	NO	YES
Smilax	australis	Understorey		YES	YES	NO
Stenocapus	acaciodes	Understorey		NO	YES	NO
Sterculia	quadrifida	Overstorey	Peanut Tree	YES	YES	YES
Strychnos	lucida	Understorey	Strychnine Tree	YES	YES	YES
Syzygium	eucalyptoides ssp bleeseri	Understorey	White Bush Apple	YES	NO	NO
Tabernaemontana	orientalis	Understorey		NO	YES	NO
Tacca	leontopetaloides	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Terminalia	ferdinandiana	Understorey	Billy Goat Plum	NO	YES	NO
Terminalia	microcarpa	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Tinospora	smilacina	Vine	Snake Vine	YES	NO	NO
Trema	tomentosa	Understorey		NO	NO	YES
Vine TBC	A sp	Vine	TBC	NO	NO	YES
Vine TBC	B sp	Vine	TBC	NO	NO	YES
Vitex	glabrata	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES
Zanthoxylum	rhetsa	Overstorey		NO	NO	YES