Open Access

Don W. Butler, Rod J. Fensham

• The Peak Range (22˚ 28’ S; 147˚ 53’ E) is an archipelago of rocky peaks set in grassy basalt rolling-plains, east of Clermont in central Queensland. This report describes the flora and vegetation based on surveys of 26 peaks. The survey recorded all plant species encountered on traverses of distinct habitat zones, which included the ‘matrix’ adjacent to each peak. The method involved effort comparable to a general flora survey but provided sufficient information to also describe floristic association among peaks, broad habitat types, and contrast vegetation on the peaks with the surrounding landscape matrix. The flora of the Peak Range includes at least 507 native vascular plant species, representing 84 plant families. Exotic species are relatively few, with 36 species recorded, but can be quite prominent in some situations. The most abundant exotic plants are the grass Melinis repens and the forb Bidens bipinnata. Plant distribution patterns among peaks suggest three primary groups related to position within the range and geology. The Peak Range makes a substantial contribution to the botanical diversity of its region and harbours several endemic plants among a flora clearly distinct from that of the surrounding terrain. The distinctiveness of the range’s flora is due to two habitat components: dry rainforest patches reliant upon fire protection afforded by cliffs and scree, and; rocky summits and hillsides supporting xeric shrublands. Plants endemic to the Peak Range are mainly associated with the latter of these habitats.