25 Direction of Sustainable Development of the South Province Territories I Strolling along the waterways 24 Strolling along the waterways Dacrydium araucarioides Agathis ovata Mountain Kauri Drosera neocaledonica Cladonia pycnoclada and Cladia retipora Arbusculate Lichen and Coral Lichen Dacrydium guillauminii Cat Tail Callitris pancheri Former name: Neocallitropsis pancheri Conifers > The originals A unique flora in the world Without stem, leaf or root, slow growing, lichens result from the symbiotic association between a fungus and an algae. Growingwith its feet in thewater, this small shrub is characterized by its needle-shaped leaves, very bushy on the branches, which give it the appearance of a cat’s tail. One of the rarest conifers in the world. The leaves, structured in tight scales, aggregate into smooth and sinuous branches, in the upper half of the trunk, giving this small tree a candelabra shape. Recognizable by its rosette of red leaves covered with hairs, the carnivorous Drosera produces a false nectar which attracts insects. Those who stick to it are killed! Its characteristic shape with a tabular crown, in the shape of an isosceles triangle, points downwards emerges from dense humid forests of medium altitude or from the shrub as isolated individuals. P P Banks of the Lakes River Madeleine Falls, Lakes Plain This small tree with a very twisted trunk, giving it the appearance of a giant bonsai, was widely exploited for its oil, used as a perfume fixative. As a threatened species, it became, in 1942, the first one to be officially protected locally. Callitris pancheri The name of this tree is one of around thirty groups of species dedicated to the botanist Jean Pancher (1814-1877) who lived in NewCaledonia from1857 to 1877 andwho died in Uaraï Bay near Fort Teremba (Moindou, New Caledonia). An exceptional endemism The isolation of New Caledonia for millions of years has allowed theparticular evolutionofmany species. In theGreat South, extreme living conditions, with lots of sunshine, soils unfavourable for plant growth, generate an exceptional rate of endemism. The Ramsar labelled area offers a multiplicity of natural habitats, with mining shrubland, humid forests, lakes and swamps. © Jean-Jacques Villegente- Netcha © Dominique Garnier- Madeleine waterfall © Katia Michalezyk © Katia Michalezyk © Katia Michalezyk- Plaine des Lacs © Katia Michalezyk- Plaine des Lacs Eriocaulon neocaledonicum Blechnum francii Franc’s aquatic fern Pandanus lacuum Water Pandanus Utricularia Uliginosa Endemic Protected Xyris neocaledonica Aquatic species Retrophyllum minus Corkwood tree This aquatic fern, attached to the bottom of the water by roots, can grow to incredible depths of 10 m. Grass located in the marshes of the mining areas of the Great South where three species are present, all endemic. The solitary flowers develop three bright yellow petals. This herbaceous carnivore, with a long floral stem punctuated with purple flowers, ingests microorganisms thanks to its fine foliage equipped with utricles, like somany wineskins with trap doors which trap their prey by sucking them in as soon as it comes into contact. Recognizable by its slender stem supported by aerial stilt roots submerged in water, this rare, microendemic pandanus is in great danger. This semi-aquatic herbaceous plant sometimes lines the edges of rivers and lakes. Its flowering takes place in dry periods when the plant is then more exposed. P P P Bed of the Lakes River The Lakes Plain The Lakes Plain Retrophyllum minus Formerly used by miners for making corks, it owes its name to the lightness of its wood, comparable to that of balsa. It is a relic conifer of Gondwanan origin, with a very particular habit, a characteristic “bottle” trunk, resembling a baobab. This species formerly occupied the vast marshy areas of the Lakes Plain, thus constituting real marshy forests today replaced by ligno-herbaceous shrub of the marshy areas. (Palynological studies in the lakes of the Goro Plateau (Hope and Pask, 1998). Very sensitive to fire, trampling and mutilations of campers, it particularly attracts the attention of international bodies for nature conservation. Often represented by a few isolated tree plants present along waterways, it can resist total submersion for several days. © Nicolas Charpin © Katia Michalezyk- Madeleine River © Irène Létocart- Lakes Plain © Katia Michalezyk- Lakes Plain © Adeline Suprin © Katia Michalezyk- Plaine des Lacs Light and anchored Gondwana Relic Crescent feet in the water Rare Rare, in critical danger E E E E E P P P P E E E E E E P P P P R R R+ R+ R R R R
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