Coastal Sandstone Gallery Rainforest

Coastal Sandstone Gallery Rainforest is a warm-temperate rainforest is found on sandy alluvium or rocky streams in deep protected sandstone gully systems across the greater Sydney region. These are rainforests of low species diversity compared to more complex rainforests associated with richer soils. The array of vines and climbers that are common in other rainforest assemblages are absent here. Instead, the ground cover is an open cover of ferns amongst sandstone boulders and fallen logs. It occurs in higher rainfall zones greater than 900mm per annum.

This community grows in sheltered gullies, slopes and hillsides on Hawkesbury Sandstone. In the Ryde Local Government Area the remaining pockets of Coastal Sandstone Gallery forest can be found along Terrys Creek, Kittys Creek and the Lane Cove River.

Native Species List

Common Name 

Botanical Name 

Approximate Height
Trees     
Coachwood  Ceratopetalum apetalum  10-25m 
Black Wattle  Callicoma serratifolia  5-10m 
Water Gum  Tristaniopsis laurina  4-10m 
Lilly Pilly  Acmena smithii  15-20m 
Sweet Pittosporum  Pittosporum undulatum  5-10m 
Flax-leaved Paperbark  Melaleuca linariifolia  5-8m 
Shrubs     
Sydney Golden Wattle  Acacia longifolia   
Parramatta Wattle  Acacia parramattensis   
Lilly Pilly  Acmena smithii   
Narrow Leaf Myrtle  Austromyrtus tenuifolia   
Yellow Tea Tree   Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. polygalifolium   
Ground Covers     
False Bracken Fern  Calochlaena dubia   
Small Rasp Fern  Doodia caudata   
Common Rush  Juncus usitatus   
Spiny-headed mat-rush  Lomandra longifolia   
Basket Grass  Oplismenus spp., Viola hederacea  
Vines and Climbers     
Devil's Twine  Cassytha pubescens   
Sweet Morinda  Morinda jasminoides   
 
Location in City of Ryde

Coastal sandstone gallery forest map

 

Related information

Saline Wetlands

Sandstone Geology

Shale Geology

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