Lord Howe and Philip Islands

11909-09009 Grevillea (Grevillea exul rubignosa) a shrubby plant endemic to the infertile, arid and toxic serpentine soils of New Caledonia in the south. This plants seeds are 'coated' with the chemical Calcium which appears able to reduce the amount of Nickel entering the developing seed during germination. The plant's mean leaf mineral composition for manganese is around 2,590 mg.kg‒1 (dry matter), with levels up to 6,200 mg.kg‒1 having been recorded! These levels place G. exul var. rubignosa among the plants richest in manganese on the island. It is thought that 'hyperaccumulators' of manganese such as this species, could be used in the revegetation of old nickel mining sites to help restore a manganse-rich biomass which the Nickel mining has destroyed. Montagne des Sources, New Caledonia *

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11909-09009 Grevillea (Grevillea exul rubignosa) a shrubby plant endemic to the infertile, arid and toxic serpentine soils of New Caledonia in the south. This plants seeds are 'coated' with the chemical Calcium which appears able to reduce the amount of Nickel entering the developing seed during germination. The plant's mean leaf mineral composition for manganese is around 2,590 mg.kg‒1 (dry matter), with levels up to 6,200 mg.kg‒1 having been recorded! These levels place G. exul var. rubignosa among the plants richest in manganese on the island. It is thought that 'hyperaccumulators' of manganese such as this species, could be used in the revegetation of old nickel mining sites to help restore a manganse-rich biomass which the Nickel mining has destroyed. Montagne des Sources, New Caledonia *

09009 Grevillea exul rubignosa endemic infertile arid toxic serpentine soils Montagne des Sources New Caledonia