Plants

Twenty-eight Regional Ecosystems have been recorded and mapped on Carnarvon Station Reserve, cumulating in approximately 327 plant species, of which 266 are native.

The sandstone plateaus in the northeast of the Reserve support woodlands including Mountain coolibah (Eucalyptus orgadophila) and Silver-leaved ironbark (Eucalypyus melanophloia).  The wetter slopes of basalt dominated terrain support patches of vine thicket, Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) and Belah (Casuarina cristata).  There are upland areas of Queensland bluegrass (Dicanthium sericeum) on basalt soils and areas of Cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla) forest on the sandy plateaus.

The major creeks that run from these dissected plateaus through the length of the Reserve are a mixture of the basalt and sandstone parent materials. These support long bands of Poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea) woodlands along the major creek lines, linking broad flat grasslands dominated by Dicanthium sericium.  The creeklines themselves support small patches of open forest with a variety of taller eucalypts, Casuarina cunninghamiana and Angophora floribunda.

The sand hills west of the basalt-capped plateaus are forested with a mosaic of Angophora leiocarpa, bloodwoods, Callitris and Eucalyptus forests.

Plant species of high conservation value on the property found in recent surveys include the native thistle Stemmoncanthus australia, listed as Vulnerable, and two native herbs.

Sub-tropical versions of the grassy woodlands that are under severe threat in the southern States are found throughout the property. Sandstone ranges support a diverse and distinctive flora, including eucalypts, conifers and acacias. On the outwash from these ranges, the angophoras form spectacular old-growth open forests and woodlands.The alluvial flats contain some of the most threatened vegetation types, including grassland and poplar box woodlands.

A botanical expert who surveyed Carnarvon Station recently described it as: "the most intact property of its size outside the tropics or the arid zone in Queensland".

Because the Station is at the headwaters of a major catchment, it has not been affected by the downstream spread of weeds.