Drought and bugs nip flora in bud

A drying climate, land clearing and destructive diseases including dieback have been blamed for the rapid deterioration of hundreds of plant species in WA.

The situation has prompted the creation of an unprecedented list of the top 25 most endangered plants in the State, compiled for _The West Australian _ by the recently formed Threatened Species Council.

For the first time, WA's most critically endangered flora species are ranked according to those most under threat.

Spanning locations from the Mid West to the South Coast and across the Wheatbelt, plants on the list include a variety of wattles, banksia, grevillea, honeysuckle and orchids.

Dieback has been identified as the major threat in the South West and land clearing in the Wheatbelt has forced some species on to the list.
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