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The distributions of the 567 plant species considered to be endemic to the Northern Territory, Australia, were collated from a distributional database comprising about 600 000 records. Endemic species comprise a non-random taxonomic subset of all plants known from the Northern Territory. Because of substantial geographic disparity in collecting effort, we analysed geographic patterning of these endemic species by using both (1) actual records only and (2) interpolated ranges (minimum convex polygons). The geographic distribution of the number of Northern Territory endemic plant species was well predicted by a measure of topographic complexity and climate (particularly rainfall). The observed distributional patterning of endemic species was also influenced by survey effort, but this latter influence was substantially reduced by the use of minimum convex polygons. Both analyses revealed that there was a clear aggregation of endemic species in the 32 000 km2 of the sandstone plateau of western Arnhem Land. This ‘hotspot’ has been previously recognised in coarser-scale assessments of national and international centres of plant biodiversity. Our analysis concluded that 172 species are restricted to this plateau, and that the plateau comprised at least 90% of the distribution of a further 25 species. More broadly, 438 plant species are endemic to the northern part of the Northern Territory (the 316 000 km2 north of 16°S), a level of endemism that may match that of Cape York Peninsula and surpasses that of the Kimberley. The core area for Northern Territory endemic plants, the plateau of western Arnhem Land, is currently threatened, particularly by unfavourable fire regimes.

Variation in shoot number, shoot size, and yield of dry matter occurring in the regrowth from lucerne plants cut at different stages of maturity and at different intensities is reported. The main effects of the treatments arose through variation in shoot number and changes in the time at which each shoot commenced extension growth; a linear regression utilizing this information about the population of shoots accounted for nearly all the variation in yield. Less severe, or later, cutting resulted in greater yields of dry matter in a 4 week period of regrowth. Changes in shoot number and shoot size both contributed to the variation in the yield of regrowth. Shoot size was mainly determined by the time at which the shoot resumed extension growth, and once such growth was resumed the shoot growth rate was apparently independent of the cutting treatment applied. The results are discussed in relation to currently held concepts on the role of "reserves" and of residual leaf area in promoting the regrowth of pasture plants. The development of lucerne adapted to grazing management is also considered.

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