Muelleria Volume 7 Number 3 March 1991 NATIONAL HERBARIUM OF VICTORIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT Muelleria Volume 7 , Number 3 March 1991 CONTENTS Volume 7 , Number 3 Page Thelopsis isiaca var. australis, a new pyrenocarpous lichen from Australia — P. M. McCarthy 3 1 3 Notes on Australian Verrucariaceae (Lichenes): 2 — P. M. McCarthy 3 1 7 Notes on the lichenized Ascomycete genus Thelenella Nyl. in Australia, Southern Africa and on the islands of the Subantarctic and Antarctic — H. Mayrhofer and P. M. McCarthy 333 Some pyrenocarpous lichens from Macquarie Island — P. M. McCarthy 343 Notes on Hovea R. Br. (Fabaceae): 5 — J. H. Ross 349 A new species of Minuria DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) — P. S. Short 361 A new combination in Ptilotus R. Br. (Amaranthaceae) — PS. Short 369 Bossiaea arenicola (Fabaceae), a new species from northern Queensland — J. H. Ross 371 Plectranthus arenicolus (Lamiaceae), a new species from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland — Paul I. Forster 375 New taxa in Victorian Poaceae — N. G. Walsh 379 Two new subspecies within Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. and notes on that species — K. Rule 339 A new species of Calotis R. Br. (Asteraceae: Astereae) frorn New^^^^^^^^ Wales — P. S. Short 405 Book Review: Plants for Medicines: a chemical and pharmacological survey of plants in the Australian region. — J. H. Ross 411 Book Review: A key to Australian Grasses. — N. G. Walsh 415 Editor: D.B. Foreman Published by the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL), Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141, Australia. The date of distribution of Volume 7, number 2 was 30 March 1990. THELOPSIS ISIACA VAR. AUSTRALIS, A NEW PYRENOCARPOUS LICHEN FROM AUSTRALIA by P. M. McCarthy* ABSTRACT McCarthy, P.M. Thelopsis isiaca var. australis, a new pyrenocarpous lichen from Australia. Muelleria 7(3): 313-315 (1991) — Thelopsis isiaca var. australis McCarthy is described from west-central Victoria, Australia. It is distinguished from var. isiaca by its well-developed areolate thallus, smaller asci, perithecia and thalline verrucae and its occurrence on deeply-shaded siliceous rock. Thelopsis Nyl. is reported from the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. INTRODUCTION ^ The pyrenocarpous lichen genus Thelopsis Nyl. is best known from Europe (Vezda 1968) and the U.S.A. (Harris 1979). Accommodating six species, it is characterised by a Trentepohlia-\ike photobiont, polysporous unitunicate asci, simple persistent paraphyses and simple to few-septate ascospores. This combination sets Thelopsis apart from all of the recognised pyrenocarpous families (Harris 1979). The rarely-collected T isiaca Stizenb. is the only species with 1 -septate spores, but, more significantly, it is the only one possessing perithecia that remain entirely immersed in prominent thalline warts. Thelopsis isiaca has been found in Egypt (its type locality), Crete, SW Europe and California, U.S.A. (Vezda 1968); it is predominantly corticolous, but is also known to inhabit limestone and other basic rocks. Thelopsis isiaca var. australis, described here from Victoria, represents the first record of this anomalous genus from the Southern Hemisphere. TAXONOMY Thelopsis isiaca var. australis McCarthy, var. nov. Thallus crustaceus, epilithicus, subgriseo-hinnuleus, areolatus, 0.1-0.15(-0.2) mm crassus. Areolae \nt%\i\dsts, angulares, laeves, hebetatae, planae vel convexae, saepe rimulosae, 0.2-0.5(- 0.6) mm latae. Cortex 35-45 /im crassus, magnopere hyalinus. Stratum algarum 50-90 urn crassum; cellulae ad Trentepohliam pertinentes, 10-23 x 10-16 pm. Medulla IQ-AQ pm crassa. Perithecia simplicia, in verrucis thallinis omnino immersa, plerumque solitaria Verrucae convexae vel hemisphaericae, (0.38)-0.45(-0.56) mm diametro. Ostiolum leviter depressum, fuscatum. Centrum globosum, 0.2-0.25(-0.3) mm diametro. Excipulum hyalinum, 20-30 pm crassum. Periphyses 20-30 x 1.5-2.5 /tm, parce ramosae. Paraphyses simplices, multicellulosae persistentes, 2 ^m latae. Asci unitunicati, cylindrici vel fusiformes, 60-120-spori, 130-160 x 12-20 pm, apicibus gradatim decrescentibus vel rotundatis vel parce complanatis. Gelatinum hymenii kali causticurn/J+ sublazulinus. Ascosporae incoloratae, 1-septatae, latae vel elongatae-ellipsoideae, aliquando moderate flexae, aliquando cellulis anisomorphis, plerumque in medio constricto, persaepe biguttulatae, (9.1-)12.2(-17.3) x (4.4.-)5.4(-7.1)/rm. HolotypuS: Australia, Victoria, 4 km SSW of Mt Langi Ghiran, 300 m N of Beaufort-Ararat road, alt. 450 m, on dry deeply-shaded granite, P. M. McCarthy 122 (MEL 1052235). Thallus crustose, epilithie, pale grey-fawn, areolate, 0.1-0.15(-0.2) mm thick. Areolae irregular, angular, smooth, matt, plane to convex, frequently * National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141. 313 314 rimulose, 0.2-0.5(-0.6) mm wide. Cortex 30-45 nm deep, mainly hyaline, pigmented only in the uppermost 5-7 /^m; cells become larger, more angular and more thin-walled with depth, 3-6 x 2-4 //m. Algal layer 50-90 /rm deep; cells Trentepohlia-like, ellipsoid to globose, solitary or in short filaments, 10-23 x 10-16/im. Medulla 20-40 pm deep; hyphae closely-set, 3-6 /^m diam. Perithecia simple, entirely immersed in thalline verrucae, usually solitary, occasionally in pairs. Verrucae strongly convex to hemispherical, (0.38-)0.45(-0.56) mm diam., becoming somewhat attenuated at the base. Ostiole slightly depressed, somewhat darker than the surrounding tissue. Centrum globose, 0.2-0.25(-0.3) mm diam. Excipulum hyaline, 20-30 pm thick. Periphyses 20-30 x 1.5-2. 5 pm, sparingly branched. Paraphyses simple, multicellular, persistent, 2 pm wide. Asci unitunicate, cylindrical or fusiform, thin-walled, containing 60- 1 20 ascospores, 130-160 X 12-20 pm-, apex tapering, rounded or .somewhat flattened. Hymenial gelatin KOH/I-l- pale blue. Ascospores colourless, 1 -septate, broadly to elongate- ellipsoid, sometimes bent or with one cell larger than the other, frequently constricted at the septum, not obviously halonate, almost invariably bi-guttulate, (9.1-)12.2(-17.3) X (4.4-)5.4(-7.1) pm (40 individuals measured). (Fig. 1) Fig. 1. Thelopsis isiaca var. australis. A — vertical section of perithecial verruca; scale 0.2 mm. B — ascospores; scale 10/tm. 315 Discussion: Thelopsis isiaca var. australis shares the salient features of van isiaca, namely the thalline verrucae, immersed perithecia and 1 -septate ascospores. It differs, however, in its siliceous substratum, its smooth areolate thallus, smaller asci ( 1 80-240 x 1 0-20 pm in the typus of var. isiaca) and in its smaller verrucae and perithecia. According to Vezda (1968), T isiaca possesses 0.4-0. 5 mm diam. perithecia in verrucae that measure 0.6-1 mm. However, the holotype (H-NYL. 1436) and a second specimen from the type locality (Arnold, Lich. exs. 1635, in H-NYL.) together have mature verrucae measuring (0.46-)0.57(-0.74) mm (30 individuals). Moreover, the sole New World specimen of T. isiaca, first described as T. subporinella Nyl. ex Hasse, possesses verrucae of (0.45-)0.53(-0.62) mm (10 individuals). Thus, whereas recent gatherings have featured larger verrucae, those of the typi of T. isiaca and its synonym, though larger than those of var. australis are not discontinuous with them. Because of this, the new taxon is assigned varietal rather than a higher status. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to the Director of the Botanical Museum, University of Helsinki for the loan of type material. REFERENCES Harris, R. C. (1979). Four species of Thelopsis Nyl. (lichenized Ascomycetes) new to North America. Bryologist 82: 77-78. Vezda, A. (1968). Taxonomische Revision der Gattung Thelopsis Nyl. (lichenisierte Fungi). Folia geobot. phytotax., Praha 4: 363-406. Manuscript received 8 January 1990. ■ ■■'■ I /- '■ rJ) • '•> ' ' vawQV- srzjuK^t] ■: .-.6 vf. , ♦n's»nr.»l" •■ :.v /. r*' '< Mhii \af)itclHti6ai z ■ '•• •* ?i?r>ttblO«r,V3* ■ • ^ ....... . ■ , l) . !,■•* -.i: - ^■ ■;: iMt.',«i OV)^ NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN VERRUCARIACEAE (LICHENES): 2 by P. M. McCarthy* ABSTRACT McCarthy, P. M. Notes on Australian Verrucariaceae (Lichenes): 2. Muelleria 7(3): 31%332 (1991). Catapyrenium bullatescens McCarthy, Verrucaria australiensis McCarthy, V. hydrela van puncticulata McCarthy, V. operculata McCarthy, V. subdiscreta McCarthy and V. tessellatuloidea McCarthy are described as new from Australia. Polyblastia cupularis Massal., Thelidium olivaceum (Fr.) Korber, V. dufourii DC., V. glaucina Ach., V. hydrela Ach. and V. striatula Wahlenb. are reported for the first time from the continent. Verrucaria halizoa Leighton is the correct name for V. cribbii Rogers. A key to the marine and maritime Verrucariae presently known from Australia is provided. INTRODUCTION An examination of specimens housed in the major institutional herbaria in Australia and a more thorough survey of those collections in the National Herbarium of Victoria which might be expected to include Verrucariaceae indicates that the type genus is most diverse in the south-eastern states and in coastal areas of South Australia. This finding is not unexpected . given the preference of Verrucaria for temperate and boreal environments in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, because the genus is also predominantly calcicolous, this combination of macroclimatic and substratum preferences should be helpful in locating those centres of greatest diversity in Australia. Of the four marine and maritime Verrucariae included in the Third Edition of the ‘Checklist of Australian Lichens’ (Filson 1988), only two, V maura Wahlenb. and V microsporoides Nyl., have been reliably recorded. Verrucaria ceuthocarpa Wahlenb., reported by Muller (1893) from Warmambool, Victoria, was stated to be “sine apotheciis”; its identity, therefore, must remain doubtful. Furthermore, Muller’s report of V mucosa Wahlenb. from Sandringham, Victoria bears the qualification “male evoluta” (Muller 1893); this material, in the National Herbarium of New South Wales, corresponds to V microsporoides Nyl. Recently, Rogers (1988) described V. cribbii from Heron Island, a tropical coral cay in Queensland. Intertidal Verrucariae have rarely been observed at such latitudes; they usually occupy a climatic gradient ranging from temperate to sub- polar. Whereas, V cribbii occupies an unusual environment, in terms of its thalline and perithecial morphology it agrees with V halizoa Leighton (syn. V microspora auct. angl. non Nyl.). The present contribution includes the descriptions of six new taxa together with new records of ten others, mainly from southern and south-eastern Australia. A key to the six marine and maritime species currently accepted for Australia is provided. TAXONOMY 1. Catapyrenium bullatescens McCarthy, sp. nov. Thallus squamulosus, terricolus, brunneus, 0.2-0. 4(-0. 5) mm crassus. Squamulae contiguae vel imbricatae, l-2(-3) mm latae, rotundatae, elongatae vel irregulares, primum planae, deinde convexae vel bullatae, hebetatae, laevigatae vel rugulosae, saepe leviter rimulosae, ad marginem deflexae, integrae vel leviter lobatae, nunquam profunde incisae. Stratum epinecrale * National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141. 317 318 incoloratum, 7-15 ^um crassum. Cortex bistratus, superior prosoplectenchymatus, inferior paraplectenchymatus, 40-60(-80) jum crassum. Stratum algarum (0.07-)0.1(-0.15) mm crassum; cellulae globosae, virides, 7-12(-14) /rm diametro. Medulla 0.07-0.2 mm crassa; cellulae hypharum 8- 1 5 x 4-6(-8) /rm. Cortex infemus margine pallido-fuscus, interne fusco- ater, 20-30 jim crassus; cellulae hypharum rhizoidealium 1 5-30 x (4-)6(-8) ^m. Perithecia simplices, immersa, plerumque solitaria, 0.35-0.5 mm diametro. Apex perithecii niger, planus vel leviter convexus, 0.25-0.38 mm diametro. Ostiolum inconspicuum vel leviter depressum. Excipulum praecipue incoloratum vel pallido-spadiceum, fuscans prope apicem, 26-36 /rm crassum; cellulae 8-20 x 3-6 pm. Centrum globosum, 0.3-0.44 mm diametro. Periphyses 25-40 X 1.5-2 pm. Paraphyses evanescentes. Asci bitunicati, elongati-clavati, 8-spori, 90-120 x 10- 15(-20) pm. Gelatinum hymenii J+ rubiginosum. Ascosporae simplices, incoloratae, elongatae vel latae-ellipsoideae, plerumque seriatae, guttulatae, (10.3-)12.8(-15.8) x (5.3-)6.3(-7.9) /rm. Conidiomata 0.07-0.1 mm diametro, immersa, praecipue incolorata. Conidia bacilliformes, 2-3.5 X 0.7 pm. HolotypuS; Australia, New South Wales, Limestone Valley Creek, 9 km NE of Canowindra, 33°36'S, 148°41'E, alt. 460 m, “limestone outcrop in paddock with scattered Brachychiton and Callitris. On big branches of Brachychiton” 8.viii.l979, H. Streimann 9253 (CBG 7911587). Thallus squamulose, terricolous, brown, 0.2-0.4(-0.5) mm thick. Squamules contiguous to imbricate, l-2(-3) mm wide, rounded, elongate or irregular, at first plane, becoming convex to bullate; surface matt, smooth to rugulose, frequently faintly rimulose; margin deflexed, entire to faintly lobate, never deeply incised. Epinecral layer colourless, 7-15 pm thick. Cortex bi-layered, 40-60(-80) pm thick; upper layer prosoplectenchymatous, with 1-2 rows of 10-15(-17) pm diam. cells that have 3-4(-5) pm thick pale brown walls; lower layer paraplectenchymatous, with 4-7 rows of angular and vertically elongated 9-15 x 6-9 /zm cells that have 1.5-2.5(-3) pm thick colourless walls. Algal layer (0.07-) 0.1(-0.15) mm thick; cells green, ^obose, 7-12(-14) pm diam. Medulla 0.07-0.2 mm thick; hyphal cells 8-15 x 4-6(-8) pm. Lower cortex pale brown near the margin, dark brown nearer the centre, 20-30 /zm thick; cells 7-15 pm diam., producing a dense growth of rhizoidal hyphae with cells of 1 5-30 x (4-)6(-8) /zm. Perithecia simple, immersed, usually solitary, 0.35-0.5 mm diam. Perithecial apex black, plane to slightly convex, 0.25-0.38 mm diam. Ostiole inconspicuous or located in a shallow depression. Excipulum colourless to pale yellowish-brown, except near the apex where it is pale to dark brown, 26-36 pm thick; cells 8-20 x 3-6 pm. Centrum globose, 0.30-0.44 mm diam. Periphyses 25-40 x 1.5-2 pm. Paraphyses evariescQni. AscihiXumcaXe, elongate-clavate, 8-spored, 90-120 x 10- 1 5(-20) pm. Hy menial gel 1+ deep reddish-brown. Ascospores simple, colourless, elongate to broadly ellipsoid, usually uni-seriate in the asci, guttulate, (10. 3-) 12.8(-15.8) X (5.3-)6.3(-7.9) pm (50 individuals measured). Conidiomata 0.07- 0.1 mm diam., laminal, immersed, with a hyaline wall and an apex that is concolorous with or slightly darker than the thallus. Conidia bacilliform, 2-3.5 x 0.7 pm. (Fig. 1) DISCUSSION; The type specimen of Catapyrenium bullatescens, though small, is abundantly fertile and its squamules exhibit a considerable breadth of form. However, its habitat requirements are, as yet, somewhat enigmatic. Thus, whereas the collector’s notes suggest a corticolous existence, the squamules grow on a mildly calcareous ‘soil’ lacking all traces of bark cells. It is probable that the lichen inhabits a primitive soil accumulated in bark fissures and is, therefore, essentially terricolous. Catapyrenium bullatescens possesses a distinctive combination of perithecial and vegetative attributes, namely, unusually large pale-walled ascomata immersed in small tightly packed and imbricate, convex to bullate squamules. Four Catapyrenia are presently known from Australia. They include the cosmopolitan C. lachneum (Ach.) R. Sant. J. lat., and C. compactum (Massal.) R. 319 Sant., a blackish squamulose-areolate species of limestone and calcareous lithosol in South Australia and Victoria. Two species, C. bullatescens and C. cinereum (Pers.) Korber, are known only from New South Wales. The latter, a common arctic-alpine species in the Northern Hemisphere, was collected at an altitude of 2000 m in the Snowy Mountains (McVean 1969^ it is a pale grey to grey-brown lichen with minute pruinose squamules and brown-black perithecia. Fig. 1. Catapyrenium bullatescens. A — habit; scale 0.2 mm. B — vertical section of thallus showing epmecral layer, cortex and algal layer; scale 50 pm. C — vertical section of perithecium' scale 0.2 mm. D — ascospores; scale 10 /tm. 320 2. Polyblastia cupularis Massal., Ric. auton. lich. crost.: 148 (1852). The lichen genus Polyblastia is characterized within the Vemicariaceae by the muriform septation of its ascospores combined with the absence of hymenial algae. Such a definition is clearly unsatisfactory given the progressively elaborate ascospore septation that is continuous through both Thelidium and Polyblastia. The Victorian specimens of P. cupularis have a pale grey-brown subepilithic thallus and semi-immersed compound perithecia of 0.3-0.52 mm diam. The colourless ascospores measure 30-55 x 14-20 /im. Previous reports of Polyblastia in Australia are referable to the unrelated and largely non-lichenized Polyblastiopsis Zahlbr.; the name Polyblastia tichospora (Knight) Shirley, listed by Filson (1988), is a synonym of Polyblastiopsis tichospora (Knight) Zahlbr. Specimen Seen: Victoria — Warrnambool, on mortar, ?.xi.l886, F. R. M. Wilson 950 (NSW 219134, 219137). 3. Thelidium olivaceum (Fr.) Korber, Parerga lichenoL: 382 (1863). Thelidium olivaceum is already known from central and southern Europe and the U.S.A. The Australian gathering has a minutely areolate olive-brown 20-50 /tm thick thallus and numerous, semi-immersed to almost superficial, 0.18-0.26 mm wide perithecia. The latter, often partly overgrown by the thallus, have a thin involucrellum that is contiguous with the sides of the colourless excipulum. The ascospores are 1 -septate, usually bi-guttulate and measure 19-25 X 9-12 /^m. Specimen Seen: Victoria — Gippsland, Limestone Creek Scenic Reserve, 36°51'40"S, 148°03'20"E, on dry sheltered limestone, alt. 950 m, 29.xi.1989, RM. McCarthy 318 (MEL 1052307). 4. Thelidium papulare (Fr.) Arnold, Flora, Jena 68: 147 (1885). Already reported from New South Wales (McCarthy 1990), this lichen is newly recorded from Victoria. Specimens Seen: Victoria — Gippsland, Buchan Reserve, 1 km NW of Buchan, end of track at camping ground, 37°29'35"S, 148°10'15"E, on dry sheltered limestone, alt. c. 75 m, 28. xi. 1989, P.M. McCarthy 241, 245 (MEL 1052308, 1052309); Gippsland, Limestone Creek Scenic Reserve, 36°51'40"S, 148°03'20"E, on dry sheltered limestone, alt. 950 m, 29.xi. 1989, P.M. McCarthy i/9 (MEL 1052310). 5. Verrucaria australiensis McCarthy, sp. nov. Thallus crustaceus, endolithicus et inconspicuus vel subepilithicus et effusus-farinosus, foveolatus, subcinereo-viridis. Algae virides, cellulis globosis, 5-8 tim diametro. Cellulae hypharum 5-8 x 3-5 fim. Perithecia simplicia, semiimmersa vel fere omnino immersa, plerumque solitaria, moderate numerosa, (0.1-)0.12(-0.14) mm diametro. Apex perithecii rotundatus vel subacutus, ater. Centrum globosum, (0.08-)0.09(-0.1 1) mm diametro. Excipulum lateraliter nigrum, basaliter fuscum, prope apicem 15-20 pm crassum, prope basem 12-15 /tm crassum. Periphyses 14-17 x 2-3 pm. Paraphyses evanescentes. Gelatinum hymenii J+ rufum. Asci bitunicati, clavati vel cylindro-clavati, 8-spori, 30-45 x 12-16 pm. Ascosporae simplices, incolorate, ellipsoideae vel elongatae-ellipsoideae, (9.7-)l 1.7(-14. 1) x (4.7-)5.8(-6.8) pm, contentis hyalinis, plerumque guttulatis. HolotypuS: South Australia, Eyre Peninsula, 17 miles S of Cowell, by the Lincoln Highway, on a limestone erratic, 23.x. 1970, R.B. Filson 11796 (MEL 117716). Thallus crustose, endolithic and inconspicuous to sub-epilithic and effuse- farinose, pale grey-green. Algae green, globose, 5-8 pm diam. Hyphal cells 5-8 x 321 3-5 fim. Perithecia simple, semi-immersed to almost completely immersed, usually solitary, moderately numerous, (0.1-)0.12(-0.14) mm diam, leaving pits in the rock following their decay. Perithecial apex rounded to somewhat pointed, black. Ostiole inconspicuous. Centrum globose, (0.08-)0.09(-0.1 1) mm diam. Excipulum black at the sides, brown at the base, 1 5-20 pm thick near the apex, 12-15 pm thick at the base; cells 6-8 x 3-4 pm. Periphyses 14-17 x 2-3 pm. Paraphyses evanescent. Hymenial gel 1+ red-brown. Asci bitunicate, clavate to cylindro-clavate, 8-spored, 30-45 x 12-16 /rm. Ascospores simple, colourless, ellipsoid to elongate-ellipsoid, (9.7-)l 1.7(-14.1) x (4.7-)5.8(-6.8) pm (40 individuals measured), usually guttulate; contents clear. (Fig. 2) Discussion: Only Verrucaria australiensis and two other known species possess the combination of very small simple perithecia and minute ascospores. Verrucaria simplex McCarthy, from Great Britain, has perithecia similar to those of the Australian species; however, the thallus is dark brown and gelatinous-epilithic. In contrast, V. lovcenensis Servit, known from a single Yugoslavian collection, while having an endolithic habit, has larger perithecia and ascospores 8-11 pm wide. 6. Verrucaria baldensis Massal., Ric. auton. lich. crost.: 173 (1852). This lichen is reported for the first time from Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Specimens Seen: Tasmania — Bass Strait, Fumeaux Group, Flinders Island c. 200 m W of Barclay’s Sugarloaf, alt. 140 m, on limestone, 23.xii. 1966, J.S. Whinray (MEL 28057; with Xanthoria ligulata)', Kents Group, Deal Island, E of Brown’s Bay, alt. 89 m, on limestone, 2.xii.l971, J.S. Whinray (MEL 1012594); Hogans Group, Hogan’s Island, alt. 4-5 m, on a limestone outcrop, 27.xii.1973, J.S. Whinray (UELmi91 A). Australian Capital Territory — Paddy’s R., 17 km SW of Canberra, 35°20'S, 148°56'E, on exposed limestone outcrop in open woodland, alt. 500 m, 16.xii.l979, H. Streimann 9759 (CBG 8000617). Fig. 2. Verrucaria australiensis. A — vertical section of perithecium; scale 0.1 mm B — ascosnores- scale 20 pm. ^ 322 7. Verrucaria dufourii DC., Flor. Franc. 2: 318 (1805). This is very much a cosmopolitan lichen of hard limestones in Eurasia; it is also known from North America. Previously unrecorded in the Southern Hemisphere, Verrucaria dufourii is one of the few species that can usually be identified on the basis of its macroscopic features alone. The perithecia of the Tasmanian specimen are semi-immersed, have a thick 0.3-0.4 mm diameter involucrellum and a flattened or excavate apex. The thallus is pale grey and subepilithic. Specimen Seen: Tasmania — Bass Strait, Kents Group, Deal Island, alt. 1 55 m, on a low limestone outcrop among tussock grass, S.xii. 1971, 7.5, Whinray(MEL 1012601) 8. Verrucaria glaucina Ach., Lich. univ.: 675 (1810). Verrucaria glaucina is a reasonably common calcicolous lichen in much of Eurasia; it is also known from the mid-western and western United States. The 5 mm wide thallus found on moderately shaded limestone in Gippsland, Victoria is grey-brown in colour, deeply rimose-areolate and is subtended by a black hypothallus; the walls of the angular 0.2-0.4 mm wide areolae are also black, but not the margins of the areolar plateaux. The perithecia have a diameter of 0.1- 0. 1 5 mm and an involucrellum that merges with the hypothallus. The ascospores measure 10-16 x 6-9 /^m. Specimen Seen: Victoria — Gippsland, 500 m NNW of Buchan, The Bluff, 37°29'35"S, 148°10T5"E, on limestone, alt. 75 m, 2%. \i.\9i9, P.M. McCarthy 267 QAEL 1052311). 9. Verrucaria hydrela Ach., Syn. Lich.: 94, 339 (1814). The CBG specimen of V. hydrela, collected and tentatively identified by D. Verdon, is the first record of this aquatic lichen from the Southern Hemisphere. The thallus is very thin, continuous, gelatinous when wetted and dark green in colour. While most perithecia retain their characteristic thalline covering to maturity, some are quite bare. The spreading involucrellum has a diameter of O. 25-0.45 mm, the excipulum remains hyaline or pale brown and the ascospores measure 17-25(-27) x 7.5-10/im. Regarding the Victorian material, the Mount Cole specimens were gathered from margins of a fast-flowing mountain creek and have green to greenish-black thalli and perithecia of 0.25-0.5 mm; the ascospores measure 17-24 x 8-12 jim. In contrast, the East Gippsland material is somewhat problematical insofar as the ascospores, being 10-14 ytm broad, approach those of V. margacea Wahlenb. However, in terms of their thalli and perithecia, their identity is not in doubt. Specimens Seen: Australian Capital Territory — Booth Range. Boboyan Road, Mt Clear camping ground, near junction of Grassy and Naas Creeks, 24 km SSW of Canberra, 35°53'S, 149°00'E, alt. 1100 m, on aquatic schistose rocks, 14.xi.l981, D. Verdon 5036 (CBG 81 13173). Victoria — Western Region, Mt Cole State Forest, Sandy Creek, below waterfall, 1.5 km NE of Wareek Cemetary, 37°15'S, 143°12'E, alt. 560 m, on aquatic quartzite, granite and basalt, 9.x. 1989, P. M. McCarthy 39, 40 (MEL 1052312, 1052313); Gippsland, Limestone Creek Scenic Reserve, 36°51'40"S, 148°03'20"E, on inundated granite boulders at creek-edge, alt. 950 m, 29.xi.1989, P.M. McCarthy (UEL 1052314). 10. Verrucaria hydrela var. puncticulata McCarthy, var. nov. Sicut var. hydrela sed thallus rimosus vel sparsim areolatus, viridi-niger vel cinereo-niger, 0.03- 0.15 mm crassus, punctulis numerosis coalescentibus. 323 TypuS: Australia, Victoria, Tyers area. White’s Creek, 1 km upstream of its confluence with Tyers R., 38°06'20"S, 146°25'50"E, on inundated and submerged siltstone, alt. c. 120 m, 19.iv.l989, P. M. McCarthy 5 (HolotypuS: MEL 117709; ISOTYPUS: HO). Phallus crustose, epilithic, rimose to sparingly areolate, green-black to grey- black, paler in deep shade, not gelatinous when wetted, 0.03-0.15 mm thick, forming 2-20 cm wide patches; surface smooth, more or less matt, with numerous circular or ellipsoid 20-40 y.m wide black puncticulae that may coalesce to form sinuous 0. 1-0.2 x 0.02-0.04 mm lines; the puncticulae become more numerous as the thallus ages. Areolae usually develop around perithecia, (0.3-)0.8(-1.2) mm wide, angular. Cortex prosoplectenchymatous, 6-9(-10) thick; cells thick-walled, 3-4(-5)m diam. Algal layer (20-)30-50(-60) g.m deep; cells green, globose to ellipsoid, 4-7(-9) x 4-6 //m; interstitial hyphae thick- walled, 3-4(-5) /im diam. Medulla becoming carbonized; hyphae thick-walled, closely packed, 3-6 /rm diam. Prothallus brown-black, visible as a basal layer, not extending beyond the margin. Perithecia compound, semi-immersed, numerous, usually solitary, often covered by a thin thalline layer almost to the apex. Ostiole sunken in a concavity 0.05-0.15 mm wide. Involucrellum (0.3-)0.5(-0.8) mm diam., contiguous with or arching away from the excipulum, dimidiate or extending to the excipulum-base level, black, 50-100 /^m thick; the extent of penetration by the involucrellum is difficult to assess, since it merges with carbonized thalline hyphae. Centrum globose, (0.18-;-)0.25(-0.30) mm diam. Excipulum pale to dark brown, (10-)12-15(-18) pm thick; cells 6-12 x 3-5 pm. Periphyses 17-22 x 1-2 pm. Paraphyses evanescent. Asci bitunicate, 8-spored, clavate to cylindroclavate, 50-65 x 20-30 pm. Hymenial gel I-; ascoplasma I+, red. Ascospores simple, colourless, ellipsoid, ovate or, rarely, su%lobose, (13. 5-) 16.6(-20.3) X (7.0-)9.2(-l 1.8) pm (52 individuals measured); contents coarsely granular. (Figs. 3, 4) Discussion: Verrucaria hydrela van puncticulata inhabits deeply shaded and very smooth rock surfaces in and beside of White’s Creek. Although water levels in the creek were low when this lichen was first observed, it grew only on surfaces that were either submerged or continually splashed. The new taxon may be distinguished from var. hydrela by the thicker puncticulate thallus that becomes progressively carbonised. Puncticulae may be seen even in the most recent marginal growth. They originate both internally and among hyphae close to the surface of the undifferentiated thallus (Fig. 4A). In time, they enlarge, coalesce and merge with the already blackened basal layer and with involucrella (Fig. 4B and C). Carbonization is most spectacular near perithecia where the photobiont occupies a thin discontinuous, almost vestigial, layer (Fig. 4D). It is only during this most extreme phase that the pigmented cortex is visible. Carbonization and the upward growth of the thallus in the vicinity of perithecia may obscure the true extent of the involucrellum. Thus, in some instances, the perithecia appear to be embedded in thalline verrucae altogether lacking involucrella (Fig. 4E). However, the compound nature of the perithecia is usually unambiguous (Rg. 3, 4F). 11. Verrucaria muralis Ach., Meth. Lich.\W5 (1803) — V. rupestris Schrader, Spic. FI. German. 1: 109(1794). This lichen is reported for the first time from Tasmania. Specimen Seen: Tasmania — Bass Strait, Fumeaux Group, Prime Seal Island, N of Northern Hill, alt. 50 m, on a limestone outcrop, l.viii.l966, 7.S. fVhinray (MEL 1516752). 324 12. Verrucaria nigrescens Pers., Ann. Bot. (Usteri): 14: 36 (1795). This species is reported for the first time from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Specimens Seen: New South Wales — Limestone Valley Creek, 9 km NE of Canowindra, 33°36'S, 148°41'E, on a limestone outcrop, alt. 460 m, S.viii. 1979, H. Streimann and B. Barnsley, HS9249 (CBG 7911853). Australian Capital Territory — Paddy’s R., 17 km SW of Canberra, 35°20'S, 148°56'E, on an exposed limestone outcrop, alt. 500 m, 16.xii.l979, H. Streimann 9758 (CBG 8000613). 1 3. Verrucaria operculata McCarthy, sp. nov. Thallus crustaceus, endolithicus, inconspicuus, foveolatus./lfeae virides, cellulis globosis, 7-14 pm diametro. Perithecia composita, fere omnino immersa, numerosa, solitaria. Involucrellum atrum, (0.2-)0.3(-0.4) mm diametro, solum apicem versus excipulo conjunctato, planum vel moderate convexum, interdum 3-5 fissuris tenuibus radiantibus. Ostiolum saepe impressum, 20-40(-50) pm diametro. Centrum globosum vel obpyriforme, (0.23-)0.32(-0.42) mm diametro. Excipulum praecipue hyalinum, sed prope apicem fuscoatrum, 35-45 pm crassum. Periphyses 30-40 x 1. 5-2.0 pm. Paraphyses evanescentes. Asci bitunicati, clavati, 8-spori. Gelatinum hymenii et ascoplasma J+ violaceus. Ascosporae incoloratae, simplices, latae vel elongatae-ellipsoideae, (20.0-)26.0(-32.0) x (9.4-)l 1.5(-14.7) ^m, contentis subtiliter granulosis. HolotypuS: South Australia, Eyre Peninsula, 17 miles S of Cowell, by the Lincoln Highway, on limestone erratics lying on the sand, mostly in semi-shade, 23.x. 1970, R.B. Filson 11794 {MEL 1017961). Fig. 3. Verrucaria hydrela var. puncticulata. A — vertical section of perithecium; scale 0.2 mm. B — ascospores; scale 20 pm. 325 Thallus crustose, endolithic, inconspicuous. Algae green, globose, 7-14 diam. Hyphae thick-walled, 3-4(-5) //m diam. Perithecia compound, almost completely immersed in the substratum, numerous, solitary, leaving pits in the limestone following their decay. Involucrellum black, (0.2-)0.3(-0.4) mm diam., joined to the excipulum only near the apex, extending laterally, then sharply downwards, occasionally with 3-5 fine fissures radiating from the ostiole, plane to slightly convex, but may become rounded and more prominent in older perithecia. Ostiole sunken or not, 25-40(-50) pm diam. Centrum globose to E F Fig. 4. Verrucaria hydrela var. puncticulata. A-D — gradual carbonization of the thallus; scales 50 fim. E, F — vertical sections of perithecia showing variable overgrowth by the thallus and development of the involucrellum; scales 0.2 mm. 326 obpyriform, (0.23-)0.32(-0.42) mm diam. Excipulum predominantly hyaline, but brown-black near the apex, 35-45 //m thick. Periphyses 30-40 x 1. 5-2.0 //m. Paraphyses evanescent. Asci bitunicate, clavate, 8-spored. Numerous immature and empty asci were observed, but only one ripe individual (78 x 31 m). Hymenial gel and ascoplasma 1+ violet. Ascospores colourless, simple, broadly to elongate-ellipsoid, (20.0-)26.0(-32.0) x (9.4-)l 1.5(-14.7) pm (50 individuals measured); contents finely granular. (Fig. 5) Discussion; Verrucaria operculata belongs to the most clearly defined and apparently natural species-group within the genus. That this group should be recognised as the genus Bagliettoa Massal. (syn. Protobagliettoa Servit) has received only sporadic support, most recently from Poelt and- Vezda (1981). More general acceptance is unlikely prior to a thorough reassessment of generic relationships within the Verrucariaceae. Fig. 5. Verrucaria operculata. A — vertical section of perithecium; scale 0.2 mm. B — ascospores; scale 20 pm. 327 The Bagliettoa-^o\x]?, already represented in Australia by V. baldensis Massal., is characterised by an endolithic calcicolous thallus and perithecia with a lid-like involucrellum that is comparatively loosely-attached to the apex of the excipulum. Moreover, the involucrellum frequently exhibits a delicate radial fissuring. Verrucaria operculata features unusually large perithecia and ascospores. The involucrellum surrounds an inconspicuous or sunken ostiole and, importantly, is appreciably narrower than the (0.3-)0.4(-0.5) mm diameter excipulum that is invariably hyaline or very pale brown. Similar ascospores are found in the southern European V. limborioides (Massal.) Clauzade & Roux. That lichen, however, possesses a prominent ostiolar protuberance on an involucrellum that is consistently broader than the excipulum. The latter has a diameter of 0.3-0.35 mm and ranges in colour from pale to dark brown (Clauzade &Roux 1985, Poelt& Vezda 1981). Other Specimen Examined: South Australia — Yudnapinna Station, on limestone, 26. vi. 1 965, R. W. Rogers 32 (AD 20548). 14. Verrucaria striatula Wahlenb., in Ach. Meth. Lich.: 21 (1803). Verrucaria striatula, a green subgelatinous lichen of the upper littoral zone on rocky seashores, is recorded from Australia for the first time. It is distinguished by a thallus from which develop glossy elongate and often branched carbonaceous ridges and by its 0.2-0. 3 mm diameter perithecia with a dimidiate to sub-entire involucrellum that becomes flattened or markedly excavate at its apex. The ascospores measure 7-1 1 x 4-7 /zm. Whereas V. striatula is a common lichen on seashores in temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Santesson (1939) described a new subspecies australis based on specimens from New Zealand. The latter displays a more effuse thallus margin, ridges with acute apices and more elongate algae than those of the palearctic subspecies. The specimens cited below correspond to V. striatula as it is known from European and North American cpasts. Thus, the thallus margin ranges from determinate to effuse and only a minority of ridge- apices are acute; neither do the dimensions of the photobiont cells differ appreciably. Specimens Seen: Victoria — Warmambool, supralittoral limestone, 16.viii.l949, Bennett & Pope (AD 20708); Momington Peninsula, Blairgowrie, Cape Schanck Coastal Park, Spray Point, on calcareous sandstone in the upper littoral, 5.i. 1 990, RM. McCarthy 353 (MEL, HO, NSW, QLD). Tasmania — Tasman Peninsula, Half Moon Bay, 40°44'S, 145°17'E, 6.xii. 1961, J.E.S. Townrow (HO 65418); Bass Strait, Curtis Island, NW comer of island, 12.ii.l971, R.B. Filson 12233 (MEL 40175). 15. Verrucaria subdiscreta McCarthy, sp. nov. Thallus cmstaceus, epilithicus, viridi-olivaceus vel viridi-ater, madefactus subgelatinosus, (20-) 40-60 /rm crassus, vulgo areolatus, punctulis atris minutis. Areolae angulares, regulares vel irregulares, plerumque planae, 0. l-0.25(-0.35) mm latae; substratum inter areolas plusminusve visibilis. Algae virides, plusminusve columnis verticalibus dispositae; cellulae latae ellipsoideae vel globosae, 4-8(-9) x 4-6 fim. Perithecia composita, semiimmersa vel fere superficialia, numerosa, plerumque solitaria. Involucrellum (0.12-)0.18(-0.22) mm diametro, nigrum, ad basim excipuli descendens, 30-40(-60) /rm crassum. Apex perithecii plemmque rotundatus. Centrum globosum vel leviter obpyriforme, 0.08-0.15 mm diametro. Excipulum pallido- fuscum vel fuscoatrum, 10-15 pm crassum, cellulis 4-7 x 2-3 pm. Periphyses 10-18 x 1.5-2. 5 /H *-V til ■*', r _ '*'■ 'flr "I ^,fi»r.r^.-!>w>> ' - fZ. att I jNhV . totilait «ab uou»/9l4u .» %iX*v suiftt j itHt i w p^botil rM .. ' •‘Vl-mi : l 6 t«i« - .rii't.^ ^Wl?l V O ‘1 !!%>>.. ■n e r ^ f^JKjTT^La ' raiL’r”^^ *- ** * ‘ l^ # ••J.irp H 7*. 1««,^| 1 ^-. fv’ ' * ', ; ' !'"'•' ,tt,y cjr-i 1 ^* ■ I'.’i <» - . V j4vi . JTwi^: -T»KI5»^- ?rt>r^ i<...(-reS J..JV . - r ^ ''‘•■ws'j.r (AV.- 1 . ■.'.»' tT‘‘ ^‘^'■’iJ -l'^i' ' ' «ii • *». . i,iiv.i* V ‘ " /♦►111 t l.'‘-fci». -^•ili. 4 il ih< ',r\< tiifcjtt. »* ■ . . ..... thf iw'-' ii IBtrr M iL t itti4A .: •''(*-*» S'i‘. l .1 *‘-_ IVi » !.. • !«■ ■~;p» •«... wieSKf y-i m> nf^*< i\. lit-ti trt 'jj . y 4 ^x f r. ( •.'••: ■ Je •\ ‘ '«^ t *ti M CoiiMJik y t • . 4 ^ . ,'^ , \ i. Nm*; ‘•'\w»v** .li.bl-. u- •< ^ Cl J ♦ FaiiB-. .. T' v( ; I'T.' ■.' ‘P t(i« Ur Airtu k » |»-^r'K il/ irill-, *\r» ^Mifiwit 4 ^ I-T -'J: ■: ' ' ‘•ESP>**=^V.^^*-i».W 4 4 .: ■ > . ail'kiffir .. .:. ■*»»»> »«^..i‘i V.- :n.>rw ; ^ .feiff.Aj. <.w ifc- ‘ .” •'■vi J. ‘ ’'-"-* * •»• fc—n i- ^'<, w. T«. t ■vk J[;< 4» ';(• fi',< • v-i-- ; ■ :■ ' Viti.K- ;- ; K^.l. jJ..' riL^i' ;u».-.i,.). Minuria gardneri Western Australia — Lake Miranda, near Mt Sir Samuel, 26.vii.1931, Blackall 330 (PERTH); Western edge of Lake Annean, 28.viii.1986, Cranfield 5956 (PERTH); 6 miles N of Bulga Downs, 25.ix.1975, Demarz D5649 (PERTH); Salt lake immediately north-west of Norseman, 13. ix. 1971, Eichler 21261 (AD); Mount Sir Samuel, 26.vii.1931, Gardner 2426 (PERTH, holo); 5.5 km E of Yellowdine, 4.xi.l983, Haegi 2550 & Short (MEL, PERTH); 30 km E of Sinclair Soak, 20.viii. 1980, Newbey7199(VEKm)\ 16 km SW of Jaurdi Homestead, 1 9.ix.l 98 1, Aewiey 5595 (PERTH); 21 km S of Cue, Short 2919 (MEL, PERTH); 12 km N of Hyden — Norseman track to Coolgardie, 10.x. 1979, Toelken 6520 (AD); S end of Lake Cowan, 24.vii.1967, Wilson 6058 (PERTH); Lake Austin, 28.ix.1986, Wilson /25i5 (PERTH). REFERENCES Cooke, D. A. (1986). Minuria DC. Jessop, J. P. &Toelken, H. R. ‘Flora of South Australia’. 4ed. Pt. III. (Govt. Printer: Adelaide), pp. 1472-1474. Lander, N. S. & Barry, R. (1980). A revision of the genus Minuria DC. (Asteraceae, Astereae). Nuvtsia 3:221-237. Short, P. S. (1981). Pollen-ovule ratios, breeding systems and distribution patterns of some Australian Gnaphaliinae (Compositae: Inuleae). Muelleria 4: 395-417. Manuscript received 15 March 1990; revised 10 April 1990. iK?! ,aj . /etfvA •»* a ,4*ic.. , , _ ■■ ■ — — ^ - ■ - ■ - ••• - i-XiB .{rutain^. ‘ ■ i.!s" . . '' 'V y ■ '»'»'«I ■ . V 1 8 wtA ft ftaJ5 ‘t ’-. ■ ; ! \p4t' :«ktiW4 i, v • ■ . .' j . w '■• ,u> 4'-- ' ■• ■ '■ .4(, '/.’'V.^'-v- '■■•-'■ '•. '^' .' „. ,■ ;j,\ " ■■■ 4 . • *'■ . ' -> '.C!, _ ■ LJKj^a^ f: .v.^ ■ A. ’ I 'i- '«■ 'V i 5#.^ •■■■ « ft' '-Mf Vs' ••■!<■ ,; • ’ .'■■•“ '■ ' ■■’ :.l’ vv'.».,u kBAf.g i»i' s SSag t/tiiiilMn. ■ .*;.iy.^^ • \':v? -mi t- 'Jii^j '"iiV.'V"'. ■■ ■! i.ift: A NEW COMBINATION IN PTILOTUS R. Br. (AMARANTHACEAE) by P. S. Short* ABSTRACT Short, P. S. A new combination in Ptilotus R. Br. (Amaranthaceae). Muelleria 7(3): 369-370 (1991). — The new combination, Ptilotus eriotrichus (W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & J. White) P. S. Short is made. PTILOTUS During the compilation of material for a biography of the botanist William Vincent Fitzgerald (1867-1929) it came to my notice that, in three separate papers (Ewart & White 1909, 1910; Ewart, White & Wood 191 1), A. J. Ewart and his colleagues adopted, at least in part, the manuscript names Fitzgerald had applied to six Western Australian taxa. In each case they had herbarium material labelled with Fitzgerald’s manuscript names and used these specimens as the basis for their descriptions. Fitzgerald (1912) subsequently published his names, as new, in the Journal of Botany. Amongst the names published by Ewart & White (1910) was Trichinium eriotrichum W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & J. White. Although adopting Fitzgerald’s specific epithet they placed the species in Trichinium R. Br., whereas in his later publication Fitzgerald (1912) referred the species to Ptilotus R. Bn, i.e. Ptilotus eriotrichus W. Fitzg. Clearly, as an earlier specific epithet is available, the name Ptilotus eriotrichus W. Fitzg. is illegitimate. A new combination is required on the transfer of Trichinium eriotrichum W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & J. White to Ptilotus. To date no such combination has been made. Beni (1971) and Green (1981, 1985) have adopted the combination P. eriotrichus (W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & White) W. Fitzg. in, I assume, the belief that Fitzgerald (1912) was not describing a new species, but making a new combination. However, this is incorrect, as it is evident that Ptilotus eriotrichum W. Fitzg. was published by Fitzgerald without knowledge of Ewart & White’s earlier publication. That Fitzgerald was ignorant of Ewart & White’s work is apparent from several sources. Firstly, in his description Fitzgerald (1912) made no mention of Ewart & White’s work. Secondly, subsequent to Fitzgerald’s paper in Journal of Botany, a note regarding the duplication of the publications, presumably by the editor, James Britten (Anon. 1912), was inserted in the latter journal. Of Fitzgerald it stated in part: ‘it is right to say that the author is not to blame for this, at any rate in the majority of cases, as his paper had been in our possession some time before its publication, and the species were doubtless undescribed at the time the paper was written’ (Anon. 1912, p. 286). Thirdly, following the latter criticism Ewart (1912) claimed to have made some effort to contact Fitzgerald about the publication of Fitzgerald’s names and records that no contact had been made. Unpublished letters at MEL also show that Ewart (1909) wrote in May and August 1909 to Max Koch, the collector of the type material, asking if Fitzgerald’s name had been published and whether more material of Koch 1217 was available. It is, perhaps, not surprising that no response from Fitzgerald was forthcoming. Further letters at MEL suggest that a far from cordial relationship between Ewart and Fitzgerald existed about that time. For example, Ewart (1909), in a letter to J. Staer, refers to the placement of Fitzgerald ‘on the Botanical Black list as regard herbarium exchanges’! ‘National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141. 369 370 Clearly, Fitzgerald (1912) did not mean to effect a new combination, a situation here rectified: Ptilotus eriotrichus (W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & J. White) P. S. Short, comb. nov. Basionym: Trichinium eriotrichum W. Fitzg. ex Ewart & J. White, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 22(2): 325 (April 1910). Type: ‘Cowcowing, Max Koch, 1904.’ Syntypes & ISOSYNTYPES: Cowcowing, Sept. 1904, Koch 1217, MEL 1579234; Cowcowing, Sept. 1904, Koch s.n., MEL 1579236; ?NSW n.v., 7PERTH n.v. Ptilotus eriotrichus W. Fitzg., J. Bot. 50: 22 (1912) eriostrichus'), nom. illeg. Type: ‘Cowcowing; Max Koch (no. 1217).’ Syntypes & Isosyntypes as above. REFERENCES Beni, G. ( 1 97 1 ). Ein bestimmungsschliissel fur die gattung Ptilotus R. Br. (Amaranthaceae). Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. Munchen 9: 135-176. Ewart, A. J. (1909). Letters to Max Koch (20 May & 16 Aug.) and J. Staer (29 March). Held in MEL library, (ef)580.774 ROY. Ewart, A. J. & White, J. (1909). Contributions to the Flora of Australia, No. 12. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 22(1): 91-99, pi. 21-26. Ewart, A. J. & White, J. (1910). Contributions to the Flora of Australia, No. 13. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 22(2): 315-329, pi. 56-60. Ewart, A. J., White, J. & Wood, B. (191 1). Contributions to the Flora of Australia, No. 16. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 23: 2&5-301. Fitzgerald, W. V. (1912). New West Australian plants. J. Bot. 50: 18-23. Green, J. W. (1981). ‘Census of the vascular plants of Western Australia.’ (1st ed.) (Western Australian Herbarium, Dept of Agriculture: South Perth.) Green, J. W. ( 1 985). ‘Census of the vascular plants of Western Australia.’ (2nd ed.) (Western Australian Herbarium, Dept of Agriculture: South Perth.) Manuscript received 1 May 1 990 BOSSIAEA ARENICOLA (FABACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM NORTHERN QUEENSLAND by J. H. Ross» ABSTRACT Ross, J. H. Bossiaea arenicola (Fabaceae), a new species from northern Queensland. Muelleria 7(3): 371-374 (1991). — B. arenicola from the Cook District of northern Queensland is described as new. INTRODUCTION Material of this species was first collected almost twenty years ago but it is only relatively recently through the efforts of Mr J.R. Clarkson, Queensland Herbarium, that good flowering and fruiting collections have been made. This opportunity is taken of describing the species. BOSSIAEA ARENICOLA Bossiaea arenicola J. H. Ross sp. nov. affinitas incerta, forsan B. brownii Benth. affinis, a qua foliis majoribus orbicularibus rhombeis ad late obovatis ad basin non manifeste obliquis vel cordatis, stipulis triangularibus vel ovatis, calyce et bracteolis conspicue lonatudinaliter striatis, bracteolis majoribus, corolla uniformiter luteola vel interdum vexillo fauce aurantiaco, et ovariis glabriis, differt. Typus: Queensland, Cook District, 4.3 km E of the Hopevale-Starke road on the track to the Mclvor River mouth, 14.vi.l984, J.R.Clarkson 5322 (HolotypuS: MEL; ISOTYPI: BRI, CANB, DNA, K, NSW, PERTH, QRS). Shrub or tree 2-5 m high with several stems arising from ground level; bark greyish-brown, lon^tudinally fissured, fibrous; branchlets terete, sparin^y to densely clothed with somewhat spreading silvery hairs. Leaves alternate, distichous, unifoliolate, reddish when young, on short densely pubescent petioles 1.5-3 mm long; leaflets orbicular, rhombic and sometimes transversely so, to broadly ovate or obovate, (0.6-)0.9-1.8 cm long, (0.5-)0.8-1.9 cm wide, coriaceous, upper surface sparin^y to densely pubescent when young but glabrescent, glabrous when mature or with few scattered hairs, midrib and main lateral veins quite prominent, lower surface sparingly to densely pubescent and especially so near the attachment of the petiole, ^abrescent, ^abrous or with scattered hairs especially basally when mature. Stipules triangular or ovate, scarious, sparingly to densely pubescent, 0.7- 1.5 mm long, 0.6-1. 1 mm wide. Flowers borne irregularly on the upper parts of the branchlets, solitary in the axils of the leaves, up to 1.5 cm long, yellow or sometimes the standard with a basal orange flare, on sparingly to densely pubescent pedicels 1.8-4 mm long. Bracts few in the series, crowded in the axil, obtuse, up to 1mm long. Bracteoles unevenly paired and inserted on the pedicel at different heights, one inserted near the base of the pedicel and the other near the apex, scarious, longitudinally striate, the upper 1.3-3 mm long, 1.5- 1.8 mm wide, glabrous apart from marginal cilia, persisting to the fruiting stage. Calyx glabrous externally or with a fringe of hairs on the margins, conspicuously longitudinally striate; 2 upper lobes broader than the others and united higher up, the apices of the lobes diverging, 5-6 mm long including the tube 4-4.6 mm long, 3 lower lobes 2-2.5 mm long, shorter than the tube, denticulate. Standard spathulate, 14.5-15 mm long including a claw up to * National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141. 371 372 Fig. 1 . Bossiaea arenicola. a — flowering twig, x 1 . b — calyx opened out (upper lobes on right), x4. c — standard, x 3. d — wing petal, x 3. e — keel petal, x 3. f — staminal tube opened out, x 3. g — gynoecium, x3. h — fruiting twig, x I. i — seed, side view, x5. a-h from J.R. Clarkson 5322, i from J.R. Clarkson 5476. 373 5.5 mm long, 10.5-13 mm wide, claw with two calli near the apex; wing petals 11-13 mm long including a claw 3-3.8 mm long, 3-3.4 mm wide; keel petals shorter than or longer than the wings, 12.8-13.6 mm long including a claw up to 3.8 mm long, 4.3-4.9 mm wide. Stamen-filaments 9.6-14.5 mm long. Ovary 4- 4.5 mm long, densely clothed with silvery antrorse hairs, 2-4-ovulate, on a stipe 3-5.2 mm long, the stipe glabrous basally but densely pubescent above; style 6-6.5 mm long. Pods oblong or oblong-elliptic, on a stipe which exceeds the calyx, 1. 6-2.2 cm long, 0.9- 1.3 cm wide, transversely venose, glabrous or with scattered hairs on the margins and surface, coriaceous, margins thickened, dehiscent. Seeds transversely ellipsoid, 3.4-3. 5 mm long, 4.4-4. 5 mm wide, uniformly yellowish- brown but only immature seeds seen, with a hooded cap-like aril. (Fig. 1 ) B. arenicola has a fairly wide but disjunct distribution on the eastern side of the Cape York Peninsula between latitudes iri2'S and 15°20'S. It is recorded from Logan Jack Creek in the north southwards to Shelburne Bay, Olive River, Cape Flattery, Cape Bedford and the vicinity of Hopevale (NW of Cooktown). The species is recorded growing on wind blown sands, on dunes and on river banks in wooded or closed heath, in dense shrubby communities overtopped by scattered trees or shrubs and in rainforest. Representative Specimens (10 specimens examined): Queensland — Cook District, near Logan Jack Creek, 2. viii. 1 987, H. Gitay 108 (BRI); coast S of Thorpe Point, Shelburne Holdings, 27.xi.1985, A. Gunness 1964 (BRI); Olive River, 14. ix.l974, LJ. Webb & J.G. Tracey 13610 (BRI); 11.9 km W of the Hopevale to Starke road on the track to the Mclvor River mouth, 14.viii.l984, J.R. Clarkson 5476 (BRI, MEL, QRS). NOTES: The affinities of B. arenicola are not entirely clear. The species is perhaps allied to B. brownii Benth. but differs in having larger orbicular, rhombic (and sometimes transversely so) to broadly ovate or obovate leaflets which are not obviously oblique or cordate basally, triangular or ovate stipules, conspicuously longitudinally striate calyces and bracteoles, a uniformly yellow corolla or the standard sometimes with an orange basal flare, and glabrous ovaries. B. arenicola cannot be accommodated in any of the Series recognized by Bentham ( 1 864). On account of the densely pubescent ovaries the species fits into Bentham’s Eriocarpae but, at the same time, the lack of hairy pods and the nature of the upper calyx lobes exclude it from the Series. The densely pubescent ovaries exclude the species from the Series Normales. B. arenicola has 2-4 ovules, a feature shared with B. foliosa Cunn. and B. oligosperma A. Lee. Each of the two latter species has much smaller and differently shaped leaves. Although the ovary in B. foliosa is densely pubescent, the hairs are ferruginous, whereas the ovary in B. oligosperma is glabrous. The ecological preferences and distributional ranges of B. foliosa and B. oligosperma are quite different to those of B. arenicola and the species are unlikely to be confused. B. arenicola is distinguished at once from B. rupicola and B. carinalis in that the keel petals are shorter than the standard. B. arenicola favours sandy situations, whence the specific epithet. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am most grateful to John Clarkson, Queensland Herbarium, for making special collections of this species; to my colleague Anita Barley for executing the illustration which accompanies this paper; to Alex George, Executive Editor of the Flora of Australia, for checking the Latin diagnosis; and to the Director and Curator of BRI and QRS respectively for the loan of specimens. 374 REFERENCE Bentham, G. (1864) ‘Flora Australiensis’. 2; 154-168. (Lovell Reeve & Co.: London.) Manuscript received 5 February 1990; revised 7 May 1990. PLECTRANTHUS ARENICOL US (LAMIACE AE), A NEW SPECIES FROM CAPE YORK PENINSULA, QUEENSLAND by Paul I. Forster* ABSTRACT Forster, P.I. Plectranthus arenicolus (Lamiaceae), a new species from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Muelleria 7(3): 375-378 (1991). — Plectranthus arenicolus P. Forster sp. nov., from west of Temple Bay, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland is described with notes on distribution and habitat. INTRODUCTION During botanical exploration of the area between Moreton Telegraph Station and Temple Bay, Cape York Peninsula, I collected flowering material and live plants for cultivation of a species of Plectranthus. Using the key published by Blake (1971) for his revision of the genus in Australia and adjacent regions, live material was keyed to P gratus S.T. Blake described from Walsh’s Pyramid near Tully. The material from Cape York Peninsula, although tallying in some features with P gratus, differed in a number of significant characters, several of which were extensively used by Blake in his delimitation of taxa. Some botanists have verbally expressed dissatisfaction with Blake’s account of the genus, particularly when dealing with dried material, and have suggested that many of the taxa would be better placed in the synonymy of others. However it should be remembered that his account was based on extensive live collections. From studying a number of taxa native to Queensland both in habitat and subsequently in cultivation, it appears that in most instances Blake’s key and description are quite adequate, although the existence of at least two undescribed taxa (from Mt Mulligan and Blackdown Tableland) other than the one described herein tend to lessen the usefulness of his account. TAXONOMY Plectranthus arenicolus P. Forster sp. nov., a P. grata S.T. Blake caulium base tubera, trichomatibus in caulibus usque 2.7 mm longis, inflorescentiae axe carenti glandulas sessiles, foliis ferentibus tantum 4-6 paris dentium differt. TypuS: plant cultivated at St Lucia, Brisbane (from material of the same collection as P.I. Forster 5456), 22 October 1989, PI. Forster 5835 (HolO: BRI [2 sheets + spirit]; ISO: K, MEL, QRS). Subshrub to 30 cm high, foliage slightly scented. Stems or lateral branches erect, the lower woody part often straggling and up to 6 mm thick, seedling derived stems with a fleshy tuberous base to 1 cm in diameter; upper parts with a dense indumentum of antrorse 2-8-celled hairs up to 2.7 mm in length but commonly much shorter, lacking gland-tipped trichomes and with shortly stalked glandular hairs to 0. 1 mm long on the intemode directly below the inflorescence. Leaves long-petiolate; lamina ovate to narrowly-ovate, 23-33 mm long, 18-26 mm wide, dull green, somewhat fleshy, paler beneath and colouring purplish in strong light; serrate with 4-6 pairs of short broad teeth, occasionally with one or more secondary teeth; with dense indumentum of antrorse trichomes on both surfaces and occasional sessile yellowish gland below; veins impressed above, prominent below; petiole 7-12 mm long, 1-1.7 mm diameter. Inflorescence * Botany Department, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia 4072. 375 376 cymose comprising (l)-3 branches; each branch pedunculate, 11-14 cm long; axis with sparse to dense indumentum of antrorse non-glandular trichomes and minute gland-tipped trichomes, lacking sessile glands. Verticillasters consistently 10-flowered, 11-12 mm apart, pedicels 3-4 mm long with dense indumentum of minute gland-tipped trichomes. Calyx 2. 2-2. 6 mm long, with a dense indumentum of gland-tipped and eglandular trichomes and sessile yellow glands. Corolla 1 1-12 mm long, deep blue; tube 5. 3-5. 4 mm long, abruptly curved at c. 2-2. 1 mm from base at an angle of 90- 1 1 0°, slightly inflated upwards and then constricted to the slightly oblique mouth, glabrous; upper lobes c. 2.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, standing more or less erect at between 90 and 1 10° to the lip, subcircular, with an occasional eglandular trichome and sessile yellow glands; lateral lobes c. 2.5 mm long and 1.4-1. 5 mm wide, obliquely ovate, glabrous, eglandular; lower lip 5.8-6 mm long, 5.5-6 mm wide, oblique, with sparse indumentum of antrorse eglandular hairs and isolated sessile yellow glands below. Style purplish-blue, 8-8.5 mm long and c. 2 mm diameter. Stamens 4, 7-8 mm long and c. 0.2 mm diameter, fused to the tube in the bottom 3 mm; anthers c. 0.4 mm long and 0.3 mm wide. Fruiting calyx 2.5-3. 1 mm long; uppermost lobe 1.5- 1.8 mm long and 1.4- 1.5 mm wide, broadly ovate, tip acute; lateral lobes 1-1.1 mm long, 0.9-1 mm wide, triangular-falcate; lower lobes 1.5- 1.6 mm long and c. 0.6 mm wide, narrowly triangular, incurved. Nutlets semi-spherical, 0.8- 0.9 mm long and 0.75-0.85 mm wide. (Fig. 1) ETYMOLOGY: Named for the occurrence of the only known population on a sandstone outcrop. Distribution and Conservation Status: Thus far, P. arenicolus is only known from the type locality. This locality is directly adjacent to the vehicular track that runs due east from Moreton Telegraph Station to the coast near Kennedy Hill. The population examined comprises several dozen plants within an area of approximately 50 m^, although It is quite likely that further colonies occur off the general area of the road An appropriate conservation coding is IR (Briggs & Leigh 1989). Habitat Notes: Plants of P. arenicolus were observed to grow on the top of a sandstone outcrop surrounded by open eucalypt-dominated forest at an approximate altitude of 80 m. Little in the way of other plants were present in this specialised habitat. Affinities: Stems with a tuberous base are uncommon in the Australasian taxa of Plectranthus (Blake 1971), with P parviflorus Willd. being the only other taxon known to possess this feature, however P. arenicolus is not particularly close to this species. P arenicolus differs from P. gratus in the stems possessing a tuberous base, the tnchomes on the stem being up to 2.7 mm long, the number of leaf teeth pairs being 4-6, and the floral axis lacking sessile glands. The leaves of P. arenicolus are also somewhat smaller than those of P gratus (holdings at BRI), although whether this is a result purely of the cultivation conditions remains to be determined. Blake (/.c.) grouped P gratus with P forsteri Benth. from the Pacific and P apreptus S.T. Blake from the southern parts of the Cook District in Queensland. Cultivated material of P apreptus {Forster 4346 & Tucker, BRI) is immediately distinguishable from P. arenicolus by the thinner, glabrous, glossy leaves with 7 to 1 5 leaf teeth pairs. 377 Fig. 1. Plectranthus arenicolus. a — lateral view of flower x 10. b — face view of flower x 10. c — leaf viewed from above x2. d — leaf viewed from below x2. All drawn from Forster 5835. Del. L.G. Jessup. Further Specimen Seen: Queensland — Cook District, 20.9 km east by road from Maloney’s Springs, 60.9 km east by road from Moreton Telegraph Station, 22.vi.1989, P.I. Forster 5456 (BRI). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS L. G. Jessup provided the drawings. Field work on Cape York Peninsula was undertaken with the assistance of G. Kenning, D. J. Liddle and M. C. Tucker. L Pedley provided the Latin diagnosis. The Directors/Curators of BRI and QRS allowed access to collections at those institutions. REFERENCES , Blake, S T. (1971). A revision of Plectranthus (Labiatae) in Australasia. Contrib. Qld. Herb. No. 9. Bnggs, J.D. & Leigh, J.H. (1989). ‘Rare or threatened Australian plants: The 1988 revised edition ’ (Special Publ. 14. Aust. Natl. Parks & Wildlife Serv.: Canberra.) Manuscript received 30 April 1990; revised 7 May 1990. NEW TAXA IN VICTORIAN POACEAE by N. G. Walsh* ABSTRACT Walsh. N. G. New taxa in Victorian Poaceae. Muelleria 7(3): 379-387 (1991). — Four new species Poa sallacustris, Poa lowanensis, Danthonia lepidopoda, Deyeuxia talariata and a new variety perlaxa of Puccinellia stricta are described and illustrated. Their distribution, habitat, abundance and relationships with other species are discussed. INTRODUCTION In the course of preparing an account of the Victorian Poaceae for a forthcoming state flora, several previously unnamed taxa were encountered. The majority of these are presented here. Others requiring further investigation or which are relevant to current research by specialists, will be described if necessary at a later date. TAXONOMY POAL. Poa sallacustris N. G. Walsh sp. nov. P. fordeana F. Muell. affinis sed foliis angustioribus, laevibus, spiculis brevioribus, glumis equalibus vel longioribus quam lemmate inferno et habitatione dissimili differt. TypuS: Victoria, Lake Corangamite, SW of Causeway and Lake Martin, 11.5 km SW of Cressy, 27 km NNW of Colac P.O., 12 Sept. 1977, A.C. Beauglehole 56460 & GJ. Hirth. (Holotypus: MEL; Isotypi: BRI, NSW). Rhizomatous perennial, culms ascending to erect, terete to somewhat compressed, to 30 cm high. Leaves smooth and glabrous; sheaths tubular in lower part; blades loosely to closely folded, firm, to 12 cm x 2 mm when flattened, abruptly tapered to a keeled, acute, often slightly incurved apex; ligule thinly membranous, acute to obtuse, 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence an ovate panicle, to c. 10 X 7 cm, the branches bare for the greater part, finally widely spreading; spikelets 4-6 flowered, 5-8 mm long; glumes subequal, 3-nerved, equal to or slightly longer than the adjacent lemmas, smooth or scaberulous along keel; web not or wealdy developed; lemma acute, 5-nerved, c. 3 mm long, rather firm, lower lemmas mostly with long hairs on the keel in the lower half, and occasionally also along the lateral nerves near the base, the internerves usually glabrous, upper lemmas with rather few, short hairs near base; palea equal to lemma, scabrous along the keels in the upper half, otherwise glabrous or with scattered hairs on the internerve area in the lower half. Other Specimens Examined: Victoria — Lake Terangpom Wildlife Reserve, 12 Jan. 1979, A.C. Beauglehole 63155 (MEL, HO, BRI); Krause Swamp Wildlife Reserve 10 Jan. (979, A.C. Beauglehole 63036 (MEL, BRI); SW shore of Lake Linlithgow, 14 Dec. 1990, D. Frood (MEL); N end of Black Lake, c. 15 km NNW of Skipton, 20 Dec. 1990, D. Frood (MEL). *National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141 379 380 Fig. 1. Poa sallacustris. a — x 1/2. b — spikelet x6. c — florets from upper and lower part of spikelet x6. All drawn from Beauglehole 56460 (MEL). Poa lowanensis. d — habit xl/3. e — spikelet x6. f — floret x6. All drawn from Beauglehole 29505 (MEL). Puccinellia striata var. perlaxa. g — habit X 1/3. h — spikelet x6. i — floret x6. All drawn from Albrecht 522 (MEL). 381 Distribution and Conservation Status: Apparently endemic in Victoria where known only by a few collections from margins of salt lakes west of Melbourne between Colac and Hamilton. Two of the lakes are within wildlife reserves managed primarily for waterfowl. Considering the small number of collections and the abundance of apparently suitable habitat {i.e. salt lakes) across the volcanic plain, it is likely that the species has diminished as a consequence of habitat modification through clearing and grazing. Field observations indicate that P. sallacustris does not persist following regular grazing (D. Frood pers. comm.) Its conservation status is therefore assessed as “vulnerable” with Risk Code 3VCi (Briggs and Leigh 1989). Habitat: All collections of the species are from verges of slightly to strongly saline lakes on the Victorian volcanic plain (Quaternary basalt). The substrates include sticky grey clay, sandy buckshot gravel mixed with basalt pebbles, and at Lake Corangamite, deep deposits of the small aquatic snail Coxiella striata. P. sallacustris occurs above the saltmarsh zone if such a zone is present at the site. Associated species include Schoenus nitens, Wilsonia backhousei, Epilobium billardieranum and Plantago coronopus. NOTES: By the closed leaf-sheath, the membranous ligule, rhizomatous habit of growth and lacustrine habitat, P. sallacustris is clearly closely related to P. fordeana F. Muell. a robust species which occurs chiefly on the Murray River floodplain in Victoria and in similar situations in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. P. sallacustris is readily distinguished from P. fordeana by its overall smaller stature, smooth, narrower leaf-blades, smaller spikelets, and glumes which are as long as or longer than their adjacent lemmas. The saline conditions prevailing where P sallacustris occurs are also quite different from the non-saline, alluvial sites inhabited by P. fordeana. The epithet sal (salt) + lacustris (lakeside), is derived from the species’ habitat. Specimens of P. sallacustris have in the past been identified as P. ensiformis Vickery, typically a species of wet mountain forests, and the introduced, widespread P. pratensis L.. From the former, P. sallacustris differs in its non- tussocking habit, its non-membranous lemmas on which the hairs are virtually confined to the midvein and lateral nerves, and in its unpigmented leaf-sheaths. From P. pratensis, P. sallacustris differs in having firm, acute lemmas with the web not or only weakly developed. Neither P. ensiformis nor P. pratensis have closed leaf-sheaths or are they characteristic of lacustrine environments. Collections from Lake Linlithgow and at nearby Krause Swamp differ slightly from others in having lemmas which are sparsely hairy to glabrescent basally, but are consistent in all other features examined. Poa lowanensis N.G. Walsh sp. nov. P. poiformi (Labill.) Druce affinis sed culmis dupio longioribus foliis plerumque, spiculis purpurascentibus, lemmatis truncatis vel emarginatis, marginibus membranaceis late, et habitatione dissimili differt. TypuS: Victoria, Wyperfeld National Park, NE corner of “The Hump”, 1 1 Nov. 1968, A.C. Beauglehole 29505 &E.W Finch (HolotypuS: MEL). Tufted or shortly rhizomatous perennial, culms erect, to c. 90 cm high. Leaves usually stiffly erect and sharp-tipped, up to c. half as high as the culm, green or somewhat glaucous; sheaths pale or purplish, glabrous, smooth; blades inrolled and 0.5-1. 5 mm diam., loosely inrolled or folded, to 3 mm wide when flattened, smooth on the outer (lower) surface, scabrous or scabrous-pubescent on the inner 382 (upper) surface; ligule truncate, firmly membranous, c. 0.5 mm long, minutely pubescent on abaxial surface. Inflorescence to c. 25 cm long, all branches contracted or the lower sometimes spreading, usually bare of spikelets in the lower half; spikelets 3-6 flowered, 5-7 mm long, usually dappled purple and brownish; glumes 3-nerved, subequal or the lower slightly shorter, 3/4 as long as to subequal to the lower lemmas; web copious; lemma 3-5 mm long, oblong, obtuse, truncate or emarginate, with rather broad membranous margins, often erose at apex, pubescent on the back in the lower half, rarely the internerves glabrous, the keel often long-hairy near the base; palea subequal to lemma, hairy on the back in the lower two-thirds. Selected Specimens Examined (total examined = 16): Victoria — Wyperfeld National Park, within 3 miles (5 km) of Wonga Hut, 5 Nov. 1960, A.C. Beauglehole 7151 & J. Landy (MEL); Wyperfeld National Park, Dingo Swamp, E of Lost Lake, 10 Nov. 1968, A.C. Beauglehole, 29431 & E.W. Finch (MEL); Wyperfeld National Park, S of Little Calhtns Plain, 1 1 Nov. 1 968, A. C. Beauglehole 29447 &E.W. Finch (MEL); Wyperfeld National Park 1 mile (1.6 km) NW of Quail Lakes, 10 Oct. 1968, A.C. Beauglehole 29164 & E.W. Finch (MEL)’ Wyperfeld National Park, 1 mile (1.6 km) S of Dattuck Track & Cambacanya Clearing, 2 Oct. 1968' A.C. Beauglehole 28804 (MEL); Sunset Country, 1 km ENE of Spectacle Lake, 9 Oct. 1986 DC Cheal (MEL). Distribution and Conservation Status: Known only from north-west Victoria (Big Desert and Sunset Country) with most collections being confined to an area of about 20 x 20 km in Wyperfeld National Park. The species is regarded here as “rare’l All known populations are contained within existing or proposed national parks. The Risk Code is assessed as 2RCa (Briggs & Leigh 1989). Habitat: Occurs in mallee scrub with e.g. Eucalyptus incrassata, E. socialis, E. leptophylla etc., and in Triodia irritans tussock grassland developed on deep siliceous sands. Notes: Specimens of this species at MEL were initially tentatively referred by J. W. Vickery to P. clelandii Vickery, a species of south-eastern South Australia, southern Victoria and Tasmania, but which differs manifestly from P. lowanensis m having typically strongly pigmented, purplish sheaths, flat or folded blades, strongly compressed culms, smaller spikelets, shorter and relatively broader lemmas and the web only weakly developed or absent. P. lowanensis is much more closely allied to P. poiformis, a common species of southern Australian coasts, which differs in having relatively shorter flowering culms, generally about as long as or sometimes shorter than the leaves, branches of the inflorescence with spikelets virtually to the base, spikelets without purple pigmentation and relatively narrow lemmas which are firm throughout or have only narrow membranous margins. Lowan mallee is the name which has been conferred upon associations of mallee vegetation on inland sand-dunes and it is from this association, the habitat of P. lowanensis, that the specific epithet is derived. PUCCINELLIA Pare. Puccinellia stricta (J.D. Hook.) C. Blom var. perlaxa Stapf ex N.G. Walsh comb nov.. A varietate typica ramis inforescentiae effusis late sub anthesi et spiculis plerumque flosculis paucioribus differ!. 383 HolotypuS; Victoria, Altona, 3 km south-east of Laverton, 4 km south-south- west of Altona P.O., 25 Nov. 1977, T.B. Muir 5659 (MEL). Tufted annual or perennial, culms erect, to 50 cm high. Leaves pale green to glaucescent, glabrous; sheaths often rather broad and loose; blades narrow, closely folded or inrolled, to 30 cm x 1 mm; ligule blunt, 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a broad ovate panicle, with fine, widely spreading or sometimes deflexed branches (resembling some Panicum spp.), to 30 x 25 cm, usually fully exserted from upper sheath; spikelets mostly 4-5 (rarely 6) flowered, 5-8 mm long, frequently purplish; lower glume 1-2 mm long, upper glume 2.2-3 mm long; lemma 2.5-3 mm long, smooth and glabrous except for a few short hairs near the base; palea subequal to lemma. Selected Specimens Examined (Total examined = 31): Victoria — Glenthompson, 9 Apr. 1987, A. Brown 16 (MEL); Beeac, 1963, A.C. Beauglehole 42599 (MEL); Lake Goldsmith, between Beaufort and Skipton, 15 Jan. 1960, F. Swindley (MEL); Lake Werowrap, 13 km NW of Colac, s. dat. F. Swindley (MEL); Cobra-Killack Wildlife Reserve, 1 1 Jan. 1979, A.C. Beauglehole 63080 (MEL); Lake Corangamite, south-east of Culdare, 14 Oct. 1982, N.H. Scarlett 82-114 (MEL). Tasmania — Valley Field Rd, c. 3 km SE of Barton Rd (c. 50 km SE of Launceston), 16 Jan. 1987, D.I. Morris 86176 (HO, MEL). Distribution and Conservation Status: Scattered in southern Victoria from Port Phillip area in the east as far west as Port Fairy. A sin^e collection from north-eastern Tasmania is known. The variety is not regarded as rare or threatened in Victoria but its status in Tasmania requires further investigation. Habitat: Like the typical variety of the species, P. stricta var. perlaxa (and most other members of the genus in Australia), is virtually confined to saltmarsh communities, mostly dominated by Sarcocornia spp., Halosarcia spp., Wilsonia spp. etc. Unlike the typical variety however, var. perlaxa occurs more commonly in saltmarsh communities fringing salt lakes in south-western Victoria, on heavy soils derived from Quaternary basalt or on Coxiella shell deposits. The Tasmanian plants were found growing in a creek bed cutting through pasture paddocks with saline lagoons nearby, on soils derived from dolerite or basalt (D.I. Morris pers. comm.). The typical variety in Victoria is known only from coastal sites and sandy margins of salinated water bodies in the northern part of the state {e.g. Mildura and Kerang areas). NOTES: Some specimens of this entity at MEL have been labelled as the introduced P. distans (L.) Pari., a species somewhat resembling P. stricta var. perlaxa in the diffuse panicle, but differing chiefly in the perennial habit and smaller spikelets and florets (to 6 mm and 2.5 mm respectively). The new variety is readily distinguished from P. stricta var. stricta in the widely spreading panicle with spikelets having fewer (usually <5) florets, joined by rhachilla segments more slender and longer than those of the typical variety (usually ^ 1/3 the length of the floret, c.f usually c. 1/4 the length of the floret in var. stricta). On the basis of these features, it was initially intended to recognize the taxon as a species distinct from P. stricta, however, several broadly paniculate specimens exhibit floret characteristics approaching those of the typical form and for this reason the lower status has been adopted here. Those specimens of somewhat intermediate form occur at sites virtually combining the typical habitats of both varieties, i.e. coastal saltmarsh formed on basalt-derived substrates {e.g. Altona, Pt Cook, Port Fairy). 384 P. stricta van perlaxa is the taxon referred to by P.F. Morris in Ewart ( 1 930) as Atropis (= Puccinellia) magellanica Desv., a species indigenous to South America. The application of this name resulted from misidentification of a fragment sent to A.S. Hitchcock (US). In correspondence to Prof A. J. Ewart (then Government Botanist at MEL), O. Stapf (KEW) suggested Puccinellia stricta f perlaxa to be an appropriate name for specimens submitted to him by Ewart in 1912. Some specimens at MEL were later annotated as P stricta var. perlaxa, presumably in the assumption that Stapf had published, or intended to publish this combination. However this work has not been located in any botanical literature and is presumed to have never been validly published. The epithet is appropriate and is here formalized (albeit as a variety rather than a form), hopefully by so doing avoiding any confusion which may have arisen if a new epithet were chosen. DANTHONIA Lam. & DC. Danthonia lepidopoda N.G. Walsh sp. nov. Chionochloa pallidae affinis sed statura parviore, foliis plants vel canaliculatis, flosculis parvioribus arista torta vix, pills lemmatis serie supera caespitosis infirme et a speciebus omnibus Danthoniae et Chionochloae Australiensis productis plerumque rhizomatis squamatis differt. TypuS: Victoria, South Belgrave, “Bullens Land” Courtneys Rd, immediately north of Ash Reserve, 37° 56'40"S, 145°20'45"E, 15.L1987, N.G. Walsh 1709, (HOLOTYPUS: MEL; ISOTYPI: BRI, NSW). Perennial, developing long, scaly rhizomes. Culms to 60 cm high. Leaves weakly tufted, glabrous to sparsely hairy; blades flat or channeled, becoming inrolled on drying, to 15 cm long and 2 mm wide; ligule a ciliate rim c. 0.5 mm long, with a tuft of longer hairs at the sides. Panicle linear to narrowly ovate, to 8 cm long, rather sparse and with few (usually <20) spikelets. Spikelets purplish when young, mostly 3 or 4-flowered; glumes subequal, lanceolate, 8-14 mm long; lemma 3-4 mm long, lightly and more or less evenly covered with hairs which are weakly aggregated into tufts in an indistinct, slightly longer upper series; lateral lobes erect, 3-5 mm long, scaberulous, evenly tapered to the 1-2 mm long setiform tips, or setae laclang; central awn wealdy twisted in the lower c. 2 mm, exceeding lateral lobes by 3-6 mm; palea narrow lanceolate or oblong, far exceeding sinus and approaching or equal to the tips of the lateral lobes. Representative Specimens (total examined = 1 5): Victoria — Grampians, Mt William, Nov. 1882, Sullivan (MEL); Grampians, E side of Victoria Range, 17 Jan. 1969, A.C. Beauglehole 30296 (MEL, NSW); Grampians, 1.5 miles (c. 2 km) ENE of Halls Gap, 21 Dec. 1968, A.C. Beauglehole 30136 (MEL, NSW); Grampians, Mt Abrupt, 30 Dec. 1968, A.C. Beauglehole 30216 (MEL, NSW); Otways, c. 13.5 km NE of Port Campbell P.O., 22 Mar. 1974, A.C. Beauglehole 44307 (MEL, NSW); Otways, c. 38 km NW of Cape Otway Lighthouse, 20 Mar. 1974, A.C. Beauglehole 44303 (MEL); Otways, Benwerrin, 9.6 km NNW of Lome, 3 Jan. 1974, A.C. Beauglehole 43912 (MEL, NSW); Beenak area, 7.5 km SE of Egg Rock, 10 Jan. 1980, S.J. Forbes 335 (MEL). Distribution and Conservation Status: D. lepidopoda is apparently endemic in Victoria from where it has been collected from The Grampians mountains, the Otway Range (mostly toward the coast) and the south-eastern slopes of the Dandenong Ranges (some 40 km ESE from Melbourne). Although apparently confined to these three disjunct areas, the species is moderately common in the Grampians and Otways at least (but only two collections have been identified from the Dandenong Ranges area), and is not considered rare or threatened. 385 Fig. 2. Danthonia lepidopoda. a — habit x 1/3. b — spikelet x3. c — floret x3. a drawn from Sullivan s. n. (MEL); b, c drawn from Beauglehole 30296 (MEL). Danthonia talariata. d — habit x 1/4. e — spikelet x6. f — floret x6. All drawn from Walsh 801 (MEL). Habitat: Occurs on sandy or gritty soils derived from granite or sedimentary rocks, usually in heathland or heathy woodland communities. Associated species have been noted as including Eucalyptus cephalocarpa, E. willisii, E. sieberi, E. baxteri, E. dives, Banksia spinulosa, Pultenaea mollis, Indigofera australis, Stipa muelleri, Deyeuxia rodwayi and Culcita dubia. NOTES: Specimens of D. lepidopoda have been in the past been referred to Danthonia (= Chionochloa) pallida or sp. aff., D. induta or sp. aff., D. procera, D. monticola, D. geniculata, or D. caespitosa. The lemma of D. lepidopoda most nearly resembles that of Chionochloa pallida in the short, hardly setiform lateral lobes, which are almost equalled by the long-exserted palea and the general indumentum. However, the organization of hairs on the lemma into a weakly tufted upper series and the elliptic, basal hilum of the caryopsis are features characteristic of Danthonia {Notodanthonia 386 sens. Zotov 1963) rather than Chionochloa (Zotov 1963) and commits the new species to that genus. Further, C. pallida is a robust, strongly caespitose plant, with narrow, involute leaf blades, numerous spikelets per inflorescence, and larger florets with the lemma having a strongly twisted awn, all features not shared by the iiew species. Danthonia induta differs from D. lepidopoda in its robust habit, relatively large panicle with numerous spikelets, larger lemma with hairs organized into definite upper and lower series (as well as scattered between the series), longer, strongly twisted awn, and the palea which does not approach the tips of the lateral lemma lobes. The long-creeping, scaly rhizome is atypical for either Danthonia or Chionochloa (at least amongst Australian species) and the specific epithet (meaning “scaly foot”) refers to this feature. DEYEUXIA Clar. ex P. Beauv. Deyeuxia talariata N.G. Walsh sp. nov. D. affini M. Gray similis sed spiculis majoribus, 3.6-5 mm longis, arista minuta vel nulla et statura elatiore differt. HolotypuS: Victoria, East Gippsland, 0.5 km S of Moscow Peak, 2 km NNW of Mt Cobberas no.l, 36°15'50"S, 148°08'45"E, 22 Feb. 1982, N.G. Walsh 801 (MEL). Shortly rhizomatous perennial, culms erect, 25-1 10 cm high. Leaves smooth to slightly scaberulous, glabrous or the sheaths sometimes sparsely ciliate along the margin; blades rather stiff, loosely to closely folded, 6-40 cm x 1.5-3 mm when flattened out; ligule membranous, truncate, 1.5-3 mm long. Inflorescence & rather dense, cylindrical panicle 4-17 cm long, sometimes interrupted near the base; spikelets 3.6-5 mm long, usually slightly purplish; glumes narrowly acute, subequal, scabrous along the keel in the upper part; lemma acute, equal to or slightly exceeding the glumes, 5-nerved, evenly and minutely scabrous, becoming somewhat hardened at maturity, awnless or shortly awned from apex or just below; awn (when present) straight, to 0.8 mm long, exceeding lemma by up to 0.5 mm; palea slightly shorter than lemma; callus hairs dense, silky, 2/3 to as long as lemma; rhachilla bristle 1-1.5 mm long, plumose, with hairs virtually reaching the apex of the lemma. Other Specimens Examined: Victoria — Playgrounds, 2 km SW from Mt Cobberas no. 1 , 1 9 Apr. 1 98 1 , S.T Forbes 917 &H van Rees (MEL); Forlorn Hope Track, 10.8 km NNW ofMt Nunniong, 13 Feb. 1980 H van Rees 87 & S.J. Forbes (MEL). New South Wales — South Coast/Southem Tablelands, Square Swamp, 2.2 km NW of Woe Woe Trig., 21 Feb. 1987, D.E. Albrecht 3063 (MEL, NSW). Distribution and Conservation Status: Occurs in eastern Victoria on the Nunniong Plateau and the nearby Cobberas mountains. In south-eastern New South Wales, the species is known from a single collection on the Mt Wog Wog Plateau (inland from Eden). The species is known form only four collections, three of which are contained within National Parks (Cobberas N.P. in Victoria, Nalbaugh N.P. in N.S.W.) but the Victonan sites are subject to grazing by cattle and/or brumbies which are prevalent in the area. The species is here regarded as “vulnerable”, with Risk Code 3VCi (Briggs and Leigh 1989). Habitat: At each of the four sites from which it is known, D. talariata grows in sodden, Sphagnum-Tich heath at altitudes above 1000 m. Associated species include Epacris paludosa, E. breviflora, Baeckea utilis and Poa costiniana. The underlying soils are generally coarse but derived from different bedrocks at each 387 site (^anite, rhyolite and metamorphosed sediments), mixed with abundant organic material. NOTES: This species is closely allied to D. affinh M. Gray, an uncommon alpine and subalpine species from the Mt Kosciusko area of New South Wales and the Bogong High Plains in Victoria. D. talariata is distinguished from D. affinis by its greater overall robustness and larger inflorescences and spikelets, and by the minutely awned, or more frequently, unawned lemma. These two species, with D. parviseta var. boormanii, an uncommon entity from eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales, D. innominata D. Morris, from the alps and subalps of southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and probably D. aucklandica of New Zealand appear to comprise a natural group within the genus, being related by virtue of the long, silky callus hairs, plumose callus bristle and smooth, relatively thin-textured, prominently veined lemma. The specific epithet meaning “long-skirted” alludes to the long callus hairs encircling the base of the lemma. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Arthur Chapman, Bureau of Flora and Fauna, Canberra, for his assistance with bibliographical details, Dennis Morris, Tasmanian Herbarium, Hobart, for alerting me to the existence in Tasmania of Puccinellia stricta var. distans and for his general comments on the manuscript, to Cliff Beauglehole, Portland, for his assistance in locating specimens’ of the Poa spp, to Doug Frood, Department of Conservation and Environment, Victoria, for further collections of and information about Poa sallacustris, and to Anita Barley, National Herbarium of Victoria who prepared the illustrations. REFERENCES Briggs J.D. & Ixigh J.H. (1989). ‘Rare or threatened Australian plants 1988 revised edition’. (Special publication no. 14. Aust. Nat. Parks & Wildlife Serv.: Canberra.) Ewart, A.J. (1931). ‘Flora of Victoria’. (University Press: Melbourne.) Zotov, V.D. (1963). Synopsis of the grass subfamily Arundinoideae in New Zealand. New Zealand J. Bot. 1:78-136. Manuscript received 8 June 1990. A*'-’ He-- I tJi; — j^'. \, .. -■ *r.- -v >’':;-'Wi ,.■; ■• ■ -phi , ' ' ' ' ~* •■'■ j'Vv T -Is ■ >V . if 'i;.. '; •^■l* ■* - tV^ ' ■'•V ■ ITisMIlKK lo ^ Ki . . fe«5i^ . j* '^» oif jafA ■ f • ;-;.TXWTit *d-4i V:‘5^ i» .^VvV-^ir- >. ]. : ■>•/ >s M •^f^’ ,s%*, ■ x;..^ ^paiT^l^ei^ ■'.,:•■?■; •,Vi' A M .vv;:/-' 1 'Vifr 'j; ^ i>?^V . ^ ’^•i 'v„y'i-'->-!'^' o J>' • •;, '■ «• ‘ - . ■' i ^ r'»«v WNt' v^ 4 ' • '■ a ■f 4. " ■». ■•■<:■'■* 4* TWO NEW SUBSPECIES WITHIN EUCALYPTUS LEUCOXYLON ¥. Muell. AND NOTES ON THAT SPECIES by K. Rule* ABSTRACT Rule, K. Two new subspecies within Eucalyptus leucoxylon E Muell. and notes on that species. Muelleria 7(3): 389-403 (1991). — Two new taxa within Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. are described, viz. ssp. stephaniae K. Rule, whose populations are sporadic over the sandy tracts of Upper South-east South Australia and the Wimmera region of Western Victoria, and ssp. connata K. Rule, whose markedly depleted populations occur in the vicinity of Melbourne and Geelong. The complex nature of E. leucoxylon is discussed, including aspects of its variable morphology and how they relate to its infraspecific taxonomy. INTRODUCTION In 1855 Baron von Mueller described E. leucoxylon from a specimen collected in the Mt Lofty Ranges to the north-east of Adelaide in an area referred to as the “Devil’s Country”. The original concept of var. pruinosa F. Muell. ex Miq. came in the following year and was based on a collection made by Behr at Salt Creek presumed to be in the neighboring Barossa Valley. In 1883 the var. pauperita Brown was named to accommodate populations of mallees and stunted trees occurring in drier areas such as the Southern Flinders Ranges. Also described in 1883 was the var. macrocarpa Brown. Several other varieties, including var. rugulosa F. Muell. ex Miq., var. rostellata F. Muell. ex Miq., var. erythrostema F. Muell. ex Miq. and var. angulata Benth. were erected but did not endure as viable taxa. Boland and Brooker (1974) completed the first worthwhile survey of E. leucoxylon and drew attention to its polymorphic nature. Subsequently, Boland (1978) completed his geographic study of the species and in a second paper (1979) erected four formal subspecies to accommodate the morphological forms he had observed. E. leucoxylon ssp. leucoxylon Boland replaced var. leucoxylon (and others) and included numerous South Australian and Victorian subcoastal populations with medium-sized fruits and non-waxy seedlings. The horticulturally exploited var. macrocarpa was replaced by ssp. megalocarpa Boland to accommodate non-waxy, large-fruited, large-leaved coastal populations on Kangaroo Island and sites in the Mt Gambier area. Also derived from var. macrocarpa was ssp. petiolaris Boland which consisted of populations on the Eyre Peninsula and which featured large, ribbed, often campanulate fhiits and petiolate, alternate juvenile leaves. The fourth taxon, previously referred to as var. pruinosa and var. pauperita, was ssp. pruinosa Boland which included inland populations from the Southern Flinders Ranges to Central Victoria, its main features being small fruits and adult leaves and waxy juvenile leaves. Despite Boland’s pioneering attempt to bring order to E. leucoxylon, there is evidence that his work with the species was incomplete. In fact, two additional forms, each being morphologically distinct and occupying its own discrete habitat and geographical range, have been identified using both field studies and seedling trials. The focus of this paper is on a small-fruited, non-waxy form, whose sporadic populations occur across the extensive sandy tracts of South Australia’s Upper South-east and adjacent regions of Western Victoria, and on a second * 6 Regal Court, Vermont South, Victoria, Australia 3133 389 390 Fig. 1 . Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp stephaniae. a-b — buds, fruits and adult leaves x 1 (drawn from type specimen), c — fruit showing pellicle x2 (drawn from type specimen), d — juvenile leaves x 1 (from type population). 391 form, also relatively small-fruited and non-waxy, which occurs on sandstone hills in the vicinities of Melbourne and Geelong. TAXONOMY Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. ssp. stephaniae K. Rule ssp. nov. Frutex (mallee) vel arbor parva foliis juvenilibus non glaucis non connatis, adultis ad 12.5 x 2 cm, et fructibus relative parvis plerumque hemisphaericis breviter pedicellatis pellicula membranacea tegenti orificium. A subspecie typica foliis juvenilibus adultisque parvioribus et fructibus non elongatis in pedicellis brevioribus pellicula persistent! differt. HolotypuS: 9.6 km N of Yanac by road towards Murray ville, 36°05' S, 141°22'E, 15.V.1985, K. Rule{UEL 1527410). Small mallees to small trees to 15 m. Foliage usually semi-weeping. Bark pale, sometimes mottled, usually smooth to the ground in mallees or with a short stocking of dark brown fibrous bark at the base in trees. Seedling leaves subsessile, ovate-elliptical, decussate for 3 to 5 pairs, blue-green, discolorous. Juvenile leaves sessile, opposite, lanceolate to broad-lanceolate or rarely ovate, blue-green, becoming concolorous, non-waxy, non-connate, with bases rounded or rarely slightly cordate, never amplexicaul, to 6.5 x 3.5 cm. Intranodal extensions developing at nine to fifteen pairs. Intermediate leaves petiolate, alternate, green, lanceolate. Adult leaves petiolate, slightly ^ossy, olive-green to green, lanceolate, to 12.5 X 2 cm. Buds 3 (-7), globular to slightly ovoid, yellow, non-waxy. Ovular rows 4. Operculum obtuse-conical to shortly rostrate, to 7 x 6 mm. Pedicels approximately the same length as the buds. Fruits non-ribbed, hemispherical or slightly globular-truncate, strikingly burnished, to 8 x 11 mm, always wider than long. Valves enclosed to 2 mm below the rim. Membranous pellicle regularly persisting over the fruit’s orifice. Locules 6 (-7). Pedicels always shorter than fruit length. Peduncles to 8 mm long. (Figure 1 ) Specimens Examined: South Australia — Emu Flat, Sterling Range, 3 miles NE of Keith, 14.vii.l952, R. Melville 429 (MEL); Ashville, 20 km N of Meningie, 35°31'S, 139°32'E, 22.xi.1959, P.G. Wilson 1434, (AD 96022106); 4 miles S of Salt Creek, 35°34'S, 138°55'E, 21.X.1961, 7.//. Willis (MEL); 17.4 km NW of Padthaway towards Keith, 36“30'S, 140°18'E, 17.vii.l975, G. Chippendale GCI328 (MEL); 10 km N Coomandook, 35°28'S, 139°42'E, 29.ix.1976, CD. Boomsma (MEL 538686); Box Flat, 34 km SSW of Lameroo, 9.X.I977, J.G. West 2445 (AD 97811178); Comet Bore, approx. 90 km N of Bordertown (Hundred of Fisk), 35°40'S, 140°50'E, 27.xi.1978, C.D. Boomsma 460 (MEL 593629); Adjacent to the entrance of the Jip Jip Conservation Park, 36°31'S, 140°25'E, 20.V.1985, K. Rule (MEL). Victoria — 12 miles E of Kaniva, 36°25'E, 141°29'S, 21.ix.l952, 21.ix.l952, R. Melville 11872 (MEL); Little Desert, S of Miram South, 3.xi.l975, M. G. Corrick 5360 (MEL 593629); NW Wyperfeld, 35°52'S, 141”58'E, 27.vii.1961 J.H. Willis (MEL); Red Bluff, 4.xi.l984, D. Albrecht (MEL): 5 km N of Jeparit, 36°05'S, 14r59'E, 2.ix.l986, K. Rule(MEL); 30 km W of Rainbow and 5 km S of Chinaman Flat, 35°54'S, 141°00'E, 9.X.1979, G.C. Cornwall 333 (MEL 598454); 17.7 km S of Murrayville-Pinaroo Rd on track to soak (3 km W of Murrayville), 35°25'S, 141°07'E, 5.ix.l989, M.I.H. Brooker 10270 (MEL 118383). Distribution (Figure 2): The distribution of E. leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae is extensive but sporadic on shallow sands in the desert country of South Australia’s Upper South-east and Victoria’s Wimmera, from Meningie in the west to Dimboola in the east. Whilst its southern limits are defined by the southern margins of the Victorian Little Desert and similar areas of the same latitude in South Australia, the exact extent of its northern extremity is uncertain. The northern-most herbarium collections suggest it approximates the latitude of 35°25' S. Associated Species: E. leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae grows in small, but pure stands or occasionally in mixed communities. Where it grows as a mallee, any one of a number of mallee 392 species occurring across its range may be in the vicinity. Such species observed include E. diversifolia BonpL, E. rugosa R. Br. ex Blakely, E. leptophylla F. MuelL, E. calycogona Turcz., E. incrassata Labill., E. anceps (Maiden) Blakely, E. dumosa A. Cunn. ex Schauer, E. wimmerensis Rule and E. arenacea Marginson and Ladiges. In the Victorian Little Desert E. aff. aromaphloia Pryor and Willis may also be present. Its tree form is usually the dominant species in woodland communities and may be adjacent to or sometimes associated with a number of box species. These include E. fasciculosa F. Muell. and E. porosa F. Muell. ex Miq., in the western part of the distribution, and E. ajf. odorata Behr ex Schlect., E. largiflorens F. Muell. and E. microcarpa Maiden, in the east. Etymology: The subspecific name is dedicated to my daughter, Stephanie, who was a constant and enthusiastic companion during Eucalyptus field trips and who died suddenly and unexpectedly in October, 1 986. Conservation Status: Usually the populations of ssp. stephaniae are small in size and often well separated from each other. Despite this the number of populations is substantial and it is not a threatened taxon. DISCUSSION: Most herbarium specimens of ssp. stephaniae have been placed under ssp. pruinosa. Confusion with this subspecies is understandable as the two are not always separable when using dried adult materials, particularly if those of ssp. pruinosa are lacking surface wax and have been collected from small-leaved populations. A few collections, however, have been placed under ssp. leucoxylon and, most likely, this has occurred because they exhibited no surface wax. Clearly the purpose of Boland was to deal with existing informal taxa otherwise he would not have overlooked the taxonomic integrity of ssp. stephaniae. He was obviously aware of its presence in Upper South-east South Australia and the Victorian Wimmera. However, his discussion was limited to just a single feature of the populations in the Victorian Big Desert between Murrayville and Yanac, that is, to the membranous pellicle which persists over the fruit’s orifice after dehiscence. Boomsma (1981) also gave attention to the desert populations but, unlike Boland, felt they were worthy of a subspecific status. However, for reasons of his own, he declined from providing a taxonomic treatment. In the field ssp. stephaniae is readily separable from other subspecies when examined at close quarters, and its seedlings are also distinctive. From ssp. pruinosa it differs in being non-waxy in both adult and juvenile stages, its juvenile leaves are never connate — a feature which pervades most populations of ssp. pruinosa to varying de^ees, its mature fruits regularly carry the persisting pellicle and it has a shorter period of juvenility. E. leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae differs from the typical subspecies in having smaller adult and juvenile leaves, and fruits which are usually hemispherical or occasionally slightly globular-truncate, rather than elongated (cylindrical, sub- cylindrical or barrel-shaped), and which possess the persisting pellicle and shorter pedicels. Fruit shape and size of ssp. stephaniae are similar to those of ssp. connata but the latter usually has longer pedicels and rarely the pellicle persisting across the orifice of the fruit. Further, its adult leaves are shorter but there is a small amount of overlap. The two differ most significantly in their juvenile leaves in that those of ssp. stephaniae are never connate. Populations suggesting intermediacy between ssp. stephaniae and other subspecies have been observed. Such a case is in Western Victoria, in grazing 393 Fig. 2. Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp connata a — adult leaves and buds x 1 (from Werribee Gorge population), b — fruits x 1 (from Werribee Gorge population), c — fruits x 1 (from Torquay population), d — juvenile leaves x 1 (from Werribee Gorge population). 394 country to the south of the Little Desert. There, woodland trees, which occupy loamy soils, possess fruits featuring a range of shapes, sizes and pedicel lengths between ssp. stephaniae and ssp. leucoxylon. However, they are consistent with the latter in other features, particularly in juvenile and adult leaves and in this paper they are included with that subspecies. Also, in parts of the Wimmera wheatlands, east of the known distribution of ssp. stephaniae and in North-central Victoria, populations are intermediate between it and ssp. pruinosa. These populations usually have waxy, non-connate juvenile leaves, are small-fruited and rarely exhibit adult surface wax. As well, the period of juvenility is not prolonged as in typical ssp. pruinosa. Some collections from North-central Victoria feature small, subcylindrical fruits which resemble those of ssp. leucoxylon and have been confused with that subspecies. These populations are regarded herein as ssp. pruinosa on the basis of their waxy juvenile leaves. Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. ssp. connata K. Rule ssp. nov. /Irtor foliisjuvenilibus ordinate connatis non glaucis,adultis ad 15 x 2.5 cm, alabastrisglobosis operculo rostrato et plerumque fructibus hemisphaericis in pedicellis longis. A subspecie typica foliis juvenilibus connatis et alabastris fructibusque brevioribus differt. HolotypuS: 9.8 km W of Bacchus Marsh by road towards Werribee Gorge, 37°40'S, 144°2TE, 28.viii.1985, K. Rule (MEL). Small to medium trees to 20 m. Bark smooth, white or light grey, mottled, often with brown, crusty fibrous bark on the lower trunk. Seedling leaves subsessile, ovate-elliptical, decussate for 3 or 4 pairs. Juvenile leaves sessile, opposite, green or blue-green, discolorous, non-waxy, cordate, or amplexicaul, becoming continually connate by the 8th to 1 5th pair; rarely non-connate; period of juvenility variable. Intranodal extensions usually occurring after the 20th pair. Intermediate leaves broad-lanceolate or ovate. Adult leaves olive-green to green, semi-lustrous, lanceolate or slightly falcate, to 14 x 2.5 cm. globular. Ovular rows 4. Operculum rostrate. Fruits hemispherical or sometimes slightly subcylindrical, with tapered bases, to 8 x 11 mm. Pellicle rarely persisting. Locules (5-) 6 (-7). Valves to 2.5 mm deep. Pedicels as long as fruit or slightly longer. Peduncles to 1 1 mm. (Figure 2) Specimens Examined: Victoria — Werribee Gorge, 37°39'S, 144°17'E, 22.iv.1912, P.R.H. St John (MEL 573160); “Emu Bottom”, on Jackson Creek (via Sunbury), 37°29'S, i44°35'E, 20. vi. 1971, J.H. Willis (MEL 503339); 3 miles towards Steiglitz from Durdiwarrah, 37°53'S, 144°05'E, 6.ix. 1966, E.J. Carrol (MEL); SW of Torquay, on Sunset Strip adjacent to the T-intersection with Bells Bvd, 38°21'S, 144°l9'E, 14.v. 1986, P. Carolan (MEL 684518); On the Ballan Rd approximately 100 m NW Anakie Junction, 37°53'S, 144°16'E, 26.iii.1987, K. R«/e(MEL); Studley Park, Kew, 37°47'S, 145“02'E, 8.iv.l987, K. Rule(MVL)-, Greensborough, 37°41'S, 144°06'E, 15.V.1988, K. Rule(MEL) Distribution (Figure 2): Populations of ssp. connata are at the south-eastern extremity of the range for the species. They are isolated from other subspecies by the Great Dividing Range in the north and north-west and the generally treeless basaltic plains of Western Victoria in the west. The nearest other subspecies is ssp. pruinosa in Central Victoria. The main concentration of ssp. connata is in the Brisbane Ranges between Bacchus Marsh and Geelong where it is a relatively common woodland tree. It also occurs in isolated pockets near the coastal towns of Torquay and Anglesea, in the eastern and outer north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and in the Sunbury area. It is never in abundance in these isolated populations, obviously due to clearing for farms and urban purposes. 395 The subspecies is strongly represented in the You Yang Ranges but this occurrence should be treated with caution as it appears to have been derived from an artificial seeding program of many decades ago. E. leucoxylon ssp. connata grows in hilly terrain on soils derived from ancient Silurian sandstone where it is usually found on well-drained slopes and ridges. Associated Species: Like other subspecies of E. leucoxylon, ssp. connata usually grows in pure stands but numerous other species are found in the vicinity. These include E. melliodora Cunn. ex Schauer, E. sideroxylon Cunn. ex Woolls ssp. tricarpa L. Johnson, E. ovata Labill., E. viminalis Labill. ssp. viminalis, E. polyanthemos Schauer, E. macrorhyncha F. Muell. ex Benth. and E. obliqua L’Herit. Above the Djerriwarrh Creek near Bacchus Marsh, the disjunct population of E. behriana F. Muell. is nearby. Of these, E. melliodora is the one with which it is most likely to be confused, but the two are easily separable using buds, fruits and juvenile leaves. E. melliodora also is a close relative and hybrids are not uncommon where they abut. Etymology: The name is derived from the connate juvenile leaves which occur regularly in the subspecies. Conservation Status: The numbers of ssp. connata are plentiful along the Brisbane Ranges, but elsewhere it has suffered heavy losses. Some populations are secure in protected reserves, such as the Brisbane Ranges National Park and Studley Park, but conservation authorities should act to preserve whatever they can of the remnant populations. Discussion: In his 1978 study Boland included a population from near Meredith in the Brisbane Ranges about 50 km to the east of Melbourne. In his 1979 revision, he included it with other subcoastal populations in Western Victoria and regions adjacent to Adelaide under ssp. leucoxylon. However, the majority of his trial seedlings possessed connate juvenile leaves, a feature which also has been observed in the waxy subspecies but never in non-waxy populations west of the Brisbane Ranges. Subsequently, ssp. leucoxylon and ssp. pruinosa were erected on the basis of differences other than connation. Effectively, that created a dichotomy within the former — a strong expression of connation in the eastern populations and no connation in those in the west. His decision to suppress connation as a taxonomic character was a conservative one and even if this position is maintained the weight of other differences cannot be ignored. E. leucoxylon ssp. connata also differs from the typical subspecies in having a longer period of juvenility. Seedling trials have shown that intranodal extensions rarely occur before the 20th node. Although not common, relatively mature trees have been observed still carrying intermediate leaves, a feature not uncommon in ssp. pruinosa. It is also an infrequent occurrence that some seedlings have a rapid period of juvenility. Such seedlings invariably have aberrantly narrow juvenile leaves and usually develop intranodal extensions by the 10th pair. Short petioles also appear at this stage or soon after. Even thou^ these seedlings behave like those of typical ssp. leucoxylon, it is strongly suspected that they are of hybrid origin with E. melliodora as the other parent. Whilst the adult leaves of ssp. connata are only marginally shorter than those of ssp. leucoxylon, there are, however, significant other differences between the two. The buds of ssp. connata are globular rather than elongated, as in ssp. 396 leucoxylon, and its fruits regularly wider than long whilst those of ssp. leucoxylon are longer than wide or less often approximately equal in length and width. The fruits of the ssp. connata also differ from those of ssp. leucoxylon in possessing shallower valves, never deeper than 2.5 mm compared with a range between 2 mm and 4 mm. Further, they have never been observed with the sunken style base, a feature observed consistently in the fruits of South Australian populations of ssp. leucoxylon. From ssp. pruinosa the new subspecies is easily distinghished in being non- waxy. Also, the fruits are usually on longer pedicels and, with a few exceptions (those of the very waxy populations of South-east South Australia) are appreciably larger. Differences with ssp. stephaniae have been discussed above. In Victoria, across the northern fringes of the Grampians as far east as Ararat, the non-waxy populations possess a range of fruit shapes which are mostly elongated. A few fruits, however, are hemispherical and could be mistaken for those of ssp. connata. These cases are here regarded as aberrant forms of ssp. leucoxylon. Key to Infraspecific Taxa within E. leucoxylon 1. Wax present at least on juvenile leaves ssp. pruinosa 1 . Wax absent from all structures 2 2. Fruits with collar of lobes surrounding base of style; juvenile leaves petiolate, alternate ssp. petiolaris 2. Fruits without the collar of lobes; juvenile leaves sessile, opposite 3 3. Fruits longer than 1.2 cm and wider than 1.1 cm; adult leaves usually wider than 2.5 cm ssp. megalocarpa 3. Fruits smaller than 1.2 cm long and 1.1 cm wide; adult leaves less than 2.5 cm wide 4 4. Pedicel approximately half the length of the fruit, persisting pellicle present on mature fruits ssp. stephaniae 4. Pedicel equal to or longer than fruit, pellicle rarely persisting across orifice of mature fruit 5 5. Fruits hemispherical or sometimes subcylindrical, buds globular, juvenile leaves usually connate ssp. connata 5. Fruits subcylindrical, cylindrical or barrel-shaped, buds elongated, juvenile leaves never connate ssp. leucoxylon NOTES ON E. LEUCOXYLON F. MUELL. The ancestral E. leucoxyloEs ability to adapt to a wide range of climates and soils has produced an equally diverse number of morphological variants, six of which are divergent enough to be recognised as infraspecific taxa. It is indisputable that it is an exceedingly complex species which has been a constant source of torment to taxonomists and observers over many years. Below several perspectives, which address some of the problems associated with its infraspecific taxonomy, are offered (Table 1 ). CONNATION: Taxonomists of the eucalypts have been conservative in dealing with connation in juvenile leaves and this suggests that it is either unimportant or its significance is not completely understood. Connate juvenile leaves occur only in 397 s: I O o K CA C o C/i •c CO a e o U x> s2 C a -s; & * 5— ( . O^ (J 4) ■^3 § .§1 s s c a A co x> CO C CO o R ^ 4^ ^ “ u o -S •n O c 5 K u"^ o X -S’O’g 0®3 o o G o 3 c c o o 3 ♦- G G G 4>-i <» ts 4> C Oi u C3 — 4> c S g,;§.a £ ese *211 C 3 3 o 3 « ^ S §3 G wirS a W C/3 a ^ V, — og fa C 2'5 o GX> a-ts a > o CO CO o S X ^-T «n co’O oc)'§ g 2 8£ G p ^ S y CO 9 i^hJC/ 5C/3 )-H 4) Jg t/i ’O ^ C cO O C “ O ^ '-S 4> g- rt *0 § s s 25 S 3 ^ o o CO U Wn = ■3 s.§ .2 g eg a B e O CO "S e s 2 Ob O „ H: x^. O 4^ •*-» iS 3 S 4> w u C o" a"2 rt o o > 0X1 S -3 S V 2 c »n w I G’O S'O 9 ^ C O O O fe tS 4i 4> 4 > ^ ^ cO 1^1- TO Ctf 'O 3 c ^ e TO Ot 3 «.a '-C! 0 3 >< « C33-S <0 G X ^ G fl u- w X5 O C O fe co o CO o a CO s B 2 •cla c«m<2 XI 3 ■“•3 3'° •rog d is ?.H 4i •rt «« 'O 4> III3 3 2 «« T? CJ 4> >3 4> ^ 83|e.g 'S<§B s's g S^3S.2S G fc ■a ^ « cjl. c G •ts 4) G-3 23 £3 4> 3 0*3 G C P «A a co c *- a a 00 o >> > O 4^ G c/5 CO eg ja ^ S ^ '• h S> ^ fli ^ -s CO Un -?n-. O “E-i M'S ^ 'd aS c-2 M M-S 1^ 22 ^ ^ o' ^ S g.Sd •G3 ■*- C S ^ +-* o 3 g cA -ii y .3,^ CA O) G SA O gS oo G'O 4> C 83 h G 3 3 CO o 5 G 4> 2.^ I G O "S? G*3 4> 2 X ^ 3'S •3 >, S'® G Im 2 3 (/) ■§.26 cO 52 ir> e S- • 3^4) CO Xj3 a 4>t3 2 TO l°'s 2 § S 4) ^ 4> O 5 «« o a ^ c G CO a a >» c 4> M e O N *<3 jO 3 x> o oh o 2 3 >> 5 1 •ii 3 'O o CN 2 lx X 0 Ct fS p r4 3 X 5 0 0 0 ’oh ^ lx 0 eg 2 0 •c *0 »r» _G ; 0 0 0 > .3 " 0 OiO 'O o o 0^ 4) . ■M 4 ) eO “ o «« a 3 9 f1^ . — M ^ 3 Mex Operculum: Shape rostrate to beaked conical to beaked obtuse-conical to conical, rostrate or conical to short rostrate rostrate beaked rostrate Ribbing absent light absent absent absent absent 398 C K O P cd a c Q (J u'-S B — ■§..§ • S E „ X .iS o >>*^ P oo B E^- PC o •rt- ^ a X .52^ as S’g o 2i p 6 6 p 2-S SO o, p ■g P'6 p p x: o 4= ”p ■* « 5 pep 2S =3 O P 0> (A 0> <_ is O tn ^ W5 6 P Xi o a D c u. cd a > 6 6 c 53 -s: & % »- p P c "p 'P P u o 2'C 6 ■^*25 - •g^ 2’3>2x) 2 o a>o p p 5 >• (A X) P P E p p pa P E'C 5 _ a *f ^ X UP Q, >> P E , x.gg 3 E 00 E’S-Sm k S (/) ^ 00 p r.5£ C (A P « Xt J3 O— . ^.P « £ O «« 33 P O £ S 6 P3 a BS «r» ; 62 5)^ Cl, I P X U P p^ .2 I 2 2 S & J" ta C'C e 2"3 S'O o c g- e e “ X § Es 5 o vri O, P 50 C ^ — PXX"^X O P P P 0.2? ■i-t U CA (A -t-i I P »- 'O I o o « , C * Q. = - E.y-H X X . so c p u a S 2 o-S^ o 3 >. P o a oo^ d) fc- 5 o X 2 35 o X 2 o X p a< a p fA ^ a o jj a E 6 *35 ^ P d) P d> E 6 B U 'B OO o o 5N o P d> c« X (A ^ 11 P t-i (A o2 "S p P C 2 ° 6 E fe;2 E 3 ■•g E ii § r s E So J3 . CA M p ss 2 o g.ts E O' 2 ‘n d) X ^ 'S’-s 2 S. «/5 X p X «« P u S 2 CA X s Im b c/) d> a p X C/5 O. Q ^ 11 ;>Qi 2 (A 0> a c s’a 2 gx-^S a a S3 c v5 2 ^ 3 P 2 Oh (O X u 2? iS •£ "q *o 8 § SS- ■s S-S §5 X t X 00 o p O C 2 "o •• e X a ■o “ di B (£2 X I p K 399 a few species of Eucalyptus and the feature has been used as a taxonomic character in such cases, but only in support of other characters in separating pairs of related taxa. It is doubtful, for example, whether E. uncinata Turcz. and E. discreta Brooker could stand apart as separate species just on the presence or absence of connate juvenile leaves. The circumstances are similar in the case oiE. gamophylla F. Muell. and E. odontocarpa E Muell. Clearly the condition is an observable character, as are surface wax, a particular fruit shape, a collar of lobes surrounding the base of the style and so on. Whilst the cases cited above are concerned with differences between species, the focus of this paper is on infraspecific taxonomy and, in that context, connation becomes a more potent character. Connation in ssp. pruinosa presents taxonomic difficulties, particularly as it exists across the total distribution. In Central Victoria from Euroa to Stawell, non-connate seedlings are the exception, but in populations to the west, including the type locality (the Barossa Valley), it is the reverse. Clearly there is an east-west continuum of connation which, together with the presence of surface wax and aspects of fruit morphology, contributes to linking an indeterminant number of populations into a taxonomic unit. Until new evidence is forthcoming, this position remains justifiable. Fruit Size and Shape: Fruit sizes within E. leucoxylon have been referred to as large, medium and small. Boland used the combined length of fruit and pedicel to distinguish between his subspecies; less than 1.5 cm (ssp. pruinosa), less than 2.5 cm (ssp. leucoxylon) and 2.5 cm or longer (ssp. megalocarpa). This is a reasonably reliable means of identification but there are some exceptions. For example, there are populations of ssp. leucoxylon on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, which have some oversized fruits on relatively long pedicels, and others across the northern fringes of the Grampians, where medium-sized fruits sometimes have markedly long pedicels, and in small fruits of ssp. connata, this is a reasonably reliable means of identification. Further, throughout populations of ssp. connata, the combined length of fruit and pedicel is sometimes less than the lower limit of the medium-sized category. However, ssp. stephaniae's total length rarely reaches 1.5 cm and this compatibility with Boland’s prescription for small fruits appears to be diagnostically useful. With regard to fruit shapes, each subspecies can overlap with other subspecies. It would therefore be imprudent for the observer to place too much value on this aspect of morphology. To illustrate this point, although the usual shape of ssp. connata'% fruits is hemispherical, which contrasts well with the elongated ones of ssp. leucoxylon, those that are subcylindrical can lead to confusion between the two subspecies. The convergence of fruit of ssp. stephaniae and ssp. pruinosa, where the usual shape is hemispherical, is also a source of difficulty. This similarity has contributed to the confusion between these two. Further, the shapes of these subspecies invite eonfusion with ssp. connata. Yet again, other characters are required to aid identification. The Sunken Style Base: The sunken style base can be observed in a small pit, which is up to 2 mm deep, in the well of the fruit after the withered style has become detached. Its presence is lost once dehiscence occurs. Occurrences in E. leucoxylon fruits have been observed only in South Australian populations of ssp. leucoxylon and in the cultivar, “var. rosea” The condition has been given little attention as a taxonomic character, althou^ Boland noted its presence in the flowers of many populations of the species in his 1978 study. However, observations suggest that its manifestation in fruits is limited. 400 ^ ssp.connata Fig. 3. Distribution map of Eucalyptus leucoxylon subspecies. The sunken style base could prove a useful taxonomic tool for distinguishing between ssp. leucoxylon and other non-waxy subspecies where there are similarities in fruit sizes. Such a case exists on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island where the presence of ssp. megalocarpa has been disputed by some authorities. Most certainly it has been considered as a taxonomic criterion in the segregation of ssp. connata from the typical subspecies, but only at a minor level. The condition has not been observed in other Victorian non-waxy populations adjacent to the Grampians and in the south-west of the state but they have been retained within ssp. leucoxylon on the grounds that their adult and juvenile features are consistent with that subspecies. The PELLICLE: Both Boland (1978) and Boomsma (1981) implied that only the desert populations of E. leucoxylon possessed the pellicle. To the contrary, field observations have revealed a few cases of its presence in both ssp. pruinosa and ssp. connata. Of these, it tended to be more common in the former. Obviously the phenomenon of the persisting pellicle needs clarification. In the fruits of all subspecies of E. leucoxylon, except ssp. petiolaris, the ovary roof is covered by a thin layer of pale tissue which is the precursor of the pellicle. Whether or not it matures and remains wholly or partly intact after dehiscence appears to be related to the fruit’s age and its structure. In all cases observed, both in ssp. stephaniae and other subspecies, the fruits had reached maturity and had relatively shallow valves and broad orifices. Boland also suggested that the pellicle was a mechanism for retaining fertile seeds in adverse climatic conditions. Another attribute of ssp. stephaniae is its ability to retain large crops of fruits over several seasons which permits not only the retention of seeds, but the development of the pellicle. This combination 401 appears to be one of the strategies which the subspecies has developed to meet its reproductive needs. Adult Leaf Sizes: The traditional perspective of leaf sizes within E. leucoxylon has been that ssp. megalocarpa has the largest and ssp. pruinosa the smallest, with ssp. leucoxylon somewhere in between. Most certainly ssp. megalocarpa has the broadest, but when the dimension of length is considered nothing is clear-cut. In fact, each subspecies shows considerable variation and at best leaf lengths are unreliable characters. Of all the subspecies, only the lengths of ssp. stephaniae offer any value as taxonomic aids and that is because they are generally the shortest. Rarely do its leaves reach 12 cm and lengths of less than 10 cm are not uncommon. Even then there is overlap with other subspecies. For example, some populations of ssp. pruinosa, particularly those of the Barossa Valley and the Southern Flinders Ranges, have adult leaves similar in length to those of ssp. stephaniae. By contrast, those of other populations of ssp. pruinosa in Central Victoria can be the longest within the species. Field studies of numerous populations in this region have found individual trees with leaves nearly 20 cm long. Subspecies leucoxylon also has a wide range of adult leaf lengths. Leaves in some populations could be classed as markedly long. In the Mt Lofty Ranges and on the Fleurieu Peninsula individual trees with longest leaves exceeding 16 cm were not uncommon. Across the northern fringes of the Grampians even longer leaves were observed. However, like ssp. pruinosa, the lower limit of the range in ssp. leucoxylon overlaps with ssp. stephaniae and there is only a very limited scope for using leaf lengths to distinguish between the two subspecies. The ranges of lengths of ssp. megalocarpa, ssp. petiolaris and ssp. connata fall within those of both of ssp. pruinosa and ssp. leucoxylon and also overlap with ssp. stephaniae. Surface Wax: Some specimens of ssp. pruinosa have been identified as ssp. leucoxylon because they exhibit no adult wax. This condition is not uncommon in populations in the Barossa Valley and northwards. In fact, adult surface wax in these populations is regularly only light. By contrast, in populations of the subspecies in South-east South Australia and Central Victoria, the other main centres of distribution, surface wax is usually heavy and there is little scope for confusion with other subspecies. Despite the variability in adult surface wax, all normal seedlings of the subspecies are uniformly waxy. Distribution Patterns: The notion that infraspecific taxa within E. leucoxylon correspond with coastal, subcoastal and inland climates to some extent is an oversimplification. Most of the subspecies have populations on the extremities of their distributions or outliers which disobey these prescriptions. For example, ssp. megalocarpa, which is thought of as being coastal, has inland populations in South-east South Australia, and ssp. leucoxylon, previously considered as sub-coastal, has coastal populations on Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula and inland populations in Western Victoria. Further, ssp. connata is both subcoastal and coastal, whilst both ssp. pruinosa and ssp. stephaniae, which are essentially inland forms, have populations in close proximity to the coast in South-east South Australia. CULTIVARS: Of considerable interest to the infraspecific taxonomy of E. leucoxylon is the horticulturally exploited form known as var. “rosea” or less often var. “macrocarpa rosea” or “dwarf’. Whilst it breeds true, except for flower color, and is morphologically distinct, its origins are obscure and it can have no taxonomic 402 status. It is one of the most widely planted ornamental eucalypts in Victoria and South Australia and its features dominate many enthusiasts’ understanding of the species. Some observers have confused it with ssp. megalocarpa and others have suggested that it has been derived from ssp. petiolaris. However, its slender leaves of less than 10 cm, relatively large, cylindrical fruits with the sunken style base and alternate, subpetiolate juvenile leaves are distinctive. If a parent population does exist and could be located, the form would be entitled to a subspecific status. Aberrations: The incidence of aberrant seedlings in E. leucoxylon has been discussed above where it was suggested that they were of hybrid origin. This phenomenon has been observed in many of the populations sampled for seedling trials and was a feature which occurred in varying frequencies in seedlings of most provenances of both ssp. connata and ssp. pruinosa. Seven-budded inflorescences also occur in small numbers in many populations within the species. Boland noted this and made particular reference to the Jeparit area where he suggested there may have been an influence from E. largiflorens. Of the many occurrences throughout the species, the feature is most common in the populations of the western extremity of ssp. stephaniae. It is also suspected that these cases may have originated from hybrids, with E. fasciculosa, which is invariably in the vicinity or even an associate, as the other parent. Where the feature occurs in populations of ssp. connata, E. melliodora is usually an associated species. In fact, hybrids with that species are not uncommon. Future Studies: The Boland study of 1978 and the contributions of Boomsma (1981) have opened the door to a greater understanding ofJS'. leucoxylon. The study reported in this paper should be regarded as an extension of those works. Even with the erection of the two new subspecies it would be naive to assume that the species has been fully treated. Its ability to adapt to a wide range of soils and climates suggests that other previously unnoticed forms might exist. In the meantime, investigations of the known taxa are continuing and it is anticipated that a greater understanding of the infraspecific relationships within the species will be reached. An important aspect of this ongoing process is the reassessment of the taxonomic disposition of the markedly divergent ssp. petiolaris. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to Mr Ian Brooker of the CSIRO, Canberra, both for the Latin diagnoses and the continued advice throughout the project. I am equally indebted to Mr Cliff Boornsma of Adelaide for his many personal communiciations and assistance during its initial stages. Special thanks are also extended to many of the staff of the National Herbarium, Melbourne, particularly to Don Foreman for his assistance with the preparation of the manuscript, to Anita Barley for her excellent line drawings and to David Albrecht and Stephen Forbes for their long- term assistance. Further, both Dr Pauline Ladiges and Mr Kevin Thiele of the Melbourne University’s School of Botany are thanked for the valuable assistance with and perspectives of the data derived from field studies and seedling trials. To Ms Beverley Overton of Kangaroo Island thanks are given for her valuable communications regarding E. leucoxylon on the island, as are they extended to Mr Robert Boyle of Greensborough and Mr R. Brookes of Torquay for permitting access to their properties to examine their trees. Last but not least, the valuable assistance given during field trips and with the collation of data by my wife, Lesley, has been greatly appreciated. REFERENCES Boland, D.J. and Brooker, M.I.H. (1974), ‘Yellow Gum, Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. MuelL’ Forest Tree Series, Leaflet No. 187, For. Timb. Bur. (A.G.P.S.; Canberra.) Boland, D.J. (1977), Abnormal Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. Seedlings. Aust. For. Res. 7(3): 151-161. Boland, D.J. (1978), Geographic Variation Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. Aust. For. Res. 8: 25-46. Boland, D.J. ( 1 979), Taxonomic Revision of Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. Aust. For. Res. 9: 65-72. Boomsma, C.D. (1981), ‘Native Trees of South Australia.’ Bulletin No. 19. (S.A. Woods and Forests Dept.: Adelaide.) Manuscript received 5 June 1990; revised 20 August 1990. | 9 *. c' • X *T ^S> -. ‘it) k '■ ■''• ^ «:* ^^iUjei-wse ■• , ?>> > 'it- ; ' - , ~ -: It ■ • • • : ■ «*Nite.i6i6 %*lt'u tfcc ■ .' '-4:^ -' -ii£» »■'' /i>a ■'<- ' > - -} .^- -m^f^.- -J^i \^ 9 , •• *" ■ - (■%-■■ - '■' ■ ^i*'n ikt ■ '-x.^ . /■ -.-• V >.-y. wj i A iir t 4 t(S ■* ’*'■ y'^., '^- •ae>^j^ Jj^jiaaii ■ >!» ‘ '-i> T<, Pa* > ‘ ' ■ >:■ .p-'-^iUii. i. ' ' •5 t 5* *• •f ••■ r _ V-H,rl3--,<^':d!.‘4&-'-'4-X ' ^jfiSi»o>iUi:^' .V :tlria ^:*ij‘‘v^; ., i A NEW SPECIES OF CALOTIS R. Br. (ASTERACEAE: ASTEREAE) FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. by P. S. Short* ABSTRACT Short, P. S. A new species of Calotis R. Br. (Asteraceae; Astereae) from New South Wales. Muelleria 7(3): 405-410 (1991). — Calotis moqrei P. S. Short, is described and illustrated and notes on its distribution, possible breeding system, and relationships are provided. TAXONOMY Calotis moorei P. S. Short, sp. nov. affinis C. cymbacanthae F. MuelL, sed aristis fructuum 4-8 differt, a C. erinacea Steetz, foliis caulibusque pilosis differt. HOLOTYPUS: ‘Mt Mulyah’ — about 80 km northwest of Louth. (Near homestead). 30°19'S, 144°32'E. Deep red brown sand. 26.ix.1984, C. W. E. Moore 8454 (CANB 354246). IsotypuS: (NSW, ex CANB 354245). [Calotis erinacea auct. non Steetz; Davis, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 77: 164 (1952), as to Officer s.n. (NSW 14995).] Perennial herb, 10-45 cm high, major axes ascending to erect, with septate hairs. Leaves alternate, mainly long-spathulate or oblanceolate to obovate but at least the upper ones lanceolate to ovate, 0.5-7 cm long, 0.2- 1.4 cm wide, with 1-8 coarse teeth or lobes, or entire, with septate hairs. Capitula solitary, terminal, heterogamous, essentially radiate, but 4-5 of the innermost female ‘ray’ florets with 2-3 irregular corolla lobes and sometimes with one or more malformed anthers. Involucre c. 6-9 mm diam.; bracts, 12-14, in c. 2 rows, ovate, 2.6-3.9 mm long, 0.8- 1.7 mm wide, outer surface with septate hairs, the margins with both septate, non-glandular and multicellular, glandular hairs, inner surface with septate glandular hairs, apex sometimes with a tuft of septate hairs. Receptacle very widely ovoid, with scale-like protrusions. Ray florets female, 26-33; corolla usually strap-like, 4.5-5. 8 mm long, 1.2-1. 6 mm wide, yellow; style arms lanceolate. Disc florets male, 19-25, corolla 1.8-3 mm long, lobes 4-5, yellow; stamens 4-5; anthers 1.3-1. 6 mm long, microsporangium 1. 1-1.2 mm long, terminal appendage 0.2-0.27 mm long; style arms not or barely divided. Fruits homomorphic, brown; body flattened, broadly cuneiform or widely obdeltoid, the exposed portion 1. 3-2.2 mm long, 1.2-1. 5 mm wide, tuberculate on each face, enclosed apically by the expanded bases of the awns; awns (3)4-8, equal in length or variable, c. 0.4-3.3 mm long, barbed along their whole length and hairy within the cup. (Figs 1, 2) DISTRIBUTION: Calotis moorei is apparently confined to New South Wales. Apart from the type locality, i.e. near the homestead of ‘Mt Mulyah’ sheep station, the only other collection known to me was gathered by E. Officer (NSW 14995) from the locality of ‘Zara’ (35°10'S, 144°35'E), about 480 km south of ‘Mt Mulyah’. *National Herbarium of Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141 405 406 Fig. 1. Leaf variation in C. moorei. a-f — basal to upper leaves from the holotype specimen- g-j basal to upper leaves in Moore 5238; k — mid-leaf from Moore 5149. Fig. 2. Fruit of C. moorei, x6 (from holotype). 407 Habitat & Conservation Status: Herbarium labels only record that C. moorei grows in ‘red brown fine sand’. It has since been ascertained (C. W. E. Moore, in Hit. 1 990) that the population from which the type, and apparently other collections from ‘Mt Mulyah’ were gathered, grows on an extensive, relatively flat area, on the upper level of low sandhills. The original vegetation was probably Acacia cambagei woodland but no such trees remain. When the various collections were gathered scattered plants of Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima, mostly in early stages of growth, were present. Mr Moore has also informed me that he doubts that he has seen plants that have survived for more than two years and that he has not seen any regeneration of C. moorei since 1984. He suggested that this may be because of the invasion of Dodonaea, which tend to prohibit growth of herbs. He further recorded that ‘recently a portion of the area has been cleared using the blade plough, and perhaps there will be another population of Calotis, if the seed remains viable long enough’. These notes suggest that C. moorei is, very much, an endangered taxon. Etymology: The specific epithet honours retired ecologist, Mr C. W. E. (Ted) Moore ( 1 908-), who has worked extensively in western New South Wales, particularly around Bourke and Louth (J. G. West in Hit. 1 990). He gathered all but one of the collections of this species, arranged for their loan from CANB, and provided additional notes on the type locality. NOTES: Stace (1978), on the basis of number, size and configuration of chromosomes, recognised six species groups within Calotis. Her ‘Group IV’ contained five species, i.e. C. cymbacantha F. Muell., C. erinacea Steetz, C. lappulacea Benth., C. latiuscula F. Muell. & Tate, and C. sujfruticosa Domin. A further species, C. kempei F. Muell., was not examined by Stace (1978) but various morphological features also suggest that it belongs to this group. As well as cytological similarities all members of this group occur in arid and semiarid regions of Australia, and have yellow ray florets, a feature absent from other species of Calotis. All, with the possible exception of C. cymbacantha, are perennial herbs. C. cymbacantha is generally described as an annual. Although it has not been examined cytologically C. moorei is clearly a member of this group. Morphologically its strongest affinities are with C. cymbacantha and forms of C. erinacea. Both species have been collected from ‘Mt Mulyah’ (C. W. E. Moore, in litt. 1990). Calotis moorei is seemingly a perennial which flowers in the first year of growth and, at least at this stage, is vegetatively similar to C. cymbacantha. The leaves in both taxa are of similar size and shape and have an indumentum of septate hairs (Fig. 1). The fruit also share some features, i.e. a tuberculate body terminating in awns, but differ in awn number (Figs 2 & 3), the only definite feature by which the two taxa can be distinguished from each other. In C. cymbacantha the fruit usually have just two awns (Davis 1952, figs 58-60). Occasionally a few three-awned, as well as two awned fruit, may be found in the one capitulum. Three-awned fruit have been observed in C. moorei but the majority, including those within the same capitulum as three-awned fririt, have four or more prominent awns (Fig. 3). In C. cymbacantha the awns are of equal length, except in the sporadically occurring three-awned fruit in which one awn may be considerably shorter than the other two. In C. moorei awns may be of similar length, particularly in four- awned fruit, or be extremely variable in length. For example, in seven or eight awned fruit several awns may be about 3 mm long but one or two may be little more than a short tooth about 0.4 mm long. 408 C. cymbacantha □ 265 -- C. moorei ■ Fig. 3. The number of awns in fruit of C. cymbacantha and C. moorei. Calotis moorei is not dissimilar vegetatively to some forms of C erinacea, although in that species the branches and leaves are glabrous, not septate hairy. Both species may also have the same number of awns on the fruit, but in C. erinacea the body of the fruit is smooth, not tuberculate (Davis 1 952, figs 43-47). The conspicuous yellow ray florets indicate that this species commonly cross-pollinates and, as some florets may each produce several thousand pollen grains, there seems little doubt that cross-pollination can occur. However, 409 staining with phloxine/methyl green, suggests that the percentage of fertile pollen produced ranges from 0-80%. It has also been observed that a full complement of fruit are set within each capitulum. High ploidy levels have been previously reported in ‘Group IV’ members of Calotis. C. cymbacantha has n = 7 & 14, C erinacea n = 7, 14, 21 & 28 (Stace 1978). Stace’s data suggests that, in the vicinity of ‘Mt Mulyah’, C. cymbacantha has « = 14 (4«) and C. erinacea « = 28 (8n). C. lappulacea, a member of this group, ■ is apparently an obligate apomict with somatic apospory (Davis 1968), as may be a further member, C. sujfruticosa (Stace 1978). Morphologically, C. moorei shares a number of attributes with C. cymbacantha and C. erinacea. This observation, together with those on pollen fertility and fruit set, plus the substantiated chromosome numbers and apomixis in related species, suggest that C. moorei may be of hybrid origin, is an apomict, and perhaps has n = 21 (6«). I accept herein the specific status of C. moorei but do so with some reservations. Although the taxon is morphologically distinct, and no less distinct than many other species of Calotis, it may not be equatable with a stable, self- perpetuating taxon to which the rank of species is usually applied. Instead, it may be a hybrid apomict which is produced from time to time in disturbed habitats. Therefore, it is not difficult to argue that this taxon should not be formally given the rank of species. However, at least the hybrid derivation of this taxon is speculation, and the treatment of apomictic taxa is something that will always be controversial. It also seems from MEL collections, and the account by Davis (1952), that the related species, C. erinacea, contains some distinctive entities which could be formally recognised. There is considerable variation in the number of awns on the fruit and differences may be geographically correlated. Ideally, these entities should have been more critically examined before the question of the rank of the taxon described here was decided upon. However, I am not in a position to carry out such a revision. Instead, my attention has been drawn to what is a rare taxon, one that could seemingly, and all too readily, join the ever increasing ranks of extinct taxa. I believe it of paramount importance to draw attention to such taxa by describing and formally naming them. The possibility that at a future date it may be decided that the name of the taxon should be C. x moorei, or that an infraspecific category should be adopted, is less important. Specimens Examined: With the exception of the isotype (NSW), and duplicates of Moore 4986 (MEL 695833) and Moore 5149 (MEL 695832), all specimens of C. moorei collected by C. W. E. Moore from ‘Mt Mulyah’, between 1967 and 1984, are housed at CANB, i.e. Moore 4986, Moore 5149, Moore 5238 (4 sheets), Moore 5498, Moore 5499, Moore 5918, Moore 6429. The only other specimen of this species examined was Officer s.n. (NSW 14995) from ‘Zara’. Specimens of other species examined are housed at MEL. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Mr Ted Moore for providing specimens and relevant data; Dr Judy West for providing some biographical notes on Mr Moore and for arranging the distribution of duplicate collections to MEL and NSW; Mr Neville Walsh for comments on the Latin; Dr Elizabeth Brown for arran^ng the loan of Calotis specimens from NSW, and for information on the locality of ‘Zara’; and Anita Barley for providing the illustration of the fruit of C. moorei. He may not agree with my conclusions on the status of C. moorei but Dr Laurie Haegi made valuable comments on the manuscript. 410 REFERENCES Davis, G. L. (1952). Revision of the genus Calotis R. Br. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 11- 146-188. Davis, G. L. (1968). Apomixis and abnormal anther development in Calotis lappulacea Benth (Compositae). /iMit. J. Bot. 16: 1-17. Stace, H. M. (1978). Cytoevolution in the genus Calotis R. Br. (Compositae: Astereae). Aust. J. Bot. 26: Manuscript received 25 July 1990; revised 4 September 1990. BOOK REVIEW Plants for Medicines: a chemical and pharmacological survey of plants in the Australian region. DJ. Collins, C.C.J. Culvenor, J.A. Lamberton, J.W. Coder and J.R. Price. Published by CSIRO Publications, Melbourne. 1990. 303 pp. including 443 line illustrations and 64 colour plates. ISBN 0 643 04992 7 (Casebound). Price $AU70.00. In 1 940, at the request of the Medical Equipment Control Committee of the Army and the National Health and Medical Research Council, an organised investigation of the Australian flora was initiated by the then Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on account of the war-time need to find local sources of several essential drugs of plant origin. An important stimulus to this investigation was the earlier successful production in Australia of hyoscine for use in ophthalmology from indigenous Queensland Duboisia species. After the war the screening of the Australian flora for new compounds of commercial value became an important CSIRO project. The relative ease of obtaining interesting new chemical compounds from the unique flora, which was poorly known phytochemically, induced many chemists in Australian Universities to participate in the project. A collaborative effort by chemists from CSIRO and Australian Universities grew from this mutual interest and became known as the Australian Phytochemical Survey. The phytochemical investigations most closely associated with the CSIRO screening programmes were those on alkaloids, tumour inhibitors and toxic constituents affecting livestock. Initially attention was focused on the rain-forest species of Queensland and northern New South Wales because early testing indicated that a higher proportion of alkaloid-containing species occurred in these areas. Special interest was attached to the investigation of alkaloid-positive species from plant families and genera which had not previously been found to contain alkaloid-yielding species as these were considered to be the most likely source of new and unusual types of alkaloids. Other criteria for selecting species with promising physiological activity were their use by Aborigines as medicines or poisons, and, on account of the predictive value of alkaloid character, species closely related botanically to others of known drug sources. In 1958 screening was extended to Papua New Guinea and some screening was also carried out in Central and Western Australia. Over the years the results of many chemical studies undertaken during this Survey have been published in diverse scientific journals and books but no overall account of the Phytochemical Survey and the screening results has appeared. The publication of the main screening results on almost 2000 species in ‘Plants for Medicines ...’ is welcomed as it brings together for the first time a wealth of phytochemical information on the Australian flora and at a time that coincides with of a resurgence of interest in this field. ‘Plants for Medicines ...’ consists of a Preface and Eight chapters. Chapter 1 briefly outlines the background to the phytochemical survey and CSIRO screening programme and summarizes the highlights of the studies. Structural diagrams are interspersed where appropriate through the text in Chapters 1 to 4. It is of interest that Acacia and Eucalyptus, the two largest genera in Australia, yielded very disappointing results; some simple alkaloids were found in species of Acacia but none has been isolated from a species of Eucalyptus. The alkaloid and anti-tumour screening results are presented in Chapter 2. The screening for alkaloids was conducted by the CSIRO Division of Organic Chemistry (later Applied Organic Chemistry) as part of its collaborative programme with the American pharmaceutical company. Smith, Kline and French. The screening results presented in Table 2.1 occupy 48 pages. The identification of all species tested were verified at the time of collection or subsequently by staff of State or Commonwealth herbaria. Over a period of almost fifty years, as one would expect, the names of many of the plants changed 411 412 and there were significant changes in chemical methodology. It is to the credit of the authors that prior to the publication of this book every endeavour was made to provide contemporary nomenclature for all plants tested. In this regard, the assistance of State, Territory and Commonwealth herbaria was sought. The names by which the plants were known at the time the chemical examination was carried out are retained in parenthesis so that names can be correlated with records and published chemical studies. In the screening list and in other sections of the book the species are arranged alphabetically within genera, the genera alphabetically within families and the families are arranged alphabetically. The family circumscriptions for higher plants are those of Cronquist. Table 2. 1 lists the name of the species, the locality from which the material was collected, the name of the collector and the collecting number, the parts of the plant analysed, the screening methods, whether there is a report on pharmacological testing of alkaloids in Chapter 3, whether the plant or total extract was screened for anti- tumour activity and whether further investigation of anti-tumour activity is provided in Chapter 4. The majority of species tested were vouchered and the vouchers were deposited in herbaria or in the CSIRO Division of Animal Health, Melbourne. Chapter 3 deals with the Pharmacology of Alkaloids. The test procedures are outlined, and Table 3.1 lists the species investigated and the main activities observed. Detailed results for each species mentioned in the Table follow. Chapter 4 covers the Anti-tumour Constituents. Table 4.1 lists the test tumours used in primary screening of pure chemicals and plant extracts, and Table 4.2 lists the anti-tumour species and their active fractions or constituents. Detailed results for each species follow Table 4.2. The results of tests on three groups of compounds are summarised in Tables 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6. The volume is enhanced by the inclusion in Chapter 5 of sixty four colour plates, twelve of them reproductions of illustrations of species of phytochemical interest from Banks’ ‘Florilegium’. The remaining plates are of species examined during the course of the Phytochemical Survey. Thirty two of the photographs are by Keith Williams, three quarters of which have appeared in his Native Plants of Queensland volumes 1 (1979) and 2 (1984). By and large the photographs have reproduced well although some appear to have an excess of blue so that the colours are not quite true. The plate of Borya septentrionalis on p.l78 is disappointing. Chapter 6 consists of a bibiliography of over 2000 papers published between 1940 and 1987 on the chemistry and related studies of Australian plant constituents. The bibliography of 70 pages relates mainly to plants indigenous to Australia (bacteria, fungi, algae, lichens and higher plants) but also includes papers on introduced species which are naturalised or used in pastures and New Guinea plants. A further 5 1 references appear in Chapter 7. Associated with the publication of ‘Plants for Medicine ...’ is the creation of a Phytochemical Data Base and enquiries may be directed to the first named author at the Department of Chemistry, Monash University. One of the strengths of ‘Plants for Medicines ...’ is that it is extremely well indexed. Chapter 8 is devoted to Indexes to the text and bibliography. 8. 1 is an index to plant genera and provides access at genus level to the text and screening list. 8.2 lists the genera within each family for which information may be found. 8.3 is an index to the authors of the publications listed in the bibliography and 8.4 is an alphabetical index to the chemical structures. The presence of these Indexes makes it easy to find the relevant information being sought. The text is set in 10/1 1 Garamond and is very clear. Proof reading is of a high standard and I have detected very few inconsequential minor typographical errors, for example, Cuconiaceae instead of Cunoniaceae on p. 1 34 and the use of Flagellaria as a family name instead of Flagellariaceae on p. 135. My botanical background precludes any comments on the chemistry component of the book. ‘Plants for Medicines ...’ is an extremely useful addition to information 413 about the Australian flora and is a great credit to the many scientists who contributed to the Australian Phytochemical Survey. By detailing the species for which some phytochemical information is available, ‘Plants for Medicines draws attention to those species which have not been studied at all. As probably only about ten per cent of the Australian flora has been studied phytochemically, it is hoped that the publication of ‘Plants for Medicine ...’ will stimulate further studies on our flora while there is still the opportunity to do so before populations vanish. In addition, the advances in methodology may well make it worthwhile to re-investigate some of the species studied years ago. ‘Plants for Medicine will be invaluable for phytochemists and those in the fields of pharinacy, toxicology, agriculture, aboriginal studies and taxonomic botany and is highly recommended. It is very pleasing to see the fruits of such a significant CSIRO- based project in print and the authors and publisher are to be congratulated. J.H. Ross BOOK REVIEW A key to Australian Grasses. B. K. Simon. Published by Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane (1990). 156 pages, soft cover. ISBN 0 7242 321 1 7. Price (including postage) $AU39.00. The appearance of this recent publication makes available the first comprehensive key to the genera and species of Australian grasses since Bentham’s ‘Rora Australiensis’ (vol. 7, 1878). Bentham’s account dealt with 374 species of grass. Simon’s book accounts for 1 3 1 9 grass species, a testament to the activities of researchers such as himself in recognizing novelties in the Australian grass flora, and acknowledgement of a host of exotic species, both welcome and unwelcome, which have become established in this country. The book is commendable for its simple layout. The introductory notes are followed by a modern classification of the Australian grasses (Subfamilies, Supertribes, Tribes, Subtribes, Genera), before, but not impingeing upon the keys to genera. Keys to species are then arranged in alphabetical order of genus, enabling the user who may already know the genus of any grass in question, to quickly find the appropriate pages without reference to the index. A frustration of most formal grass treatments is the varying systematic arrangements of genera and species in the text, which are often confounding to the non-systematist or any user who may eschew the use of an index. As the science of plant systematics in general and grass systematics in particular advances, so does the classification below family level become refined, and as a consequence, arrangements adopted by successive treatments rarely coincide. The alphabetical arrangement of genera provides stability and rationality to the non-systematist. Important references to relevant works are given before most generic keys and an excellent bibliography of contemporary works, in itself a significant and useful compilation, appears before the index. Species names in current use, as well as recent synonyms and misapplied or rejected names (the latter in italicized print) are included in the index and their authorities given there. The keys themselves are composed of couplets “constructed to be brief and unambiguous” which makes them attractive and generally simple to use. As an occasional consequence of their brevity however, features over which there may be some doubt are not supported by additional information as is often the case in wordier keys. For example, the stark alternatives of “annual” or “perennial” are used in both the genus and species keys. Either alternative is often readily established by one already with some experience in the group, but may be difficult for a relative novice. Similarly unreassuring are the couplets separable on a “more than or less than” character e.g. “ligule < 3 mm” opposed to “ligule > 3 mm” {Stipa key, couplet 5 1 , p. 99). It is my experience with splits of this land that the only remaining ligule on the plant to be identified is precisely 3 mm long! Reinforcement of solitary characters with other features allow the user to have more faith in their own progress and faith in the quality of the taxonomy with which they are faced. Equally however, too much information in key couplets, approaching an abridged description of a typical specimen of a certain species, may induce some trepidation when attempting to key the (painfully frequent) atypical specimen. Tne perfect balance is seldom achieved and this book should not be criticized too strongly for erring on the side of simplicity, which in the vast majority of cases leads the user quickly and painlessly to an unambiguous conclusion. In most cases, the keys are adapted from the most recent generic treatments which appear to have been accepted more or less uncritically. That is to say difficult genera {e.g. Aristida, Danthonia, Deyeuxia, Eragrostis, Poa, Stipa,), will not cease to cause headaches as a result of this work. This is not to diminish the significance of Simon’s work, but emphasizes the intrinsic problems encountered when dealing with large, and in many cases, imperfectly known genera. To 415 416 critically revise all the representatives of the Poaceae in Australia, the most species-rich family of flowering plants in this country, is more than most present day botanists could hope to achieve in a lifetime. A few errors/misprints/inconsistencies were noted and are briefly outlined here for the potential user of the keys. Keys to genus (pp. 5- 1 8). P. 6, couplet 20: the lead to the genus Thinopyrum requires “rachis fragile”, but in the species key T junceiforme is keyed to by deciding “rachis not fragile”. P. 6, couplet: Elymus should not be marked as a naturalized genus. P. 6, couplet 23: Triodia should be allowed to be keyed via both leads. Triraphis should also key following the first lead at 23. P. 7, couplet 34: the two alternatives ^ven are not mutually exclusive. P. 12, couplet 127: Deyeuxia and Dichelachne generally have the lemma firmer than the lemma and may not be keyed here, although the ligule character should overcome this inconsistency. P. 12, couplet 129: the second lead should direct to couplet 132, not 133. Keys to species (pp. 19-108). P. 61, couplet 63, re Eragrostis tenuifqlia: the second part of the first couplet should read “inflorescence branches ciliate in their axils”. P. 65, Erythranthera: the distributions for E. pumila and E. australis are transposed. P. 76, couplet 10, re Panicum: the second alternative should lead to 18, not 10. At a time of increasing interest in Australia’s diminishing grasslands and their component species, the appearance of this book is timely and should find a good market, although at $39.00 it is not cheap, but a price which, sadly, is becoming typical for specialist books. Amateur and profesional agrostologists will welcome the publication of this book and Bryan Simon’s contribution to the science should be warmly applauded. N. G. Walsh CONTENTS Volume 7, Number 3 Page Thelopsis isiaca var. australis, a new pyrenocarpous lichen from Australia — P. M. McCarthy 3 1 3 Notes on Australian Verrucariaceae (Lichenes): 2 — P. M. McCarthy 317 Notes on the lichenized Ascomycete genus Thelenella Nyl. in Australia, Southern Africa and on the islands of the Subantarctic and Antarctic — H. Mayrhofer and P. M. McCarthy 333 Some pyrenocarpous lichens from Macquarie Island — P. M. McCarthy 343 Notes on Hovea R. Br. (Fabaceae): 5 — J. H. Ross 349 A new species of Minuria DC. (Asteraceae: Astereae) — P. S. Short 361 A new combination in Ptilotus R. Br. (Amaranthaceae) — PS. Short 369 Bossiaea arenicola (Fabaceae), a new species from northern Queensland — J. H. Ross 371 Plectranthus arenicolus (Lamiaceae), a new species from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland — Paul I. Forster 375 New taxa in Victorian Poaceae — N.G. Walsh 379 Two new subspecies within Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. and notes on that species — K. Rule 389 A new species of Calotis R. Br. (Asteraceae: Astereae) from New South Wales — P.S. Short 405 Book Review: Plants for Medicines: a chemical and pharmacological survey of plants in the Australian region. — J. H. Ross 411 Book Review: A key to Australian Grasses. — N.G. Walsh 415 ISSN 0077-1813 L.V. North, Government Printer, Melbourne