NUYTSIA Volume 4 Number 1 1982 ISSN 0085-4417 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HERBARIUM— DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Cover A representation of Nuvisia florihunda (Labill.) R.Br. ex Fenzl the Western Australian Christmas Tree The journal is named after the plant, w hich in turn commemorates Pieter N uijts, an ambassador of the Dutch East India Company, who in 1 627 accompanied the “Guide Zeepard" on one of the first explorations along the south coast of Australia. NUYTSIA VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1 1982 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HERBARIUM, DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE, SOUTH PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA CONTENTS An introduction to a series of papers describing new species from the Wongan Hills and surrounding district. By Kevin F. Kenneally 1 A new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) endemic to the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By R. J. Chinnock 5 Daviesia spiralis and D. debilior (Leguminosae:Papilionoideae), two new species occurring in the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By M. D. Crisp. 9 A new species of Conostylis (Haemodoraceae) from the Wongan Hills district, Western Australia. By Stephen D. Hopper 17 A new species of Microcorys (Lamiaceae) from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Kevin F. Kenneally 23 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminoaae:Mimosoideae) — 10. Acacia species of the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin 29 Eriostemon wonganensis (Rutaceae), a new species from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Paul G. Wilson 47 Rhagodia acicularis (Chenopodiaceae), a new species from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Paul G. Wilson 51 A new species of Conostylis R.Br. (Haemodoraceae) from the Fitzgerald River area. Western Australia. By J. W. Green 55 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 11. Acacia species of the Hamersley Range area. Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin 61 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 12. Two new species from the eastern goldfields, Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin. . . 105 New subspecies in Eucalyptus caesia and in E. crucis (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia. By M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper 113 Eucalyptus synandra (Myrtaceae), a new species of mallee from Western Australia. By M. D. Crisp 129 Publication date of Nuytsia Volume 3 Number 3 134 Editorial Board B. R. Maslin J. W. Green P. G. Wilson Editorial Assistant J. W. Lee-Frampton Western Australian Herbarium, George St., South Perth, Western Australia 6151. Nuytsia4 (1): 1-3 (1982) 1 An introduction to a series of papers describing new species from the Wongan Hills and surrounding district Kevin F. Kenneally Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, W.A. 6151 Eight undescribed plant species which have come to light as a result of botanical studies of the Wongan Hills and surrounding district (Kenneally, 1977a), are described and illustrated in a series of papers in the present issue of Nuytsia. As all of these species are geographically quite restricted (Table 1) and are either vulnerable or endangered (Rye, 1980), they are being published now in order to provide names for the purposes of flora protection. af'd Geographically Restricted Species occurring within 20 km of Wongan Hills Townsite (modified from Rye, 1980). Species Approx. Range (km) Endemic to Wongan Hills Range VR Classification R VGR GR * Acacia botrvdion Maslin 15 + + A. dentinilosa F. Muell. 150 - 1 - A. dura Benth. 30 A. semicircinalis Maiden and Blakely 9 + + + A. sp. aff. obovata Benth. {Maslin 4550) T + + *A. pbarangites Maslin T + + + Boronia ericifolia Benth. 90 Calytrix slowardii S. Moore T ? + + Clematis sp. aff. niicrophylla DC. (Kenneallv 5361) 9 + — -1 — *Con<>stylis wonganensis S. D. Hopper 40 + + Daviesia euphorbioides Benth. 1 + + *D. spiralis Crisp 5 + 9 + Dryandra comosa Meisn. 11 + + D. pulchella Meisn. 8 + Eremophila sargentii (S. Moore) Chinnock 70 *E. ternifulia Chinnock T -1- + + *Eriostem(m wonganensis Paul G. Wilson T + + + Eucalyptus caesia Benth. 300 + Gastrolobium glaucum C. A. Gardner T + + G. hamulosum Meisn. 110 + Melaleuca wehsteri S. Moore 80 *Microcorys eremophiloides Kenneally 7 -t + + *Rhagodia acicularis Paul G. Wilson T + + -f Stylidium coroniforme R. Erickson and W'illis T 4- + + Tetratheca retrorsa J. Thompson 220 9 # Wurnibea bumilis Macfarlane T — + — + — * Species described as new in this issue of Nuytsia =tt= Species known only from two widely separated areas T Species known only from type locality (or a single locality) VR Very Rare— having less than a few hundred reproductively mature plants in natural populations \Tn^ Rare— less than a few thousand reproductively mature plants in natural populations Geographically Restricted— having a maximum geographical range of less than 50 km CxK Geographically Restricted — maximum geographical range less than 160 km 2 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Because some of the new species are endemic to the range of hills known as the Wongan Hills it becomes necessary to define what is meant by The Wongan Hills and The Wongan Hills District. The Wongan Hills are a range of flat-topped hills lying 12 km to the north-west of the township of Wongan Hills. Located in the Wongan-Ballidu Shire, 143 km (air distance) north-east of Perth, Western Australia, Wongan Hills is the centre of a large wheat and sheep farming district. Since the discovery and naming of the hills by Surveyor-General J. S. Roe in November 1836, only one attempt has been made to define their boundary: in an account of the natural history of the area (Kenneally, 1977b), aerial photographs were used to distinguish the lateritised area associated with the hills. However, a more precise delineation of The Wongan Hills and the surrounding area, now termed The Wongan Hills District, is presented in this paper. A method has now been devised for delineating the outcropping lateritised area on the basis of the contour line of best fit. This was aided by the availability of a recent Department of Defence map, completed by the Army in 1977. The Department of Lands and Surveys also provided valuable advice and assistance. Figure 1. A topographic map delineating the Wongan Hills from the surrounding district. A 320 m contour line was selected as a line best delineating the outcropping lateritised area from the surrounding sandplain. This accords with Roe’s original concept of the Wongan Hills. However on the south-eastern boundary an arbitrary K. F. Kenneally, Wongan Hills 3 line joining the 320 m contour line has been incorporated to exclude areas of sandplain which intrude over the laterite. The vegetation in this zone is transitional between sandplain and laterite. The Wongan Hills thus defined comprise a series of laterite-capped mesas generally trending north-south, dissected by numerous steep gullies in which exposures of greenstone and granite can be seen (Figure 1). They cover an area of 3 216 ha and are the largest single area of natural vegetation remaining in the northern wheatbelt. The Wongan Hills District corresponds to the Guangan Vegetation System as defined by Beard (1979, 1980). It occupies all of the area shown in Figure 1 as far west as a line running roughly north and south through Lake Hinds. The District covering some 500 000 ha is characterized to a very large extent by residual sandplain of which yellow sand, often containing gravel, is the most common. The lateritised Wongan Hills support a vegetation system different to that of the Guangan System and thus form an enclave within that System (Beard, 1979). Acknowledgements The assistance of Brian Goodchild, Department of Lands and Surveys is gratefully acknowledged. Cheryl Lynch prepared Figure 1 based on topographic detail compiled from Department of Defence (Army) line compilations. Bruce Maslin and John Green read the manuscript and made valuable suggestions. The continuing interest of the residents of the Wongan-Ballidu Shire and members of the W.A. Naturalists’ Club, in supporting the natural history survey of the Wongan Hills, is gratefully acknowledged. References Beard, J. S. (1979). 'The vegetation of the Moora and Hill River areas Western Australia.’ Map and Explanatory memoir 1;'250 000 series. (Vegmap Publications: Perth.) Beard, -J. S. (1980). 'The vegetation of the Bencubbin area Western Australia.’ Map and explanatory memoir 1:250 000 series. (Vegmap Publications: Perth.) Kenneally, K. F. (Co-ordinator) (1977a). ‘The Natural History of the Wongan Hills.’ Handbook No. 11 (W.A. Naturalists’ Club: Perth.) Kenneally, K. F. (1977b). Narrative and environment of the Wongan Hills survey. In Kenneally (1977a). Rye, B. L. (1980). Rare and geographically restricted plants of Western Australia. 4. Wongan Hills Species. Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Perth (Unpub. report.) Nuytsia 4 (1): 5-7 (1982) 5 A new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) endemic to the Wongan Hills, Western Australia R. J. Chinnock State Herbarium, Botanic Gardens, North Terrace, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Abstract Chinnock, R. J. A new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) endemic to the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. Nuytsia 4 (1): 5-7 (1982). Eremophila ternifolia Chinnock is described and illustrated. This species IS characterised by having leaves in whorls of 3 and fruit in which the two carpels are unequal and free in the upper half. The species is considered endangered, although it is established in cultivation. Eremophila ternifolia Chinnock, sp. nov. (Figure 1) Frutex humilis ramis complanatis in piano uno. Folia ternato-verticillata lanceolata vel elliptica acuta raro obtusa. Sepala 4 vel 5 linearia vel anguste triangularia. Corolla lilacina maculata purpurea pubescentia. Fructus manifeste rostratus, duo carpella inaequalia dimidio superiore libero. Typus: Wongan Hills, SE of Mt Matilda, on Conway’s property, 11 Dec. 1980, B. R. Maslin 4805, (holo: PERTH; iso: AD, CANB). Low spreading shrub 0. 3-0.5 x 0.5-0.7 m. Branches opposite, subopposite, or alternate, flattened into one plane, non-tuberculate, hirsute but with numerous shorter glandular hairs. Leaves sessile, in whorls of 3, the whorls alternate; lamina green above, often reddish-brown below and on the margins, lanceolate to elliptic, acute, broadly acute or rarely obtuse, entire, 6-11 x 2.7-4 mm, glabrous. Flowers solitary, sessile. Sepals 4 or 5 sometimes the 5th one vestigial, free almost to the base, linear to narrowly triangular, swollen and corky at the base, green to reddish-brown, becoming prominently veined at fruiting stage and curving over fruit, 3-4.6 x 0.5-1 (- 1.3) mm, glandular-pubescent on both surfaces. Corolla to 10 mm long, lilac, the tube white below, spotted purple inside, pubescent outside, prominently bearded on the lowermost lobe inside extending down the tube; lobes obtuse. Stamens 4, included, but the anthers extending to the throat, glabrous; filaments pale lilac, stamens blue. Ovary ovoid, 1. 2-1.5 x c. 1 mm, bilobed, bilocular with one ovule per loculus, pubescent; the hairs around the apex short glandular, those below longer, eglandular. Fruit dry, indehiscent, prominently beaked, the carpels unequal and free in the upper half, 2.3-3. 2 x 2.2-2. 8 mm, hirsute. Seed small, ovoid, pale yellowish-white, 1.8 X 0.6 mm. Other specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Conways Farm in the Wongan Hills, J. S. Beard 8003 (PERTH); E side of the Wongan Hills behind Conways property “Dunmoor”, 8 km N of township Wongan Hills, K. F. Kenneally 7532 (PERTH). Distribution. Known only from the Wongan Hills, 8 km N of the township. Figure 1. Eremophila temitoha. A — Habit of major branch, branched in one plane. B — Portion of branch showing the ternate leaf arrangernent. C and D— Outer and inner surface of sepal. E and F — front and side vmw of flower. G— Gynoecium H and 1— Side and top view of mature fruit. A— G from Maslin 4805 (Holotype); H— I from henneallv 7532. R. J. Chinnock, Eremophila ' Ecology. Eremophila ternifolia is the second endemic Eremophila to be described from the Wongan Hills and like the other one, E. sargentii (S. Moore) Chinnock, it is extremely rare. Mr. K. F. Kenneally, who first found this species estimated that the total population consisted of approximately 70 plants. Both these species have a conservation status of 2V according to the Leigh, Briggs & Hartley (1981) classification for rare or threatened plants. The species grows in Eucalyptus longicornis/salubris woodland with scattered mallees (E. gracilis) under a shrub layer of Santalum acuminatum, Melaleuca adnata and Acacia orhifolia on red clays between breakaways. Affinities. Eremophila veronica is allied to E. ternifolia but differs in having small, densely spiral, linear subterete leaves which are flattened on the upper side and an ovoid fruit which is not split in the upper part. Cultivation. Eremophila ternifolia has been established in cultivation in Adelaide from live material collected by Bruce Maslin. The species is easily obtained from cuttings and rooted plants can be obtained in 1 to 2 months with a 80-90 per cent success rate using a 1:1 peat/coarse sand medium. Acknowledgements I thank Kevin Kenneally and Bruce Maslin for collecting material and Ludwik Dutkiewicz for the illustration. Reference Leigh, .J., Briggs, J. & Hartley, W. (1981). ‘Rare or Threatened Australian Plants.’ Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service Special Publication 7. 16559 — ( 2 ) Nuytsia 4 (1): 9-16 (1982) 9 Daviesia spiralis and D. debilior (Leguminosae:Papilionoideae), two new species occurring in the Wongan Hills, Western Australia M.D. Crisp Herbarium, National Botanic Gardens, P.O. Box 158, Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601 Abstract Crisp M D Daviesia spiralis and D. debilior (Leguminosae;Papilionoideae), two new species occurring in the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. Nuytsia 4 (1): 9-16 (1982). Two new species occurring in the Wongan Hills, Western Australia, are described and illustrated. Daviesia spiralis is endemic to the Hills and has twisted leaves which are unique in the genus. Daviesia debilior includes two subspecies and extends northward to Eneabba. Daviesia spiralis Crisp, sp. nov. (Figure 1) Ab omnibus speciebus Daviesiae foliis linearibus in spiram dextrorsum (externe visam) tortis facile dignoscenda. Frutex intricatus; stipulae adsunt; racemi floribus 1- 2; calyx labio superno truncate emarginato; carina subulata inflexa, in dimidio superno supervolutiva. Typus: 28 km from Piawaning along road to Wongan Hills town, 30°50'S, 116°39'E, 26 Jan. 1979, M.D. Crisp 5491, fl., fr., spirit material, photos (holo: CBG; iso: CBG, K, NSW, PERTH, US). Intricate, rounded shrub to 1.5 m tall and broad; branchlets ribbed, muriculate. Phyllodes alternate, ascending, decurrent, linear, twisted into a right-handed spiral (as viewed externally), apically attenuate and uncinate, to 100 x 3 mm, much reduced towards branchlet apices, muriculate, with a central and two marginal ribs but no visible veins. Stipules minute, $ 0.5 mm long. Racemes 1-few per axil, 1-2-flowered; rhachis 2-8 mm long. Pedicel narrowly clavate, 5-18 mm long. Calyx campanulate, 4- 4.5 mm long; upper two lobes united in a truncate emarginate lip; lower three lobes triangular, 1.5 mm long. Standard lamina transverse-broad-elliptic, emarginate, slightly cordate, 6.5-7. 5 x 8-10 mm, with two parallel ridge-like callosities on either side of the centre line towards the base, yellow, the centre with a rich yellow, bilobed marking bordered with a red infusion; claw c. 1 mm long; wings irregularly obovate, pouched, shortly beaked, auriculate, reddish; claw c. 1.5 mm long; keel subulate, inflexed, supervolute in upper half, very acutely beaked, shallowly auriculate, reddish grading to maroon at apex; claw c. 1.5 mm long. Stamens almost uniform, inflexed; anthers ovoid, basifixed. Ovary subsessile, narrow-oblong; style inflexed; stigma capitate, minute. Pod compressed, obliquely half ovate, long acute, 10- 13 X 4.5-5 mm; seed compressed, ovoid -elliptic, 3-4 x 2-2.5 mm, pale brown speckled with black; hilum lateral; aril conspicuous, c. 1.5 mm long. 10 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 1. Daviesia spiralis, a — branchlet. b — inflorescence, c — standard, d — transection of standard in plane indicated by arrows on c. e — wing, claw at left, f — keel, claw at right, g — pod. h — seed, lateral view, radicular end downwards, i — seed, hilar view, a from K. F. Kenneally 2303; b — i from the type, M. D. Crisp 5491. a, b and g drawn by B-J. Osborne. Additional specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Laterite gully adjacent to Fowlers Gully, S end of Wongan Hills, 194 km N of Perth, K. F. Kenneally 2303 (PERTH); “The Gap” between Elphin Railway Siding and T. V. Translator Tower, Wongan Hills, 30°50'S, 116°40'E, K. F. Kenneally 7155 (PERTH). Distribution. Western Australia, Avon district, endemic in the Wongan Hills. Within the Hills there are 500 or more plants scattered in four or more populations over a range of at least 10 km (B. Rye, personal communication). M. D. Crisp, Daviesia 11 Habitat. Daviesia spiralis appears to grow exclusively in laterite-derived clay and gravel. It is associated with mallee shrubland dominated by Eucalyptus eudesmioides, E. ebbanoensis, E. dnimmondii and Casuarina campestris, with Dryandra comosa and D. pulchella common. However, like many species of Daviesia it tends to be most numerous in openings in the vegetation, especially at the type locality, where it has invaded the road cutting (B. Rye, personal communication, partly). At the type locality, it is associated with the type population of D. debilior subsp. sinuans (q.v.). Conservation status. Vulnerable, coded 3V (criteria from Leigh, Briggs & Hartley, 1981). Flowering period. September to January. Fruiting period. December to February. Affinity. Daviesia spiralis is a most distinctive species, apparently without close relatives within the genus. Apart from the twisting of the leaves, it is vegetatively similar to D. elongata Benth. and D. costata Cheel, but is quite different in floral morphology and inflorescence. The flowers, fruits, seed and to some extent, the inflorescence of D. lancifolia Turcz. resemble those of D. spiralis, but there is no similarity in vegetative morphology. Taken together, the spiral leaves, the presence of stipules, the 1-2-flowered racemes, the truncate emarginate upper calyx lip and the subulate inflexed supervolute keel readily distinguish D. spiralis from all other Daviesia species. Etymology. The specific epithet is from the Latin word spira, for anything coiled, wreathed or twisted, and refers to the spirally twisted leaves. Daviesia debilior Crisp, sp. nov. (Figure 2) Frutex caulibus procumbentibus et ramulis ad 0.6 m debile adscendentibus; ramuli pbyllodiaque prominenter costati; phyllodia in squamas ad nodes supernos vel in planta omni deminuta, angulata compressa vel versus basin caulium complanata, inermia; bracteae magnae, conebatae, imbricatae, alabastra includentes; calyx lobis supernis binis fere ad apicem connatis; legumen oblique transversum-latum- obtriangulare, sutura inferna integra. Ad D. hakeoidem Meisn. et D. junceam Sm. arte cognata. Typus: 13 km S of Eneabba-Lake Indoon road, from 7 km SW of Eneabba, 29°57’S, 115°12’E, 19 June 1977, C. Chapman (21B)77, fl. (holo: CBG; iso: K, PERTH). Shrub with procumbent stems and many weakly ascending branchlets, to 0.6 m tall x 1.5 m broad; branchlets angular, 1-2 mm diam., prominently ribbed, even when fresh. Juvenile phyllodes flat but thick, narrowly spathulate, 20-50 x 4-8 mm, with midrib, thickened margins, and many ascending anastomosing raised veins; intermediate phyllodes longer and narrower than juveniles, usually present at base of mature plants. Adult phyllodes alternate, decurrent, reduced to minute scales at upper few nodes or over the entire plant, ascending, angular or compressed, linear, mucronate, unarmed, 0-120 x 0.4-2 mm, with several prominent ribs. Stipules minute or absent. Racemes 1 per axil, 2-4-flowered, very condensed; rbachis to 2 mm long; bracts numerous, shell-shaped, large, imbricate, enclosing buds, striate; bracts subtending pedicels spreading, obovate, tridentate, c. 3 x c. 2 m. Pedicel filiform, 1-3 mm long. Calyx obconical to campanulate, 1.5-2 mm long; upper two lobes more or less united 12 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) or with a very shallow sinus; lower three lobes triangular, acute, 0 . 2 - 0.4 mm long. Standard transverse-broad-elliptic, emarginate, cordate, deeply centrally grooved, 5 - 5.5 X 6 - 6.5 mm on a 1.5 mm claw, yellow infused with purple-black or red towards the centre and with a vertical yellow line towards the base in front, deep orange-pink to purple behind; wings obovate, auriculate, clawed, apically incurved, orange-pink; keel semicircular, falcate, with a long narrow pouch, acute, slightly auricled, clawed, dark purple-red. Stamens with filaments equal, incurved; anthers basifixed, alternately globular and narrow-ovoid. Ovary broadly stipitate; style subulate, indexed. Pod strongly compressed, obliquely transverse-broad-obtriangular, shortly acuminate, 14-17 x 9-10 mm; seed compressed, ovoid, 3.5 x 2.5 mm, tan with obscure grey markings; hilum lateral; aril thickly lobed, 1.75 mm long. 20 mm Figure 2. Daviesia debilior subsp. debilior (a-i). a — branchlet. b — juvenile phyllode. c — intermediate phyllode. d — inflorescence, e — calyx opened out, upper lobes at left, f — standard, g — wing, b — keel, i — pod. D. debilior subsp. sinuans (j-1). j — branchlet. k — seed, lateral view, radicular end downwards. 1 — seed, hilar view. a from the type, C. Chapman (21B)77; b — h from C. Chapman s.n., 17 May 1979 (CBG 8004030); i from C. Chapman (66)77; j from E. H. Ising s.n., 10 Sep. 1926 (AD 97622028); k and 1 from H. Demarz 1854 (Kings Park), a-d, i and j drawn by A. Prowse. M. D. Crisp, Daviesia 13 Etymology. The epithet is the comparative degree of the Latin adjective debilis, meaning weak, and refers to the relatively feeble habit and unarmed phyllodes, which distinguish the new species from its near relative D. hakeoides. Affinity. Daviesia debilior belongs to an endemic Western Australian group with numerous moderately enlarged imbricate bracts and frequently leafless branchlets. This group is not to be confused with Daviesia series Involucratae (Endl.) Benth. in which the bracts are few, enormous and leaf-like. There are several undescribed species in the D. debilior group but most of these are easily distinguished. All but one of the species in the group have a more erect, stronger habit than D. debilior. D. hakeoides Meisn. and D. juncea Sm. non (Schrad. et Wendl.) Pers. are the only close relatives ol D. debilior which have been previously described. Daviesia hakeoides is easily recognized by its pungent phyllodes. Specimens of D. hakeoides var. subnuda Benth. may appear leafless, but they always have some pungent phyllodes at least 2-3 mm long, which is immediately obvious when a finger is run down the branchlet. Daviesia hakeoides also differs from D. debilior in having pods which are prominently beaked because the lower suture is indented near the apex. In D. debilior subsp. debilior (q.v.) there is an abrupt transition from fully developed phyllodes to minute scale leaves part- way up the branchlet (Figure 2a). By contrast, the phyllodes of D. hakeoides var. hakeoides reduce gradually all the way up the branchlet, this being the typical condition in the genus. Daviesia juncea and a closely related undescribed species are leafless like D. debilior subsp. sinuans (q.v.), but both differ from it in having larger flowers (standard lamina 6.5-8 mm long, calyx 2.5-3 mm long), differently shaped calyces, and branchlets which are more terete and striate than angular and ribbed. Daviesia debilior includes two morphological variants which, because they have parapatric distributions, are best treated as subspecies. Key to subspecies 1. Phyllodes present at least on lower parts of branchlets Phyllodes all reduced to minute scales subsp. debilior subsp. sinuans subsp. debilior (Figure 2 a-i) Branchlets gently upcurved, not or slightly sinuous, not glaucous; phyllodes developed, except towards branchlet apices where they are abruptly reduced to minute scales, angular or compressed, linear, up to 120 x 2 mm, prominently many- Specimens selected from 15 examined. WESTERN AUSTRAT.TA- Trwin «o 14 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Distribution (Figure 3). Western Australia, Irwin and Darling districts; mainly localised around Eneabba, also at Wannamal on the Geraldton Highway and at Darlington near Perth. Habitat. Subspecies debilior usually grows in shallow sand overlying lateritic gravel and clay, although one collection was taken from gravelly clay with no sand. The vegetation is heath, and there are usually several other Daviesia species present. Flowering period. May to July. Fruiting period. September. Conservation status. Vulnerable, coded 3V (criteria from Leigh, Briggs & Hartley, 1981). Although the subspecies is locally common in its occurrences around Eneabba, all the sites are mere roadside relicts of the originally extensive heathland. Its extent at the two southern localities is unknown, but is unlikely to be great, because only one specimen has been obtained from each of these well-collected areas. subsp. sinuans Crisp, subsp. nov. (Figure 2 j-1) Ramuli sinuantes, ad apicem gracillimi (c. 0.5 mm diam.) interdum crispi, aliquando glaucescentes; phylldia omnino in squamas redacta. Branchlets very weakly ascending, becoming sinuous, occasionally glaucescent, the tips usually very slender (c. 0.5 mm diam.) and occasionally curled; phyllodes all reduced to scales. Typus: 9 km from Wongan Hills town along road to Piawaning, 30°49'S, 116°39'E, 17 July 1980, M. D. Crisp 6518, fl., fr., spirit material, photos (holo: CBG; iso: AD, K, L, MEL, NSW, PERTH). Specimens selected from 15 seen. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Avon district: Coorow, 29°53'S, 116°01'E, B.C. Crisp 490 (CBG, PERTH); Walebing [ut Whalebing], A.M. Ashby 5148 (AD, CBG); Lake Hinds [ut Hines], Wongan Hills, 10 Sep. 1926, E.H. Ising s.n. (AD 97622028). Darling district: Mogumber, Moore River, 12 Nov. 1906, A. Morrison s.n. (AD, K, MEL); 65 mile peg. Great Northern Highway, H. Demarz 1854 (Kings Park Botanic Garden, Perth). Distribution. (Figure 3) Western Australia, Avon and Darling districts; from Coorow south to the Moore River and east to Wongan Hills. This subspecies occurs farther inland than subsp. debilior. Habitat. Subspecies sinuans appears always to grow on gravelly lateritic clay. Its type locality is also the type locality of D. spiralis (q.v.), and the site is described under that species. Flowering period. May to July. Fruiting period. October to November. Conservation status. Vulnerable, coded 3V (criteria from Leigh, Briggs & Hartley, 1981). Of the six known occurrences of D. debilior subsp. sinuans, I am familiar only with the type locality. There it is locally common, but perhaps less abundant than D. spiralis. This subspecies also appears to be restricted to relict roadside vegetation in otherwise cleared wheat-farming country. 15 M. D. Crisp, Daviesia Morphological note. The specimen B. C. Crisp 483 has been included under D. debilior subsp. dehilior, but shows some tendency towards subsp. sinuans. The branchlets have longer leafless terminal portions than is usual for subsp. debilior. In fact, one branchlet has the phyllodes reduced to scales along its entire 30 cm length. In addition, this branchlet is strongly upcurved and almost sinuous. The specimen is from Wannamal, close to localities of subsp. sinuans and farther inland than the other localities of subsp. debilior (Figure 3). Etymology. Tbe subspecific epithet refers to the tendency of the branchlets to undulate, and is derived from the Latin verb sinuo, meaning bend, curve or wind. Figure 3. Distribution of Daviesia debilior suhsp. debilior and subsp. sinuans. Acknowledgements This work forms part of a taxonomic revision of the genus Daviesia and was assisted by several staff members of the National Botanic Gardens, Canberra. Tbe field work was supported, in part, by a grant from the World Wildlife Fund, 16 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Australia. The illustrations were partly funded by the Bureau of Flora and Fauna, and I thank Betsy Osborne and Anne Prowse for doing tbe drawings. I am especially grateful to Mr Charles Chapman for his energetic field work, accurate observations, and for his hospitality. Reference Leigh, J. H., Briggs, J. D. & Hartley, W. (1981). ‘Rare or Threatened Australian Plants.’ Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service Special Publication 7. Nuytsia4(l); 17-21 (1982) 17 A new species of Conostylis (Haemodoraceae) from the Wongan Hills district, Western Australia Stephen D. Hopper Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre, P.O. Box 51, Wanneroo W.A. 6065 Abstract Hopper, Stephen D. A new species of Conostylis (Haemodoraceae) from the Wongan Hills district. Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(1): 17-21 (1982). Conostylis wonganensis Hopper is described and illustrated. It is a rare endemic of the Wongan Hills district allied to C. teretiuscula F. Muell., C. dielsii W. V. Fitzg. and C. caricina Lindl. Introduction The Wongan Hills contain one of the few moderately large vestiges of uncleared land in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. They have outstanding conservation values (Kenneally, 1977; Rye, 1980), but are potentially threatened by mining and agricultural activities. The following rare Conostylis is described as an addition to several accompanying papers in this issue of Nuytsia that name plants endemic to the Wongan Hills district. Conostylis wonganensis Hopper, sp. nov. (Figure 1) Differt a C. teretiuscula F. Muell. folds glabris praeter spinos parvos marginis dense pubescentes, ovula pauca in quoque loculo marginem inferiorem placentae affixa, Differt a C. dielsii W. V. Fitzg. foliorum basibus glabris, caulibus florentibus folds minus quam triple brevioribus. Differs from C. teretiuscula F. Muell. in the leaves being glabrous except for small densely pubescent marginal spines and in the few ovules per locule that are attached on the lower side of the placenta. Differs from C. dielsii W. V. Fitzg. in the glabrous leaf bases and in the flowering stems less than a third the length of the leaves. Typus: 4.4 km NW of Wongan Hills town on road to Piawaning, 23 August 1976, S. D. Hopper 427 per D. Coates (holo: PERTH; iso: AD, CANB, NSW). Perennial herb, caespitose, small (to 20 cm tall by 10 cm basal diameter); rhizome and stems short, bearing numerous crowded leaves and wiry roots 30 cm or more long. Leaves to 17 cm long and 0.9 mm in diameter, erect, thin, terete, sulcate, pale green except for their yellow-brown equitant bases, glabrous except for small densely pubescent spines evenly spaced along the margins. Scape tomentose, 1-3 cm high, less than a third the length of the leaves, 0.5-1. 0 mm in diameter, bearing less than Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 1. Conostylis wonganensis. Top — holotype sheet (S. D. Hopper 427 per D. Coates). Bottom — enlargement of upper right hand specimen on the holotype sheet. CosttVr' S. D. Hopper, Conostylis 19 10 flowers. Flowers creamy yellow, densely tomentose on all surfaces; perianth (5-)6(- 8) mm long; perianth lobes (3-)4.4(-6) mm long, 1.4-2. 1 mm broad at the base and splayed at right angles to the tube when fresh; stamens uniseriate, inserted 0.6- 1.6 mm above the ovary on the perianth wall, filaments 0.5-0.9 mm long, anthers 1.8- 3.2’mm long; style 3. 3-6.9 mm long, the trilobate stigma held 2-3 mm above the anthers; placenta with up to 5 ovules per locule, ovules all attached on the lower placental surface. Seeds not seen. Distribution. The south-west of Western Australia; known only from near Wongan Hills and Manmanning. Habitat. Occurs as scattered plants in species-rich heath with emergent Eucalyptus pyriformis mallees and favouring yellow sand over clay or laterite on gradual slopes high in the landscape. Flowering season. Commences late July, peaks in August and finishes in early September. Other specimens examined (all housed at PERTH). WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Wongan Hills. July 1963, Y. Chadwick 399; 4.2 km (2.6 mi) NW of Wongan Hills towards Piawaning, 30°52'S, 116°41'E, 27 August 1976, R. Coveny 7808 and B. R. Maslin (duplicate ex NSW); Smith’s farm + 2 km SW of Manmanning, 31 August 1976, A. S. George s.n.; about 3 km NW of Wongan Hills township along road to Piawaning, 29 May 1978, S. D. Hopper 893; 3.6 km NW of Wongan Hills along road to Piawaning, 30°52'S, 116°41'E, 1 September 1978, S. D. Hopper 1108. Etymology. The species is named after the Wongan Hills district to which it is endemic. It has the most restricted geographical distribution of any named Conostylis. Hence a geographical reference in the specific epithet seems appropriate. The affinities of this species are with Conostylis teretiuscula F. MuelL, C. dielsii W. V. Fitzg. and C. caricina Lindl. (cf Green 1961). The four species now recognised in this group all have distinctive creamy-yellow or cream flowers. Qualitative and quantitative differences between these species are given in Table 1. The terete leaves with glabrous bases and very small pubescent spines scattered along the margins are diagnostic features of C. wonganensis easiest to perceive. It also has flowers that are noticeably smaller than those of its relatives. The oldest known specimen of C. wonganensis was collected by Y. Chadwick in July 1963. The species was not collected again until 1976, when specimens were obtained in the same month independently by D. J. Coates (23 August— holotype), R. Coveny and B. R. Maslin (27 August), and A. S. George (31 August). The distribution represented by these collections has not been extended subsequently, despite fairly intensive field work in the area undertaken by the author since 1978. Further surveys for C. wonganensis are needed before a sound understanding of its conservation status is at hand, but it seems probable that the species is, indeed, a very rare endemic of the Wongan Hills-Manmanning area. One of the known populations extends partly into a Nature Reserve, while the other occurs in uncleared tall heath surrounding a farm house on private land. 20 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 'I’ABLE 1. A comparison of qualitative and quantitative character differences between Conostylis wonganensis and related species. Character* C. wonganensis C. teretiuscula C. dielsii C. caricina 1. Ovule position lower placenta lower and lateral placenta lower placenta entire placenta 2. No. ovules/locule 5 15-20 5 20 3. Leaf shape terete terete, occasionally flat flat-terete flat 4. Leaf bases glabrous glabrous densely tomentose glabrous 5. Leaf indumentum minute pubescent marginal spines densely to sparsely tomentose with elongate hairs sparsely tomentose with elongate hairs glabrous 6. Maximum leaf length (mm) mean±SE (N) range 112.5il2.3 (8) 75-140 17.9 ±14.8 (20) 98-380 114.2±5.9 (16) 72-155 158.2 ±8.5 (20) 76-215 7, Leaf width (ram) meaniSE (N) range 0.7 i 0.04 (8) 0.6. -0.9 1.0 ±0.06 (20) 0.5-1.6 L2±0.7 (16) 0.8-1.8 2.5 ±0.2 (20) 0.9-5.3 8. Leaf thickness (ram) meaniSE (N) range 0.6 ±0.03 (8) 0.5-0.7 0.6 ±0.04 (20) 0.3-0.9 0.4 + 0.03 (16) 0.2-0.7 0.9 + 0.1 (13) 0.4-1.2 9. Stem length (mm) meaniSE (N) range 11.3i2.0 (8) 6-25 56.9 ±4.3 (20) 28- 98 69.0±5.9(16) 22-103 50.5 ±6.0 (20) 18-123 10. Perianth length (mm) meaniSE (N) range 6.0i0.3(13) 4.1-1.% 9.5 ±0.2 (30) 7.4-11.4 8.5±0.2 (10) 7.5-10.0 12.1 ±0.3 (10) 10.5-13.4 11. Style length (mm) meaniSE (N) range 4.3i0.2 (13) 3.3-6.9 7.1 ±0.1 (30) 5.9-8.5 7.4±0.2 (10) 6.2-8.6 8.2±0.3 (10) 7.2-9.5 12. Anther length (mm) meaniSE (N) range 2.4i0.1 (13) 1.8-3.2 3.7±0.1 (30) 2.8-4.7 3.3±0.0(10) 2.8-3.7 5.0±0,2 (10) 4.3-5.7 13. Filament length (mm) meaniSE (N) range 0.6i0.1 (13) 0.2-1. 1 0.9±0.1 (30) 0.5-1.5 0.1 ±0.2 (10) 0.0-0.7 3.1±0.1 (10) 0.1-0.9 14. Height above ovary to filaments (mm) meaniSE (N) range l.li0.0(13) 0.6-1.6 1.6±0.0 (30) 0.9-2.3 2.6±0.1 (10) 2.0-4.3 3.7±0.2 (10) 2.1-4.1 15. Perianth lobe length (mm) mean i SE (N) range 4.4i0.2 (13) 3.1-5.7 7.5±0.1 (30) 5.8-8.9 5.0±0.1 (10) 4.0-5.9 7.9±0.2 (10) 6.6-9.0 16. Lobe basal width (mm) meaniSE (N) range 1.7 ±0.0 (13) 1.4-2.1 1.9 ±0.0 (30) 1.6-2.2 1.8±0.0(10) 1.4-2.2 2.8±0.2 (10) 2.1-3.2 ‘Characters 1-9 were measured on the following specimens at PERTH (SE = standard error, N = sample size): C. wonganensis — Chadwick, Y. 399; Coveny, R. 7808; George, A. S. s.n.; Hopper, S. D. 427, 1108. C. teretiuscula — Beard, J. S. 1640; Blackall, W. E. 3613, 4423; George, A. S. 7842; Hartley, G. 13941; Hopper, S. D. 441, 442, 443, 628, 638, 639, 641, 643, 644, 645, 647, 653; Morrison, s.n.; Salisbury, s.n. C. dielsii—Ashhv, A. M. 3279; Diels, L. Bi22, s.n.; Hopper, S. D. 428, 429, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 440. C. caricina — Blackall, W. E. s.n.; Canning, E. 3732; Cranfield, R. s.n.; Fairall, A. 316; George, A. 14338; Green, J. IV. 486, 489, 587; Hopper, S. D. 370, 371, 372, 373, 888, s.n.; Koch, M. 1698; Paust, S. 1002; Roster, S. 328; Royce, R. 3834, 4316; Scrymgeour, E. 2083. Characters 10-16 were measured on fresh flowers preserved in F.A.A. from the following localities: C. wonganensis — Wongan Hills, voucher S. D. Hopper 421 (PERTH); C. teretiuscula — Mimegarra, voucher S. D, Hopper (PERTH); C. dielsii — W of Arrino, voucher S. D. Hopper 436 (PERTH); C. caricina — Parkerville, voucher S. D. Hopper 373 (PERTH). S. D. Hopper, Conostylis 21 There is no information yet available on the reproductive biology of C. wonganensis, other than its flowering period which extends from late July to early September. Further work in this area, particularly in relation to fire responses, may facilitate successful management of the species on the Nature Reserve at Wongan Hills. Acknowledgements I am grateful to Dr D. J. Coates for drawing my attention to the new species, to Mr B. R. Maslin for commenting on the manuscript and to Mr P. G. Wilson for providing the latin diagnosis. Dr J. W. Green kindly made available facilities at the Western Australian Herbarium. The project was funded by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Mr T. J. Fetherstonhaugh measured specimens for the data in Table 1. References Green, -J. W. (1961). The genus Conostylis R. Br. 11. Taxonomy. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 85: 334-373. Kenneally K. F. (Co-ordinator) (1977). ‘The Natural History of the Wongan Hills.’ Handbook No. 11 (W.A. Naturalists’ Club: Perth.) Rye, B. L. (1980). Wongan Hills species. Rare and Geographically Restricted Plants of Western Australia. 4. West. Aust. Dept Fish. Wildl. Unpublished Rept. Nuytsia 4(1): 23-27 (1982) 23 A new species of Microcorys (Lamiaceae) from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia Kevin F. Kenneally Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, W.A. 6151 Abstract Kenneally, Kevin F. A new species of Microcorys (Lamiaceae) from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(1): 23-27 (1982). A new species Microcorys eremophiloides Kenneally (Lamiaceae), is described and illustrated from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia where it appears to be endemic. It was formerly incorrectly referred to M. longifolia (Bebtg.) Benth, Introduction The genus Microcorys R.Br. (Lamiaceae) is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Two species, M. ericifoUa Benth. and M. longifolia (Benth.) Benth., are recorded for the Wongan Hills (Kenneally, 1977). An examination of type material at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, has revealed that the species from the Wongan Hills, formerly referred to M. longifolia, is a distinct taxon. It requires describing in order to provide a name for the purpose of flora protection and to validate its inclusion in an updated flora list for the Hills. Taxonomy Microcorys eremophiloides Kenneally, sp. nov. (Figures 1 and 2) M. longifolia (Benth.) Benth. affinis sed floribus duplo longioribus, corollae labio superiore labio inferiore multo longiore etiam lobis labii inferioris acutis (baud obtusis). Typus: Eastern Edge of the Wongan Hills (c. 30°50'S 116°40'E), W of Conway’s property “Dunmoor”, approx. 15 km N of township of Wongan Hills, Western Australia, 27 October 1980, K. F. Kenneally 7497 (holo: PERTH; iso; AD, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH). Erect, openly-branched shrub to 2 m high. Stems with slightly fissured bark when young, becoming deeply fissured and corky with age. Branches and young shoots hoary with a minute tomentum. Leaves opposite, often crowded towards the ends of the terminal branchlets, linear, 30-60 x 1-3 mm, sessile, obtuse, with revolute margins, minutely scabrous arbove becoming glabrous with age, hoary or white tomentose underneath. Flowers axillary. Pedicels slender, sigmoid, 1 cm long, with a pair of linear-subulate bracteoles 3 mm long, 3 mm below the calyx. Calyx narrow- cylindrical, ca 10-15 mm long, puberulous with a mixture of glandular and simple hairs; teeth lanceolate, equal to or shorter than the tube, the uppermost tooth usually larger than the others. Corolla 4 cm long, deep pink to red, slightly glandular- pubescent; tube exserted, cylindrical, somewhat dilated upward; upper lip narrow. 16559 — ( 3 ) 24 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) K. F. Kenneally, Microcorys 25 concave, slightly emarginate, somewhat shorter than the tube; lower lip much shorter than the upper lip, spreading, with three acute, entire lobes. Stamens four, included; upper stamens with one large fertile cell, lower end of connective 5 mm long and dilated at the end but scarcely bearded; lower stamens with two linear sterile lobes. Nutlets dry, cylindrical, 3-4 mm long, irregularly ribbed, dark brown. Other specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: J. Drummond s.n. (K); Wongan Hills, 7 Oct. 1903, A. Morrison s.n. (PERTH); 8 km NW Wongan Hills township, 17 Sept. 1963, J. H. Willis s.n. (PERTH); Monks Well Gully in the Wongan Hills, K. F. Kenneally 2281 (PERTH); PMG site (TV translator tower) in the Wongan Hills, J. S. Beard 8017 (PERTH). Distribution. South-west Western Australia (Avon District, South-west Botanical Province — Beard, 1980); known only from the Wongan Hills, c. 140 km NE Perth. Habitat. Favouring shallow soil over massive laterite where it occurs as scattered plants in closed heath of Casuarina campestris and Dryandra spp. with emergent Eucalyptus drummondii and E. ebbanoensis mallees. Flowering season. Commences early September, peaks in October and finishes in early November. Fruiting season. The four nutlets remain attached, surrounded by the calyx, until late February. Etymology. The species is named from the resemblance of the flowers to those of the genus Eremophila. Microcorys eremophiloides superficially resembles M. longifolia and was formerly incorrectly referred to this species. The type of M. longifolia is a specimen collected by Karl von Huegel from the “Swan River” (Bentham, 1837). Huegel visited Western Australia in 1833 and in the period 27 November-19 December collected in the vicinity of Perth and Fremantle (Napier, 1975). On 5 December, in company with J. S. Roe the Surveyor General, he made a collecting expedition through Ellens Valley— the present Helena Valley on the edge of the Darling Scarp. This is most likely the type locality for M. longifolia as it is known to occur in the Helena Valley and appears to be restricted to the Scarp. Bentham (1837) originally placed M. longifolia in Hemigenia. When in 1848 he transferred it to Microcorys he amended his description to include characters found in a specimen collected by James Drummond (coll. 2, no. 214). Amongst the Kew material is an additional unnumbered Drummond collection, not cited by Bentham, but determined by him as M. longifolia, which is in fact M. eremophiloides. Drummond’s second collection, sent to Hooker at Kew in August 1844, consisted of four hundred specimens and included material from the Darling Scarp. However in January 1843 Drummond had already sent to Hooker a collection of one hundred and thirty specimens collected from the Wongan Hills and Moore River (Erickson, 1969). It is very probable that the specimen of M. eremophiloides collected by Drummond came from the Wongan Hills and that Bentham (1848, 1870) included this entity when preparing his description of M. longifolia for de Candolle’s Prodromus and his own Flora Australiensis. 26 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 2. Microcorya eremophiloides. Occurrence in shallow soil over massive laterite, Wongan Hills, Western Australia. K. F. Kenneally, Microcorys 27 Microcorys eremophiloides is the largest-flowered species so far described in the genus and belongs to Bentham’s section Hemigenioides. Its closest relative is Microcorys longifolia from which it can be distinguished by its flowers which are twice as large, and by the upper lip of the corolla being much longer than the lower lip. The three lobes of the lower lip of the corolla are acute in M. eremophiloides and obtuse in M. longifolia. The leaves of M. eremophiloides tend to be crowded towards the ends of the terminal branchlets whereas young branches of M. longifolia are leafy throughout. Microcorys eremophiloides is endemic to the Wongan Hills where only five populations, comprising approximately 200 mature plants, are known. About half of the plants occur on privately owned uncleared farming land and half on a Class A flora and fauna reserve (No. 33530) vested with the W.A. Wildlife Authority (B. Rye — pers. comm.). The conservation status of M. eremophiloides must therefore be considered as very rare (Hartley and Leigh, 1979). Acknowledgements The opportunity to examine Microcorys type material at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England was made possible by a Churchill Fellowship. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust is gratefully acknowledged. The author also extends his thanks to the Director and staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England for their advice and assistance. Mr P. G. Wilson kindly provided the latin diagnosis and made many helpful suggestions during the preparation of this paper. The illustration was prepared by Joyce McMahon. References Beard, J. S. (1980). A new phytogeographic map of Western Australia. Western Australian Herbarium Research Notes No. 3: 37-.5'8. Bentham, G. (1837). Labiatae. In S. L. Endlicher, E, Fenzl, G. Bentham and H. W. Schott ‘Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae . . . Huegel.’ (Fr. Beck: Wien.) Bentham, G. (1848). Labiatae. In A.P. de Candolle, Prodromus systematls naturalis regni vegetabilis 12: 568. (Treuttel & Wurtz: Paris.) Bentham. G. (1870). Labiatae. Flora Australiensis 5: 70-137. (Reeve: London.) Erickson, R. (1969). ‘The Drummonds of Hawthornden.’ (Lamb Paterson Pty. Ltd.: Osborne Park, Western Au.stralia.) Hartley, W. and Leigh, .1. (1979). ‘Plants at risk in Australia.’ Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service. Occasional Paper No. 3. Kenneally, K. F. (Co-ordinator) (1977). ‘The natural history of the Wongan Hills.’ Handbook No. 11 (W.A. Naturalists’ Cllub: Perth.) Napier, K. D. (1975). New Holland in Europe. Early Days Journal VII (VII): 55-68. Nuytsia 4(1): 29-46 (1982) 29 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) — 10. Acacia species of the Wongan Hills, Western Australia By B. R. Maslin Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, W.A 6151 Abstract Maslin B R Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)— 10. Acacia species of the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(p; 29-46 (1982). Two new Acacia species endemic to the Wongan Hills, A. botrydion sp. nov. (section Phyllodineae) and A. pharangites sp. nov. (section Plurinerves) are described and illustrated. An emended description of A. semicircinalis Maiden et Blakelv IS provided as this species and A. botrydion were formerly confounded. Notes are provided on a morphological variant of A. acuaria W. V. Fitzg. (section Phyllodineae) and also on a taxon allied to A. obovata Benth. (section Phyllodineae). Both these taxa are confined to the Hills. A checklist to the 28 Acacia species recorded for the Wongan Hills is provided. Analysis of the distributions of Wongan Hills Acacias ^owed that all Western Australian extra-tropical sections of the genus were represented there. Section Phyllodineae comprised 14 species, section Plurinerves seven species, section Juliflorae five species, section Alatae two species and section Pulchellae one species. A majoritv of the Wongan Hills Acacia species were confined to, and widespread within, the South-West Botanical Province. The south- western geographical affinities were supported from an examination of the taxonomically closest relatives ot Wongan Hills Acacias where these affinities could be determined. Most Wongan Hills species appeared origin, very few relict taxa being present. Endemism in the area proved to be relatively low The Wongan Hills emerged as an important conservation site in the central wheatbelt. Taxonomy of some Wongan Hills Acacia species The following notes and descriptions apply to those Wongan Hills Acacia species which are currently recognized as being in need of taxonomic clarification. Two new species, A. botrydion and A. pharangites, are described and illustrated, an emended description of A. semicircinalis is given, and notes on two variants, A. acuaria-variant and A. aff. obovata, are provided. The taxa are numbered and arranged alphabetically and a list of all collections seen is given at the end of the paper. 1. Acacia acuaria W. V. Fitzg. — variant. This taxon is obviously related to A. acuaria (which also occurs in the Wongan Hills) but differs in its smaller legumes and its sparsely puberulous phyllodes which are slightly broader and which have recurved apices. In the absence of a detailed taxonomic investigation, formal rank is not here given to this variant. However, present indications are that at best it will be afforded infraspecific rank. Distribution and habitat. Known only from the Wongan Hills near Mount Rupert on a lateritic plateau in open scrub dominated by mallee eucalypts. Flowering and fruiting period. Judging from the very few specimens seen, flowering occurs around August-September and legumes mature in December-January. 30 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Specimens seen. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: West side of Mount Rupert homestead, Wongan Hills, 30°49'S, 116°38'E, K. F. Kenneally 5875 (PERTH); South side of old Mount Rupert homestead, 6 km north of the Wongan Hills-Piawaning Road, K. F. Kenneally 6896 (CANB, PERTH). 2. Acacia botrydion Maslin, sp. nov. (Figures 1, 3A and 3B) Acacia semicircinalis Maiden et Blakely, J. Roy. Soc.W. Austral. 13:11 (1928), pro parte, not as to lectotype, as to Wongan Hills, 7 Oct. 1903, A. Morrison s.n. (NSW — lectoparatype) and pl.8, f.6. Frutex rigidus, diffusus, intricatus, 0.5-1. 3 altus. Cortex cineraceus. Rami et ramuli spinescentes, hispiduli; ramuli ahhreviati, divaricati. Phyllodia asymmetrice elliptica a late-elliptica, 9-15 mm longa, 4-12 mm lata, aliquantum undulata, hispidula, 1- nervata. Inflorescentia racemosus vel interdum ad apices ramulorum paniculata oh phyllodia reducta; pedunculi c. 10 mm longi, didymi; capitula globulosa, c. 40 florihus. Florae 5-merae. Sepala lineari-spathulata. Petals glabra. Legumina circinata, submoniliformia, ad 4 cm longa ubi extensa, c. 4 mm lata. Semina (aliquot visa) in legumine longitudinalia, 3. 5-4. 5 mm longa, 2.5-3 mm lata, nigra. Typus: About 12.5 km NW of Wongan Hills townsite towards Piawaning, Western Australia. “Harsh shrub to 1.3 m tall; branches smooth, light grey; branchlets spinescent; heads golden yellow; inflorescences not prolific, terminal on branchlets, axes red; phyllodes dull green, margins and tips orange to red. Laterite.” 9 Sept. 1975, B. R. Maslin 3805 (holo: PERTH; iso: BRI, CANB, G, K, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH). Harsh, craggy, diffuse, intricately branched shrubs 0.5- 1.3 m tall, domed and spreading to c. 3 m diam. in exposed areas, main stems sparingly branched near base. Bark light grey, smooth. Branches slightly flexuose, terete, obscurely nerved, hispidulous (hairs minutely tubercule-based), the apices together with the short divaricate branchlets are ± spinescent and frequently devoid of phyllodes. Stipules triangular, 0.5-1 mm long, dark brown. Phyllodes asymmetrically elliptic to widely so, 9-15 mm long, 4-12 mm wide, length to width ratio 1-2, somewhat undulate, patent to slightly ascending, hispidulous, dark green to subglaucous, margins yellowish to orange-red; apex acutely mucronulate (mucro hooked or sometimes straight); midrib and marginal nerves evident, lateral nerves very obscure; pulvinus very reduced; gland not prominent, often apparently absent, when present situated on adaxial margin of phyllode 3-5 mm above the pulvinus. Inflorescences dense, showy, 1-2 per node, racemose or sometimes appearing paniculate towards the ends of the branchlets due to phyllode reduction; raceme axis 5-20 mm long, red-brown, sparsely hispidulous, supporting up to 5 pairs of pedunculate flower-heads; basal peduncular bracts solitary, triangular, c. 0.5 mm long; peduncles twinned, c. 10 mm long, red-brown, sparsely hispidulous. Flower-heads globular, light golden, c. 40- flowered; bracteoles linear-spathulate, c. 1.5 mm long, glabrous, claw pale, lamina brown. Flowers 5-merous, 2.5 mm long, glabrous; calyx 2/3 length of corolla, divided to base into narrow linear-spathulate sepals; petals nerveless and glabrous. Legumes circinate. submoniliform, to 4 cm long (expanded length), c. 4 mm wide, slightly resinous, red -brown, glabrous, very finely longitudinally wrinkled when dry, margins barely thickened. Seeds (few seen) longitudinal in legume, irregularly ellipsoid, turgid but sometimes slightly compressed, 3. 5-4. 5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, dull, black; pleurogram very obscure, ‘u’-shaped, open towards the hilum; areole minute, c. 0.5 X 0.6 mm; funicle filiform, minute, abruptly expanded into quite a large fleshy yellowish aril situated on top of the seed and folded once near the hilar end. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Wongan Hills 31 15 mm , 8.R.M. i.S c G-C 5 n 0) -*j CO ^ -3 OJ ^ -- bx) ^ lO • flj ' a> ^ 05 X « 05 r-t ■ ' > fc- w O) *=*5 . . O cd £ CQ Gh C!3 •ii 2 3 a D-i; ■ “I, as « si ^ «-s C/3 *5 c .. t- 05 ► Z 3 Jo ja ’x cfl 05 3 .3 'S-g »= ^J§ . _fl cd St w 2 ^ 3 c b c fa .S 4S ® 3 a K 1— ( C CO 05 S -c:-S ^ t: 3 05 0,-0 • -5 be 05 CQ J'J .3 lo 05 ^ -• CO "3 b 05 . 05 jV ^ “g-Q b 0) 3 i i “ li be c cd u . 05 , 9 - CL d i b? CO *“ ^ a 2 g ® o 2 S I 8 S o c o be 2 • -fa c QJ ^CO ' ' *05 c S m § J Wa g < ® S; T? CO 0) 3r s £: Id ® 3 £ c 2 05 -o S 3 t ?j:" 0 3 .1 o o ' ' 05 jj ^-M 0) S § s 2 fca 0) cc S aT! CQ ?! & 3 05 *-> ■ fa *- — 3 4)^ •5^0^ c ~c: D a a S aj'Ojs a o 1:3 0- >- a ■^O-Sol ox: a^ a Q, ^ Q S^'S.g ^ Q a.'S So 3 O c 3 D 05 > Ph 3 .3 CQ S ^ > .2 05 > -3 -3 c/} 05 «« t- 05 ill T3 05 be „ 3 «0 ’> 05 ^ CO ^ ^ ^ is-s s ajc^ c S j: a a 3 05 C50 .3 CO 05 O a Ti C CO bo’rt Q ‘•3 j3 fl ^ ^ cd &H iX A 05 * CO O 05 .. w'S. be- C 5S *- 05 o c O 5; -fa 05 0.3 . . M U5 Isl -Q 3 . 05 ^PQ Ph -«-5 oa.fa a> OQ^ cc O 3 CO M 2 c “i 3 05 1 > .« j- 05 y 2 I s ,«ic Cd ^ Q Cd . ' 05 3 I ^ c n-g-D .33 O)**- o o “5^ *^3 be 5^ j.+i « a'i-l 05 OJ o ’S.*^ ^ 5 £h ° ffi (h 6^ > 2 = j- ,0 .s s. ■ CQ c S p-'c £ « Si ^la-s g ■£ CO W 3 CO S a ^ 05 “ 6 "5 a 05 “ "tt 05 CO fa f- 5 rd <3-3.3 3 . • •'CC “ 3. Ste-S-2 « S‘5 « -o O 05 ,05 O -3 05 !3 ^ 2 o S 0,3 «'T3 £3sC'^befac i.i-*3 Q. J:* '5 0^0 X 9 CO 3 Cu3 o u "O =3 3 fa M ‘S a CO c H c £ o a ® a 3 I> fa o > 3C/2 ^ 5 *H •J S. 05 CO < •> 2 ^ a5o 05 «-• -fa fa o -fa* b *-• 3=3*73 . fa >>05-0^ ■g3'g.3 i-S=^ii a a.S M “ a-g-^-ra a a g c S g .. 5 a 2 *0 2 Q J 3 r- a C 3 ^ > 3 . o be «3 N 42 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) TJ G C5 S3 O Z 03 c CO c c .S-- t/! S .. Oi c CO gj O a -2 . ^3 0.0 a> ■> ^ ^ ^ a. o cQcg cO c (L 'cO CO ^13 -O CO Offi Oi 2^ Oh C 5- CQ o o >.2-£ > yj CO 5-> C . . *H g^ • ^ ^ ' ® :iK = s| i5«i. i6“_ c^ a> D G 5 "= = i 3 5ft! - X ^-aS S £ c 0) CQ CO G -5 > O) d ^ ^ Ot rS CO Ij rA C O) ^=*0 J .£S 0) i- 03 > ; 03 o >'o'^ i 0.0 ^ 03 OO : 03 . 3 03 O. ■ -3 K Oh K ® C i i W 03 .r: 03 C o ^ G (JJ C-D- ”1 c c .G MX! Sf 3 J3 TO u -J CJ 03 > c •*^ g 03 .5 g g-i -D O X jr, CuOi 03 - 0) 't? CJ ss|i Ipi .£ Ij "co - "^3 , -l-jJ O yj*^ 2"^^= 03 ^ CO M C C 03 X C C >G 03 c CC p ^ ^ ">3 “ 2.S < “ is p bo c: o (^E CQ CC c M S; < o x> 3 3 t3 Cu O SC • 0^3 <3 >> --G -- 3 ^ p E ■ E'* C X > Cj N c-Q 03 CO 03 .«$ -g c M' 03 O -C ^ M cO M 3 03 03 >. ? S “ - S.2 ®.2 p "S O c c £ ffi g <1> H S 3 f j CQ a g 3< <■ 3 t- - <" g 5: I^G 03 3 -G pH o. I -C 03 -Jtel ■E I “ = 5 03 - >. e 03 > . ^i— g 03^3 ^ s cE'S c >..G w — « ^ O 03 C ^ ■G CO X c ^ i - o, ■S -s £ g-E-5 03 ... bC'C i- C g O £ "O ^ 'JO E "75 5 <*^ ^ <.G Q g; 03 -O CUCO O CJ 03 B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Wongan Hills 43 cc (D W C a. CQ W . cqm ^ E- ^ c ^-5 bo C (D XI O) •S C Sf I o c i-Sl§ r 5-2 IS §2 s :'-:q §1 ■ - > 5 = • cn Ph '5 O c 3 S « ^ g -3 t> O-u ' . ■' (D 0-0 > c ® o c s s;£p5 as c>r2 £ =5= o J« 43 ^ (X3 c C (Xi D.t> bX) C .3 ca o H X .- . CC a.< ^ ® &s’_ <■- (DC ^ 3 cS oi c .5 05 g S l>^-Q C/!2 o M _ M a> ^ ^ o CO ^ 02 c Q C S : CO o ^ Q.^ a CO a bx) -c^j 5 ■ bX) ' O ,*, - .S -- 0 X Th X d'*o ^ 1 gc:> I S S'£? " &S 0.&S §' o c-rt “ _ S ^ ® o 3-S,S >- H-3^ OJ s >> a « 2 _;-■>. p 's? g a -C-3-C ^ 2-5 a. c 7:2 -2 atO bX) bxi 3 o ; ^ 3 o ® 0 ’!=' o co CO ^ ^ 3 0 E,5- 'si >% bj3 O ^ CO bX> ;?CL C 3 O;:^ Oh O O -C X II . , OJ -5 o ' a-0 3 o 0. .5 05 '-"a Hh £"3 -o . fcH t-l B.S « l-sS^^s 22 s - be ^ oj X ® O e £ -H jh 3 3 ? be Q. . 3 G -o CO 3 4) 2 >> ^43 ^ a ■3 cO X 4) ffisS — »H J_5 X X ,0 ^ o a> !t: 3- s i o o 3 3 y be o ® 2-5 E-O X 3 .^p= -3 s’! •PP S3 . OI ^CQ .^2 fl 3 ® O X 0) CO X . ^ “ o •2 u S H-a (S CP 05 CO CO S 2 < 2 M ^ 4) 3 5 -c "c (D CO (>3 I -S 3 ? O 3 5(0 _ ' !D M cp’5§ 05 pIE 10(0 M 3 O (X d cc ^ CO CO g < ° be • •S ^ CO a> o In -o s 0 , 10 ^ X "■21 3 E CP X X IS 3 S CO Lb >> ;2'S' X 'rt o5 ^ 0^ CJ ^ 5 o a X X X .2 2 X .2 > .“3^ TD CO Ph ^ CQ 45 DP < cj 3 CO'S M •j X 3 <90 T3- ^ . -•J s Sc-O'SchC CQ o a> X S: c co'5 2 M • • X 4J 3 < ® 3 O c ' § s S.^ I I; CO S la p 5 ■a _« — 5-3 >>- SS X . h. kN a u be cj d* X 4i Lb4tf CO CO •S5 'e S §-a Table 2. List of Wongan Hills Acacia species giving their salient features, distributions and closest relative with its distribution— continued. 44 o 2 O a c o X CO (4^ 03 O 75 CO "O ^ S 3 o'- -3 0 X 4 :: Oi S H § I < « £ o O. a> CO 3 ■SS O) . bX) C IS CO I Z ^ S3 03 x}--^ ^ S'S £ CO ?. Oh .. W )"0 ca ^’r 3 a.s 2,2 !>^CJ<'T 5 'n li ' >v 2 S c CO — 3 C CO d s CO 03 cO q 0 ) lo > a> o> ^ C O ® , — • C *5 •■ CO . • Im 03 ~ O' ^ o X oc>^ h-H ! o CO ^ T 3 X CO 00 .2 03 >-CX 5 CO o 03 III .53 lO ! _go 2 £ o ® M § 2-0 > o o.S aj 22 s' £ 5 fc, ^ P •« CO 5 ,9 js -P ^ Q. 43 o O CO fi,co cox G JH Pxr CO .-M 0 ) 2 S 6 C iO C ® CO -. o S 12 3 g CO ^ P CO .q .0 *3 .P'S 03 03 CJ 3£ 5 S*^ 5 --.^ 2 -c * O.T’ 03 a CO dB CQ 5 < §3 q -qcS ^ CD •&d >H 03 •« 3 ' s = Oh S a ffl S s WCQ S §kI CQ ^ "a xi Mb a ^ SCQ a »-■ o a CO -c .S* ° s l-g “ o Ji: 03 03 — n -fi'S |3 5 »M - 3 O 03 C ® S .c=3B 2 £ J “ x a ,5 “ ft I ftS®£ « 1 = 3 = 1 “^ C3 .Sg'S^ ^ CO o CO M esS 03 . 03 _P CO ,G 03 L 03 £ c S = •a4i= a >sH-> = 'a^^ £ S 2£2 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) .2 ‘o'* O H-» £ £ CO CO 03 03 -q Cl 'S -M ^ CO .2 -Q >5 CO G 03 TO ^ 3 a >4 CO 03 fii '>3 »H CO ^ CO O « C o p p D o P • -^.o: M'S 'S’* ^ ■' ■ p « P oc E a .S .J3 -g 2 "ft fS.Sfa-ft c C S3= S a -O 03 k- 03 g CO p A 3 lu -G TS >> a CD CO CO t- 0 .0 0 "Z a CO CD CO 0 > lu D CD 03 P , £«’£ i^S ft 2 DQ.a -g H.Sf a Oh «B§i < ^ P o £5 2 | > '? jg a jJTS = 1 03 ” ffl.a iS >> "a 8^ •So® 0 i > 3 S £ 1 H a. ■tic. o ft IS o ft 2 — « S S ^ a D wQ 5 2 ..a-' a <.0 c. .C > m > SW a , o' ^ >-i fc- C CC ' O) CO X = bC CO CO be T3 3h o 'C — - , be g fXi CO g O £ £ ^ LO 9>'q_ +j . trt U. ^ca -C ti <1^ t- E -o o b) 1 £ I « £ £ 2 CO CO -C CO = • P c S2 = ■^<2 o g-o"® 2 => 4 : 00 ^ o .0^ cu c CQ o ^ 5£ O) w < • S §1 S.I §0 ■« . c ci, QJ CO CO -D CO ^ SS S? . o E° = ^ 2 M O < S? ^pq -D 3 s s 3 : I ” S'S c S-c 3 _-— be o e S ® £" 6 S D Z3 be SG ii-e >. X ^ g£ X 6 coO^ ■M 1 — I o o a Is to Q, >1 b> S a> . C.2 « CO w > b) QJ O Ph CO 03 b> be ^ a ; S £- Sb; o > he's C 0:5 c ..Tl ^ "— > CO ^ m OJ -S? “O =3 -So, b) o^ j- c S CO . 33 to OT Ss :^ b) CO 'oiE CQ _S o t» i3 0) < b , a =' . C3 >» 2 c - 'm S S <=' a> > S ^ w ^ CO PQ b) 1> fa = .te fa CO ^^33 33 >, o o"2 c « o .s -r b> fa b) >h b C n-\ t-x 2 es; H a BiS .5 3 2 iH Q o i-C o b) 'ZZ ^ b>^ CO O C fflCQC gCB! -M ^ V- fa CO CO a> '2 b ‘i' ^ a fa CO C3 O G -3*3 G D -3( >— b • 733 CO W Q. fa C,3*3 m c CO ^ ^ /1-1 r /5 be CO ^ = spfa JJ O C G i5 > =3 CO ^CZ W) s . iC CO 6 O CO ■ b) b) 2 D.“? S sl^ CLfa X *£* fa-t-»’r* o 5c- 1 G — CO b) J C H ? 1;^ -2 ^ ' w bi fa II a Sc G CO G "3 CJ S “ £•■5 ^ c . b> bi & 0 fa 2 ^ CO G -fa fa a.S § . 3 -fa 0 +4> CO G . b) •b "a; G 3 ■Ss "i:cQ bj -cS ^CQ 'Jifc b)4^ b> s S c O = O s 5 = '3^5 045 "S ^ ’5;p 2 § «as ►2 5 fa b) 2 2 fa O ^ ' -*,4> C -fa CO Table 2. List of Wongan Hills Acacia species giving their salient features, distributions and closest relative with its distribution— continued. 46 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) o Z o Da s o 3 CQ c s -D cc C/2 C o X 03 O 03 Oh CQ M C O n'-SG - aa-§ o. Sh "S ' S. ^ > ai CC w 3 , a D^ « m'V WD m § M Dh cn 2 r> 0) O ■ffl 3 m 24S ■“ Q.§ a “> 2 M 2 if ^ 0) Qi -O cc a S= S'S 2 ca ^ x" H -Q acvj -2 •^''O o ' *2 'u! ?-a o c I -t-a > W) >. (D M -i>s CQ ^ •S® .«•£ ^ C Q) ^ 0^ a ^ CQ ® 2 br « X ^ Ic to CQ o c .. £ OJ Sil P T3 T! M g ® !■§“ 11“ Q. t- c r:« ^ XT 0 ; -5 C Q S-M 5 2 ^ g O CO >.i o ^"cC O “6 g — ® s . to CC — CO w “J “ I > CQ ^ CO - X • 00 ] . . W >v to 'Sc _ CO — bjox (;j ^ G .ti ‘S CO O > S* ^ — - > CT5 CO -a-S 5s a) Q. CO ^ c CO CO CO CO 5 «- S '-U CO -C a> <3^ bi) • ^ c > ’S . _ .2 t-< ® Of < 1 > H O > C to & 3 . O) cm 'CQ 0 ) c Cl, 3 CO C II G ^ ^ -i: CD CO CO • s s C 0) CO • 2 h " tH O, .fJ .S 2 m ■ 5 H^ CO JJ ~ J3 "O GO C3 03 -,-* 03 O 5c;«3 c 0^1 — T-l C ' crj *- CO rn 2 ^ co^'^ O 'U ^ o C '^rX C CO G 3 ^. 2 *^ C c ^ ° 03 C c — o c N 03 > wO ^ ^ 2 'o g oJ = ^ c bc -X CO X « a ^ 4> ■ll^l i.'fi'O 03 ' 03 ; D - CO C =3 O— C s®2.i a.H Ij o § ^5 ^ o CD -^.20 ^ « “42 o-Qi a ^ 2 c'a § 3 S “ 2 < g.S •.® - “ c 03 > g tio 03^ . CO .2 c G ^ 03 rj > «« •— ^ bXi.i bo CO 03 ^ CO C fV CO £■2 „ > 2.2 £S CO > CO -O .0) 03 '^-G •*-■ u. Q CO 2"2 I -C -Q *41 H<4: i2 iOOOLOOOiOOOCCJiOXLOO:iLOOOiCOOC'~LCOO{>t'~C£)r~l>tDXC'~I>LC TtTf'iO'^'^UOT}iOT}'u:)'^'^iOTt*LOiCrfCC>iOiOiOiOiO'«^’COiOuDTt O aj ^ 4) a> iG 0 ) c a3 X5 CO i-. o ^ O Q. O ® C o C -r ;b V b: G ^ G :f- •-5 hJ >-5 Ph . TO ^ tM < 1 > O C C -c Oh _c >> — TO TO TO > TO C >- TO lb TO TO lb TO TO TOiH^»Ht,T 3 u,iu COOOOOOO.TO b b: ;b ^r*b: b: to -^b-^bb-^bD^ OH’-T)DH'^’-tlPH'-S’^ TO TO G 5-2 to .CO TO 1| TO GO — TO . TO TO TO S^^ TO TO TO TO TO TO 'li ^ 'o; 'o; 'o; ^ -o; rt; Sig _ ^ CO to o o -c; -a -a p ■ fetl TO ‘G G-b II -c< a Distribution Distribution outside the Hamersley Range area within the 64 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) T3 Is SS £ e w C n) a> a j*: 'o c .s p X 0) l§ cd .2 E- T3 O < X W X O w X z z cy q < < < < < > O'Cfcniy} O' Ofm O' w X t-" E-H cr; ZZ22 zz ZZ z Z ZZ Z XX X X XX X XX X XX XX XXX XX X X xxxx X XX X X XXXXXX XXX XX XX XX X XX XX XXXXXX xxxx XX ca o CO CO 0) C t. IT^ c o o o o o 32 — X 3 i g, g e- xQ S O Ci. a. Ci. Q. CO iU Sm ■S^ II ~a CO o C a- c t ‘ [i. C 3 4S-SS ^ -'i CO J-i=.S 2 3 ® *• ^ CQ CD ^ Im Tf O o to 05 p-= S £ -5 0) s 2 ^ o ^ D ^ ’-o Oh -C « c = cars c _o -C 3. o o cc cu -I “o' CO- 5 s -c 03 =1. 3. -2 -is 3-2 ^ & . 0) J= 'c a» cc <1; 03 T 3 >-..2 S 2-S OS 5 ^ JO .cj ^ s ^ Oh 13 t: CO c == s,& §1- & X ^Although possessing 2-3-nerved phyllodes, I feel this species is better placed in section Phyllodineae than in section Plurinerves. R Tuu appearing in this column refer to l°xl.5° grid cells as shown in Hnatiuk and Maslin (1980). D Abbreviations used here are for Western Australian Acacia Areas as explained in Figure 1. Australian State abbreviations are as follows: NT — Northern Territory, NSW — New South Wales, Q— Queensland, SA — South Australia, V — Victoria. Table 2. Results of geographical analysis of Acacia sections occurring in the Hamersley Range area. Distribution abbreviations refer to the Acacia Regions and B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 65 66 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) definition of Acacia Areas referred to herein). Wide-ranging taxa from all sections of the genus contribute to these arid zone/subtropical affinities but most species are contained in the sections Juliflorae and Phyllodineae. For example, A. aneura, A. cuthbertsonii, A. kempeana, and A. stowardii (all section Juliflorae) and A. dictyophleba, A. inaequilatera, A. maitlandii, A. pruinocarpa and A. tetragonopbylla (all section Phyllodineae) are common in the central and southern parts of the Australian arid zone. Most of these species find their western or north-western limit of distribution in the region of the Hamersley Range. The subtropical affinities are attributed mainly to species distributed in both the northern arid zone and in subtropical parts of northern Australia, e.g. A. acradenia, A. ancistrocarpa, A. billiana, A. tenuissima, A. tumida (all section Juliflorae), A. coriacea, A. monticola, A. retivenia (all section Plurinerves) and A.yictoriae (section Phyllodineae). Based on current taxonomic knowledge, 44 of the 46 Hamersley Range area Acacia species have at least one known close relative and are therefore classified as being of recent origin according to the criteria adopted by Stebbins and Major (1965). Only A. daweana and A. tetragonopbylla seem to qualify as possible relict taxa because neither is known to have taxonomically close relatives. The species richness of the Hamersley Acacia flora is therefore the result of an accumulation of recently derived taxa rather than through the persistence of numerous relict taxa. This accords with results shown for other areas of Western Australia (Hopper and Maslin, 1978). Of the recently derived species, six are either restricted to the Hamersley Range area or extend only to nearby regions. These six species are listed here together with their closest relative(s) and it is to be noted that in every case, at least one of the close relatives also occurs within the Hamersley Range area. 1. A. arrecta/A. abbreviata, A. arida, A. billiana, A. minutifolia, A. ortbocarpa; 2. A. atkinsiana/A. adsurgens, A. duriuscula, A. kempeana, A. nelsonii, A. rbodopbloia, A. stowardii; 3. A. effusa/A. cbisbolmii, A. gracillima, A. lysipbloia, A. tracbycarpa; 4. A. exilis/A. tenuissima; 5. A. bamersleyensis/A. citrinoviridis, A. tumida, A. xipbopbylla; 6. A. marramamba/A. inaequilatera, A. pyrifolia, A. strongylopbylla. Bowler (in press) proposed that areas peripheral to the central arid zone were climatically the most unpredictable regions of Australia during the Quaternary. According to Maslin and Hopper (in press), the resultant stresses placed on sedentary organisms in such regions created situations ideal for localized speciation. From the data given above it is evident that the Hamersley Range area has been one such region of speciation. It is intriguing to speculate why a number of the recently- evolved Hamersley Range species are confined to the nearby area. Perhaps, as suggested by Randell and Symon (1977), the formation of extensive sand dune systems some 30 000 years B.P. have played an important role as an isolating mechanism. Certainly the Hamersleys are “isolated” in the sense that they are bounded to the north and east by the Great Sandy Desert and the Little Sandy Desert and to the south by the Ashburton River sedimentary basin. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 67 Figure 1. Map of Western Australia showing the ten Acacia Areas defined by Hnatiuk and Maslin (unpublished) based on 1° X 1.5° grid cells. 1-2; Kimberley Region (KR) showing 1. North (nk) and 2. South (sk) Kimberley areas. 3-8; Eremaean Region (ER) showing 3. North-West (nwe), 4. West (we), 5. North (ne), 6. Central (ce), 7. South-West (swe) and 8. South (se) Eremaean areas. 9-10; South-West Region (SWR) showing 9. South and West Coastal (swc) and 10. Central and North, Wheatbelt (cnw) areas. 68 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Taxonomy Key to the Acacia species of the Hamersley Range area (Numbered species are described and/or discussed in tbe text. Descriptions for species marked with an asterisk (*) are in Maslin (1981)). 1 . 2 . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . Foliage bipinnate; stipules spiny *A. farnesiana Foliage reduced to phyllodes 2 Phyllodes with very sharp, spiny, needle-like tips; flower-heads globular 3 Phyllodes not sharp and spiny (although sometimes the tips may be coarsely pungent, especially on terete phyllodes); flower-heads globular to cylindrical. . .8 Phyllodes 1-4 cm wide, elliptic but often asymmetrically so; stipules spiny, sometimes deciduous; inflorescences racemose or paniculate 4 Phyllodes less than 1 cm wide, linear to narrowly oblong-elliptic or narrowly obovate; inflorescences simple and axillary (neither racemose nor paniculate) . . 6 Phyllodes symmetric with the midrib centrally situated, often glaucous; inflorescence axes yellow'ish or with a pale purplish tinge 10. A. pyrifolia Phyllodes asymmetric with the midrib situated near the lower margin 5 Branchlet apices white-pruinose; phyllodes 2.5-7 cm long, 1.5-3. 5 cm wide, often grey-green, reticulum prominent; inflorescence axes purple; bark corky; gnarled trees to c. 5 m tall *A. inaequilatera Branchlet apices not pruinose; phyllodes 2-4 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, pale green, reticulum obscure; inflorescence axes red-brown; bark fibrous; shrubby trees to 3(5) m tall 9. A. marramamba Phyllodes fasciculate (solitary on new shoots), acicular, c. 1 mm wide; diffuse shrubs or trees to 5 m tall *A. tetragonophylla Phyllodes scattered (not fasciculate), more than 1 mm wide 7 Stipules spiny (although absent from some nodes); phyllodes normally 3-6 cm long; flower-heads pale yellow; bushy, non-resinous shrubs or trees 3-7 m tall 4. A. cuspidifolia Stipules not spiny, persistent, c. 1 mm tong; phyllodes 0.8-2. 5 cm long; flower- heads golden yellow; resinous, rather spindly and open shrubs 2-3 m tall *A. maitlandii Phyllodes whorled, to c. 1 cm long, ± terete; legumes sticky; shrubs dense, spreading, to 1 m tall 9 Phyllodes scattered, normally more than 1 cm long 10 Phyllodes less than 5 mm long, ascending, grey; branchlets densely white-pilose; petals striate *A. adoxa var. adoxa Phyllodes more than 5 mm long, spreading (at maturity), bright green; Branchlets not conspicuously hairy; petals obscurely 1-nerved *A. spondylophylla Phyllodes minutely punctulate i.e. with minute, circular, whitish dots which are observable at xlO mag., nerveless or very obscurely nerved; flower-heads cylindrical; legumes woody, basally narrowed; seeds oblique with straight, narrowly turbinate funicle/arils 11 Phyllodes not punctulate, nerves often conspicuous; flower-heads globular to cylindrical 12 Phyllodes flat A. arida Phyllodes terete (very closely allied to the above) *A. orthocarpa Phyllodes terete, subterete or quadrangular 13 Phyllodes distinctly flattened (although occasionally only 1-2 mm wide) 21 Longest phyllode less than 7 cm 14 Longest phyllode more than 7 cm 16 69 R. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 14. Flower-heads globular, on peduncles 1.5-4 cm long; legumes woody, vernicose when young, basally narrowed, 4-6 mm wide, margins not thickened; phyllodes to 4 cm long, curved upwards; slightly viscid, spreading shrubs to 1 m tall Flower-heads cylindrical 15. Peduncles 1-3 cm long; phyllodes to 6 cm long, green; legumes woody, sticky (at least when young), linear but basally narrowed, c. 4 mm wide, margins thickened; resinous, spreading shrubs to 1 m tall *A. hilliana Peduncles to 1 cm long; phyllodes variable, grey-green; legumes papery, not sticky, ± oblong, 4-15 mm wide; shrubs or trees more than 1 m tall . . .*A. aneura 16. Flower-heads globular, arranged in axillary racemes; phyllodes 4-nerved in all, together with the branchlets always glabrous -17 Flower-heads cylindrical spikes, simple and axillary (not racemose); phyllodes more than 4-nerved (nerves often very fine and obscure) 18 17. Legumes papery and flat; calyx divided into free, linear-spathulate sepals, branchlets red-brown; phyllodes finely filiform, c. 0.5 mm diam., ± quadrangular, smooth pachyacra Legumes woody and moniliform; calyx united, i truncate; branchlets light grey, phyllodes 1 mm or more wide, often distinctly flattened, coarsely wrinkled when dry sclerosperma 18. Branchlet apices and/or phyllodes (at least when young) hairy to some degree (hairs minute, appressed, and on phyllodes in A. aneura often confined to the region between the nerves: observe at xlO mag.) 19 Brancblet apices and phyllodes glabrous (neglect pulvinar area in A. exilis) . . .20 19. Legumes woody and moniliform; young phyllodes not resinous, covered with a dense silvery or greenish yellow indumentum; sepals variably united for about half their length 'vanyu Legumes papery and flat; young phyllodes resin-nerved, indumentum generally less conspicuous than above, mature phyllodes grey-green; sepals free to base 20 Branchlet apices with yellow, crenulated, resin ribs (observe at xlO mag.); spikes dense, to c. 1 cm long, pale yellow; phyllodes 6-15 cm long; legumes 2-3 mm wide; shrubs normally lo 2 m tall tenuissima Branchlet apices without resin ribs; spikes not dense, 1-2 cm long, light golden; phyllodes 14-18 cm long; legumes 4-5 mm wide; tall shrubs or small trees to 7. A. exilis 21. Phyllodes with 1 longitudinal nerve on each face (nerve often obscure in A. victoriae, the phyllodes then finely wrinkled when dry) 22 Phyllodes with more than 1 longitudinal nerve on each face (nerves normally numerous, very fine and close together but sometimes few, conspicuous and widely spaced; in A. bivenosa nerves reduced to 2 with one of them poorly developed— best observed on dried specimens) 29 22. Flower-heads cylindrical (on fruiting specimens inspect receptacle for flower scars); bark “Minni Ritchi” i.e. reddish and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end; legumes circinate, ± reticulate, resinous 23 Flower-heads globular; bark not “Minni Ritchi” 24 23. Phyllodes asymmetrically elliptic, 9-15 mm long, 3-7 mm wide, apex rounded with an acute, laterally positioned, acute mucro; wide-spreading shrubs to 1 m tall 6. A. effusa Phyllodes narrowly linear, longer and narrower than above; tall sbrubs more than 1 12. A. trachycarpa 70 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 24. Phyllodes all less than 5 cm long 25 Phyllodes some or all more than 5 cm long 26 25. Stipules spiny on young plants, often deciduous with age; branchlets not resinous, often pruinose; peduncles normally in pairs; phyllodes never spiny- tipped, often finely wrinkled when dry; shrubs or small trees *A. victoriae Stipules not spiny, persistent, oppressed, c. 1 mm long; branchlets resinous, never pruinose; peduncles solitary in phyllode axils; phyllodes normally spiny- tipped; rather spindly, open shrubs 2-3 m tall *A. maitlandii 26. Phyllodes long and narrowly linear, less than 5 mm wide, normally terete but appearing flat when broad (see lead 17 above) A. sclerosperma Phyllodes more than 5 mm wide 27 27. Peduncles less than 1 cm long; phyllodes less than 10 cm long; attractive, fragrant shrubs to 3 m tall, commonly forming groves along roadsides, trunks white *A. validinervia Peduncles more than 1 cm long; phyllodes normally more than 10 cm long. ... 28 28. Legumes ± chartaceous, 10-17 mm wide; bracteole and sepal apices densely golden puberulous (best observed at xlO mag. on unexpanded heads); trees to 10 m tall, not confined to watercourses, flowering from October to December (heads bright golden) *A. pruinocarpa Legumes ± woody, c. 5 mm wide; bracteoles and sepals glabrous; bushy shrubs or trees confined to watercourses, flowering from May to August (heads white or cream) *A. ampliceps 29. Phyllodes large (c. 10-20 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide) AND the minor nerves forming a loose, open reticulum between the 2-4 main longitudinal nerves; flower-heads cylindrical 30 Phyllodes shorter or narrower OR if not, then the minor nerves very fine, close together and parallel (nor forming a loose, open reticulum); flower-heads globular to cylindrical 31 30. Petals glabrous (best to observe unexpanded spikes); phyllodes ± symmetrically and gently falcate *A. cowleana Petals minutely sericeous; phyllodes ± straight although normally curved near their apices, somewhat asymmetric *A. holosericea 31. Flower-heads globular or obloid i.e. less than twice as long as wide (on fruiting specimens inspect receptacle for flower scars) 32 Flower-heads distinctly cylindrical i.e. more than twice as long as wide 37 32. Phyllodes with numerous, very fine, parallel (never anastomosing) nerves which are situated close together 33 Phyllodes with 2-5 widely spaced main longitudinal nerves between which the minor nerves frequently anastomose and form a reticulum 34 33. Flower-heads globular; legumes moniliform, to 23 cm long, 6-13 mm wide; phyllodes ± linear, 12-35 cm long, 1-7 mm wide, lax and often pendulous; trees to 10 m tall and normally confined to watercourses *A. coriacea Flower-heads obloid; legumes flat and broadly linear, to 10 cm long, 4-6 mm wide; phyllodes very narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate, 6-15 cm long, (4)5-10(12) mm wide, ascending; shrubs to 3.3 m tall, favouring open spinifex plains 2. A. atkinsiana 34. Branchlets and phyllodes hairy (sometimes the hairs are very fine — observe at xlO mag.); inflorescences normally not racemose 35 Branchlets and phyllodes completely glabrous; bark never “Minni Ritchi”. ... 36 B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 71 35. Phyllodes 3-7.5 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, strongly reticulate; indumentum conspicuous and densely tomentose; flower-heads large; open shrubs to 3 m tall, bark not “Minni Ritchi” *A. retivenia Phyllodes 1.2-3 cm long, 5-15 mm wide, nerves of reticulum fine and impressed; indumentum finely puberulous, less conspicuous than above; shrubs or trees to 5 m tall, bark “Minni Ritchi” i.e. reddish brown and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end *A. monticola 36. Inflorescences racemose but racemes normally grow out as leafy shoots with the peduncles then appearing axillary; phyllodes not conspicuously reticulate, fleshy, finely wrinkled when dry, with 2 longitudinal nerves (but one of these is poorly developed); legumes woody, less than 1 cm wide; shrubs not resinous 3. A. bivenosa Inflorescences not racemose; phyllodes conspicuously reticulate, coriaceous, with 2-5 longitudinal nerves; legumes firmly chartaceous, 1-1.5 cm wide; shrubs resinous *A. dictyophleba 37. Phyllodes narrowly linear, 1-2 mm wide, not rigid, 1-3 longitudinal nerves on each face; legumes circinate and reticulate; bark “Minni Ritchi” i.e. reddish and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end; shrubs or small trees normally found along watercourses. 12. A. trachycarpa Characters not combined as above 38 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43 . Phyllodes c. 6-11 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, obliquely narrowly elliptic with acuminate apices, not falcate, some nerves obviously confluent with the lower margin for a distance above the base; branchlets resinous and minutely puberulous acradenia Phyllode nerves not basally confluent or if so (rare) then other characters not combined as above 39 Phyllodes some or all more than 8 cm long 40 Phyllodes all less than 8 cm long 46 All parts glabrous (neglect calyx) 41 Either flowering peduncles or receptacles, phyllodes and/or branchlets (especially on new shoots) or legumes hairy to some degree (hairs often minute and appressed — observed at xlO mag.) 44 Phyllodes conspicuously lanceolate-falcate, about 10-15 cm long and 10-20 mm wide, together with the branchlets often pruinose; spikes arranged in racemes which normally grow out as new shoots; legumes obviously longitudinally wrinkled when dry, not resinous *A. tumida Phyllodes often straight, not above 12 mm wide; spikes axillary, not racemose; legumes not obviously wrinkled 42 Phyllodes bright olive green, somewhat shiny (observe fresh), c. 10-18 cm long and 2-11 mm wide, 1-3 yellowish nerves more evident than the very obscure, impressed, distant, minor nerves, marginal nerve discrete and yellowish; legumes resinous, 7-12 mm wide, subwoody *A. ancistrocarpa Phyllodes not as above; legumes not resinous, ± chartaceous 43 Phyllodes 11-20 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, narrowly linear, pale green; spikes dense, pale yellow; calyx more than half the length of the corolla .... 11a. *A. adsurgens Phyllodes variable, 4.5-12.5 cm long, 1-8 mm wide, often broadly linear or very narrowly eliptic but occasionally narrowly linear; spikes a darker yellow and less dense than above; calyx less than half the length of the corolla lie. *A. stowardii 16569 — ( 6 ) 72 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 44. Legumes glabrous, to 21 cm long; spikes comprising somewhat widely spaced rather large flowers with short, cupular, ± truncate, golden puberulous calyxes that are readily observable at xlO mag.; phyllodes coriaceous, rather rigid and normally ± straight, extremely finely nerved, silvery-sericeous when intermediate aged but glabrous at maturity, very young new shoots golden; small, spreading often gnarled trees on alluvial flats 13. A. xiphophylla Legumes hairy, hairs, yellow when young but turning white with age; spikes dense; calyx not as above; phyllodes often falcate, generally less rigid, less coriaceous and more obviously nerved (at xlO mag.) than above, normally 8- 14 cm long and 5-15 mm wide 45 45. Legumes with a dense, soft appressed sericeous indumentum; flowering peduncles and spike axes (i.e. the receptacles) golden puberulous; phyllodes falcate, the new shoots citron-sericeous but hairs turning silvery-white on intermediate aged phyllodes, glabrous at maturity; graceful trees often with pendulous branches, normally found along watercourses. (Small phyllode variants, c. 5-6 cm long and c. 5 mm wide, are known from tops of rocky ranges) *A. citrinoviridis Legumes with spreading, pilose hairs; peduncles and receptacles sparsely resinous-papillose (not golden puberulous); very young new shoots pale citron- sericeous, quickly passing to glabrous phyllodes; spreading shrubby trees to 4 m, normally on ridges and upper slopes of ranges 8. A. hamersleyensis 46. Sepals free and linear-spathulate; legumes chartaceous, ± glabrescent, loosely reticulate; phyllodes very variable in shape and size, grey-green, together with branchlets minutely appressed puberulous (at least when young); tall shrubs or trees common on alluvial flats *A. aneura Characters not combined as above; sepals normally united 47 47. Phyllode nerves rather widely spaced (interstices readily observable and wider than diameter of the nerves); phyllodes about 3-5 cm long and 5-10 mm wide; legumes woody and glabrous; uncommon shrubs 48 Phyllode nerves very fine and close together, either uniform or 1 or more slightly more evident than the rest; legumes chartaceous to coriaceous, hairy or glabrous 49 48. Phyllodes anfl brachlets glabrous; legumes not wrinkled, narrowed towards their base, 6-8 mm wide, to 6 cm long; phyllodes with numerous, prominent, longitudinal nerves which rarely anastomose *A. ptychophylla Phyllodes and branchlets densely and minutely appressed sericeous; legumes coarsely wrinkled when dry, narrowly oblong, 1-2 cm wide, to 16 cm long; phyllodes with rather few, not prominent, widely spaced main longitudinal nerves with sparsely and openly anastomosing, longitudinally oriented lateral nerves between them *A. cuthbertsonii 49. Branchlets and/or phyllodes (at least when young) and flowering peduncles hairy (observe at xlO mag,); legumes hairy or glabrous; bark never “Minni Ritchi” 50 Branchlets and phyllodes glabrous or if sparsely hairy then bark “Minni Ritchi” i.e. red and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end; legumes glabrous 51 50. Low shrubs to 1 m tall; young legumes with sparse, short, spreading hairs, mature legumes not seen; stipules frequently persistent on branchlets, dark brown, 1-2 mm long; phyllodes (3.5) 4-5.5 cm long, 6-10 mm wide, very sparsely reticulate; new shoots not golden hairy; spikes dense 5. A. daweana Tall shrubs (exceeding 1 m) or more commonly small trees; stipules early deciduous 13. A. xiphophylla (or a short phyllode variant of A. citrinoviridis, see lead 44 above). B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 73 51. Bark “Minni Ritchi”; phyllodes 4.5-6.5 cm long, 5-8 mm wide; flower-heads dense; calyx slightly more than half the length of the corolla; legumes narrowly oblong, c. 5 mm wide; seeds longitudinal lid. *A. rhodophloia Bark grey; flower-heads often less dense than above; calyx half or less than half the length of the corolla 52 52. Legumes narrowly oblong, 4-7 mm wide; seeds longitudinal to longitudinally oblique in the legumes; phyllodes variable, linear to narrowly elliptic, 4.5-9 (10- 12.5) cm long, 2-8 mm wide, length to width ratio 9-40 lie. *A. stowardii Legumes broadly oblong 10-26 mm wide; seeds transverse to transversely oblique in the legumes; phyllodes ± narrowly elliptic, 3-7. 5(9) cm long, 4- 15(17) mm wide, length to width ratio 3-13 11c. *A. kempeana 1. Acacia arrecta Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 2) Acacia arida Benth. et A. orthocarpa F. Muell. affinis a qua capitulis floralibus globularibus, phyllodiis nec punctulatis, (1. 5)2-4 cm longis, 1 mm diam., teretibus, sursum curvatis differ!. Etiam ad Acacia hilliana Maiden affinis a qua capitalis floralibus globularibus et marginibus leguminis nec incrassatis differ!. Typus: 11 km E of Wittenoom on the road to Port Hedland, Western Australia. 12 July 1980. B. R. Maslin 4644. “Dense rounded shrub 1 m tall, sometimes spreading and ± flat-topped, dividing at ground level into 6 main branches; bark grey; phyllodes grey-green, slightly curved, ascending; inflorescences and legumes erect. Stony clay in spinifex with Acacia hilliana.” (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL). Low, dense, spreading, rounded or + flat-topped, slightly viscid shrubs to 1 tall and 2 rn diam., dividing at ground level into up to 6 main branches. Bark smooth except at extreme base of stems where it is slightly fissured, grey but reddish brown towards ends of branches. Branches terete, with crenulated resinous ribs which are most evident towards the ends of the branchlets, glabrous. New shoots light to medium green, slightly resinous. Stipules deciduous. Phyllodes terete but slightly compressed upon drying, (1. 5)2-4 cm long, 1mm diam., curved upwards near the base to give a characteristic ascending aspect, glabrous except for the pulvinus, grey- green; abruptly narrowed at apex into callose, acute, innocuous, straight or slightly hooked, light orange-brown points which are c. 1 mm long; pulvinus obscure, c. 0.5 mm long, obscurely transversely wrinkled, yellowish orange, grooved adaxially near base, groove densely villous; nerves 8, barely visible, submerged; gland obscure, situated on the upper margin of the phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus, comprising raised yellowish nectiferous tissue c. 0.2 mm diam., orifice absent. Inflorescences simple and axillary, 1-2 per node, erect. Peduncles 15-40 mm long, robust, glabrous, slightly resinous; basal peduncular bract solitary, small (c. 0.8 mm long), triangular and ± persistent. Flower-heads globular, light golden 30-45- flowered, c. 7-10 mm diam. at anthesis, quite resinous, flowers densely arranged; bracteoles c. 1 mm long, glabrous, claws linear and ending in thickened and inflexed laminae. Flowers 5-merous, buds bluntly acute. Calyx stout, 1/2-2/3 length of corolla, very shortly divided into broadly triangular lobes, calyx tube strongly 5-nerved with translucent tissue between nerves. Petals 2.5 mm long, connate for c. 2/3 their length, glabrous, 1 -nerved. Legumes erect, subterete to compressed, not constricted between the seeds, tapering towards the base, 4-5.5 cm long, 4-6 mm wide at broadest point, woody, glabrous, yellowish brown to dark brown, vernicose when youngs longitudinally nerved, splitting elastically from the top, valves curved following dehiscence, shallowly sigmoid with a swollen apical portion; margins not thickened. 74 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Seeds positioned obliquely in the legumes within pronounced depressions, rather persistent following dehiscence of legume, ellipsoid, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, turgid but laterally compressed (2 mm thick), blackish and rather dull, marked with a darker coloured narrow peripheral band of tissue; pleurogram fine, open towards the hilum, bordered by pale coloured tissue; areole c. 1.7 mm long, 0.6 mm wide; funicle- aril narrowly turbinate and straight. Figure 2. Acacia arrecta. A — Portion of branch. B and C — Seed (B — plane view; C — side view). D — Legumes held erect on receptacle (note persistent seeds following dehiscence). E — Flower. F — Phyllode with enlargements showing apex and transverse sectional shape (note position of the 8 nerves). A from 7. L. Lethbridge s.n.; B-D from M. I. H. Brooker 2089a; E from K. Stewart s.n.; F from B. R. Maslin 4644 (the type). Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 15 mi (24 km) E of Nullagine, J. S. Beard 4603 (KP); Millstream, 6 Dec. 1974 and 10 Oct. 1975, R. F. Black s.n. (PERTH); Southern tributary of the Fortescue River just E of Gregory Gorge, 30 Jan. 1975, R. F. Black s.n. (NSW, PERTH); About 0.5 mi (1 km) SE of Millstream Station homestead, M.l.H. Brooker 2089a (CANB, K, MEL, PERTH); 2 mi (3.4 km) E of Yampire Gorge, 22°20'S, 118°30'E, Lf. Demarz 4416 (KP, PERTH); Wittenoom Gorge, Hamersley Range, A. S. George 1068 (PERTH); 10 mi (16 km) SE of Wittenoom on Drillers Hill, July and Aug. 1971, I. L. Lethbridge s.n. (BRI, PERTH); 40 km E of Wittenoom, A. A. Mitchell 348 (PERTH, WAIT); Wittenoom Gorge, Sept. 1957, K. Stewart s.n. (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 10) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District (1:250 000 maps F50-6, 7, 11, 12; F51-5). Ranging from Millstream (21°35'S, 117°04'E) east to near Nullagine (21°53'S, 120°07'E) and extending south to the northern part of the Hamersley Range around Wittenoom Gorge (22°14'S, 118°20'E). B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 75 Habitat. Judging from the relatively few collections to hand, the species favours low rocky hills and associated stony flats in shrub-steppe dominated by ‘spinifex’ (Triodia sp.). Flowering and fruiting period. It appears as though some flowers are present during most months of the year but the main period is from about December and August. Legumes with mature seeds have been collected in late September. Specimens collected between July and September frequently possess both flowers (in bud and at anthesis) and also developing legumes. Using Pedley’s (1978) classification, A. arrecta is placed in section Plurinerves (Benth.) Maiden et Betcbe. In Bentham’s (1864) classification the species would occur in series Calamiformes (Benth.) Benth., an unnatural series not recognized by Pedley. Acacia arrecta is a distinctive species with its small, terete, ascending phyllodes, its quite large, globular flower-beads which are held erect, its erect, woody ± terete, basally narrowed, longitudinally nerved legumes and its straight, narrowly turbinate funicle-aril. These carpological features are essentially the same as those of the closely related species A. arida Benth. and A. orthocarpa F. Muell. but A. arrecta is readily distinguished by its globular (not cylindrical) flower-heads and its non- punctate phyllodes which are either narrower or shorter. In habit and general phyllode morphology the species resembles A. hilliana Maiden but is again distinguished by its globular flower-heads and also by its legumes which lack prominently thickened margins. Acacia arida, A. orthocarpa and A. hilliana are all recorded for the Hamersley Range. The specific epithet alludes to the characteristically ascending phyllodes and also to the erect inflorescences which bear legumes that are held rigidly erect. 2. Acacia atkinsiana Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 3) Acacia rhodophloia Maslin affinis a qua cortice cinereis non ‘Minni Ritchi’, etiam characteribus secundis in combinatione differt; capitulis floralibus obloideis (sub anthesi c. 10 mm longis et 8 mm latis), et leguminibus 4-6 mm latis. Typus: 1 km along South Fortescue Pipeline road (towards Mt Tom Price) from the Mt Bruce to Wittenoom road, 22°38'S, 117°59'E, Western Australia. 10 May 1980. Malcolm Trudgen 2493. “Bush 2.2m tall, spreading habit. Bark smooth, reddish brown, rough and fibrous at base of largest stems. Phyllodes dull green. Flowers yellow. Growing in stony, red-brown soil on hilltop. Veg: Triodia wiseana hummock grassland with Eucalyptus leucophloia emergents.” (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB K NY). ’ ’ Open, spreading, rounded or infundibular shrubs to 3.3 m tall and with up to c. 6 spreading-erect main stems arising from ground level, occasionally single-stemmed and with a spindly aspect, becoming bushy in regrowth situations. Bark fissured at base of main stems otherwise smooth, grey externally but reddish brown underneath. New shoots resinous, dark brownish when dry, either terminal on branchlets or if axillary then associated with inflorescences. Branchlets terete, very obscurely nerved, glabrous, apically somewhat resinous and reddish brown or light brown but becoming grey with age. Stipules deciduous, triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, thickened adaxially. Phyllodes variable, very narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate, 6-14.5 cm long. 76 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) (4)5-10(12) mm wide, length to width ratio (8.5)10-20(26), slightly curved, ascending, coriaceous hut not particularly rigid, glabrous, characteristically pale grey-green, reflecting sunlight in a ± silvery fashion, resinous (resin layer very thin and not sticky); apex possessing a brown, obtuse, knob-like callosity which is often slightly recurved, callosity very pronounced on young phyllodes; pulvinus 3-5 mm long, transversely wrinkled, yellow to brown; gland situated on upper margin of the phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus, lamina swollen about the gland, submerged, comprising a circular orifice c. 0.3 mm diam. and a very indistinct rim; longitudinal nerves numerous, very fine and close together, not anastomosing, the central nerve and normally one on either side of it slightly more evident than the rest, margins yellowish but not thickened. Inflorescences axillary, 1-2 per node, normally arising at extreme base of a rudimentary shoot which usually grows out. Peduncles 8-15 mm long, rather stout, glabrous; basal peduncular bract deciduous, triangular, c. 1-1.5 mm long, concave. Flower-heads obloid, c. 10 mm long and 8 mm wide at anthesis, somewhat resinous, c. 90-flowered, flowers densely arranged; bracteoles linear-spathulate, c. 1-1.5 mm long, lamina inflexed and resin-papillose (papillae white). Flowers predominantly 5-merous although a few 6-merous flowers are present in some heads. Calyx slightly exceeding half the length of the corolla, gamosepalous, stout, very shallowly divided into broadly triangular resin-papillose (papillae white) lobes which are visible in inflorescence buds, calyx tube ± obscurely 5-nerved and glabrous. Petals c. 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, 1-nerved. Legumes broadly linear, to 10 cm long, 4-6 mm wide, slightly curved, ± cartilaginous to firmly chartaceous, wrinkled when young, flat, barely raised over seeds, glabrous, slightly greyish brown, somewhat resinous but not sticky, abruptly narrowed at apex, basal stipe c. 5 mm long; margins slightly thickened, not constricted between seeds. Seeds longitudinal to very slightly obliquely placed in the legume, narrowly obloid or sometimes narrowly elliptic, narrowed at hilar end, 4.5-5 mm long, 2 mm wide, somewhat compressed (1 mm thick), dark brown but areolar area yellowish, not mottled, shiny; pleurogram obscure, open towards the hilum, surrounded by yellowish tissue; areole less than 0.5 mm long; funicle c. 3 mm long, flattened and membranous, gradually expanded into a convoluted creamy white aril which extends down c. 1/3 the length of the seed. Selected specimens. WESTERN AUSTRALIA; About 1 km S of Tom Price airport, K. Atkins 1209 (CANB, PERTH) and 1213 (K, PERTH); Marandoo, just S of Mount Bruce, Hamersley Range, ± 22°40'S, 118°09'E, C. Dawe M154 (CBG, PERTH); Rio Tinto Gorge, Hamersley Station, H. Demarz D5755 (KP, PERTH); 65 km W of Midstream, H. Demarz D7084 (PERTH, TLF); 75 mi (120 km) from Wittenoom towards Roebourne, B. R. Maslin 2733 (AD, MEL, NSW, PERTH); 14 mi (22.5 km) S of Robe River crossing on North West Coastal Highway, B. R. Maslin 2761 (B, BM, G, NSW, P, PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, on the Wittenoom to Juna Downs road 7.2 mi (11.5 km) S of turn-off to Mount Bruce, M. E. Trudgen 2503 and G. Marney (BRI, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 10) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District (1:250 000 maps F50-6, 7, 10, 11, 16). Extending from the vicinity of Mount Bruce in the Hamersley Range (22°36'S, 118°08'E) north-west to the North West Coastal Highway around Yarraloola Station (21°34'S, 115°53'E). Habitat. Favours rocky loam on spinifex (Triodia pungens, T. wiseana) plains and is associated with a variety of species including Acacia ancistrocarpa, A. aneura, A. pruinocarpa, Cassia spp.. Eucalyptus leucophloia, etc. Acacia atkinsiana often forms dense regrowth populations in disturbed sites such as along road verges and in burnt areas. 3 cm B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 77 Figure 3. Acacia atkinsiana. A— Portion of branch. B— Legume. C— Seed. D— Flower. A from M. E. Trudgen 2503 and G. Marney, B, C from H. Demarz D5755; D from B. R. Maslin 2761. 78 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Flowering and fruiting period. Most flowering specimens have been gathered from May to July, however, some have also been collected between December and March. From anthesis it takes about 3 months for seed to mature. Fruits with mature seeds have been collected in September and October. Acacia atkinsiana belongs to section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and is a member of the A. stowardii Maiden group of species (see species no. 11 below). The new species is most closely related to A. rhodophloia Maslin from which it is readily distinguished by its grey bark (not red and exfoliating in narrow strips which curl retrorsely from each end i.e. ‘Minni Ritchi’). Acacia rhodophloia is a variable species (Maslin, 1980) and throughout most of its range has cylindrical flower-heads, a character further distinguishing it from A. atkinsiana. However, in the region of the Murchison River (which is about 600 km south of the main area of distribution of A. atkinsiana) A. rhodophloia has flower-heads which are globular or obloid and phyllodes which are 3-8 mm wide. Flowering specimens from these populations may therefore resemble those of A. atkinsiana, but in addition to its grey bark and its more northerly distribution, the new species is recognized by its generally longer phyllodes (4-8(9) cm in the Murchison River variant of A. rhodophloia), its lack of minute, ferruginous resin-hairs on its new shoots, peduncles, calyx lobes and bracteole laminae, and by its broader legumes (2 mm wide on the Murchison River variant). The specimen, H. Demarz D7084, 65 km W of Millstream, previously cited under A. rhodophloia (Maslin, 1980) is A. atkinsiana. The species is named in honour of Mr Ken Atkins who provided much valuable field data and many specimens of Acacia from the Tom Price-Paraburdoo area. 3. Acacia bivenosa DC., Prod. 2: 452 (1825) The Hamersley Range populations of this variable species are characterized as follows. Dense, bushy shrubs to 2.5 m tall, with up to 6 spreading-erect branches arising from ground level, occasionally single-stemmed and whispy (see pendulous variant referred to below). Phyllodes obovate to narrowly elliptic, 2-5.5 cm long, 8- 15 mm wide, length to width ratio 2.5-6, bright green on new growth, fleshy and subglaucous to distinctly glaucescent when mature, finely wrinkled upon drying, 2- nerved (the principal longitudinal nerve is ± centrally situated and a minor second nerve occurs on the adaxial side of it). Inflorescences racemose but racemes normally grow out as leafy shoots, the peduncles then appearing axillary, conflorescence acropetalous, flower-heads rich golden, buds bright green. Legumes woody. As discussed by Pedley (1977) A. bivenosa is a member of a complex species-group whose centre of diversity is Western Australia. The Hamersley Range populations of A. bivenosa often have phyllodes slightly more elongate than normal for this species which according to Pedley are usually less than 3.5 times as long as wide. Seemingly when initiated the inflorescences are always racemes of which most, but usually not all, grow out as leafy shoots. This explains why on a single plant both racemes and siniple axillary heads can be observed. No plants definitely attributable to the sand- loving species A. ligulata A. Cunn. ex Benth. hav'e been observed from the Hamersley Range area. This species is very closely related to A. bivenosa and differs in its generally more elongate, 1 -nerved phyllodes and in its racemes which normally do not grow out. Pedley (l.c.) treats A. ligulata as a subspecies of A. bivenosa, however, I feel that until a thorough analysis of these two species and their allies has been 79 B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range undertaken it is preferable to treat them as distinct species. If subspecific rank is applied, then other species such as A. rostellifera Benth., A. xanthina Benth., A. tysonii Luehm. and perhaps even A. sclerosperma F. MuelL, A. ampliceps Maslin and A. salicina Lindl. would have to be considered subspecies of a single, highly polymorphic species. Judging from morphological evidence based on limited field observations, it seems that hybridity may possibly be a causal factor in contributing to the complexities observed within this species-group. Chromosomal and pollen analyses of the possible hybrids discovered so far are currently being undertaken and the results will be published elsewhere. In various places between Tom Price in the Hamersley Range and Dampier on the coast some 200 km to the north, a very attractive variant of A. bivenosa has been observed. It seemingly differs from typical A. bivenosa only in its habit (although legumes and seeds have not been seen) which is open and rather whispy. The variant is single-stemmed or sparingly branched at ground level and has delicate, characteristically pendulous branchlets. I have refrained from attributing formal rank to this variant until a detailed overall appraisal of the A. bivenosa group is undertaken. 4. Acacia cuspidifolia Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 4) Acacia victoriae Benth. affinis a qua phyllodiis pungentibus, inflorescentiis semper axillaribus differt. Etiam ad Acacia pickardii Tindale affinis a qua phyllodiis nlanis differt. Typus: 2 km south of Hill 4 East (mine) Paraburdoo, Western Australia. 28 Nov. 1980. K. Atkins 1257. “Sub-tree 3.5 m tall. Growing on a low silcrete mound in association with Acacia victoriae, Lawrencia glomerata and Enchylaena tomentosa.” (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, NY). Dense, bushy, much branched shrubs to c. 3 m diam., growing to more or less gnarled trees 3-7 m tall. Bark fibrous and fissured on main trunks. Branchlets terete, finely nerved, glabrous or sometimes sparsely puberulous, grey-green to brownish. Stipules 2-4 mm long, stout, indurate, spiny, spreading and slightly recurved, absent from some nodes. Phyllodes narrowly oblong to narrowly obovate, size rather variable, (2)3-6(7.5) cm long, 2-5 mm wide, L/W = 6-15(25), straight to slightly curved, normally medium olive green when mature, bright light green when young, glabrous to glabrescent, ± abruptly contracted at apices into fine yet sharply pungent light brown apical points c. 2 mm long; pulvinus obscure and < 0.5 mm long; midrib prominent, lateral veins fine (yet readily apparent at least when dry) and forming a sparse open reticulum; gland situated on the upper margin of the phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus or up to 5 mm above it, circular to oblong, 0.5-1 mm long, lip not prominent, an additional (smaller) gland normally present on tbe upper margin below the apical mucro. Inflorescences simple and axillary, (1)2 per node, conflorescences acropetalous i.e. inflorescences initiated within axils of young phyllodes along actively growing terminal new shoots, these subtending phyllodes reach maturity by the time the heads reach anthesis. Peduncles 15-20 mm long, glabrous or sometimes puberulous, base ebracteate at anthesis. Flower-heads globular, pale yellow, 23-32-flowered. Bracteoles linear-spathulate, 0.5-1 mm long, laminae ciliolate, claws glabrous. Flowers 5-merous. Sepals 1/3-1/2 length of petals^ free or variably united for c. 1/2 their length, this range of variation present even in a single flower-head, narrowly oblong, apically minutely puberulous. Petals c. 2.5 mm long, apically marginally minutely white-papillose otherwise glabrous, nerveless. 80 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) cuspidifolia. A Portion of branch (note recurved spiny stipules and twinned peduncles). B — Phyllode apex showing spiny apical mucro with a small gland (g) at its base. C— Flower. D~Bracteole. E — Legume. F and G — Seed showing strap-like funicle (F — side view; G — plane view). A, B from H. Demarz 2778; C, D from A. M. Ashby 4491; E-G from B. R. Maslin 2771. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 81 Legumes narrowly oblong, 4.5-9 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, chartaceous, flat, glabrous, light brown, transversely openly reticulate, slightly umbonate over seeds; margins barely thickened, yellowish, normally only very slightly constricted between the seeds but random deep constrictions do occur. Seeds positioned transversely to obliquely in the legume, broadly ellipsoid to broadly obovoid, 6-7.5 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, compressed (1.5-2 mm thick), brown, not shiny; pleurogram an elongated “u”- shape, open towards the hilum; areole c. 1.5 mm long. 0.5-1 mm wide, a darker colour than rest of the seed prior to maturity; funicle relatively thick and strap-like, normally straight but once-folded close to the hilum, not expanded into an aril. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: North West Coastal Highway between Geraldton and Carnarvon, c. 5 km S of Yaringa Station turn-off, A. M. Ashby 4491, flower specimens collected 12 Dec. 1971, fruits collected by G. Phillips from the same plant 15 April 1972 (CANB, K, MEL, PERTH); About 130 km N of Meekatharra on Great Northern Highway, K. Atkins 1264 (PERTH); West of Salt Lake, J. S. Beard 3510 (KP, PERTH); Gascoyne Junction, J. S. Beard 4366 (PERTH); 33 km along road from Mundiwindi to Mount Newman, H. Demarz 611 (KP, PERTH); 53.5 mi (85.5 km) N of Meekatharra, H. Demarz 2778 (KP, PERTH); 45 km N of Lyndon River, H. Demarz 7652 (PERTH); Dairy Creek Station, 160 mi (256 km) E of Carnarvon, R. OTarrell 48 (PERTH); Merlinleigh, between Gascoyne and Minilya Rivers, C. A. Gardner 6152 (PERTH); Wandagee, Minilya River, C. A. Gardner 6208 (PERTH); 125 km S of Carnarvon of North West Coastal Highway, B. R. Maslin 2771 (PERTH); Paraburdoo, B. R. Maslin 4653 (PERTH); 41.5 km E of North West Coastal Highway on the Carnarvon-Gascoyne Junction road, B. R. Maslin 4996 (PERTH); 24.5 km S of Gascoyne Junction on the road to Towrana Station, B. R. Maslin 5003 (PERTH); Glenburgh Station, 120 km E of Gascoyne Junction on the road to Meekatharra, B. R. Maslin 5012 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 10) North-west Western Australia in the Ashburton, Carnarvon, northern Austin and southern Fortescue Botanical Districts (1:250 000 maps F49-16; F50-13, 15; F51-13; G50-1, 5, 6, 8) extending from the vicinity of Shark Bay (c. 25°30'S, 114°E) east to near Meekatharra (26°35'S, 118°30'E) and north to the Hamersley Range. The species extends only to the southern extremity of the Hamersleys (around Paraburdoo — 23°12'S, 117°40'E) and is not a conspicuous element of the Acacia flora of the region. Habitat. Favours open floodplain areas in clay or loam. Flowering and fruiting period. Flowers from October to December; mature seed has been collected in April and June. Acacia cuspidifolia is a member of Sect. Phyllodineae DC. and has its closest affinities with the widespread, variable species A. victoriae Benth. These two species have been observed to grow sympatrically in places e.g. between Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction. The significant gross morphological features shared by the two species include their spiny stipules, their flat, 1 -nerved phyllodes, their normally twinned inflorescences, their globular, pale yellow flower-heads bearing a similar number of flowers, their ± free sepals and their large, flat, chartaceous legumes. Acacia cuspidifolia is readily distinguished from A. victoriae by its pungent phyllodes and by its inflorescences which are never racemosely arranged. Pollen studies by Ph. Guinet (pers. comm.) support a close A. cuspidifolia- A. victoriae relationship and also show these species to be closely related to A. pickardii Tindale 82 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) (which is restricted to the extreme north-east of South Australia and adjacent Northern Territory). Acacia pickardii is distinguished from these two species, and indeed from all other members of the A. victoriae group by its terete, pungent phyllodes. The specific epithet alludes to the spiny phyllode apices which are characteristic for this taxon. 5. Acacia daweana Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 5) Acacia hammondii Maiden et A. malloclada Maiden et Blakely affinis sed combinatione characterum secundarum distinguenda: fruticibus ad 1 m altis phyllodiis anguste ellipticis (3.5) 4-5.5 cm longis, 6-10 mm latis, nervis tenuibus numerosisque nervo medio (et plerumque nervo uterque latis) plus prominentibus, parce reticulatis; spicis densis; calyce breviter tomentoso. Typus: 6 km N of Marandoo (which is just south of Mount Bruce) on the road to Tom Price, 22°35'S, 118°05'E, Western Australia. 16 July 1980. B. R. Maslin 4682. “Shrub 1 m tall, stem 2-branched at base; phyllodes dull green; flower-heads bright golden. Low rocky rise in spinifex at base of rocky range.” (holo; PERTH, iso: CANB, K, NY). Low, spreading, often more or less flat-topped, dense shrubs to 1 m tall, dividing near ground level into a few to many spreading-erect, slender branches. Bark on main stems grey but near their base peeling to reveal a reddish undersurface. Branchlets terete, very finely nerved, very slightly resinous, apically yellow but becoming reddish-brown with age, shortly tomentose or shortly antrorsely strlgose but becoming glabrous with age. Stipules frequently persistent on branchlets, triangular, 1-2 mm long, 0.6-0. 8 mm wide at base, dark brown, 3-nerved (nerves sometimes obscure), adaxially appressed hairy or sometimes glabrous. Phyllodes narrowly elliptic with the upper margin slightly more convex than the lower margin, (3.5)4-5.5 cm long, 6-10 mm wide, length to width ratio 4.5-8, straight or more normally slightly curved towards the apex, rather spreading, glabrous or glabrescent (indumentum as on branchlets), medium olive green, not shiny; apical mucro thickened, acute but not pungent, normally slightly curved, brown; pulvinus 1-2 mm long, transversely wrinkled, yellowish; nerves fine with the central one (and normally one on either side of it) more evident than the rest, very sparsely anastomosing, nerves close together but the interstices broader than the width of the nerve, marginal nerve discrete and yellow; gland situated on upper margin of the phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus (or 1-3 mm above it), obscure, 0.3-0.5 mm long, lip narrow and yellowish and not significantly thickened, normally with a discrete circular or oblong central orifice. Inflorescences simple and axillary but sometimes appearing falsely racemose due to the loss of the subtending phyllode, 1 per node, somewhat clustered towards the ends of the branchlets. Peduncles 5-10 mm long, indumentum as on branchlets, base ebracteate at anthesis. Spikes light golden, flowers densely arranged, 25-40 mm long and 5-6 mm wide when dry; bracteoles linear-spathulate, minute (< 1 mm long), light or dark brown, sparsely hairy abaxially, lamina indexed and acute. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx c. 1/3 the length of the corolla, cupular, gamosepalous, shortly divided into broadly triangular lobes, shortly tomentose. Petals c. 1.7 mm long, connate for c. 1/2 their length, glabrous or sparsely shortly tomentose on lower half, obscurely 1-nerved. Ovary papillose. Legumes (immature, few seen) to 40 mm long and 7 mm wide, prominently raised over seeds. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 83 the umbo dark browit and the intervening flat area greyish brown, rather obscurely transversely reticulate, slightly viscid, sparsely shortly pilose with a mixture of white and yellow hairs; margins yellowish, constricted between the seeds. Seeds (immature) obliquely placed in the legume, ± ellipsoid, 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, light brown, not shiny; funicle-aril somewhat thickened and fleshy, convoluted yellowish, somewhat shiny. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: East side of a conical hill lying 3 km W of Mt Bruce, C. G. Dawe 210 (PERTH); 15 km N of Juna Downs on the road to Wittenoom, B. R. Maslin 4628 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 11) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District (1:250 000; F50-11). Known only from the Hamersley Range National Park where it has been collected from a low hill about 3 km west of Mount Bruce (22°36'S, ]18°08'E) and also 30 km to the south-east at about 15 km north of Juna Downs Station (22°53'S, 118°29'E). At both these localities A. daweana occurs sympatrically with A. effusa (see below). Current indications are that both these species have restricted distributions, however, much of the Hamersley Range area is poorly collected, therefore, an accurate assessment of their conservation status cannot be made at tbe present time. Habitat. As for A. effusa (see below). Flowering and fruiting period. Due to the paucity of collections the full flowering- fruiting range has not been determined. All flowering specimens to hand were gathered in mid-July. The one fruiting specimen seen possessed immature seeds and was collected in late September. Despite prolific flowering at the Mount Bruce population very little fruit was set (Chris Dawe, pers. comm.). Acacia daweana is placed in section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and on account of its persistent stipules, its narrowly elliptic, multistriate phyllodes, its long, spicate inflorescences and its gamosepalous calyx, seems best placed near A. hammondii Maiden (W.A. N.T. Qld.) and A. malloclada Maiden et Blakely (N.T.) but the relationship is not particularly close. Acacia daweana is distinguised from both these species by its broader, sparingly reticulate phyllodes, its denser spikes and its more hairy calyx. Acacia hammondii has glabrous or glabrescent branchlets and grows to a tree about 4 m tall (Pedley 1978: 155). Its phyllodes have two nerves slightly more pronounced than the rest and these are situated more or less midway between the centre of the phyllode and each of its margins. Acacia daweana on the other hand has conspicuously short-tomentose hranchlet apices, is a shrub to 1 m tall and has its phyllodes show the central nerve to be slightly more evident than the rest. Acacia malloclada apparently is not a very common species and besides the type (which is simply annotated “Northern Australia”) the only other specimen known to me is G. Chippendale 4347 collected from 2.6 mi (4 km) N of Edith River, Northern Territory (NT). According to John Maconochie (pers. comm.) the plants at this locality are spreading shrubs to 2 m tall. Although A. malloclada has quite densely hairy branchlets (hairs more or less silky and antrorse) it can be distinguished from A. daweana (in addition to the characters already noted above) by its phyllodes which are more coarsely striate and which do not have a more pronounced central nerve. The species is named in honour of Chris Dawe in appreciation of his help in collecting specimens and providing valuable field data on many of the species included in this paper. 84 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 5. Acacia daweana. A —Portion of branch. B — Phyllode with enlargement showing apex, sparsely anastomosing nerves in middle of lamina and base showing stipules (s). C — Flower. A from B. R. Maslin 4682 (the type); B, C from B. R. Maslin 4628. 1 cm B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 6. Acacia effusa Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 6) 85 Ex affinitate A. lysiphloia F. Muell. et specierum affinium sed fruitice ad 1 m alto; phyllodiis asymmetrice ellipticis ad apice rostriformibus, 9-15 mm longis, 3-7 mm latis distinguenda. Typus: 6 km N of Marandoo (which is situated just south of Mount Bruce) on the road to Tom Price, Hamersley Range, 22°35'S, 118°05'E, Western Australia. 16 July 1980. B. R. Maslin 4681. “Low, dense, spreading, sometimes flat-topped shrub to 1 m X 2-3 m; bark ‘Minni Ritchi’; phyllodes olive green, venation mealy white; spikes bright golden. Low rocky rise in spinifex at base of rocky range.” (holo; PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL). Low, dense, somewhat viscid, wide-spreading shrubs to 1 m tall and 2-3 m diam., either domed or flat-topped, stems branching at ground level. Bark “Minni Ritchi”, outer cortex grey (old trunks) or greyish red (younger branches) and exfoliating in narrow shavings which tend to curl retrorsely from each end to reveal a dull red under layer. Branchlets terete, obscurely nerved, minutely puberulous (hairs very fine, patent, ± straight or curled), becoming glabrous with age. Stipules persistent on branchlets but deciduous with age, triangular, 1-2 inm long, scarious, dark brown. Phyllodes asymmetrically elliptic with rostriform apices (i.e. rounded and ending in a laterally positioned, acute, subpungent, straight, brown mucro), 9-15 mm long, 3- 7 mm wide, length to width ratio 2-4, ± ascending, indumentum as on branchlets, olive green; with one central nerve and a second longitudinal nerve running adjacent to the thickened adaxial margin, lateral nerves anastomosing and trending longitudinally, nerves sometimes meally (observe fresh); pulvinus c. 0.5 mm long, yellowish; gland not prominent, situated on the upper margin of the phyllode 2- 4.5 mm above the pulvinus, margin sometimes shallowly indented about the gland, circular or slightly elongated, c. 0.3 mm long, lip not prominent, sometimes with a dark brown central area. Inflorescences simple and axillary, 1 per node, concentrated towards the ends of the branches. Peduncles 7-10 mm long, puberulous, base ebracteate at anthesis, often with a very small (0.5-1 mm long) appressed brown scarious bract situated on upper half of peduncles. Spikes bright golden, normally about twice as long as the peduncles (10-15 mm at anthesis or up to 25 mm when in fruit), flowers not particularly densely arranged; bracteoles subsessile, c. 0.5 mm long, laminae slightly thickened and slightly inflexed, apiculate, glabrescent. Flowers 5-merous but occasionally a few 4-merous flowers interspersed within the spikes. Calyx rather membranous, glabrescent, about 1/3 the length of the corolla, divided 1/2-2/3 its length into lobes that are apically yellow. Petals spreading at anthesis, glabrous, obscurely 1 -nerved (nerves slightly thickened at petal apices). Legumes circinate, 6-8.5 cm long (expanded length), 7-8 mm wide, thickly coriaceous, flat but slightly raised over the seeds, resinous, glabrous, dark brown, ± obscurely longitudinally reticulate; margins thickened, not (or slightly) constricted between the seed, yellowish. Seeds obliquely positioned in the legume, ellipsoid, 3 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, compressed (1 mm thick), dark tan; pleurogram circular, continuous; areole situated in the middle of the seed, 0.5 mm diam., surrounded by a definite band of yellowish tissue which is c. 0.3 mm wide; funicle filiform, c. 1 mm long, expanded into a large folded aril positioned on top of the seed and often extending about half way down one side of it, the aril is cream and membranous but becomes darker and indurate near the hilum. Nuytsia Vol. 4, No, 1 (1982) Figure 6. Acacia effusa. A — Portion of branch, B — Legume, C — Node showing phyllode subtended by stipule (gland position arrowed), D — Flower, E and F — Seed (E — side view; F — plane view), A, C, D from B. R. Maslin 4681 (the type); B, E, F from C, G. Dawe 212, Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Just west of the base of Mount Bruce, C. G. Dawe 008 (PERTH); East side of conical hill, 3 km W of Mt. Bruce, 22°35’S, 118°05’E, C. G. Dawe 212 (BRI, CANB, K, PERTH); 15 km N of Juna Downs on the road to Wittenoom, B. R. Maslin 4627 (PERTH); North-east slope of Mount Bruce, R. Pullen 10.940 (AD); Gully at base of south side of Mount Bruce, Hamersley Range National Park, 22°36’S, 118°07'E, M. E. Trudgen 319 (BRI, PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, western foot of Mount Bruce, 17 Aug, 1974, J, H. Willis s.n, (MEL 503364, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 11) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District (1:250 000:F50-11). Known only from the Hamersley Range National Park where it has been collected from around the base of Mount Bruce (22°36'S, 118°08'E) and also 30 km to the south-east at about 15 km north of Juna Downs Station (22°53'S, 118°29'E). According to the collector’s notes on C. G. Dawe 008 the species is common between Mount Bruce and Wittenoom Gorge (22°14'S, 118°20'E). At the localities from where collections have been made, A. effusa is locally abundant and occurs sympatrically with A. daweana (see above). Current indications are that both these species have restricted distributions. However, much of the Hamersley Range area is poorly collected, therefore an accurate assessment of the conservation status of these species cannot be made at the present time. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 87 Habitat. Among spinifex {Triodia sp.) in rocky red loam on the lower scree slopes of low ranges and in particular along creek lines where these watercourses leave the hills. Acacia effusa seemingly does not extend far up the rocky slopes nor does it spread far along the alluvial flats where the creeks run into broad valleys. Flowering and fruiting period. Judging from the specimens at hand the flowering period extends from about May to August. Legumes with slightly immature seeds have been collected in late September. Acacia effusa belongs to section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and is related to A. lysiphloia F. Muell. and its allies (i.e. A. chisholmii F. M. Bailey, A. gracillima Tindale and A. tracbycarpa E. Pritzel). These arid zone-subtropical* species all have “Minni Ritchi” bark (i.e. reddish and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end), persistent stipules, few-nerved mucronulate phyllodes, viscid flat reticulate often circinate legumes with thickened margins, and obliquely positioned, dark coloured seeds with small continuous areoles that are surrounded by a narrow band of pale coloured tissue. Acacia effusa is readily distinguished from other members of the A. lysiphloia group by its low, diffuse habit and by its small, asymmetrically elliptic phyllodes (normally long and linear in the other species). Acacia monticola J. M. Black is another “Minni Ritchi” species that is not too distantly removed from the A. lysiphloia group but is readily recognized by its short, broad phyllodes (12-30 mm long and 5-15 mm wide) and its normally globular (not spicate) flower-heads. Both A. monticola and A. trachycarpa occur in the Hamersley Range. Aspects of speciation in Acacia, including the A. lysiphloia group, are discussed in Hopper and Maslin (1978) and Maslin and Hopper (in press). The specific epithet refers to the characteristic wide-spreading growth habit of this species. 7. Acacia exilis Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 7) Acacia tenuissima F. Muell. affinis a qua ramulis non resinocostatis, phyllodiis 14- 18 cm longis, spicis minus confertis perflavidis (magis aureis), leguminis 4-5 mm latis, funiculo-arillo albido differ!. Typus: Hamersley Range National Park, 8.1 km from Milli Milli Springs towards Coppin Pool, Western Australia. 7 May 1980. Malcolm Trudgen 2413. “A bush 2.5 m tall with several stems. Bark grey, reddish on upper branchlets, twigs orange. Flowers yellow. Phyllodes quite soft. Veg: Triodia grassland with Eucalyptus cf. oleosa (MET 2412) mallee and Acacia. Soil light brown loam (calcrete area).” (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NY). Shrubs or small trees 3-4 m tall, either single-stemmed or with up to c. 6 main trunks arising from ground level, main trunks and branches with an ascending aspect, crowns normally rather dense and bushy. Bark fibrous and longitudinally fissured on main trunks but smooth on branches and branchlets, grey except on branchlets which are light brown or red-brown. Branchlets terete, very obscurely nerved, not resin-ribbed, glabrous. New shoots glabrous, resinous when very young. Stipules deciduous. Phyllodes filiform, 14-18 cm long, c. 1 mm diam., terete, ascending, not rigid, slightly curved to very shallowly serpentinous, pale subglaucous, * Subtropical is used here in a climatological sense (see Maslin and Hopper, in press). 16559 — ( 7 ) 88 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No, 1 (1982) glabrous except on upper side of the pulvinus at its extreme base which is densely minutely villous, uniformly longitudinally multistriate; narrowed at apices into normally delicately hooked, light brown, non-pungent points; pulvinus c. 3 mm long, orange, wrinkled; gland situated on upper surface of phyllode at distal end of pulvinus, very indistinct, submerged, phyllode lamina normally very slightly swollen about the gland. Inflorescences normally twinned and with a new shoot developing from within the axil, the subtending phyllode often deciduous by the fruiting stage. Spikes light golden, 1-2 cm long, flowers somewhat distant; bracteoles minute (c. 0.3 mm long), puberulous, claws oblong, laminae inflexed. Peduncles 10-13 mm long, glabrous, base ebracteate at anthesis. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx cupular, 1/4- 1/3 the length of the corolla, membranous, sinuate-toothed with widely triangular non- thickened lobes, white-villous. Petals 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous, very obscurely 1- nerved. Legumes (slightly immature) narrowly oblong, to 7 cm long, 4-5 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, gently curved, flat but slightly raised over the seeds, glabrous, greyish brown; margins constricted between the seeds. Seeds (slightly immature) longitudinally positioned in the legume, obloid-ellipsoid, 4-4.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, compressed, dark brown but with a yellow central portion, not shiny; pleurogram “u”-shaped, open towards the hilum; areole c. 0.6 mm long and 0.4 mm wide; funicle much convoluted, flattened, membranous, whitish, imperceivably passing into the aril. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Tom Price, 0.8 km from minesite entrance, K. Atkins 1221 (CANB, K, PERTH); Marra Mamba area, Fortescue River, Hamersley Range, J. V. Blockley 291 (PERTH); Hamersley Ranges, 22°40'S, 117°43'E, M. Cole WA5097 (PERTH); 27 km from Tom Price on the road to Paraburdoo, B. R. Maslin 4666 (BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NY, PERTH, WAIT); 20 km S of Tom Price-Dampier rail crossing on the Wittenoom-Nanutarra road, B. R. Maslin 4672 (PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, 4.8 km from Milli Midi Springs towards Coppin Pool, M. E. Trudgen 2407 (BM, G. NT, P, PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, 1.4 km south-west of hut at Coppin Pool, M. E. Trudgen 2548 (AD, BRI, NSW, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 11) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District. (1:250 000 map F50-11). Known only from a restricted area of the Hamersley Range from Hamersley Station (22°17'S, 117°41'E) south-east to Coppin Pool (22°53'S, 118°08'E). Habitat. Low, undulating, rocky hills in ferruginous soil derived from the Marra Mamba and Brockman Iron Formations (de la Hunty, 1965). Some of the species recorded in association with A. exilis include A. aneura, A. maitlandii, A, spondylophylla, Burtonia polyzga, Calytrix longifolia and Goodenia scaevolina. The ground cover is dominated by species of ‘spinifex’ (Triodia sp.) Flowering and fruiting periods. Flowers from May to July; legumes with near-mature seeds have been collected in late September. Acacia exilis is placed in section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and is most closely allied to the widespread and zone-subtropical* species A. tenuissima F. Muell. (W .A., N.T., Qld.). Although both species occur in the Hamersley Range they have not been observed to grow sympatrically. Acacia exilis is distinguished from A. tenuissima by its branchlet apices which are not resin-ribbed, its normally longer phyllodes (14-18 cm compared with 6-15 cm), its longer spikes (10-20 mm compared with 5-10 mm) which are a light golden colour (paler yellow in A. tenuissima) and * Subtropical is used here in a climatological sense (see Maslin and Hopper, in press). B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 89 Figure 7. Acacia exilis. A— Phyllode base showing gland (g) and pulvinus (p). B— Flower. C— Portion of branch, D— Seed. E— Legume (slightly immature). A from J. V. Bhcklev 291; B from M, K. Trudgen 2413 (the type); C from B. R. Maslin 4666; D, E from M Cole WA5097, 90 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) which possess flowers that are less densely arranged, its broader legumes (4-5 mm compared with 2-3 mm) and its whitish funicle-aril (funicle-aril drying yellow in A. tenuissima). Although A. tenuissima can reach 4 m tall (Pedley, 1978), in the Hamersley Range it is generally a shrub not exceeding about 2 m in height. Acacia exilis on the other hand is a taller shrub or small tree up to 4 m high. In the field, flowering plants of A. exilis may superficially resemble A. aneura F. Muell. ex Benth. (the two species occur sympatrically in places), however, the new species is readily distinguished by its longer, lighter green phyllodes (grey-green in A. aneura), by its less dense flower-heads and by its long, narrow legumes. The specific epithet refers to the slender, lax phyllodes. 8. Acacia hamersleyensis Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 8) Acacia tumida F. Muell. ex Benth., A. citrinoviridis Tindale et Maslin et A. xiphophylla E. Pritzel affinis sed combinatione characterum secundarum distinguenda: phyllodiis plerumque leviter falcatis 8-14 cm longis, 1-1. 5(2) cm latis, demum glabris, manifeste subtiliter nervatis; inflorescentiis axillaribus (non racemosis); spicis densis, 3-6 cm longis, 6-8 mm latis; leguminibus breviter pilosis, planis, non rugosis differt. Typus: Rhodes Ridge, Hamersley Range, ± 23°06'S, 119°25'E, Western Australia. 10 Aug. 1973. M. E. Trudgen 391. “A bush 2.5 m tall. Bark on lower stems silver-grey and somewhat fissured, higher up bark is grey-brown. Older phyllodes slightly glaucous, others medium green. Quite common on stony ground just above small breakaway on the south side of a ridge (forming a thicket at top of ridge).” (holo; PERTH; iso: CANB, K). Spreading, open shrubby trees 3.5-4 m tall, often rather slender and with a whispy aspect when young, single-stemmed or sparingly branched at ground level (with up to 6 spreading-erect stems when young). Bark grey, normally fibrous and fissured on main stems especially near their base, smooth on branches. New shoots very pale citron-sericeous when very young. Branchlets terete but angular towards the apices, finely ribbed, marked with distant scars of fallen phyllodes, glabrous or sometimes glabrescent towards the apices, sometimes pruinose. Stipules deciduous. Phyllodes normally slightly falcate and tapered equally at both ends, slightly asymmetric with the upper margin more convex than the lower margin, 8-14 cm long, 1-1. 5(2) cm wide, length to width ratio 6-12, coriaceous, normally speading, glabrous except when young, subglaucous to distinctly glaucescent, light green when young, the acuminate apices narrowing to blunt callose points which are slightly hooked; longitudinal nerves numerous, very fine and close together, neither anastomosing nor basally confluent, c. 3 nerves yellowish and slightly more evident than the rest, marginal nerve discrete and yellowish; pulvinus distinct, 5-10 mm long, conspicuously wrinkled, normally glabrous, light orange, depressed and slightly dilated at the base; gland situated on the upper margin of the phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus, lamina slightly swollen about the gland, submerged, comprising a circular or oblong pore (0.3-0.6 mm long) and a very obscure rim. Inflorescences simple and axillary but often falsely racemose at the ends of the branches due to phyllode reduction, 1-2 per node, clustered at ends ol branches. Peduncles 4-10 mm long, thick, longitudinally wrinkled, ± sparsely puberulous, base ebracteate at anthesis. Receptacle sparsely resinous-papillose. Spikes bright medium golden, 3-6 cm long, 6-8 mm wide, flowers B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range. 91 densely arranged; bracteoles linear-spathulate, c. 1 mm long, densely villous, lamina inflexed. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx 1/2-2/3 length of corolla, divided for 1/3-2/3 its length into oblong lobes which are apically thickened and yellowish, calyx tube obscurely 5-nerved and normally brownish, white-villous (indumentum often dense). Petals 2.5 mm long, connate for c. 1/2 their length, glabrous or glabrescent, obscurely 1 -nerved. Legumes often clustered on receptacles, narrowly oblong, to 8 cm long, 5- 8 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, slightly undulate, slightly resinous, raised over the seeds, very obscurely reticulate, shortly pilose (hairs pale golden when young but whitish at maturity), medium brown, abruptly narrowed at apex, basal stipe 3-7 mm long; margins thickened, yellowish or light brown, not (or sometimes slightly) constricted between the seeds. Seeds obliquely placed in the legume, obloid to ellipsoid, 4-4.5 mm long, 2.5-3. 5 mm wide, slightly compressed (c. 2 mm thick), light greyish brown with pale coloured tissue surrounding the areole, reasonably shiny; pleurogram obscure, continuous or “u”-shaped and open towards the hilum; areole minute, 0.2-0.5 mm wide; funicle filiform, expanded into a very pale yellow fleshy folded aril positioned on top of the seed. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Tom Price townsite, K. Atkins 445 (PERTH); Upper slopes of Mt Nameless, Tom Price, K, Atkins 1225 (K, PERTH) and 1240 (MEL, PERTH); Above Devil’s staircase, 22°15'S, 118°20'E, J. Blockley 378 (KP); Hamersley Ranges, 22°30'S, 117°43'E, M. Cole WA5006 (PERTH); Marandoo Ridge (first ridge S of Mt Bruce), Hamersley Range, C. Dawe Ml 12 (PERTH, TLF, WAIT); Creek crossing on main Marandoo-Tom Price road, c. 4 km N of Marandoo and immediately west of Mount Bruce, C. G. Dawe 218 (CANB, PERTH); Mount Whaleback, Newman, B. R. Maslin 4586 (PERTH, WAIT); Rhodes Ridge, 53.5 km NW of Newman on the road to Juna Downs, B. R. Maslin 4609 (PERTH); 89 km NW’ of Newman on the road to Juna Downs, B. R. Maslin 4621 (PERTH); Wittenoom Gorge, 4 km S of Wittenoom township, B. R. Maslin 4630 (PERTH); Dales Gorge Lookout, Hamersley Range, B. R. Maslin 4646 (PERTH); Top of Hancock Gorge, Hamersley Range, B. R. Maslin 4677 (PERTH); 4 km N of Marandoo (just S of Mt Bruce) on the road to Tom Price, B. R. Maslin 4683 (BRI, NSW, NY, PERTH); In gully near base of south side of Mount Bruce, Hamersley Range, 22°37'S, 118°07'E, M. E. Trudgen 327; Rhodes Ridge, Hamersley Range, M. E. Trudgen 391 (PERTH); An unnamed gorge in the Hamersley Range, + 22°25'S, 118°00'E, M. E. Trudgen 1042 (PERTH); Marandoo Ridge, Hamersley Range, + 22°40'S. 118°09'E, M. E. Trudgen 1045 (PERTH); “Manganese” gully, Marandoo Ridge, Hamersley Range, + 22‘’40'S, 118°09'E, M. E. Trudgen 1151 (MEL, PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, Marandoo Ridge (first ridge south of Mt Bruce) on south side, 200 m east of “Grimace Gulch”, M. E. Trudgen 2263 (CANB, PERTH); Mount Whaleback, Newman, K. Walker 95 (CBG, MEL, NSW, PERTH), 96 (PERTH) and 97 (PERTH); Ophthalmia Range, 23°39'S, 119°43'E, K. Walker 113 (PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, SW declivities of Mount Bruce at c. 3 500 ft. alt., 17 Aug. 1974, J. H. Willis s.n. (PERTH-dup. of MEL 503366). Distribution. (Figure 11) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue Botanical District (1:250 000 maps F50-11, 12, 16). Known only from the Hamersley Range area where it extends from Mount Newman (23°16'S, 119°34'E) west to Paraburdoo (23°12'S, 117°40'E) and north to the vicinity of Mount Brockman (22°28'S, 117°18'E). Habitat. Seems restricted to ferruginous soils where it normally grows on the ridges and the upper slopes of ranges. It not uncommonly forms groves, especially along watercourses leading from the ranges. Along the high ridges A. hamersleyensis 5 cm 92 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 8. Acacia hamersleyensis. A — Portion of branch. B — Flower. C — Seed. D — Legume (side and plane views), A from M. E. Trudgen 391 (the type); B from B. R. Maslin 4630; C, D from C, G. Dawe 218. B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range. 93 frequently assumes a spindly habit and can be seen in places e.g. Mount Newman, Wittenoom Gorge, to form a whispy band silhouetted against the sky. The species grows in “spinifex” country e.g. Plectrachne schinzii, Triodia pungens, T. lanigera and T. wiseana in association with other Acacia species e.g. A. aneura, A. pruinocarpa, A. maitlandii and Eucalyptus species e.g. Eucalyptus gamophylla, E. leucophloia and E. dichromophloia. Flowering and fruiting period. Flowering commences in July and extends until about late August. Legumes with mature seeds have been collected from late September to early November. Acacia hamersleyensis belongs to section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and appears to have affinities with the more widely distributed species A. tumida F. Muell. ex Bentb., A. citrinoviridis Tindale et Maslin and A. xiphophylla E. Pritzel. Acacia tumida is common in tropical/subtropical W.A. and N.T. but in the Hamersley Range area it is relatively uncommon and, unlike A. hamersleyensis is mainly confined to watercourses. Both this species and A. hamersleyensis are tall shrubs or small trees with long spicate inflorescences, with glabrous, sometimes pruinose mature branchlets, and with large, glabrous, sometimes glaucescent, multistriate phyllodes which are tapered equally at both ends. Acacia hamersleyensis is distinguished from A. tumida by its often narrower, less conspicuously falcate phyllodes, its axillary (not racemose), broader spikes and by its non-wrinkled, shortly pilose legumes. Acacia citrinoviridis (“river jam”), is also normally restricted to watercourses. Compared with A. hamersleyensis it is a taller, more graceful tree (to 8 m) which seemingly flowers mainly between April and July. Acacia citrinoviridis has generally narrower, more falcate phyllodes which have an appressed, citron or silvery indumentum until intermediate age (indumentum very quickly lost in A. hamersleyensis), it has densely golden puberulous peduncles and receptacles and densely appressed (not patent), citron or silvery sericeous young legumes. Acacia xiphophylla (“snakewood”) and A. hamersleyensis are small spreading trees (although more gnarled in the former species) with long, spicate inflorescences and with phyllodes of a similar shape and size. Acacia xiphophylla occurs on low lying alluvial flats and flowers mainly between September and February. Morphologically A. hamersleyensis is distinguished from A. xiphophylla by its more obviously nerved phyllodes (observe at xlO mag.), its dense spikes, its larger, more deeply divided calyx wbicb is never golden puberulous, its smaller, pilose legumes and its smaller, less compressed, oblique seeds. In A. xiphophylla the legumes are glabrous and can reach 21 cm long and are 1-1.5 cm wide, its longitudinally arranged seeds are 9- 11 mm long, 7-10 mm wide, almost orbicular and are distinctly flattened. Although both species have yellow sericeous new’ shoots when first initiated, in A. hamersleyensis these quickly pass to glabrous bright green young phyllodes which in turn become subglaucous to distinctly glaucescent. In A. xiphophylla on the other hand the sericeous indumentum turns silver and persists for a considerable time, the mature phyllodes tend to be more coriaceous and never distinctly glaucescent. The specific epithet refers to the fact that the species is known only from the Hamersley Range area. 94 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 9. Acacia marramamba Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 9) Acacia inaequilatera Domin affinis a qua cortice fibrosa; remulis non-pruinosis, phyllodiis 2-4 cm longis, 1-2 cm latis, vix undulatis, pallide-viridis vel subglaucis, obscure reticulatis, axibus racemorum pedunculisque rubiginosis, legumis leviter arcuatis, funiculo brevissimo differ!. Typus: Marandoo Ridge (first ridge south of Mount Bruce), Hamersley Range, ± 22°40’S, 118°09’E, Western Australia. 24 June, 1975. Malcolm Trudgen 1338. “A dense bush 2-2 ''2 metres high, fairly spreading. Bark grey-brown, smooth, dull. Branchlets red, flower stalks red, leaves dull whitish green. Growing with Triodia and other Acacia species in stony red loam.” (holo: PERTH; iso; CANB, K). Spreading shrubby trees 2-3 (5) m tall, becoming ± gnarled and straggly with age, trunks sparingly divided near ground level. Bark not corky, fibrous and slightly fissured at base of main trunks otherwise smooth, grey on trunks and branches but red-brown, light brown or orange on branchlets. Branchlets terete, finely ribbed, marked with raised scars of fallen phyllodes, glabrous, not pruinose. Stipules indurate, spinescent, 2-4(7) mm long, patent, straight, brown, often absent from some nodes especially with age. Phyllodes asymmetrically elliptic, very unequal- sided with the upper margin longer and much more convex than the lower, 2-4 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, length to width ratio 1.2-3, coriaceous, barely undulate, glabrous, pale green to subglaucous, not conspicuously pruinose, + abruptly acuminate and ending in a straight sharp brown point 1-3 mm long, narrowed towards the base, margins yellowish; principal nerve situated near lower margin, raised, yellowish, lateral nerves obscure and tardily anastomosing; pulvinus c. 1 mm long, wrinkled, slightly dilated at base, brownish; gland situated on upper margin of phyllode at distal end of the pulvinus or up to 1 mm above it, oblong, c. 0.8 mm long, lip yellow and very slightly raised, lacking a distinct central orifice. Racemes acropetalous, 1-2 per node, greatly exceeding the phyllodes, 6-15 cm long, concentrated towards the ends of the branches, the axes together with the peduncles glabrous and red-brown. Peduncles twinned along raceme axes, 1-2 cm long, base ebracteate and very slightly dilated. Flower-heads globular, light to medium golden, the red-brown petals often visible through the stamens in the centre of the heads at anthesis, 25-35-flowered; bracteoles linear-spathulate, c. 1 mm long, glabrescent. Flowers 5-merous. Sepals united at their extreme base, linear-spathulate, c. 1/2 length of petals, glabrous, apically light brown otherwise normally colourless. Petals 1.5-2. 5 mm long, connate for c. 2/3 their length, the free portion red-brown, glabrous. Legumes narrowly oblong, to 7.5 cm long, 7-8 mm wide, ± chartaceous, slightly curved, slightly undulate, raised over seeds (umbo wrinkled), glabrous, slightly shiny, light brown (yellow-brown prior to maturity); margins narrow, barely constricted between the seeds. Seeds mostly oblique in the legume although some may be longitudinal, widely ellipsoid to almost orbicular, 4.5-5 mm long, c. 4 mm wide, slightly compressed, black, dull; pleurogram very obscure, represented by a shallowly curved line c. 0.5 mm long which is situated near the top of the seed; funicle thickly filiform, expanded into a clavate aril which extends down about 1/4 the length of the seed. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Northern end of the Mount Beasley group of mountains, S of Mt. Beasley itself, between Meekatharra and Mount Labouchere on the road to Mount Augustus, 2 May 1981, M. I. Blackwell 10 (PERTH); Hamersley Range, (Mt.) Brockman, 22°32'S, 117°14’E, M. Cole WA5068 (PERTH); Rhodes Ridge, 53.5 km NW of Newman on the road to Juna Downs, B. R. Maslin 4610 (K, MEL, NY, PERTH, WAIT); Paraburdoo, B. R. Maslin 4660 B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 95 Figure 9. Acacia marramamba. A— Node showing spiny stipules and phyllode base. B— Portion of branch C — h lower. D and E — Seed (D — plane view; E — side view). F — Legume. ^ '^^'^dgen 2631; C from M. E. Trudgen 1338 (the type)- D-F from A. A. Mitcnetl 269. 96 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) (PERTH); 16 km S of Kumarina Hotel on Great Northern Highway, B. R. Maslin 4965 (PERTH); 50 km N of Mt Vernon Hst. and S of Mininer Stn., A. A. Mitchell 76/186 (PERTH); 50 km N of Tangadie Station, A. A. Mitchell 269 (CANB, PERTH); 20 km E of Prairie Downs Hst., Upper Ashburton, A. A. Mitchell 341 (PERTH); Marandoo Ridge, Hamersley Range, ± 22°40'S, 118°09'E, M. E. Trudgen 1049 (PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, 4.6 mi (7.5 km) south on track to Turee Creek from the Juna Downs to Coppin Pool track, M. E. Trudgen 2576 (NSW, PERTH); Hamersley Range National Park, small unnamed hill on the north side of Mount Trevarton, M. E. Trudgen 2631 (BM, BRI, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 11) North-west Western Australia in the Fortescue and northern Ashburton Botanical Districts (1:250 000 maps F50-11, 15, 16; G50-4, 8). Most collections are from the Hamersley Range area from about Mount Brockman (22°28’S, 117°18’E) east to Rhodes Ridge (23°05’S, 119°22’E), however, the species does extend south into the Ashburton River basin. Although not forming locally dense populations, the species is not uncommon throughout its area of distribution. Habitat. In the Hamersley Range area the species grows on low hills the rocks of which normally belong to the Marra Mamba Iron Formation (Macleod, 1966). Soils are skeletal and comprise highly ferruginous red-brown loam. The associated vegetation is Acacia shrubland e.g. A. aneura, A. pruinocarpa, A. maitlandii, A. stowardii, with a Triodia wiseana ground cover. Flowering and fruiting period. Flowers from May to July. Legumes with immature seeds have been collected in late August. It is probable that these seeds would have reached maturity by about late September. Acacia marramamba belongs to Sect. Phyllodineae DC. and is mostly closely allied to the Western Australia — Northern Territory arid zone species A. inaequilatera Domin. Both these taxa are small trees with spiny stipules, distinctly asymmetric, pungent phyllodes and long terminal racemes with brightly coloured axes. Although the two species sometimes occur sympatrically in the Hamersley Range, .4. marramamba is readily distinguished by its smooth or fibrous (not corky) bark, its non-pruinose branchlets, its normally smaller, less undulate, pale green to subglaucous phyllodes with their very obscure lateral venation (phyllodes in A. inaequilatera are 2.5-7 cm long, 1.5-3. 5 cm wide, often grey-green, and always with a prominent reticulum), its red-brown raceme axes and peduncles (not purple), its slightly curved legumes (not circinate) and its funicle which does not encircle the seeds. The specific epithet refers to the Marra Mamba Iron Formation on which the species is frequently found. 10. Acacia pyrifolia DC., Prodr. 2: 452 (1925). Type: Nouvelle Hollande, cote Orient, Mus. de Paris 1821 (holo: G-DC; iso: K, P). Acacia clementii Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 812 (1926), non Maiden et Blakely (1928) syn. nov. Lectotype (here selected): N.W. Australia. Between the Ashburton and De Grey rivers. E. Clement s.n. (PR527758 — right hand specimen on the sheet; iso: K, PR — left hand specimen on sheet no. 527758). Lectoparatypes: (1) Western Australia: Between the Ashburton and Yule Rivers. E. Clement (K — vegetative specimens on the sheet are A. pyrifolia, seeds are those of A. inaequilatera); (2) Bay of Rest, Dampier’s Archipelago, Feb. 1818, A. Cunningham s.n. (K). B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 97 The name A. clementii Domin was based on three collections. The species was distinguished from A. pyrifolia by its coriaceous phyllodes and by its funicles which completely encircle the seeds. I have examined the holotype of A. pyrifolia and also all syntypes of A. clementii and can detect no substantial differences between them. Although A. pyrifolia in the broad sense (here I would include A. morrisonii Domin) does exhibit some phyllode textural variability (i.e. some can be more coriaceous than others) this is not a significant or diagnostic taxonomic character. The seeds which Domin described under A. clementii are at Kew and are included in a packet with the Clement (sterile) specimens collected from between the Ashburton and Yule rivers. The vegetative material on this sheet readily falls within the natural range of variation for A. pyrifolia. In the seed packet, besides the seeds themselves, are loose phyllodes some of which are referable to A. inaequilatera Domin. The seed differences between A. pyrifolia and A. inaequilatera are based primarily on the length of the funicle which completely encircles the seed in a double fold in A. inaequilatera but is much shorter in A. pyrifolia. There are some seeds in the above- mentioned packet which have funicles completely encircling them, although on most the funicle has been broken-off. Apparently what has happened is that under the name A. clementii Domin described foliage and flowers of A. pyrifolia and seeds of his own new species, A. inaequilatera. 11. Acacia stowardii group Seven species are currently ascribed to this taxonomically complex species-group viz. A. adsurgens Maiden et Blakely, A. atkinsiana Maslin, A. duriuscula W. V. Fitzg., A. kempeana F. Muell. (syn. A. sihirica S. Moore), A. nelsonii Maslin, A. rhodophloia Maslin and A. stowardii Maiden (syn. A. clivicola Pedley). More than half of these species are wide-ranging arid zone taxa (Maslin and Pedley, in press), and all but A. duriuscula and A. nelsonii are recorded for the Hamersley Range area. The members of this group are characterized by their non-anastomosing, finely multistriate phyllodes with nerves very close together, their obloid or cylindrical (rarely globular) flower-heads, their gamosepalous, shortly dissected calyxes and their flat, linear to oblong, chartaceous to ± cartilaginous legumes. Difficulties encountered in distinguishing certain members of the A. stowardii group have been noted under A. atkinsiana above and also in Maslin (1980) and Pedley (1981). The species are distinguished principally by their phyllode and legume dimensions, their seed orientation and their bark and flower-head characteristics. However, it is evident from both field and herbarium studies that considerable variation exists in certain of these morphological features. Additionally, many of the species superficially resemble one another, especially when viewed on herbarium sheets. For these reasons the following notes are provided as a guide to the variation and as an aid to identification for species from the Hamersley Range area. Undoubtedly more intensive field and laboratory studies are required in order to fully resolve the taxonomic complexities within this group. 11a. A. adsurgens Maiden et Blakely The salient features of the Hamersley Range specimens referred to this species are: Phyllodes narrowly linear, 11-20 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, pale subglaucous, finely multistriate with the central nerve slightly more evident than the other nerves. Spikes pale yellow, flowers densely arranged. Calyx gamosepalous, more than half the length of the corolla. Legumes unknown. 98 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) The characters given above accord with those of A. adsurgens (see Maslin, 1981), however, legumes from the Hamersley Range populations are required to confirm the identification. This species is superficially very similar to the long, linear phyllode forms of A. stowardii (see below) but can be distinguished by its generally longer and slightly broader phyllodes with a slightly pronounced central nerve, its denser, paler yellow spikes and its slightly longer calyx. llb. A. atkinsiana Maslin See species no. 2 above. llc. A. kempeana F. Muell. (syn. A. sibirica) This widespread arid zone species is not common in the Hamersley Range area having been recorded only from Marandoo which is situated near the base of Mount Bruce. Acacia kempeana is most closely allied to A. stowardii from which it is distinguished mainly by its broader phyllodes and legumes and its transverse to obliquely transverse seeds (see key to species above). Pedley (1978) reports that where the ranges of the two species adjoin in north-western Queensland intermediates sometimes occur. Judging from some specimens seen, it seems probable that intermediates between A. kempeana and A. stowardii also occur within the Hamersley Range area. More intensive field studies (in particular to gather fruiting rnaterial) are required in order to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between these two species in the Hamersleys. lid. A. rhodophloia Maslin As noted previously (Maslin, 1980) A. rhodophloia is a variable species. The Hamersley Range populations of this species possess phyllodes that are narrowly elliptic (often linear elsewhere) and which range from 4.5-6.5 cm long and 5-8 mm wide with a length to width ratio of 6-13. Sometimes A. stowardii (see below) has phyllodes similar to this but A. rhodophloia is readily distinguished by its “Minni Ritchi’ bark (i.e. red and exfoliating in narrow shavings which curl retrorsely from each end) and also by its flower-heads which are broader and with flowers more densely arranged. Additionally, the calyx on A. rhodophloia slightly exceeds half the length of the corolla whereas on A. stowardii it is as long as, or shorter than, half the corolla. Flowering specimens of A. rhodophloia from the Murchison River area may superficially resemble A. atkinsiana (see species no. 2 above). 1 le. A. stowardii Maiden (syn. A. clivicola Pedley) This species is recognized by its grey bark, its finely multistriate phyllodes, its light golden spikes with flowers not densely arranged, its gamosepalous calyx which does not exceed c. 1/2 the length of the corolla, its chartaceous legumes which are from 4-9(10) mm wide and its longitudinal to longitudinally oblique seeds. As noted by Pedley (1978) under A. clivicola (= A. stowardii), the normal range in phyllode size for this species is from (2)3-6(7) cm long and (0.7)l-3(4) mm wide. Acacia stowardii in the Hamersley Range area is very variable with respect to its phyllodes which are often longer and/or broader than normal. In some populations the phyllodes are of a constant size but in others considerable variation has been observed. For example, on the collection B. R. Maslin 4605 and 4605A (which is B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range referable to variant 2 below) from 38 km NW of Newman, the phyllodes varied from 5-7(9) cm long, 2-4(6-7) mm wide and had a length to width ratio of 10-18(22-35). On the basis of phyllode dimensions, two variants of A. stowardii from the Hamersley Range area are described below. It is noted, however, that the distinction between these two variants may well be artificial and that future sampling will show a continuum from one to the other. 1. Phyllodes narrowly linear, (6)8-12.5 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, length to width ratio 30-120, uniformly finely multistriate. Of restricted distribution being recorded only from Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Marandoo areas. This variant superficially resembles A. adsurgens (see 11a. above for distinguishing characters). 2 Phyllodes broadly linear to very narrowly elliptic, 4.5-9(10-12.5) cm long, 2-8 mm wide, length to width ratio 9-20(25-35). Widespread in the Hamersley Range area and has also been collected from the Rudall River area about 400 km to the east. Broad phyllode individuals may resemble either A. kempeana or A. rbodophloia (see 11c. and ild. above). The bark on this variant is grey and is normally fissured near the base of the main trunks. On a few plants, however, the bark on the main trunks, although externally grey, exfoliates in a manner not dissimilar to the “Minni Ritchi” bark of A. rbodophloia and reveals a smooth, red underlayer. 12. Acacia trachycarpa E. Pritzel, Bot. Jb. 35:308 (1904). Lectotype (here selected): Harding River, Roebourne, 18 Apr. 1901, L. Diels 2755 (PERTH ex Museo Botanico Berolinensis). Lectoparatype: Near Roebourne, April 1901, E. Pritzel 279 (B, DBN, E, K, L, M, P, PR). This collection is A. arida Benth. A gonocarpa var. lasiocalyx F. Muell., Plants of North-Western Australia. Part 1. 8 (1881). Type citation: “Yule and Fortescue Rivers. Jones’ Creek and Georges River, J. Forrest" (n.v.). Acacia trachycarpa is a “Minni Ritchi” species common throughout the Pilbara Region (i.e. Fortescue Botanical District) particularly along creeks and rivers. The original description was based on two syntypes viz. Diels 2755 and Pritzel 279. The former collection which is in flower has been selected as the lectotype because it accords well with the protologue and because it is representative of the taxon currently understood as A. trachycarpa. No specimen of Diels 21 bb has been located at Berlin (B). The only duplicate of this collection known to me is at PERTH, it therefore has been selected as the type. Pritzel 279 is also a flowering collection but it differs from the original description with respect to its phyllodes which are minutely punctulate (not mentioned in the protologue) and nerveless (prominently 1-3-nerved in protologue). Pritzel 279 in fact is A. arida Benth. No fruiting syntype of A. trachycarpa has been located even though legumes were described in the protologue. The carpological description is comprehensive and almost certainly refers to A. trachycarpa sensu lectotypico but definitely not to A. arida. In view of these facts it is surprising to find in some herbaria e.g. DBN, M and PR, specimens of Pritzel 279 originally named A. arida but redetermined by Pritzel himself as A. trachycarpa. Acacia gonocarpa var. lasiocarpa is queried as a synonym of A. trachycarpa mainly because I have not seen the type. The original description, although brief, enables me to be reasonably sure that it was A. trachycarpa that was being described. According to Maiden (1917:100) the type is no longer at the National Herbarium, Melbourne (MEL). 100 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 13. Acacia xiphophylla E.Pritzel, Bot. Jb. 35: 305 (1904). Lectotype (here selected); Tree, 4 m in height, 25 km south of Roebourne, 24 April 1901, L. Diels 2808 (PERTH — a single phyllode only, ex Museo Botanico Berolinensis). Acacia clementii Maiden et Blakely (as ‘dementi’), J. Roy. Soc. W. Aust. 13: 26 t.l9 ff. 1-4 (1928), nom. illeg., non Domin (1926), syn. nov. Type: Between the Ashburton and Yule Rivers W.A., 1898, E. Clement (holo: NSW; iso: PERTH — fragment ex NSW). Figure 10. Distribution of Acacia arrecta, A. atkinsiana and A. cuspidifolia B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 101 Through the courtesy of the Director, Royal Botanic Garden and National Herbarium, Sydney (NSW) I have inspected Maiden and Blakely’s type of A. clementii and compared it with the lectotype of A. xiphophylla at PERTH. Unfortunately Diels’ original gathering of A. xiphophylla is not at the Botanisches Museum, Berlin (B) it probably having been destroyed when that institution was burnt in 1943. The PERTH lectotype comprises only a single phyllode but this accords very well with other collections attributed to A. xiphophylla. This species is very common around Roebourne (the type locality) and there is no other Acacia species known to occur in that area with which it is likely to be confused. The holotype of A. clementii Maiden et Blakely comprises the upper portion of a flowering branch and this accords well with other material at PERTH under A. xiphophylla. The two taxa are therefore considered conspecific. Acknowledgements Many workers have greatly facilitated this project by providing both collections and habit/habitat data for many of the included taxa. In particular I would like to thank Libby Mattiske, Penny Wtirm and Ken Atkins for material and data from the Tom Price-Paraburdoo area, Chris Dawe (Marandoo area), Ken Walker (Newman area), Ian and Eva Solomon (Wittenoom area) and Malcolm Trudgen (Pilbara area in general). John Fox (W.A. Institute of Technology) is thanked for providing an airfare in 1980. This facilitated botanical collecting in the Hamersley Range National Park during a biological survey sponsored by Ian Pound of Integrated 102 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Environmental Services. Garry Marney is thanked for field assistance and Suzanne Curry for very competent technical help. The project was conducted at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH) with financial assistance provided under an Australian Biological Resources Study grant from the Bureau of Flora and Fauna. Index to specimens studied for new species described herein This index is arranged alphabetically according to the name of the collector. Numbers in parentheses refer to the corresponding numbered species in the text. Unless otherwise indicated, the specimens cited are housed at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH). Abbreviations for herbaria are those given in Index Herbariorum, Part 1, Edition 6 (1974). In the case of Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Murdoch University and the Western Australian Institute of Technology (all in Perth), there are no formal abbreviations so KP, MURD and WAIT respectively are used informally here. Ashby, A. M. 4491 (4— CANB, K, MEL, PERTH). Atkins, K. 445 (8), 1209 (2— CANB, PERTH), 1213 (2— K, PERTH), 1221 (7— CANB, K), 1225 (8— K, PERTH), 1240 (8— MEL, PERTH), 1257 (4— Type: CANB, K, NY, PERTH), 1264 (4). Beard, J. S. 3510 (4— KP, PERTH), 4366 (4), 4569 (2— KP), 4603 (1— KP), 6148 (2). Black, R. F. s.n. 10 Oct. 1975 (1), s.n. 30 -Jan, 1975 (1— NSW, PERTH), s.n. 6 Dec. 1974 (1). Blackwell. M. I. 10 (9). Blackley, J. V. 291 (7), 378 (8— KP). Breaker, M. I. H. 2089a (1— CANB, K, MEL, PERTH). Cale, M. 5006 (8), 5030 (2), 5067 (2) 5068 (9), 5097 (7). Dawe, C. G. 008 (6), 210 (5) M112 (8— PERTH, TLF, WAIT), M154 (2— CBG, PERTH), 212 (6— BRI, CANB, K, PERTH), 218 (8— CANB, PERTH). Dell, B. s.n. 7 June 1979 (2 — MURD). Demarz, H. 611 (4— KP, PERTH), 2778 (4— KP, PERTH), 4416 (1— KP, PERTH), D5755 (2— KP, PERTH), D7084 (2— TLF, PERTH), 7652 (4) Gardner. C. A. 6152 (4), 6208 (4). George, A. S. 1068 (1). Hastings, B. S4356 (2 — KP). Lethbridge, I. L. s.n. July/Aug. 1971 (1 — BRI, PERTH). Maloney, B. 73/53 (2). Maslin, B. R. 2733 (2— AD, MEL, NSW, PERTH), 2761 (2— B, BM, G, NSW, P, PERTH), 2771 (4) 4586 (8— PERTH, WAIT), 4609 (8), 4610 (9— K, MEL, NY, PERTH, WAIT), 4621 (8), 4627 (6), 4628 (5), 4630 (8), 4644 (1— Type: CANB, K, MEL, PERTH), 4646 (8), 4648 (2), 4653 (4), 4660 (9), 4666 (7— BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NY, PERTH, WAIT), 4672 (7), 4677 (8), 4681 (6— Type: CANB, K, MEL, PERTH), 4682 (5— Type: CANB, K, NY, PERTH), 4683 (8— BRI, NSW, NY, PERTH), 4685 (2— PERTH, WAIT), 4746 (2), 4965 (9), 4996 (4), 5003 (4), 5012 (4), Mitchell. A. A. 76/186 (9), 269 (9— CANB, PERTH), 341 (9) 348 (1— PERTH, WAIT), 367 (2). O’Farrell, R. 48 (4). Pullen, R. 10940 (6— AD, CANB, PERTH). Stewart. K. s.n. Sept. 1957 (1). Truagen, M. E. 319 (6— BRI, PERTH), 323 (6), 327 (8), 391 (8— Type: CANB, K, PERTH), 1042 (8) 1045 (8), 1049 (9), 1151 (8— MEL, PERTH), 1299 (2— PERTH, WAIT), 1338 (9— Type: CANB, K, PERTH), 2263 (8— CANB, PERTH), 2407 (7— BM, NT, G, P, PERTH), 2413 (7— Type: CANB, K, MEL, NY, PERTH), 2493 (2— Type: CANB, K, NY, PERTH), 2503 (2— BRI, PERTH), 2548 (7— AD, BRI, NSW, PERTH), 2576 (9— NSW, PERTH), 2631 (9— BM, BRI, PERTH). Walker, K. 95 (8— CBG, MEL, NSW, PERTH), 96 (8), 97 (8), 113 (8). Weston, A. S. 10842 (2), 10844A (2). Willis, J. H. PERTH— Dup. of MEL 503363 (2), MEL 503364 (6— MEL, PERTH), s.n. 17 Aug. 1974 (8) B. R. Maslin, Acacia in the Hamersley Range 103 References Beard, J. S. (1975). ‘The vegetation of the Pilbara area.’ Explanatory Notes to Sheet 5 of the Vegetation survey of Western Australia. (University of W.A. Press: Nedlands.) Beard, J. S. (1980). A new phytogeographic map of Western Australia. W. Austral. Herb. Res. Notes No. 3: 37-58, plus map. Bentham, G. (1864) ‘Flora Australiensis.’ Vol. 2 (Reeve: London.) Bowler, J. M. (In press.) Aridity in the late Tertiary and Quaternary of Australia. In W. R. Barker and P. J. M. Greenslade (eds.) ‘Evolution of the Flora and Fauna of Arid Australia.’ de la Hunty, L. E. (1965). ‘Explanatory Notes on the Mount Bruce Geological Sheet.’ Geological Survey of Western Australia. 1:250 000 Geological Series. (Govt. Printer: Tasmania.) Hnatiuk, R. J. and Maslin, B. R. (1980). The distribution of Acacia (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae) in Western Australia. Part 1. Individual species distribution. W. Austral. Herb. Res. Notes. No. 4: 1-103. Hopper, S. D. and Maslin, B. R. (1978) Phytogeography of Acacia in Western Australia. Austral. J. Bot. 26: 63-78. Macleod, W'. V. (1966). The geology and iron deposits of the Hamersley Range area, Western Australia. Geol. Survey of W.A. Bull. No. 117 (Govt. Printer: Perth.) Maiden, J. H. (1917). Notes on Acacia No. 2 — Tropical Western Australia. J. and Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W. 51: 71-124, pi. i-iv. Maslin, B. R. (1980). Acacia (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae): a contribution to the flora of Central Australia. J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 2(4): 301-321. Maslin, B. R. (1981). Acacia. In Jessop, J. P. (ed.) ‘The Flora of Central Australia.’ (A. H. and A. W. Reed: Sydney.) Maslin, B. R. and Hopper, S. D. (In press.) Phytogeography of Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) in Central Australia. In W. R. Barker and P. J. M. Greenslade (eds.). ‘Evolution of the Flora and Fauna of Arid Australia.’ Maslin, B. R. and Pedley, L. (1982). The distribution of Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) in Australia. Part 1. Species distribution maps. W. Austral. Herb. Res. Notes No. 6: 1-127. Pedley, L. (1977). Notes on Leguminosae. 1. Austrobaileya 1(1): 25-42. Pedley, L. (1978). A revision of Acacia Mill, in Queensland. Part 1 Austrobaileya 1(2): 75-234. Pedley, L. (1981). Further notes on Acacia in Queensland. Austrobaileya 1(4): 339-345. Randell, B. A. and Symon, D. E. (1977). Distribution of Cassia and SoJanum species in arid regions of Australia. Search 8: 206-207. Stebbins, G. L. and Major, J. 1965. Endemism and speciation in the California flora. Ecol. Monogr. 35: 1- 35. 16559 — ( 8 ) Nuytsia4(l): 105-112 (1982) 105 Studies in the genus Acacia (LeguminosaerMimosoideae) — 12. Two new species from the eastern goldfields, Western Australia B. R. Maslin Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, W.A. 6151 Abstract Maslin, B. R. Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 12. Two new species from the eastern goldfields. Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(1); 105-112 (1982). Two new species of Acacia, A. kerryana (section JuH florae) and A. warramaba (section Plurinerves), are described and illustrated. Both taxa occur in the eastern goldfield area of Western Australia. 1. Acacia kerryana Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 1) Acacia filifolia Benth. et A. merinthophora E. Pritzel affinis a qua statura minore, phyllodiis decurrentibus in sicco teretibus et calyce minore differt. Typus: 1 km S of Spargoville (c. 45 km S of Coolgardie) on the road to Norseman, Western Australia. “Shrub 0.6 m tall, dividing just above ground level into c. 4 slender, spreading-erect main branches; bark smooth, grey; branches somewhat flexuose on upper half; foliage soft and dense; phyllodes persistent upon dying, curved to serpentinous, light olive green; flower -heads light golden. Much regrowth here following a fire. Favours exposed areas and seems restricted to this low rocky hill.” 16 February 1981, B. R. Maslin 4834 (holo; PERTH; iso: CANB, G, K, MEL, NY). Low, spreading, rather dense shrubs 0.5-0.6(l) m tall and to 2 m diam., infundibular and flat-topped when young but amorphous with age, dividing just above ground level into about 4 slender spreading-erect stems. Bark smooth, grey except for the branchlet apices which are light brown to reddish brown. Branches somewhat flexuose especially towards their apices, terete, very obscurely nerved, apically very sparsely antrorsely strigillose, otherwise glabrous, apices slightly shiny. Stipules deciduous, triangular, c. 0.3 mm long. Phyllodes filiform-terete, 8-16 cm long, c. 0.5 mm diam., tortuous, cirrose, decurrent, persistent on branches upon dying, light olive green but upon dying turning first orange then grey, glabrous; nerves 8, fine, impressed when fresh, becoming slightly raised upon drying due to shrinkage of intervening tissue, distant (c. 0.2 mm apart); gland not prominent, situated on upper surface of the phyllode some distance above the base, lamina slightly swollen about the gland, circular, c. 0.2 mm diam., lip yellow to brown and slightly raised. Inflorescences simple and axillary, 2-3 per node. Peduncles 6-13 mm long, glabrous or very sparsely strigillose; basal peduncular bract ± ovate and shallowly concave, c. 1 mm long, glabrous. Flower-heads obloid, 6-7 mm long and c. 4 mm wide when dry, 12-15 flowered, flowers not very densely arranged, light golden; bracteoles c. 0.5 mm long, with minute claws and inflexed concave glabrescent brown laminae. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx cupular, 1/5- 1/6 the length of the corolla, very shallowly divided into broadly triangular lobes. Corolla 1.5-2 mm long, readily 106 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) separating into elliptic petals which are very obscurely penninerved (apparently nerveless when dry). Ovary densely appressed white tomentose. Legumes seen only following dehiscence, valves twisted and coiled, to 8.5 cm long (expanded length), 2 mm wide, chartaceous, light brown, glabrous, obscurely longitudinally nerved; margins constricted between seeds, yellow. Seeds not seen. Figure 1. Acacia kerryana. A — Portion of branch showing tortuous phyllodes and obloid flower-heads. B — Node showing decurrent phyllodes (p). C — Phyllode, side view and transverse section showing position of nerves. D — Flower (viewed from below) showing cupular calyx and 4 petals. A from fresh material collected by B. R. Maslin from the type locality; B and C from K. Newbey 8099; D from B. R. Maslin 4834 (the type). 1 mm B. R. Maslin, Goldfield Acacias 107 Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 9 km NE of Norseman, K. Newbey 7531 (PERTH); near Jimberlana Hill, 8 km NE of Norseman, K. Newbey 8099 (NSW, PERTH); 2 km NW of Lake Cronin, c. 45 km E of Hyden, K. Newbey 9177 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 3) Of scattered occurrence in the eastern goldfield and southern wheathelt areas of south-west Western Australia in the Coolgardie and Roe Botanical Districts (1:250 000 maps H51-13, 151-2; 150-4). Acacia kerryana is possibly more common than is indicated by current collections, but as the species is of low stature and flowers during the summer when generally little collecting is done, it may well have been overlooked in the past. Habitat. Acacia kerryana seems always to be associated with low rocky hills. The Jimberlana Hill population occurs on a moderately exposed low stony ridge in shallow, well drained, granitic, loamy sand. The Spargoville population is restricted to a rocky hill and grows in shallow, red-brown loam in association with various species of Acacia (e.g. A. erinacea, A. pachypoda, A. rendlei, A. warramaba), Casuarina campestris, Triodia scariosa and mallee eucalypts. Acacia kerryana does not inhabit the taller scrub, dominated by Acacia acuminata and Casuarina campestris, occurring on deeper soil in a saddle adjacent to this hill. Near Lake Cronin the species grows in stony, red clayey loam on a moderately exposed slight slope. Flowering and fruiting period. Based on herbarium label information the species is known to flower in late October and mid-February, suggesting a continuous season from late spring to summer. The fruiting period is uncertain. On account of its obloid flower-heads and its plurinerved phyllodes A. kerryana is placed in section Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden et Betche and seems most closely related to two reasonably common wheatbelt species, A. fiiifolia Benth. and A. merinthophora E. Pritzel. Besides being distributed further east (Maslin and Pedley, in press), A. kerryana is distinguished from both these species by its smaller stature, its decurrent phyllodes which are terete (not ± quadrangular) when dry and its smaller calyx. Acacia kerryana is the second species with decurrent phyllodes recorded for section Juliflorae, the other being A. aciphylla Benth. (see Maslin, 1977). These two species are not particularly closely related to one another and neither is at all close to section Alatae (Benth.) Pedley, a heterogeneous group of species characterised by decurrent phyllodes and globular flower-heads. Unlike the condition found in pulvinate species, the dead phyllodes of A. kerryana are persistent. Living phyllodes at branch apices are light olive green but upon dying they turn first orange then grey. The result of this progressive colour change was observed at the type locality in February 1981 when the plants were in full flower. In August 1981, however, plants from the same population lacked the intermediate, orange-coloured phyllodes. This suggests that phyllode death occurs seasonally at about the time of flowering. I first encountered this new species in February 1981 while investigating populations of A. warramaba (see below) south of Spargoville. Unbeknown to me at the time, Mr Ken Newbey had already collected A. kerryana 5 months previously from near Norseman. The species is named in honour of my good friend Ms Kerry Ward, librarian at tbe Western Australian Herbarium from 1975 until 1977 and presently deputy librarian at the W.A. Department of Agriculture. 108 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) 2. Acacia warramaba Maslin, sp. nov. (Figure 2) Acacia redolens Maslin affinis a qua ramulis nec resinoso-costatis, phyllodiis plerumque angustioribus longioribusque et nervis plus numerosis confertisque, nec anastomosantibus, differt. Typus: Eyre Highway, 15.5 km E of Fraser Range, Western Australia. “Shrub 3 m tall with phyllodes concentrated towards ends of branches, 3-6-branched near ground level; bark smooth, grey; phyllodes spreading-erect, medium olive green, characteristically hooked at their apices. Red clay in Casuarina, Cassia, Dodonaea scrub with spinifex. Near top of rise just below a band of tall mallee eucalypts.” 17 February 1981, B. R. Maslin 4843 (holo: PERTH; iso; CANS, K). Shrubs to 3.5 m tall with 3-6 spreading-erect main branches (to 5 cm diam.) arising from near ground level, bushy and rounded (to 3 m diam.) when young but at maturity becoming infundibular and more open with the phyllodes concentrated towards the ends of the branches. Bark smooth except at base of mature main stems where it may become finely longitudinally fissured, grey except for the yellow or brown branch apices which are rarely glaucescent. Branches terete but somewhat angular towards their apices, finely ribbed (ribs most prominent immediately below insertion of the phyllodes), marked with distant scars of fallen phyllodes. New shoots arising from distal end of raceme axis, resinous. Stipules deciduous. Phyllodes variable, linear to very narrowly elliptic or very narrowly oblanceolate, (3)4-8(10) cm long, 3-6(10) mm wide, length to width ratio (6)8-20(40), flat, spreading-erect to distinctly ascending, not particularly rigid, straight to slightly curved, light to medium olive green, rarely glaucescent, glabrous or sometimes glabrescent; nerves numerous, parallel and not anastomosing, close together (interstices 0.1-0.2 mm apart), impressed but the central one very slightly more evident that the rest; apices characteristically hooked, acute, not pungent, brown; pulvinus terete, 1-2 mm long, finely transversely wrinkled, yellow; gland very obscure, situated on upper margin of phyllode at the distal end of the pulvinus. Inflorescences comprising short axillarv racemes ol 2(3-4) flower-heads, 1(2) per node, scattered along branches and not showy; raceme axes 2-5 mm long, terminated by a vegetative bud which grows out following anthesis, hoary or sometimes (especially when in fruit) glabrous. Peduncles 4-8 mm long, indumentum as on raceme axes; basal peduncular bract sub-persistent, triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, light brown. Flower-heads globular, light golden, c. 45- flowered, flowers densely arranged, small (c. 3.5 mm diam. just prior to anthesis), slightly resinous; bracteoles linear-spathulate, c. 1 mm long, glabrescent, the laminae observable (at xlO mag.) between flow'ers in inflorescence buds, ovate, inflexed, concave and brown. Flowers 5-merous. Sepals linear-spathulate, 2/3-3/4 length of petals, claws very narrow and translucent, laminae slightly concave brown and sparsely ciliolate. Petals 1.5 mm long, glabrous, nerveless. Legumes narrowly oblong, to 7 cm long, (5)6-8 mm w'ide, pendulous, chartaceous, straight or slightly curved, frequently slightly undulate, rarely semicircinate or tardily sigmoid, raised over seeds, slightly shiny, red-browm when mature, grey-brown prior to maturity, glabrescent. very obscurely transversely nerved, abruptly narrowed at apex, basal stipe 3-4 mm long; margins usually not or only slightly contricted between seeds however random deep constrictions may occur, marginal nerve narrow and yellowish brown. Seeds normally transverse to oblique within the legume, sometimes a few seeds are longitudinal, obloid-ellipsoid but truncate along margin adjacent to the aril, size variable, 3-4.5 mm long and 2-3 mm wide, somewhat compressed (1-1.5 mm thick), colour variable, light brown or grey- brown to blackish, slightly shiny; B. R. Maslin, Goldfield Acacias 109 Figure 2. Acacia warramaba, A — Portion of branch. B to I — Phyllodes showing variability (D — an atypically small phyllode; I — an atypically broad phyllode; E to G — samples from separate plants in a single population). -J — Inflorescence showing short raceme axis (r) with a dormant vegetative shoot(s) at its apex; note persistent bract (b) at base of one peduncle. K, L — Legumes showing variability. A from B. R. Maslin 4843 (the type); B from A. S. George 8599; C from B. R. Maslin 2465; D from A. S. George s.n., 6 Feb. 1963; E from B. R. Maslin 4836B; F" from B. R. Maslin 4836; G from B. R. Maslin 4836A; H and .] from M. J. D. While s.n.. 24 Feb. 1979; I from K. JVewbey 6299; K from A. R. Orchard 4178; L from M. J. D. White s.n., 7 Feb. 1979. 110 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) pleurogram very obscure, “u”-shaped, open towards the hilum; areole 0.4-0.6 mm long, 0. 2-0.5 mm wide; funicle filiform, 1.5-2 mm long, reflexed below and expanded into a yellowish clavate aril which extends down about 1/3-1/2 the length of the seed. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Mt Day in the Bremer Range, J. S. Beard 3843 (PERTH); 56 mi (89.6 km) W of Eyre Highway, on Hyden- Norseman road, A. S. George 4343 (PERTH); 10 mi (16 km) E of Fraser Range on Eyre Highway, A. S. George 8599 (PERTH); ± 55 mi (88 km) W of Eyre Highway, on Hyden-Norseman road, 6 Feb. 1963, A. S. George s.n. (PERTH); 35 km N of Norseman towards Coolgardie, B. R. Maslin 2440 (CANB, K, PERTH); 9 km N of Daniell Siding towards Norseman, B. R. Maslin 2465 (PERTH); 1.5 km S of Spargoville (c. 45 km S of Coolgardie) on the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, B. R. Maslin 4823 (AD, BRI, MEL, NSW, PERTH); 1 km S of Spargoville (c. 45 km S of Coolgardie) Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, B. R. Maslin 4836, 4836A and 4836B (all CANB, K, PERTH); 12.5 km E of Fraser Range on Eyre Highway, B. R. Maslin 4844 and 4844A (both PERTH); 34.5 km N of Norseman on Coolgardie-Esperance Highwajy B. R. Maslin 4845 (PERTH); 30.5 km W of Norseman, K. Newbey 6299 (MEL, PERTH); Fraser Range, c. 115 km E of Norseman, 30°32'S, 122°58'E, A. E. Orchard 4178 (PERTH-ex AK); 27 mi (43 km) S of Coolgardie, R. D. Royce 6441 (PERTH); 1 km SE of Spargoville, near Coolgardie, M. J. D. White s.n. 7 Feb. 1979 (PERTH) and 24 Feb. 1979 (CBG, NY, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 3) The eastern goldfields area of south-west Western Australia in the Coolgardie Botanical District (1:250 000 maps H51-13, 14; 151-1, 2). Of scattered occurrence in an area bounded by Mount Day in the Bremer Range, Spargoville, Fraser Range and Lake Dundas. Habitat. Found in undulating, low hilly country in red loam or clay which frequently has rock inclusions. The rocks at both the Mount Day and Fraser Range populations are recorded as being greenstones i.e. metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The species normally grows in mallee eucalypt woodland often with a ground cover of spinifex {Triodia scariosa). Species of Acacia, Cassia, Casuarina and Dodonaea are frequent associates of A. warramaba. Flowering and fruiting period. Judging from herbarium label data, flowering occurs in summer between November and February. Bushes during this period frequently also bear legumes with mature seeds which are presumably from the previous years flowering. On account of its plurinerved phyllodes and its globular flower-heads A. warramaba is placed in section Plurinerves (Benth.) Maiden et Betche. The new species seems most closely allied to A. redolens Maslin from which it can be distinguished by its branchlets which are not resin-ribbed, its phyllodes which are generally longer and narrower and with more numerous, closely arranged, non- anastomosing nerves and its legumes which are broader, flatter and less constricted between the seeds. Unlike A. redolens, A. warramaba is not a particularly fragrant shrub. The known geographical ranges of these two species do not overlap although only about 50 km separated them in the area south of Norseman between Daniell Siding and Salmon Gums. Acacia warramaba bas very variable phyllodes (Figure 2B-I). Young regrowth shrubs, especially following fire, tend to have longer and often narrower phyllodes than do mature shrubs from undisturbed sites. Likewise, there is considerable B. R. Maslin, Goldfield Acacias j j [ variability in the size of legumes (Figure 2K and L) and seeds, the latter also showing variation in colour from light brown to almost black. Such extremes in seed colour are not common in Acacia. This new species was first brought to my attention in 1975 by Professor M. J. D. White. It is one of the food plants for the parthenogenetic grasshopper Warramaba Virgo (White, 1980; White and Contreras, 1981 and in press). The specific epithet refers to the grasshopper genus Warramaba. Acknowledgements Special thanks are due to Professor Michael White for drawing my attention to A. warramaba and for accompanying me on a most enjoyable field excursion in February 1981 to inspect the species. During this trip A. kerryana was also located by the author. Ms Suzanne Curry is thanked for her very competent technical and field assistance and Mr Paul Wilson for preparing my Latin diagnoses. The project was conducted at the Western .Australian Herbarium (PERTH) with financial assistance provided under an Australian Biological Resources Study grant from the Bureau of Flora and Fauna. References Maslin, B. R. (1977). Studies in the genus Acacia (Mimosaceae) — 6. Miscellany. Nuytsia 2: 145-161. Maslin, B. R. and Pedley, L. (In press.) The distribution of Acacia in Australia. Part 1. Species distribution maps. VV. .Austral. Herb. Res. Notes No. 6. White, .M. J. D. (1980). The genetic system of the Parthenogenetic Grasshopper Warramaba virgo. Roy. Ent. Soc. London. Symposium No. 10: 1-13. White, M. -J. D. and Contreras, N. (1981). Chromosome Architecture of the Parthenogenetic Grasshopper Warramaba virgo and its Bisexual Ancestors. Chromosomes Today 7:165-175. White, M. J. D. and Contreras, N. (In press.) Cytogenetics of the parthenogenetic grasshopper Warramaba virgo and its bisexual relatives. Vlll. Evolution of karyotypes and c-banding patterns in the clones of W. virgo. Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics. Index to specimens studied This index is arranged alphabetically according to the name of the collector. Numbers in parentheses refer to the corresponding numbered species in the text. Unless otherwise stated, the specimens are lodged at Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH). Beard, J. S. 3843 (2). George, A. S. 4343 (2); 8599 (2); s.n., 6 Feb. 1963 (2). Maslin, B. /f.2440 (2-CANB, K, PERTH); 2465 (2); 4823 (2-AD, BRI, MEL, NSW, PERTH); 4834 (l-Tvpe CANB, G, K, MEL, NY, PERTH); 4836, 4836A and 4836B (2-all CANB, K, PERTH); 4843 (2-Tvoe’ CANB, K, PERTH); 4844 and 4844A (2); 4845 (2). Newbey, K. 6299 (2-MEL, PERTH); 7531 (1); 8099 (1-NSW, PERTH); 9177 (1). Orchard, A. E. 4178 (2). Boyce, R. D. 6441 (2). White, M. J. D. s.n. 7 Feb. 1979 (2) and 24 Feb. 1979 (2-CBG, NY, PERTH). 112 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 8. Distribution of Acacia kerryana and A. warramaba. Nuytsia4(l): 113-128(1982) 113 New subspecies in Eucalyptus caesia and in E. crucis (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia M. I. H. BrookerA and S. D. HopperB Abstract Brooker. M. I. H. and Hopper, S. D. New xuhspecies in Eucalyptus caesia and in E. crucis (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(1): 113-128 (1982). Eucalyptus caesia Benth. subsp. magna subsp. nov. and E. crucis Maiden subsp. lanceolata subsp. nov. of the informal subseries Orbifolinae are described and illustrated. Both taxa occur on granitic tors and ridges in an area north and east of Merredin in Western Australia. E. caesia subsp. magna has larger flowers, fruits and leaves than E. caesia subsp. caesia. and is widely known in the horticultural industry as the cultivar 'Silver Princess’. E. crucis subsp. lanceolata differs from the typical subspecies in having lanceolate or narrow-lanceolate adult leaves with distinct petioles 5-15 mm long, and in having erect stems up to 15 m tall. Each of the species in the subseries Orbifolinae has diagnostic seedling characters, and these are incorporated in a key to the four species and six subspecies of the Orbifolinae now recognised. Introduction Pryor and Johnson (1971) erected the informal subseries Orbifolinae which included four mallee eucalypts with the easily recognised red-brown over green bark, which partly decorticates longitudinally (or less often horizontally) remaining incompletely detached with the free margins becoming curled (Figure 1). This bark form does not occur elsewhere in the genus. It superficially resembles the rich red- brown crisped bark of some species of Acacia, for which the term ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark is now widely used. Because of this resemblance, we propose that the bark form characteristic of the subseries Orbifolinae in Eucalyptus should also be referred to as Minni Ritcbi bark. The Orbifolinae, with the subseries Leptopodinae and Macrocarpinae, compose the series Macrocarpae which consists of about 20 species and is based on the association of several characters, viz. 2 opercula, bisected cotyledons, and thick- walled, very woody fruit with a prominent, emergent, convex disc (apart from E. caesia Benth. in which the disc is descending). For many years E. caesia has been known to exist in two fairly discrete variants (Gardner, 1954; Chippendale, 1973) — a typical form from, for’ example, Mount Caroline and Boyagin Rock, and a larger, coarser form from localities further to the north-east (Figure 2). This latter form has hitherto received no formal taxonomic status but it is a notable ornamental tree or mallee and has been known to horticulturalists as ‘Silver Princess’ (Molyneaux, 1978). Both forms as far as is known are restricted to certain granite rock sites. Another species of the Orbifolinae also restricted to granite rocks is E. crucis Maiden. Maiden (1924) stated in the protologue for this species ‘mature leaves rather thick, very shortly petiolate, from lanceolate to nearly ovoid and ovoid- lanceolate . . .’. The type specimen which was illustrated (Plate 242, no. 7) had shortly petiolate, ovate leaves (Figure 6) but specimens from some populations examined by us have been predominantly in the juvenile stage, i.e. the leaves of the mature plant were sessile, opposite, orbicular and strongly glaucous (Figure 5). A Division of Forest Research, CSIRO, P.O. Box 4008, Canberra. A.C.T. 2600 B Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre, P.O. Box 51, Wanneroo, W.A. 6065 114 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 1. Trunks of raallees of E. caesia subsp. caesia (upper left) and E. orbifolia (upper right, lower left) showing the variants of the ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark form characteristic of the species of subseries Orbifolinae. M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus 1 15 Recent surveys in areas north and west of the known occurrences of E. cnicis (e.g. at Ghiddarcooping Hill) have resulted in the discovery or rediscovery of populations obviously related to, yet clearly distinct from typical E. cmcis (Figures 5, 7). They are large erect-stemmed malices (to 15 m tall as compared with 6 m for the more effuse E. cmcis) and the canopy consists only of true lanceolate adult leaves that are distinctly petiolate. We therefore consider that Maiden’s circumscription in the protologue of E. cmcis covers two forms recognizable by the nature of the leaves in the mature canopy, viz. the typical form (Figures 5, 6) which has ovate, juvenile and intermediate leaves, and a second form which bears lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate adult leaves. Both forms have associated habit features. Figure 2. Geographical distributions of Eucalyptus caesia subsp. magna (open circles) and E caesia subsp. caesia (closed circles) in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Also illustrated are line drawings oi t,. caesia subsp. caesta (M.I.H. Brooker 6738) and E. caesia subsp. magna (holotype). From an examination of specimens annotated by Gardner at PERTH it is certain also that the reference to ‘forms of E. leptopoda' (Gardner, 1954) are in fact this form of E. cmcis with true adult leaves. We believe that both the ‘large-fruited E. caesia' and the large narrow-leaved mallees of E. cmcis are worthy of formal taxonomic status. This view is supported both by the morphological considerations outlined below and by multivariate morphometric analyses of geographical variation that will be published elsewhere (Hopper, Campbell and Caputi, in press). 116 Nuytsia Vol, 4, No. 1 (1982) ■ -• pr *' *•»' •' ' • j^*s«uf£h |n»ti«uii» fafesl>y i Tfe>y N-? 5 .# S Ai^-W % Figure 3. The holotype of E. caesia subsp. caesia, collected by James Drummond in 1847 in the Mt Caroline-Mt Stirling district. M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus 117 Taxonomy Eucalyptus caesia Benth. subsp. caesia, FI. Aust. 3, 227 (1867); Maiden, Crit. Rev. Gen. Euc. 3, 31 (1917); Blakely, Key Eucs, 103 (1934); Gardner, W. Aust. Dept. Agric. Bull. No. 2123 (1954); Pryor & Johnson, Class. Eucs. 46 (1971); Chippendale, Eucs. W.A. Goldfields, 119 (1973) — Figures 2, 3 and 8b. Typus: Drummond 5th coll., suppl. no. 36 (K) — Figure 3. A small mallee to 10 m tall with imperfectly decorticated, crisped ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark. Young branchlets smooth, reddish and covered by glaucous bloom. Seedling leaves opposite for 5-6 pairs, petiolate, orbicular to broader than long or cordate. Juvenile leaves alternate, petiolate, cordate, to 8 x 6 cm, thick, bright shining green. Adult leaves alternate, on glaucous petioles 1-4 cm long, lanceolate or falcate, to 16 x 4 cm, dull grey-green or yellowish green. Inflorescences axillary, 3-flowered; peduncles and pedicels 10-35 mm long; buds clavate, glaucous, to 30 x 15 mm, hypanthium obconical, operculum conical or slightly beaked, outer operculum lost early in bud development. Stamens faded pink, to 20 mm long. Fruit on long stout pedicels, urceolate, glaucous, shallowly ribbed, to 31 x 28 mm; disc broad, descending; valves 5 or 6, below rim level. Eucalyptus caesia Benth. subsp. magna Brooker et Hopper, subsp. nov. (Figures 2, 4 and 8a). A subspecie typica habitu, foliis, alabastris et fructibus (plerumque > 2 cm latis) majoribus differt. A subspecies differing from the typical subspecies in its larger habit, leaves, buds and fruit (usually > 2 cm broad). Pryor and Johnson code SIVCH. Typus: Chutawalakin Hill, 24 August 1979, M.I.H. Brooker 6488 (holo: FRI; iso: PERTH). A stout mallee to 15 m tall with imperfectly decorticated, crisped ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark. Young branchlets smooth, reddish and covered by glaucous bloom. Seedling leaves opposite for 5-6 pairs, petiolate, orbicular or cordate. Juvenile leaves alternate, petiolate, cordate, to 10 x 8 cm thick, bright, shining green. Adult leaves alternate, on glaucous petioles 2-6 cm long, lanceolate or falcate, to 24 x 5 cm, dull grey-green or yellowish green. Inflorescences axillary, 3-flowered; peduncles and pedicels 10-33 mm long; buds clavate, glaucous, to 40 x 20 mm, hypanthium obconical, operculum conical or slightly beaked, outer operculum lost early in bud development. Stamens red-pink, to 25 mm long. Fruit on long stout pedicels, bell-shaped, glaucous, shallowly ribbed, to 37 x 40 mm; disc broad descending; valves 5 or 6, below rim level. Distribution. (Figure 2) Confined to a few granite tors (e.g. Cbiddarcooping Hill, Chutawalakin Hill) in the eastern central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Chiddarcooping Rocks, N of Geelakin, 11 June 1928, G. E. Brockway s.n. (PERTH); Chiddarcooping Rock, 24 August 1979, M. I. H. Brooker 6485 (FRI); granite rock N of Westonia, September 1923, C. A. Gardner s.n. (PERTH); Warralakin, January 1964, C. A. Gardner s.n. (PERTH); 10 km N of Warralakin, 5 January 1965, C. A. Gardner s.n. (PERTH); Figure 4. The holotype of E. caesia subsp. magna, collected by M.I.H. Brooker at Chutawalakin Hill on August 24, 1979, The specimen is mounted upside down, as the leaves and fruits of this subspecies are normally pendulous. M. I. H. Brooker and S. D, Hopper, Eucalyptus 119 118 “ 119 ° Billyacatting Hill, NE of Kununoppin, 1 September 1976, A. M. George 94 (PERTH); Billyacatting Hill, 16 km NW of Nungarin 31°03'S, 118°01'E, 7 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1003 (PERTH); Chiddarcooping Hill 30°54'S, 118°41'E, 8 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1006 (PERTH); Chutawalakin Hill 30°55'S, 118°44E, 9 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1010 (PERTH); Coorancooping Hill 30°52'S, 118°41'E, 3 August 1978, S. D. Hopper 1044 (PERTH); Geelakin-Chiddarcooping, 17 August 1960, H. Shugg s.n. (PERTH). Ecology. Eucalyptus caesia subsp. magna is known to occur only in shallow sandy loams at the base of granite rocks or in gullies bordered by ridges of sheet granite. Populations usually consist of less than 100 plants. It frequently occurs in pure 16559 — 0 ) 120 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) stands but is sometimes associated with Eucalyptus crucis subsp. lanceolata Brooker et Hopper. Some other prominent associated species are Hakea petiolaris Meissner and Calothamnus quadrifidus. R.Br. Eucalyptus crucis Maiden subsp. crucis. Grit. Rev. Gen. Euc. 59, 514 (1923); Blakely, Key Eucs 272 (1934); Pryor & Johnson, Class. Eucs 46 (1971); Chippendale, Eucs. W.A. Goldfields 117 (1973) — Figure 5 and 8f, Table 1. Typus: Southern Cross, April 1922, H. Steedman (NSW) — Figure 6. An effuse mallee to 6 m tall with imperfectly decorticated, crisped ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark on stems to about 10 cm diameter. Young branchlets smooth, white, glaucous. Seedling and juvenile leaves remaining opposite for many nodes, sessile, orbicular or broader than long, conspicuously mucronate, to 5 x 4 cm, with minute black oil dots, greyish green. Intermediate leaves opposite or sub-opposite, sub-sessile or shortly (0.5-3. 5 mm and distinctly petiolate, ovate, to 6.5 x 5.5 cm, grey-green. Inflorescences axillary, 7-flowered; peduncles and pedicels slender; buds glaucous, to 6x4 mm, hypanthium hemispherical, operculum obtusely or acutely conical, outer operculum lost early in bud development. Fruit on long, slender pedicels, hemispherical, glaucous, to 6 x 4 mm; disc broad, flat or slightly ascending; valves 4, stout, strongly exserted. Eucalyptus crucis subsp. lanceolata Brooker et Hopper subsp. nov. (Figures 5, 7 and 8e, Table 1). A subspecie typica habitu majore et foliis adultis lanceolatis vel angusto- lanceolatis differt. A subspecies differing from the typical subspecies in its larger habit and the canopy of lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate adult leaves (Table 1). Pryor and Johnson code SIVCF. Typus: Chiddarcooping Rock, 24 August 1979, M. 1. H. Brooker 6484 (holo: FRI; iso: PERTH, NSW). A large erect mallee to 15 m tall with imperfectly decorticated, crisped ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark on stems to about 30 cm diameter. Young branchlets smooth, white, glaucous. Seedling and juvenile leaves remaining opposite for many nodes, sessile, orbicular or broader than long, conspicuously mucronate, to 5 x 3.5 cm, with minute black oil dots, greyish green. Intermediate leaves opposite or sub-opposite, sub- sessile or shortly and distinctly petiolate, ovate, to 6 x 2 cm, grey-green. Adult leaves alternate, on slender petioles 5-15 m long, lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, to 10 x 2 cm, tapering to a fine, sometimes curved point, with many minute, black oil dots. Inflorescences axillary, 7-flowered; peduncles and pedicels slender; buds glaucous, to 6x4 mm, hypanthium hemispherical, operculum obtusely or acutely conical, outer operculum lost early in bud development. Fruit on long, slender pedicels, hemispherical, glaucous, to 16 x 10 mm; disc broad, flat or slightly ascending; valves 4, stout, strongly exserted. M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus ©©•TYPE . ■ - Hti;SlBilJ8 « Is fit. Figure 6. A paratype of E. crucis subsp. crucis, collected by H. Steedman from the Southern Cross district in June 1922. This specimen clo.sely matches the holotype (D.F. Blaxell pers. comm.), which was also collected by H. Steedman from the same district but two months earlier in April 1922. ¥fi 122 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) , ! Figure 7. The holotype of E. crucis subsp. lanceolata, collected by M. I. H. Brooker from Chiddarcooping Hill on August 24, 1979. M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus 123 Distribution. (Figure 5) Restricted to a number of granite rocks in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Other collections examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: West of Nukarni, 20 Oct. 1946, G. E. Brockway 2 (PERTH); Chutawalakin Hill, 24 Aug. 1979, M. I. H. Brooker 6487 (FRI, PERTH, NSW); Kununoppin, Nov. 1929, E. A. Cook s.n. (PERTH); 6 miles N of Kununoppin, 22 Sept. 1975, H. Demarz 5605 (PERTH); Nalyering Well near Kellerberrin, 25 May 1961, C. A. Gardner s.n. (PERTH); 4 miles N Warralakin, 5 Jan. 1965, C. A. Gardner s.n. (PERTH); near Yorkrakine, 1 June 1957, J. W. Green 1356 (PERTH); Billyacatting Hill 31°03'S, 118°01'E, 7 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1001 (PERTH); Chiddarcooping Hill 30°54'S, 118°41'E, 8 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1005 (PERTH); 1 km SE of Chutawalakin Hill 30°56'S, 118°44'E, 9 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1011 (PERTH); Yanneymooning Hill 30°43'S, 118°34'E, 28 June 1978, S. D. Hopper 1016 (PERTH); Jouerdine Hill 30°38'S, 118°24'E, 14 July 1978, S. D. Hopper 1022 (PERTH); 1 km SE of Chutawalakin Hill 30°56'S, 118°44'E, 2 Aug. 1978, S. D. Hopper 1033 (PERTH); 9.5 km E of Chiddarcooping Hill 30°54'S, 118°46'E, 2 Aug. 1978, S. D. Hopper 1041 (PERTH); c. 10 km NE of Chiddarcooping Hill, 3 Aug. 1978, S. D. Hopper 1042 (PERTH); Dajoing Rock 30°27'S, 118°04'E, 4 Aug. 1978, S. D. Hopper 1049 (PERTH); 8 km SW of Chiddarcooping Hill, 7 Sept. 1978, S. D. Hopper 1128 (PERTH); 30 km NNW of Corrigin 32°05'S, 117°44'E, 9 June 1979, S. D. Hopper s.n. (PERTH); Chiddarcooping Hill, N of Warralakin, 2 May 1978, G. J. Keighery 1602 (PERTH); Billyacatting Hill Reserve 17746, 11 km NE of Kununoppin, 3 Sept. 1977, B. G. Muir 102 (PERTH); Barbalin Rock, 2 Sept. 1969, K. Newbey 2871 (PERTH); Billyacatting Rock, 5 June 1976, E. Wittwer W1716 (PERTH). Ecology. Eucalyptus crucis subsp. lanceolata occurs in shallow granitic sands and loams associated with large outcrops of granite rocks. It displays a clumped distribution at any particular location. It is sometimes associated with Eucalyptus caesia subsp. magna (e.g. at Chiddarcooping Hill, Billyacatting Hill), and with E. orbifolia at Jouerdine Hill. It has not been found in sympatry with E. crucis subsp. crucis. Discussion. Eucalyptus crucis subsp. lanceolata and E. crucis subsp. crucis differ in having adult leaves and juvenile leaves respectively in their mature canopies. They show no obvious differences in the morphology of their fruits, buds or flowers. Elsewhere in Eucalyptus, related adult-leaved and juvenile-leaved taxa have been recognised as distinct species (e.g. E. gamophylla F. Muell.— £. odontocarpa F. MuelL, E. risdonii Hook. f. — E. tenuiramis Miq., E. fruticosa M. I. H. Brooker — E. foecunda Schau.). However, in E. crucis, the typical subspecies shows a range in leaf form from populations stabilised for orbicular, apetiolate, fully juvenile leaves (e.g. at Sandford Rock) to populations with ovate, shortly petiolate leaves that are intermediate between the juvenile and adult conditions (e.g. at Moorine Rocks or Warren Double Cunyan) (Figure 5 and Table 1). These intermediate populations indicate that the genetic fixation of a fully juvenile-leaved form in all populations of E. crucis subsp. crucis has not yet occurred. Hence we feel it appropriate to recognise the two forms in E. crucis as subspecies rather than separate species. Previously, E. crucis subsp. lanceolata has been confused with a number of species, including E. leptopoda, E. drummondii and E. orbifolia (e.g. Gardner, 1954). However, it is clearly distinct from the first two of these three taxa in having crisped ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark and in its restriction to granite rocks. It differs from E. orbifolia in having acute, non-emarginate, lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate leaves. Table 1. Means, standard errors and ranges for three leaf measurements taken on the longest leaf of plants in populations of the two subspecies of Eucalyptus 124 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) "O w (-1 G S C3 « Gi"-" 03 a> a O fO CO LC o o i-H CO o to CO CO (M CO CO cN CT) CD lO lO lO (M I-H r-( CD CO r-l CO lO 03 r-H CO O o6 t> 00 CD t> r-i C> (N I 00 ’-H uo t> (oi 00 lO cd ic o oa Lc (oj ^ r-J lO O --H O 00 (>i CO 03 oj 03 CO (M 1— 1 cq 1-4 00 CD I> 00 CO O 001-4 ^OCD»~' -hi -hi -H +i S +1 -H +1 lO i-l(Mtr-r-4COpC o '4' 00 p 03 CD 03 ^ CD Tf (M (N (M CN p CD I> c> c4 c4 1-4 <03 03 t> X [> LO p X 03 03 lO (M CD 'If lO CD X 03 p lO ui Tji I X X p 1 lO CO X 1—1 T— H LO tr- ic 1-H CD P P P p c4 c^i CO cN cij +1 -H -hi -hi -hi -hi Tf O C- 1— i CD p 1-4 c4 CD CD c- CD t> CD CD X 1—1 I CN c4 CO I I o CD CD Ip CD O O CD ^ ^ d ^ p p ^ Tt l6 ^ lO X 03 p l> d 00 00 X r~ X odd d -H -H -hi -H p 1-1 t> p p X d 1-4 d cN d d <6 O O I-H I I -hi -hi -hi Zi X [> t> I-H CD X X d d d “hi -hi -hi ^ o p p 1— I <33 03 03 (M O O X t> X <^3 CD X D a o Cu SW Chiddarcooping Hill 8 9.0± 1.0 6.9-14.4 61.8±3.5 42.1-75.2 12.0 + 1.1 9.6-19.5 Yanneymooning Hill 7 11.9 + 0.7 9.6-14.5 75.8 + 4.8 50.7-89.2 10.3 + 0.7 6.7-12.0 M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus 125 The patterns of subspecific variation in E. crucis and E. caesia differ considerably, the former species displaying interpopulational divergence from the juvenile-leaved to the adult-leaved condition, while subspecies in E. caesia have diverged primarily in the size of their buds, flowers, fruits and leaves. The evolutionary pressures responsible for these differing patterns of divergence warrant further investigation. Notes on seedlings in the subseries Orbifolinae. In eucalypts, the natural affinity between related species is often expressed by similarities in leaf ontogeny of the young plants. This is to be expected between sibling species of comparatively recent evolutionary divergence such as must be the case with E. oleosa F. Muell. and E. loi7gicornis F. Muell. (a superspecies in the sense of Pryor and Johnson, 1971). The same can be said for some higher taxonomic categories, e.g. subseries Viminalinae, series Erythronemae, and more rarely at the section level, viz. Dumaria, the members of which have very similar seedlings. It can probably be said for most subseries that seedling characters show little variation between species. Therefore it is surprising to observe the great variation in leaf ontogeny between species in the subseries Orbifolinae. In this taxonomic study of the Orbifolinae, authenticated seed of all available collections were sown (Appendix 1) and the seedlings were grown in a glasshouse for 12 weeks by which time they were up to 30 cm tall and distinctions had become very obvious. Progeny of each number were remarkably uniform. Samples were harvested and pressed flat and photographed (Figure 8). After drying, the seedlings were mounted with the parent specimens at FRI. The seedling observations provided a useful confirmation of the taxonomic levels recognised and formalised by this study and by Pryor and Johnson (1971) who suggest subspecies status for E. orbifolia and E. websteriana. Although there was variation within the 4 species (as now proposed) each was distinct from the others and identifiable (within the subseries) on the seedlings alone. Both members of the subspecies pairs (described and proposed), on the other hand, resembled each other closely and differed mainly in size. The seedling leaves of E. crucis (both subspecies) are sessile, opposite for many nodes, orbicular, glaucous and thin. The seedling leaves of E. orbifolia and E. websteriana (proposed subspecies) are petiolate, opposite for few (5-10) pairs, orbicular to broader than long, glaucous to slightly glaucous, and thin. The seedling leaves of E. ewartiana are petiolate, opposite for very few (3-4) pairs, ovate, light dull green, and thin. The seedling leaves of E. caesia (both subspecies) are petiolate, opposite for very few (5-6) pairs, orbicular to broader than long, or cordate, bright shining green, and thick. Even if the species in the series (as opposed to the subspecies) are of relatively ancient evolutionary divergence and a true seedling leaf phase has been suppressed in E. ewartiana, E. caesia sens. lat. and E. orbifolia sens, lat., it is difficult to relate the early leaves of these 3 species with the later leaves of E. crucis sens. lat. In other words the heterophyllous sequence and morphological distinction in leaf character at all ontogenetic stages has been remarkably different. This fortunately allows useful distinctions for a botanical key. 126 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 8. Pressed seedlings of (a) E. caesia subsp. magna (seed from M. /. H. Brooker 6488), (b) E. caesia subsp. caesia (FRl 14408), (c) and (d) E. ewartiana (M. I. H. Brooker 2424 and M. I. H. Brooker 6419), (e) E. crucis subsp. lanceolata (M. I. H. Brooker 6487), (f) E. crucis subsp. crucis (M. 1. H. Brooker 2427), (g) E. orbifolia (M.I.H. Brooker 5114), (h) E. Websteriana (M.I.H. Brooker 2224). M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper, Eucalyptus 127 Key to the species of subseries Orbifolinae 1. Disc of fruit descending; leaves of the seedling petiolate, shining green, thick 2. Fruit usually urceolate, less than 2 cm broad, stamens faded pink E. caesia subsp. caesia 2. Fruit usually bell-shaped, more than 2 cm broad, stamens red- pink E. caesia subsp. magna 1. Disc of fruit broad, ascending or horizontal; leaves of the seedling petiolate or sessile, glaucous or dull green, thin 3. Operculum shorter than or equal to hypanthium, rounded, or pileate with buds constricted, pedicels stout and often angular; leaves of the seedling petiolate, dull green E. ewartiana 3. Operculum longer than hypanthium, pointed, buds not constricted, pedicels not strongly angular; leaves of the seedling petiolate or sessile, glaucous 4. Leaves of mature plant lanceolate or narrow-lanceolate, petiolate, entire E. crucis subsp. lanceolata 4. Leaves of mature plant orbicular or elliptical or ovate, sessile or petiolate, entire or emarginate 5. Leaves of mature plant glaucous, sessile and orbicular or broader than long, or shortly petiolate and ovate, entire; seedling leaves sessile, tree or mallee E. crucis subsp. crucis 5. Leaves of mature plant green or glaucous, petioles to 2 cm long, elliptical or ovate to orbicular, emarginate; seedling leaves petiolate; usually a mallee 6. Leaves ovate or orbicular, glaucous E. orbifolia 6. Leaves longer than broad, green or yellow-green... K. websteriana References Chippendale, G. M. (1973). ‘Eucalypts of the Western Australian Goldfields’. (AGPS ; Canberra). Gardner C A. (1954). Trees of Western Australia No. 23— Gungunnu. West Aust. Dept. Agric. Bull. No. Hopper, S. D., Campbell, N. A. and Caputi, N. (In press). Geographical variation in fruits, leaves and huds ot Eucalyptus caesia. Aust. J. Bot. Maiden, J. H. (1923). ‘A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus’ 6 : 514. (Govt. Printer : Sydney). Molyneaux, W. (1978). Plant Cultivars. Aust. Plants 9 : 78-81. Pryor, L. D., and Johnson, L. A. S. (1971). ‘A Classification of the Eucalypts’. (Aust. Natl. Univ. : 128 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Appendix 1. Seed source for seedling trial. E. caesia subsp. magna Chutawalakin Hill, W.A. [Brooker 6488) Chiddarcooping Hill, W.A. {Hopper 1006) E. caesia subsp. caesia Mt Caroline, W.A. (FRI 14408) Boyagin Rock, W.A. (Brooker 6753) E. ewartiana 55 mi NE of Wubin, W.A. {Brooker 1978) c. 60 mi SW of Sandstone, W.A. {Brooker 2424) c. 85 mi N of Bullfinch, W.A. {Brooker 2452) 5 km NW of Bullfinch, W.A. {Brooker 6429) 4.5 mi W of Westonia, W.A. (FRI 15625) 58.5 mi N of Bullfinch, W.A. (FRI 15645) E. crucis subsp. lanceolata Chutawalakin Hill, W.A. {Brooker 6487) Chiddarcooping Rock, W.A. {Brooker 6484) E. crucis subsp. crucis Sandford Rock, W.A. {Brooker 2427) Moorine Rock, W.A. (G. Moran 3,4) 5 km SE of Keokanie, W.A. (G. Moran 11) E. orbifolia c. 55 mi NE of Kalgoorlie, W.A. {Brooker 2581) Serpentine Gorge, N. Terr. {Brooker 5095) Krichauff Range, N. Terr. (Brooker 5114) Mt Sonder, N. Terr. (C. Dunlop 2513) Pigeon Rock, W.A. (FRI 15664) E. websteriana Mt Edward, W.A. {Brooker 2224) 5.7 mi NW of Norseman, W.A. {Brooker 4531) Comet Hill, W.A. {Brooker 6466) Nuytsia 4(1): 129-134 (1982) 129 Eucalyptus synandra (Myrtaceae), a new species of mallee from Western Australia M.D. Crisp Herbarium, National Botanic Gardens, P.O. Box 158, Canberra City, A.C.T, 2601 Abstract Crisp, M.D. Eucalyptus synandra, (Myrtaceae) a new species of mallee from Western Australia. Nuytsia 4(1): 129-134 (1982). A new Western Australian species. Eucalyptus synandra, is described from a few populations scattered from near Morawa to the Great Victoria Desert. It is distinguished by its stamens being united into a tube, by its non urceolate fruit which is usually grooved between disc and hypanthium and by its long (7-15 mm) fruiting pedicel. A lectotype is chosen for its near relative, E. leptopoda Benth. Eucalyptus synandra Crisp, sp. nov. (Figure 1) Frutex ad E. leptopodam arte cognatus sed propter filamenta longiora in tubum connata, flores pendentes, alabastra operculo longiore (10-20 mm), pedicellos iongiores (7-15 mm), fructum plerumque sulco inter hypanthium discumque, valde differt. Eucalyptus synandra ad E. beardianam etiam accedit, sed propter folia juvenales ad basin attenuata nec rotundata et hypanthium fructus depressum- hemisphaericum nec cupulatum-urceolatum facile dignoscenda. Typus : ± 5 km S of Jingymia, 30°31'S, 117°25'E, 2 Jan. 1981, A. S. George 16203, fl., fr., photo, spirit material (holo : PERTH; iso : CBG, FRI, K, NSW, PERTH). Mallee 2-6 m tall, with erect or pendulous branchlets; bark smooth, white to grey. Cotyledons bisected; petiole 2-3 mm long; lobes 3-4 mm long. Juvenile leaves opposite only for 1-4 pairs, linear- to narrow-ovate, with slightly recurved margins, tapering to a short petiole, 15-90 x 2-15 mm, dull, grey-green, paler beneath; seedling stem tuberculate. Adult leaves not opposite, linear or rarely narrow-elliptic, tapering gently to both ends, uncinate, 40-200 x 4-15 mm; veins and glands obscure on dried specimens; petiole 3-15 mm long. Unit inflorescences axillary, 7-flowered. Peduncle decurved, terete, slender, 9-18 mm long. Mature buds ovoid to conical, 15-25 mm long; hypanthium depressed-hemispherical, much broader than long; operculum 10- 20 mm long, attenuated into a long, sometimes filiform beak; pedicel filiform, 7- 15 mm long. Flowers pendulous. Androecium united in a tube by filaments in lower 1/3 to 2/3 but sometimes with a few outermost filaments free almost to base, shed intact, creamy yellow at anthesis, becoming pink or red with age. Inner filaments shorter than outer filaments, inflexed in bud. Anthers versatile, obloid-globular, c. 0.7 mm long. Style slender, more or less reaching inner tip of operculum beak in bud. Ovary 4-7-locular. Fruit 9-14 mm diam.; hypanthium depressed-hemispherical, 3- 5 mm long; disc narrower, truncate-conical, steep-sided, 2-5 mm high; operculum scars and staminophore usually in a groove between hypanthium rim and disc; valves exserted. Seed irregularly compressed-ovoid, with acute margins, pale brown, semi- lustrous, finely reticulate with shallow pits, dorsally rounded, ventrally angular; hilum inconspicuous. 130 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Figure 1. Eucalyptus synandra 1 — Holotype specimen, A. S. George 16203. 2 — Plant near Jingymia from which type W'as collected (photo by A. S. George). 3 — Stems and bark (photo by A. S. George). 4 — Seedling, from M. D. Crisp 6693. 5 — Cotyledons, from M. D. Crisp 6693. 6 — Buds, from bolotype. 7 — Flowers showing connate filaments, from holotype. 8 — Fruits, from M. D. Crisp 6693. M.D. Crisp, Eucalyptus synandra Distribution. (Figure 2) Western Australia : about six known populations scattered from the southern Great Victoria Desert to north of Koorda, Mt Gibson and north of Morawa. Habitat. Eucalyptus synandra usually grows on laterite or on ironstone ridges, but one collection (Hallherg S4671) is from sand. It typically occurs in small stands. At the type locality the substrate is a pale cemented soil with ironstone nodules, weathering to a sandy loam, and the vegetation is a tall shrubland of Acacia sp. Selected collections (21 seen). WESTERN AUSTRALIA: In arenosis saxosis prope montem Gibson, Oct. 1968, C. A. Gardner s.n. (Perth); 6.5 miles [10.4 km] E of Gutha, H. Demarz 1449 (PERTH); 5.5 km S of Jingymia, M. D. Crisp 6693-6 (CBG, FRI, NSW, PERTH); near Kulja, C. A. Gardner 12100 (PERTH); 200 km SE of Laverton, 37 km E of Dead Horse Soak, J. Hallherg S4671 (FRI); 15 miles [24 km] S of Queen Victoria Springs, R. D. Royce 5286 (PERTH); 52 miles [83 km] N of transline [transcontinental railway line] road from a point 13 miles [21 km] E of Kitchener, Forester Brennan K 133 (PERTH). Affinities. Eucalyptus synandra belongs to the informal section Bisectaria subseries Leptopodinae of Pryor and Johnson (1971), within which it is best placed between E. leptopoda Benth. (code SIVAA) and E. beardiana Brooker et Blaxell (code SIVAB). Unfortunately no code is available in that position in Pryor and Johnson’s classification. Figure 2. Distribution of Eucalyptus synandra and E. leptopoda. 132 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) Table 1 gives diagnostic characters separating these three species. The most striking character of E. synandra, its connate androecium (Figure 1), at once separates it from E. leptopoda. Brooker and Blaxell (1978) report a population of E. leptopoda with united stamens, but the specimen (R. D. Royce 5286) on which the report is based (M. I. H. Brooker, personal communication) belongs to E. synandra. The type population of E. beardiana at “Coburn” Station also has united stamens (Brooker and Blaxell, 1978). Within Eucalyptus this character is restricted to these two species, and is clearly a derived condition. However, the central population of E. beardiana, at “158 km peg, N of Geraldton on Highway 1”, appears to have stamens which are free to the base, as seen on old flowers attached to the specimen M. I. H. Brooker 5023 (FRI, NSW). These flowers were collected from the ground but almost certainly had fallen from the plant from which the specimen was taken (D. F. Blaxell, personal communication). There is a third population of E. beardiana at “158 km N of Gingin on Highway 1”, but the only specimen, L. D. Pryor s.n., 28 June 1978 (FRI), lacks flowers. The similarity between the localities cited for the central and southern populations is coincidental. It is apparent that the variation of the androecium of E. beardiana needs to be investigated further. Table 1. Diagnostic characters of Eucalyptus synandra, E. leptopoda and E. beardiana E. synandra E. leptopoda E. beardiana Stamens All except outermost coherent in a tube for lower 1/2 to 2/3. Free to base. Type population: united in a tube. Central population: free to base. Southern population: unknown. Operculum length (mm) 12.9 ± 2.6l (n = 9)2 shortest measured 10.3 5.9 ± 1.0 (n = 12) longest measured 8.1 13.3 ± 1.3 (n = 20)3 Juvenile leaves Tapering to petiole, grey- green. Tapering to petiole, grey- green. Rounded at base, green. Soil Usually outcropping lat- erite, rarely sand. Deep, usually yellow sand. Sand, usually dunes. Fruiting pedicel length (mm) 10.8 ± 1.8 (n = 15) shortest measured 7.3 4.5 ± 1.1 (n = 44) Longest measured 7.7 — Ratio — pedicel length: hypanthium length 3.2 ± 0.7 (n =15) lowest 2.2 1.1 ± 0.2 (n = 44) highest 2.2 Fruit diameter (mm) 10.1 ± 1.5 (n = 15) 8.0 ± 1.0 (n = 44) 10.9 ± 0.9 (n = 29)4 Fruit shape Hypanthium depressed- hemispherical, not con- stricted: disc truncate- conical, steep-sided; usually hypanthium rimmed, with a groove between it and disc. Hypanthium hemispheri- cal; disc from flat to broadly convex; when disc strongly convex, fruit not or slightly rimmed or grooved. Hypanthium cupular-urceo- late (constricted just below rim); disc slightly depressed to slightly convex. 1. Standard deviation. 2. Except where otherwise indicated (below), each datum is an average of ten measurements from a single specimen. 3. Twenty measurements from one specimen from the type locality. A specimen from the central locality had much shorter buds but was not measured. 4. Twenty nine measurements from four specimens. M, D. Crisp, Eucalyptus synandra 133 Eucalyptus beardiana is readily separated from E. synandra and E. leptopoda by its urceolate fruits and by its juvenile leaves being green and being rounded at the base (Table 1). Also, the adult leaves of E. beardiana contract abruptly to the petiole by contrast with the gently tapering leaves of E. synandra (Figure 1) and E. leptopoda. Eucalyptus leptopoda resembles E. synandra very closely, especially in vegetative morphology, but a combination of fruit morphology, length of pedicel, ratio of pedicel to hypanthium length and soil of the habitat will serve to separate non-flowering material of these species (Table 1). Variation. There is slight geographic variation in the morphology and habitat of Eucalyptus synandra. Plants from the vicinity of the Great Victoria Desert have erect non-glaucous branchlets and in places may grow in sand, whereas plants from all populations farther west, including the type, have pendulous glaucous branchlets and always grow on laterite or ironstone hills. However, I am reluctant to propose formal infra-specific taxa before the species is known better. It is worth noting that the peduncles of E. synandra always appear to be decurved such that the flowers are pendulous, irrespective of the orientation of the branchlet. Thus the peduncles are recurved away from the tips of the erect branchlets in the Great Victoria Desert populations, whereas in the western populations they have the same direction as the pendulous branchlet tips. Eucalyptus leptopoda Benth., El. Austral. 3: 238 (1867). Type citation: “W. Australia, Drummond, 5th Coll. Suppl. n. 33 and 36, also n. 151 and 188 of other sets”. Lectotype (here designated): Drummond 5th Coll. Suppl. no. 33 (K; iso: BM, CGE, E, FI, K, KW, LE, MEL, NSW, PERTH, W). The chosen sheet is labelled, in part, “33 J. Drummond S.W. Australia 1850” and stamped “Herbarium Hookerianum 1867”. E. angustifolia Turcz., Bull. Phys. Matb. Acad. Petersb. 10: 337 (1852), non Desf. (1804). Holotype: “Nova Hollandia Drummond coll: V n. 33” (KW). A lectotype is chosen here to fix the application of the name of E. leptopoda according to current usage. This is necessary because the syntypes no. 151 and 188 belong to E. salmonophloia F. Muell. (1878). In fact, Bentham (1867; p. 239) implies that 188 is atypical and cites it and 151 apparently as an afterthought. Only the syntypes Drummond 5th Coll. nos. 33 and 36 belong to the species currently regarded as E. leptopoda. At K, there are two sheets of Drummond 5th Coll. no. 33. The lectotype carries the name “E. leptopoda Benth.” in Bentham’s handwriting, and has an abundance of leaves, fruits and immature buds. By contrast, Drummond 5th Coll. no. 36 (K) and the other sheet of Drummond 5th Coll. no. 33 in K both have few fruits and are consequently poorer specimens. Mueller (1878; p. 11, 14) excludes Drummond 151 and 188 from E. leptopoda, assigning them instead to his new species E. salmonophloia. He states that he has no specimen of “Drummond 36” and implicitly chooses “Drummond no. 33” as the type of E. leptopoda by citing it alone. This implied lectotypification is not valid because the single sheet of Drummond 33 in MEL carries no indication that Bentham has seen it (vide para. 4 (a) under “Guide for the determining of types” in Stafleu et al. (1978)). Maiden 134 Nuytsia Vol. 4, No. 1 (1982) (1912) follows Mueller by including Drummond 151 and 188 in E. salmonophloia but makes no further attempt to clarify the typification of E. leptopoda. I have seen only photographs (at FRI) of the type material, with the exception of the isolectotypes at MEL and NSW, which I have seen. Eucalyptus leptopoda is variable, especially in its fruit morphology, but is an integral species which cannot be readily subdivided. The disc of the fruit varies from more or less flat in populations south of 30°S to strongly convex further north, but intergradation is continuous between the extremes and the geographic pattern is not entirely consistent (strongly convex fruits have been collected at 32°S). There is no evidence that E. leptopoda intergrades with E. synandra, even though the species are sympatric (Figure 2). Typical Eucalyptus leptopoda is growing on sand in two populations very close to the type locality of E. synandra. One population has its southern boundary only 0.8 km N of the E. synandra, and extends c. 1 km northward (B. V. Smith, personal communication). The other population occurs 3.5 km SW from the E. synandra and has the erect bushy habit, fruit morphology and short fruiting pedicels typical of E. leptopoda (Crisp 6697, CBG, FRI, PERTH). Acknowledgements I wish to thank Basil and Mary Smith for bringing E. synandra to my attention and for their hospitality. I would like to thank also Alex George who collected the type specimens, supplied photographs, and commented on the manuscript. References Bentham, G. (1867), Eucalyptus leptopoda. ‘Flora Australiensis’. Vol. 3. (Reeve: London.) Brooker, M, 1. H, and Blaxell, D. F. (1978). Five new species of Eucalyptus from Western Australia. Nuytsia 2. 220-231. Maiden, J, H. (1912). ‘A critical revision of the genus Eucalyptus'. Vol. 2. (Govt. Printer: Sydney.) Mueller, F. von (1878). ‘Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae’. Vol. 11. (Govt. Printer: Melbourne.) Pryor, L. D. and .Johnson, L. A. S. (1971). ‘A classification of the Eucalypts.’ (Aust. Natl. Univ. Press: Canberra.) Stafleu, F. A. et al. (1978). ‘International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.’ (Bohn, Schelteraa & Holkema: Utrecht.) Publication date of Nuytsia Volume 3 Number 3: 11 September 1981 16559/12/81— 1M- WILLIAM C BROWN. Government Printer. Western Australia Notes for Authors Nuytsia publishes papers relating to the flora of Western Australia. All papers are refereed outside the Western Australian Herbarium. 7 he Herbarium reserves the right to reject papers. Manuscripts must be submitted in duplicate. They should be typewritten, double spaced, with 2.5 cm margins and no underlining. Pages should be numbered. The desired position of text figures may be pencilled in the margin. An abstract should be provided. For style and layout, recent numbers of Nuytsia should be followed. Galley proofs will be forwarded to authors for checking. Reprints may be ordered at the author's expense. CONTENTS An introduction to a series of papers describing new species from the Wongan Hills and surrounding district. By Kevin F. Kenneally .... 1 A new species of Eremophila (Myoporaceae) endemic to the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By R. J. Chinnock 5 Daviesia spiralis and D. debilior (Leguminosae:Papilionoideae), two new species occurring in the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By M. D. Crisp 9 A new species of Conostylis (Haemodoraceae) from the Wongan Hills district. Western Australia. By Stephen D. Hopper 17 A new species of Microcorys (Lamiaceae) from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Kevin F. Kenneally 23 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 10. Acacia species of the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin . . . 29 Eriostemon wonganensis (Rutaceae), a new species from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Paul G. Wilson 47 Rhagodia acicularis (Chenopodiaceae), a new species from the Wongan Hills, Western Australia. By Paul G. Wilson 51 A new species of Conostylis R.Br. (Haemodoraceae) from the Fitzgerald River area. Western Australia. By J. W. Green 55 Studies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 11. Acacia species of the Hamersley Range area. Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin 61 StiMies in the genus Acacia (Leguminosae:Mimosoideae) — 12. Two new ”species from the eastern goldfields. Western Australia. By B. R. Maslin 105 New subspecies in Eucalyptus caesia and in E. crucis (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia. By M. I. H. Brooker and S. D. Hopper 113 Eucalyptus synandra (Myrtaceae), a new species of mallee from Western Australia. By M. D. Crisp 129 Publication date of Nuytsia Volume 3 Number 3 134