♦ ■ — NUYTSIA ■ylf** < Volume 6 * Number 2 1988 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HERBARIUM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Nuytsia floribunda (Labill.) R.Br. ex Fenzl — the Western Australian Christmas Tree. The journal is named after the plant, which in turn commemorates Pieter Nuijts, an ambassador of the Dutch East India Company, who in 162/ accompanied the “Guide Zeepard” on one of the first explorations along the south coast of Australia. Cover design by Sandra Bird. NUYTSIA VOLUME 6 NUMBER 2 1988 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HERBARIUM, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, SOUTH PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA CONTENTS Page A revision of the Western Australian Thymelaeaceae. By B.L. Rye 129 Publication date of Nuytsia Volume 6 Number 1 27 8 Editorial Board N.S. Lander (Editor) T.D. Macfarlane N.G. Marchant Editorial Assistant J.W. Searle Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, Western Australia 6151 Nuytsia 6(2): 129-278 (1988) 129 A revision of Western Australian Thymelaeaceae B.L. Rye Western Australian Herbarium, George Street, South Perth, Western Australia, 6151 Abstract Rye, B.L. A revision of Western Australian Thymelaeaceae, Nuytsia 6|2):1 29-278 11988). Western Australian Thymelaeaceae are revised and a new infrageneric classification for the genus Pimelea is presented. Thecanthes, with three Western Australian species, is reinstated as a genus and the remaining 45 Western Australian species recognised here are retained in Pimelea. Sect. Heterantheros Rye and sect. Stipostachys Rye are newly described, the new combination sect. Macrostegia (Turcz.) Rye is made and the following new species are described: P avonensis Rye. P cracens Rye, P erecta Rye, P. graniticola Rye, P. halophila Rye. P pendens Rye and P sessilis Rye. The new combinations P. drummondii (Turcz.) Rye, basal on Calyptrostegia drummondii Turcz., and P. subvillifera (Threlfall! Rye, based on P. octophylla R. Br. subsp. subvillifera threlfall, are made. Five new subspecies are described and new combinations are made for three subspecies and two varieties. Contents Abstract Page 129 Introduction 131 General 131 History of Pimelea and Thecanthes 131 Materials and Methods 132 The Present Classification 133 Notes on Characteristics of the Genera 134 Habit and Indumentum 134 Stems, Leaves and Involucral Bracts 136 Inflorescence and Pedicels 136 Flower 137 Fruit 138 Chromosome Number 138 Breeding System 138 Biogeography 141 Systematic Treatment 141 1. Pimelea 142 sect. 1. Heterantheros 148 1. P gilgiana 148 sect. 2. Pimelea 149 2. P. serpyllifolia 152 3. P halophila 154 4. P. clavata 155 5. P. microcephala 157 6. P spiculigera 160 7. P. forrestiana 165 sect. 3. Epallage 167 8. P. trichostachya 168 130 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 9. P. argentea 169 10. P. micrantha 173 sect. 4. Calyptrostegia 175 11. P. ammocharis 175 12. P. graniticola 177 13. P. imbricata 178 14. P. subvillifera 185 15. P villi/era 187 16. P. erecta 189 17. P. sylvestris 190 18. P. calcicola 193 19. P. longifora 194 20. P. preissii 197 21. P. angustifolia 199 22. P. floribunda 201 23. P. sulphured 203 24. P. pendens 205 25. P. aeruginosa 208 26. P. cracens 209 27. P. tinctoria 212 28. P. suaveolens 214 29. P. drummondii 219 sect. 5. Macrostegia 222 30. P. physodes 222 sect. 6. Stipostachys 224 31. P. holroydii 226 sect. 7. Heterolaena 227 32. P. lehmanniana 228 33. P. sessilis 232 34. P. rara 234 35. P. spectabilis 236 36. P. leucantha 238 37. P. avonensis 239 38. P. brevistyla 240 39. P. ciliata 244 40. P. rosea 248 41. P. ferruginea 251 42. P hispida 252 43. P. lanata 253 44. P. brevifolia 255 45. P. brachyphylla 259 2. Thecanthes 262 1. T. concreta 262 2. T. punicea 264 3. T. sanguinea 267 Discussion 269 Genera and Sections 269 Phylogeny 270 Future Studies 270 Nomina Nuda probably applied to Western Australian Taxa 271 Nomina Dubia 271 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 131 Acknowledgements 111 References 111 Index to Thymelaeaceae 273 Introduction General. The family Thymelaeaceae is represented in Western Australia by two closely related genera Pimelea and Thecanthes. the latter reinstated in this revision. The genus Wikstroemia, formerly recorded for the state on the basis of W. indica C. Meyer by Gardner (1930-31) and Green ( 1 98 1 ), is excluded as the closest known collection of this species is from the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory. Wikstroemia is now assumed not to occur in Western Australia. Two other genera, Phaleria and Arnhemia, also occur in Northern Territory but have not been recorded in Western Australia. Both are known to occur closer to the Western Australian border than does Wikstroemia. Pimelea and Thecanthes are readily distinguished from other members of the family by their stamen number of two or (in Pimelea) very rarely one, all other genera having at least four stamens. They belong to subfamily Thymelaeoideae and, in the classification of Domke (1934), are the only members of subtribe Pimeleinae within tribe Gnideae. Both genera are concentrated in Australia, Pimelea with over 100 species occurring almost throughout Australia and extending east to Chatham Island, Thecanthes with five species occurring in northern Australia and extending north to the Philippines (Figure 1). Pimelea is one of the largest, most diverse genera in the family, exceeded in species number probably only by Gnidia L. A revision of species of Pimelea and Thecanthes (as Pimelea sect. Thecanthes ) from South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria has recently been published (Threlfall 1983). This treatment includes a few species that extend into Western Australia but the most comprehensive treatment to date of the Thymelaeaceae in Western Australia is that of Bentham (1873). Apart from four new species names published in preparation for the Flora of the Perth Region (Rye 1984). no new names have been published for endemic' Western Australian species since 1915. This paper presents a taxonomic revision of Western Australian Thymelaeaceae, in which 45 species of Pimelea and three species of Thecanthes are recognised. History of Pimelea and Thecanthes. The first specimens of Pimelea to arrive in Europe were of three New Zealand species collected in 1772 by J.R. and J.G. Forster on Cook’s second voyage. The genus was described in 1775 as Banksia Forster & G. Forster but Linnaeus f. (1782) reused the name Banksia for a genus in the Proteaceae and referred the genus previously known as Banksia to the already established genus Passerina L. Most subsequent authors accepted the new name Banksia L.f. and it was formally conserved by Sprague (1940: 99). However, very few authors accepted the inclusion of the two-staminate Thymelaeaceae from New Zealand and Australia within the originally eight-staminate genus Passerina. Pimelea Banks & Sol. ex Gaertner was named in 1788, based on the New Zealand species P. prostrata. Brown (1810) published the first substantial treatment of Australian species. He recognised 34 taxa, placing them in five numbered but unnamed sections and giving a brief description of each section. Later Wikstrom (1818) described the genus Thecanthes and transferred two species that had previously been described under Pimelea to the new genus. Endlicher (1837) recombined Thecanthes with Pimelea and recognised six infrageneric groups of unspecified rank. These groups corresponded with the sections given by Brown (1810) except that Brown’s first section was split into two, Thecanthes and Heterolaena, the remaining groups being named Phyllolaena, Epallage, Malistachys, and Choristachys. 132 Nuytsia Vol. 6. No. 2 (1988) Three new genera, Gynmococca Fischer & C. Meyer, Heterolaena Fischer & C. Meyer and Calyptrostegia C. Meyer, which together accounted for a large majority of the species previously placed in Pimelea, were named in two publications of 1845. These and a few later publications resulted in numerous recombinations, particularly in the large genus Calyptrostegia. Infrageneric groups, still of unspecified rank, were recognised by Meyer (1845) under the genera Gymnococca and Calyptrostegia. In the latter genus he included two of Endlicher's groups, Malistachys and Epallage. Presumably the new genus Heterolaena was also meant to correspond with Endlicher’s infrageneric group Heterolaena. However, Fischer and Meyer ( 1 845) did not acknowledge Endlicher and the only species listed. Pimelea spectabilis (as Heterolaena spectabilis ), had not been named at the time Endlicher listed his species under the infrageneric group Heterolaena. Hence the genus and infrageneric group of the same name are regarded as having different types. Another new genus, Macrostegia. was described by Turczaninow (1852). It consisted of the single species M. erubescens. which had shortly before been named Pimelea pbysodes Hook. Although P. pbysodes is a very distinctive species. Macrostegia was neither accepted as a separate genus nor used as an infrageneric category by any later authors. A revised classification by Endlicher (1848) retained Gymnococca and Calyptrostegia as separate genera. However. Heterolaena Endl. and Phyllolaena were treated as groups of unspecified rank under Pimelea while Thecanlhes and Choristachys were treated as groups under Calyptrostegia but with Choristachys at a higher level than Thecanlhes. Meissner (1857) recognised only Pimelea at the generic level and listed three sections, Thecanlhes. Eupimelea and Gymnococca. Under sect. Eupimelea he listed eight groups of unspecified rank, consisting of the last five of Endlicher's original groups and three groups of his own. Subsequent authors have followed Meissner in recognising Pimelea as the only genus in this complex. However, Kuntze (1891), who considered that the older name Banksia should be used rather than Pimelea. published recombinations for most of the then known species of Pimelea followed by a new classification of infrageneric groups under Banksia (Kuntze 1 903). This classification was essentially the same as that given by Bentham 1 1 873). Bentham's classification is compared in Table I with the more recent classifications provided by Gilg (1894) and Threlfall (1983). Gilg's classification differed from Bentham's in that Thecanlhes was recognised as a subgenus rather than a section. The treatment of Thecanlhes as a subgenus was followed by Domke (1934) in his monograph of the Thymelaeaceae and by Ding Hou (I960) in Flora Malesiana but not by Threlfall (1983) in her revision of the species occurring in four Australian states. Threlfall followed Bentham's classification except that she regarded one of Bentham's subsections under Calyptrostegia as a separate section while not recognising the other two subsections. Nomenclature at the specific and varietal levels in Pimelea has been complicated by the publication of many new names based on cultivated material. Cultivation of Pimelea species in Europe appears to have commenced in 1793 with the eastern Australian species Pimelea linifolia. By 1860. about 20 species had been cultivated, including the following Western Australian species: P. rosea. P. ferruginea. P. clavata. P. sylvestris. P. hispida, P. longiflora. P. lanata. P. imbricata. P. spectabilis and probably P. floribunda. In most cases dried specimens were not referred to when new names were published for cultivated plants and often there was also no illustration available to nominate as type. Most of these names are regarded here as nomina dubia. Materials and Methods The present classification of Western Australian Thymelaeaceae into genera and sections was derived by examining specimens of all Australian species and by making an assessment B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 133 of the major characteristics of extra-Australian species of Pimelea from the available literature. A linear systematic sequence for all of the Australian species, in which species were placed as closely as possible to their presumed closest relatives, was drawn up. The sections and species described in this paper are numbered according to their position in the comprehensive sequence. To partly overcome the problem that it is not possible in a linear sequence to place every species or section beside the taxa considered to be its closest relatives, the probable affinities of each taxon are indicated in the systematic treatment. Subspecies and varieties are also listed systematically. Decisions on the most appropriate taxonomic rank for each taxon, from the varietal level to the generic level, were based on the examination of the gross morphology of herbarium specimens supplemented by limited examination of fresh material. Subspecies are regarded as differing from varieties simply in that they represent a higher degree of evolutionary divergence towards the species level. In most cases infraspecific taxa are treated as subspecies but there are two species in which varieties are recognised. The reasons for the choice of varietal rank are discussed under the two species concerned. Herbarium specimens of Western Australian species of Thymelaeaceae were borrowed from the following herbaria: AD, ADW, BM. BRI, C'ANB. CBG, CGE, DNA, K, LD, MEL, NSW, NT, NY and UWA. Descriptions of species and infraspecific categories are based entirely on specimens collected in Western Australia. Where only a small number of specimens was examined for a particular taxon, all are cited. Otherwise a selection is provided to represent the morphological and geographical range of the taxon in Western Australia. All measurements were taken from dry material. Stem colour and leaf colour were noted only from dried material but bract colour and flower colour were determined partly from fresh or very recently dried material and partly from information given on the specimen labels. To minimise repetition, the description of each genus or section primarily gives the constant characters of the group. Individual descriptions of the species within each group do not repeat these constant characters. Where there were both male and female specimens in the type collection of a dioecious species, the female specimen was chosen as a lectotype. For taxa described by Meissner prior to 1 857 from Preiss specimens, a lectotype was chosen if more than one specimen had been annotated by him. Where only one specimen bore Meissner’s handwriting that specimen was presumed to be a holotype. Photographs of all types borrowed from interstate or overseas herbaria have been lodged in PERTH. The presence of photographs in PERTH is not indicated under the appropriate taxa in the systematic treatment unless the type specimen was not borrowed and only the photograph seen by me. The distribution of each taxon in Western Australia was plotted using a symbol to represent each Va degree latitude by !4 degree longitude area from which the taxon had been collected. For each taxon extending outside Western Australia, a second distribution map was prepared, indicating each Zi degree by Zi degree area in which the taxon has been recorded. For each taxon illustrated, a flowering or fruiting branch was drawn at life size. Individual flowers or floral parts were enlarged. Bisexual and female flowers were drawn at the stage when the style was fully exserted while male flowers and individual stamens were usually drawn when close to the stage of pollen release. The Present Classification The genus Thecanihes is reinstated here and a revised classification of Pimelea provided, with the following seven sections recognised: Heterantheros, Pimelea, Epallage, Calyptrostegia, Macrostegia, Stipostachys and Heterolaena. Sect. Heterantheros and sect. Stipostachys are 134 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) new while sect. Macrostegia is a new combination. Table 1 outlines the relationships between these sections and the groups used in several earlier classifications, further details being provided under the descriptions of each section in the systematic treatment. Table 2 gives the main characteristics of the sections as recognised here. All of the sections are represented in Western Australia and all Western Australian species can be readily keyed to their respective sections. Table 1: Comparison of the more recent classifications. Bentham 1873 Gilg 1894 Threlfall 1983 Rye Pimelea Pimelea Pimelea sect. Thecanthes subgen. Thecanthes subgen. Eupimelea sect. Thecanthes 2. Thecanthes 1. Pimelea sect. 1 . Heterantheros sect. Pimelea sect. Autopimelea sect. Pimelea sect. 2. Pimelea sect. Dithalamia sect. Dithalamia sect. Dithalamia sect. Heterolaena sect. Heterolaena sect. Heterolaena sect. 7. Heterolaena sect. 5. Macrostegia sect. Calyptrostegia subsect. Calyptridium subsect. Phyllolaena sect. Calyptrostegia 1. Calyptridium 2. Phvllolaena sect. Calyptrostegia sect. 4. Calyptrostegia subsect. Choristachys 3. Choristachys sect. Choristachys sect. 6. Stipostachys sect. Malistachys sect. Malistachys sect not mentioned sect. Epallage sect. Epallage sect. Epallage sect. 3. Epallage Notes on Characteristics of the Genera Habit and Indumentum. Thecanthes is comprised of annual herbs up to 0.8 metre high. All species of Thecanthes are completely glabrous except for one from the Northern Territory, which has simple hairs on the basal portion of the floral tube. As far as is known, all species are strictly annual. One flowering specimen of T. punicea was observed to have the remains of old flower heads, but these were probably produced earlier in the same year rather than in the previous year's flowering season. Certainly this specimen was much smaller than many other specimens which showed no sign of previous flowering. However, T. punicea has been collected in flower in all months of the year and may be capable of surviving for more than one year when conditions are exceptionally favourable. Pimelea is a much more speciose and more variable genus than Thecanthes. It contains plants varying in habit from annual herbs and prostrate or dwarf undershrubs to very tall shrubs or even trees. Some specimens of P. lanata may be large enough to be regarded as trees, the greatest recorded height being about 4 metres. Pimelea trichostachya, which is one of the very few annual herbs in the genus, occurs predominantly in arid or semi-arid environments. Most species have axillary tufts of hairs, at least in the axils of immature leaves. Leaves are sometimes hairy and stems more commonly so. In most taxa the flowers have at least a few hairs. Although the hairs are always simple, they are very useful for distinguishing the taxa because they vary greatly in distribution, number, orientation, size and other characters. The variation in the indumentum from the base of the floral tube to the apex of the sepals is particularly important for identification. While most of the shrub species appear to be readily killed by fire, a few species are able to regenerate from swollen underground parts. Pimelea sulphurea is a prime example of a fire-tolerant species. Its underground stock is elongate, extending well below the surface of the ground, and produces multiple stems after fires. A few species of Pimelea are able to reproduce vegetatively by adventitious roots from the nodes of prostrate stems but none of the Western Australian species appears to have this capacity. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Tliymelaeaceae 135 I s w 2 ■s c: >3 g c/5 O OS u « -c <•> u .© *5* s c4 3 H I a5 a 2 -C .2 oo 3 C »*§ t a Is 5 !-° i« CD Op ’5 '3 w o. 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E x> o E ^ "5 ^ '-5 x> <0 00 1 1 -e t f | eo CO -g 50 ft .>?: a.| & il 58831-2 Thecanthes hermaphrodite glabrous well compact large circumscissile glabrous Glabrous annuals. differentiated Receptacle concave with terminal bracts. Pedicels compressed. 136 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Stems, Leaves and Involucral Bracts. In common with the family as a whole, Pimelea and Thecanthes have simple entire leaves and the shrub species tend to have very stringy bark. Nodes are prominent in most groups. Leaves are opposite and decussate in Thecanthes and most species of Pimelea , the remaining species of Pimelea having alternate leaves. The petiole is very short and commonly inconspicuous or rarely absent. Pimelea sessilis is notable in having uniformly sessile, somewhat stem-clasping leaves (Figure 53A.B). The leaf midrib is prominent on the abaxial surface and usually distinct adaxially. Although the intra-marginal veins are sometimes similarly developed, only a few species, in particular the eastern Australian species Pimelea ligustrina, have distinctly reticulate-veined leaves. Many Pimelea species have adaxially concave leaves, which sometimes appear to be completely flat after they have been dried and pressed. Some species have recurved leaf margins and drying sometimes causes the margins to become more recurved or revolute. In other species of Pimelea and in Thecanthes the leaves are flat. All species of Thecanthes have four involucral bracts while in Pimelea the bracts range from one to numerous or are absent. Involucral bracts in both genera are usually broader than the leaves and frequently more colourful but in some Pimelea species they are very similar to, or intergrade with, the leaves. Throughout this treatment, the numbers given for involucral bracts refer only to the sessile (rarely subsessile) bracts immediately surrounding the flowers and exclude any rather similar but shortly petiolate structures that may occur shortly below. The latter are referred to as ‘bract-like leaves’. Characteristics of the involucral bracts, including their number, colour, size and hairiness, are valuable for distinguishing species and sometimes sections. Inflorescence and Pedicels. In Thecanthes the inflorescence is terminal, erect and head-like, with a concave receptacle and numerous pedicellate flowers. The pedicels, illustrated in Figure 75C.E, are dorsiventrally compressed with an apical articulation point. They tend to be longer than in Pimelea and are glabrous. As illustrated in Figure 75B, the four involucral bracts appear to form a continuation of the receptacle. Bentham (1873) and other early authors regarded the structure below the four lobes as the connate lower portion of the bracts but Threlfall (1983) pointed out that it bears pedicels throughout its length and should therefore be regarded as a concave receptacle. The inflorescence of Pimelea is basically racemose but is occasionally reduced to one or wo owers, as in the eastern Australian species Pimelea pvgmaea and P. biflora. In its most common form, the raceme is many-flowered, terminal, erect to pendulous, very condensed and resembles a head, the axis reduced to a convex or nearly flat receptacle. In some species e axis elongates as flowering proceeds and the inflorescence becomes spike like. Sometimes e °d i rS , and i wP- are £ k nse * y fucked and the inflorescence is described here as continuous • p , o ro - ^ >l (Figure 50A). In other cases the old flowers and fruits become separated' In . J orre5 tiana (Figure I2C), and the inflorescence described as interrupted. In another Thpr^h occurrm 8 on, y in P- gilgiana. the inflorescence is superficially similar to that of m^fess basal" 1 ^ ^ receptacle is distinct *y concave but differs in that the bracts are more In Pimelea : the pedicels are terete or nearly so, articulate at the apex, usually very short and usually densely hairy, a characteristic example illustrated in Figure 12E for a female tlower of P. argentea. Male flowers of the same species, as illustrated in Figure 12D. have an exceptiona ly long pedicel. The pedicels of all species persist for some time after the fruits and involucral bracts have been shed but are usually not as persistent as the axis. The axis ° U u f , r0m ^, e old ^florescence; instead any new branch(es) arise from an upper ntxle of the stem below. The persistent remains of the old inflorescence and its original branch state 56 " ldentl ^ ying P' melea from other Western Australian plant genera in the vegetative B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 137 Flower. As in other members of subfam. Thymelaeoideae, Pimelea and Thecanthes have a well developed floral tube. Most authors have referred to the floral tube and its main lobes as the calyx or perianth and to the additional lobes on the inside (when present) as petals, corolla lobes, appendages or scales. From her examination of the vascular traces in the flowers of a number of genera, including Pimelea , Heinig (1951) concluded that the floral tube was entirely appendicular in origin, consisting of the lower calyx together with the adnate portions of the androecium. She regarded the main lobes as calyx lobes and the inner lobes as enations of the calyx, referring to the latter as petaloid scales. Further evidence relating to the structure of the flower in the subfamily was obtained by Bunniger (1972) in his ontogenetic study of the flower anatomy of several genera, again including Pimelea. Bunniger concluded that the outer tissue of the tube was axial rather than calycine and that the inner tissue consisted of both the corolla and androecium, the inner lobes being the free part of the corolla. He considered that the calyx arose at the summit of the axial tissue and formed the main floral lobes. Following Bunniger, the main lobes are referred to here as sepals and the inner lobes as corolla lobes. However, the origin of floral structures in Thymelaeaceae needs further investigation. In Pimelea and Thecanthes the flowers have four sepals, no corolla lobes and two stamens, except in the Tasmanian species P. filiformis , which has only one stamen opposite the adaxial Sepal. The floral tube and sepals are usually similar in texture and colour. They range from white to very deep red in Thecanthes , while in Pimelea they are usually white, pink or yellow. The flowers often appear more colourful in bud than after opening. Apart from the indumentum characters noted earlier, the floral characters of greatest diagnostic value are flower size and colour, the shape of the floral tube, the length of the stamens relative to the sepals and the shape and dehiscence of the anther. The floral tube in Thecanthes and most species of Pimelea is swollen around the ovary and slender above. The more or less fusiform proximal portion is referred to here as the ovary- portion and the distal portion, which is usually almost cylindric but expanded towards the summit, as the style-portion. In some species of Pimelea, such as P. micrantha , the tube is scarcely continued above the ovary. A few species, notably P. physodes (Figure 45B). have a constriction in the floral tube. In both genera one pair of sepals overlaps the alternate pair in bud. The stamens are inserted opposite the two outer sepals, usually at the level where the sepals separate or slightly below. The sepals are usually widely spreading at an thesis. Some species in sect. Epallage, including P. trichostachya , have erect sepals which appear to be connate at the base in a short tube. In descriptions of these species the entire length of the tubular part of the flower is still referred to as the floral tube but the lobes are referred to as ‘sepals (or free lobes)’. Many species of Pimelea and all species of Thecanthes have stamens with a well developed filament, a narrow connective and the anther somewhat to fully latrorse or at least appearing so in dried specimens. At the other extreme, there are several Western Australian species, including P. longijlora (Figure 25E,F), that have subsessile (i.e. with a very short filament) anthers with a connective so broad that it slightly exceeds the cells laterally, the dehiscence being strictly introrse. In the species descriptions given here the position of the slits through which the pollen has been released is described as adaxial in the latter type of anther and lateral or semi lateral in the more common types of anthers. Nectar accumulates within the proximal portion of the floral tube surrounding the ovary. In most species the nectary disc or ring of glands is not easily seen. However, some species have well developed nectary glands in a ring surrounding the stipe or base of the ovary. For example. P. cracens has about eight filiform glands, up to 2.5 mm long. 138 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Both genera have a two-carpellate gynoecium but the ovary is functionally one-loculate at maturity because one carpel aborts at a very early stage. The style arises laterally shortly below the apex of the ovary, is straight except near the insertion point and always glabrous. It is filiform and prominently exserted from the throat of the floral tube in Thecanthes and often in Pimelea. However, it is sometimes very short in the latter genus, particularly in some dioecious species such as P. serpyllifolia. The stigma is terminal, small and with short papillae or, in some Pimelea species, prominently enlarged and with long papillae. Fruit. Thecanthes and Pimelea have an indehiscent one-seeded fruit. The floral tube may be persistent or partly to almost completely deciduous. The sepals remain attached to the floral tube or very rarely, for example in some plants of P. forresliana , are shed. A regularly circumscissile floral tube characterises Thecanthes and also occurs in most members of sections Calyptrostegia. Epallage and Stipostachys. Circumscission almost always occurs above the summit of the fruit and the fruit remains enclosed in the persistent base of the floral tube, as in P suaveolens subsp. Jlava (Figure 39F). In one or two species, such as P. holroydii , the floral tube becomes brittle and may be easily, but irregularly, broken above the fruit in some flowers. Such species are not regarded here as having circumscissile flowers. A persistent floral tube occurs in most species of sect. Heterolaena and is also fairly common in sect. Pimelea. In this case the fruit becomes detached from the plant together with the entire floral tube and usually the sepals. A deciduous floral tube is common in sect. Pimelea and also occurs in sect. Heterantheros. In this case the floral tube splits irregularly in the swollen basal portion as the fruit enlarges and is shed (apart from an irregular basal ring) before the fruit reaches maturity, the mature fruit being greatly enlarged and often succulent. In the other cases described above, the fruit is dry and not so greatly enlarged. In sect. Heterolaena , which has a persistent floral tube, the tube is always hairy and usually has a band of long hairs above the ovary-portion. In contrast, most species with a circumscissile floral tube have the longest hairs below the circumscission point, that is mainly on the ovary- portion. Others are either glabrous or have deciduous hairs. If the function of the long hairs were purely for the protection of the seed they might be expected to be best developed on the ovary-portion in all species. It appears that they assist in the dispersal of the fruits, their higher position in fruits with a persistent floral tube being related to this function. The seed in dry-fruited species has a black seed coat with a pattern of pits, shallow protrusions or irregular features. Threlfall (1983) has described and provided good illustrations of the various patterns on the seeds. Chromosome Number. The base chromosome number for the Thymelaeaceae is x = 9 (Federov 1974). In Pimelea the lowest and most commonly recorded number is the tetraploid n = 18. Tetraploidy has been recorded, almost invariably from somatic cells, from three species in New Zealand (Elaise 1959, Rattenbury 1957) and 1 1 species in Tasmania (Cruickshank 1953). The other numbers recorded, each from one species in Tasmania (Cruickshank 1953) are n = 36, 45 and 54, these being octoploid, decaploid and dodecaploid respectively. There do not appear to have been any counts published for Pimelea species endemic to mainland Australia nor for any species of Thecanthes. Breeding System. All species of Thecanthes are hermaphrodite. In Pimelea. hermaphroditism, dioecy and gynodioecy are all common. There are minor deviations from these three main states in some species. For example a basically gynodioecious species may have occasional plants producing both female and bisexual flowers. Dioecious species appear to have a 1:1 ratio of male to female plants, judging from the approximately equal numbers of male and female herbarium specimens of each taxon, from the published figures for two dioecious species from Tasmania (Cruickshank 1953) and from B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 139 very limited field observations. In gynodioecious species the ratio of bisexual to female flowers varies considerably but, where there is a difference, it is nearly always the female plants that are rarer. A study of four gynodioecious species in New Zealand by Burrows (1960) revealed that female plants set seed more frequently than bisexual plants. Two of these species usually had equal numbers of female and bisexual plants in their populations and the female plants set 17-21 times as many seeds as bisexual plants. The other two species had more bisexual than female flowers, usually 1.5-3 times as many but up to ten times as many in one population, and female flowers set seed about two or ten times (depending on the species) more commonly than bisexual flowers. Bisexual flowers of both Pimelea and Thecanthes are, or at least appear to be, protandrous. The anthers shed their pollen when the flowers first open, at which stage the style is not or only shortly exserted. The style does not reach its maximum length until much later, perhaps several days. However, it is not known when the stigma first becomes receptive to pollen or for how long it remains receptive in Australian species. In the gynodioecious species studied by Burrows (1960) in New Zealand, the stigma was receptive to pollen when the flower first opened and remained receptive for up to three days but ceased to be receptive before the style reached its maximum elongation, which only occurred if the flower remained unpollinated. In bisexual flowers the stigma was receptive only before it became exserted and successful pollination was rare, whereas in female flowers the receptive stigma was exserted and much more likely to be pollinated. In dioecious species, male flowers are not or only slightly enlarged at the base of the floral tube and are usually longer than the female flowers. The small pistillode (when present) is not exserted. Female flowers have staminodes, which can be distinguished from stamens by their smaller size as well as the lack of pollen. Male and female flowers are illustrated for several dioecious species, such as P. clavata (Figure 5) and, in the case of P. gilgiana (Figure 2), a sterile flower in also illustrated. In gynodioecious species, the female flowers often have a shorter floral tube than bisexual flowers but the style is as long as or sometimes even longer than in bisexual flowers. Bisexual flowers of P. longiflora have the style included or scarcely exserted whereas the similar-sized female flowers have a longer exserted style. More commonly, the style is almost the same length in bisexual and female flowers but is more exserted in female flowers because these have a shorter floral tube. Illustrations of bisexual and female flowers are provided for the gynodioecious species P. sulphured (Figure 34) and P. aeruginosa (Figure 38). Butterflies and moths are probably the principal pollinators of Thecanthes and those species of Pimelea with large slender flowers. Their long slender probosces are able to penetrate the narrowly cylindric style-portion of the floral tube to reach the nectar at the base of the flower. Keighery (1975) recorded at least eight species of butterflies visiting flowers of about nine of the large-flowered species of Pimelea in Western Australia. He also recorded a bird species visiting the flowers of P. physodes. Pimelea physodes is the only species that appears to have the style-portion of the floral tube sufficiently broad throughout its length to be penetrated by a bird’s tongue. Pimelea species with small flowers, especially those with the floral tube only shortly extended above the ovary, are probably pollinated by a variety of insects. Burrows (1960) recorded bees, flies, small butterflies and moths, beetles and bugs visiting the small flowers of four New Zealand species of Pimelea. He concluded that a bee species and several fly species were the main pollinating agents, at least during daylight. Burrows reported widespread hybridisation between the four New Zealand species. The degree of hybridisation was sufficiently extensive in some cases to be regarded as introgression. Detailed population studies have not been conducted on Australian species and the frequency of hybridisation in unknown. 140 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Figure 1. Distribution of Pimelea and Thecanlhes. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 141 Biogeography Figure 1 gives the complete distributions of Pimelea and Thecanthes. In Western Australia the family occurs throughout the state but with scarcely any overlap in the ranges of the two genera. Thecanthes is confined to the far north, within the area defined as the Northern Botanical Province by Beard (1980), whereas Pimelea occurs throughout the remainder of the state and in the southern part of the Northern Botanical Province. All of the three Western Australian species ol Thecanthes extend into Northern Territory, one species also occurring in Queensland and another species also occurring in parts of southern Indonesia. Of the 4. Western Australian species of Pimelea, 36 are endemic in the south west of the state, many confined to the South west Botanical Province and others extending slightly into adjacent parts of the Eremaean Botanical Province. Another species, P. angustifolia is also recorded from Eucla, which is almost on the South Australian border. The endemics from the south-west include the monotypic sections Heterantheros and Macrostegia and all members ot sect Heterolaena. The only species endemic in the Western Australian part of the Eremaean. * holroyau, occurs mainly in the Pilbara region. Two closely related species, Pimelea imhricata and P. subvilli/era, occur both in the south- west ot estern Australia and in southern South Australia but with a large disjunction between t ese two areas. There are five other non-endemic Western Australia species, each with an apparently continuous distribution, P ammocharis, P. microcephala and P trichostachya being widespread in the Eremaean Botanical Province while P. serpyllifolia and P micrantha extend along the south coast around the Great Australian Bight. Systematic Treatment FAMILY THYMELAEACEAE Usually shrubs or trees with a stringy bark, rarely herbs or Hanes, often with simple hairs. tipules absent or vestigial. Leaves simple, entire. Flowers actinomorphic or rarely slightly zygomorphic, usually with a well developed corolla-like floral tube interpreted as consisting 0 dXia hssue on the outside and coralline and staminal tissue on the inside, the tube usually cy indnc to campanulate. Calyx usually corolla-like, with 3-6 (usually 4 or 5) sepals or lobes or rarely erase, arising at the summit of the floral tube and appearing to be a continuation 0 it. or possibly sometimes basal. Corolla lobes (when present) as many as or more than the sepals, usually smaller than the sepals, often scale-like. Stamens (l-)2-10(-80), often twice as many as the sepals and often in 2 whorls, inserted at the throat of the flower or within e tube, anther cells 2. parallel, longitudinally dehiscent. Nectary disk often present around e base ol the ovary, sometimes as distinct glands. Ovary free, superior, 2-12-carpellate, -loculate at maturity, commonly 2-carpellate but often with 1 carpel aborting early so at the ovary is functionally 1 -loculate; ovules 1 per carpel, pendulous. Style simple; stigma capitate or truncate. Fruit dry or succulent, usually indehiscent, sometimes a loculicidal capsule. tmbryo oily, straight. Base chromosome number, x = 9. A family ot about 50 genera and 500 species, occurring in temperate and tropical regions, especially in Africa and from south-eastern Asia to Australia, 2 genera occurring in W.A. Key to Genera 1 • Usually shrubs, very rarely annual herbs and then with sparsely to densely hairy stems. Involucral bracts 0-40 or more. Pedicels terete, often hairy 1 . PIMELEA F Glabrous annuals. Involucral bracts 4. Pedicels dorsiventrally compressed, glabrous 2. THECANTHES 142 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 1. PIMELEA Banks & Sol. ex Gaertner Pimelea Banks & Sol. ex Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. PI. 1: 186 (1788), nom. cons. Type: P. laevigata Gaertner (= P. prostrata (Forster & G. Forster) Willd.). Banksia Forster & G. Forster, Char. Gen. PI. 7, t. 4 (1775), nom. rej., non Linn. f. (1782), nom. cons. — Cookia J. Gmelin. Syst. Nat. 2: 24 (1791), nom. illegit. Type: P. gnidia (Forster & G. Forster) Willd. (as Banksia gnidia Forster & G. Forster in former genus and as Cookia gnidia (Forster & G. Forster) J. Gmelin in latter genus) (lecto: fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 118 (1983)). Gymnococca Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 1 0: 46 ( 1 845). Type: P. drupacea Labill. (as G. drupacea (Labill.) Fischer & C. Meyer). Heterolaena Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 10: 47 (1845). Type: P. spectabilis Lindley (as H. spectabilis (Lindley) Fischer & C. Meyer). Calyptrostegia C. Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Petersbourg 4: 72 ( 1 845). Type: C. hypericina (A. Cunn. ex Hook.) C. Meyer (= Pimelea ligustrina Labill. subsp. hypericina (A. Cunn. ex. Hook.) Threlfall). Macrostegia Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 252: 177 (1852). Type: M. erubescens Turcz. (= P. physodes Hook.). Prostrate to tall shrubs or rarely herbs with a woody base, usually erect, usually hermaphrodite, gynodioecious or dioecious; hairs simple, usually colourless and silky. Branches with a stringy bark; upper stems usually with rather inconspicuous tufts of hairs in the leaf axils. Leaves usually opposite and decussate, shortly petiolate or rarely sessile; midrib prominent on abaxial surface and often yellowish. Inflorescence usually a simple terminal raceme, rarely of almost axillary racemes each terminating in a very short axillary branchlet; raceme(s) usually very condensed, often head-like, rarely reduced to 1 or 2 flowers, often with an involucre of bracts. Pedicels terete or nearly so, usually very short and hairy, articulate at apex. Flowers white to red or yellow; bisexual flowers protandrous or appearing so. Floral tube often hairy outside, glabrous or sometimes hairy in the distal part inside, of 2 usually distinct portions surrounding the ovary and style respectively; ovary-portion usually fusiform; style-portion usually either narrowly cylindric and expanding slightly to the summit or very short. Sepals 4; outer pair overlapping inner pair in bud, often more hairy than inner pair. Corolla lobes absent. Stamens 2 (in W.A.), inserted at the summit of the tube opposite the outer sepals; anther usually yellow or orange at maturity, then becoming brown. Ovary 2-carpellate at first, effectively 1-loculate at maturity, usually green; ovule 1. Style subterminal, filiform; stigma usually globular or scarcely enlarged, small and papillose or larger and brush-like. Fruit indehiscent, dry or sometimes succulent, usually remaining enclosed in the base of the floral tube. Recorded chromosome numbers : n = 1 8. 36, 45 and 54. A genus of c. 107 species, 1 species endemic to Lord Howe Island, 17 species endemic to New Zealand and Chatham Island, and the remainder endemic in Australia. 45 species occurring in Western Australia. Pimelea species extend throughout Australia except for some areas in the extreme north, occurring in a wide range of habitats, from alpine to desert. In Western Australia, Pimelea is absent from the Northern Botanical Province except for P. ammocharis. which occurs only in the southern parts of the province. Notes. The name Pimelea is derived from the Greek word pimele (soft fat), in reference to the oily seeds or to the fleshy cotyledons. Chromosome numbers have not been counted from Western Australian material of the genus but 2n = 36 has been recorded from a Tasmanian population of P. serpyllifolia. which also occurs in Western Australia. B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 143 Key to Sections I . Receptacle prominently concave. Female inflorescence much hairier than male inflorescence sect. 1 . Heterantheros I . Receptacle more or less flat or convex or the axis elongate. Female inflorescence (if presentl not noticeably hairier than male or bisexual inflorescence. 2 . Perennials, stem nodes not protruding abaxially beyond petioles. Inflorescence elongate at maturity; involucral bracts 4-7, glabrous outside sect. 6 . Stipostachys _ . Perennials or rarely annuals; stem nodes abaxially prominent except in annuals, usually about twice as thick as petioles. Inflorescence usually compact, if elongate then involucral bracts absent or 4 and hairy outside. 3. Plants dioecious. Floral tube usually splitting irregularly at base in fruit or persistent, rarely circumscissile; ovary-portion longer than style-portion Fruit succulent or dry 2 . Pimelea 3. Plants hermaphrodite or gynodioecious or rarely dioecious. Floral tube circumscissile above ovary in fruit or, if persistent, then ovary-portion shorter than style-portion. Fruit dry. 4. Floral tube prominently constricted at circumscission point, glabrous inside. Sepals very narrowly triangular. Stamens 12 mm longsect. 5 . Macrostegia 4. Floral tube not prominently constricted or, if so, then hairy inside above circumscission point. Sepals narrowly ovate to elliptic. Stamens 10 mm long. 5. Ovary glabrous. Floral tube not circumscissile or, if so, then with short hairs on ovary-portion and a zoneof much longer patent hairs above....... sect. 7 p[ e terolaena Ovary hairy or, if not, then floral tube circumscissile above ovary in fruit, hairs of floral tube (when present) not as above. 6 . Sessile involucral bracts absent. Ovary-portion of floral tube longer than style-portion sect. 3. Epallage 6 . Sessile involucral bracts present. Ovary-portion of floral tube shorter than style-portion sect. 4 . Calyptrostegia Key to Species 1. Plants dioecious. 2. Floral tube of female flowers 5-1 1 mm long; style-portion much longer than ovary-portion. 3. Stems and leaves hairy. Fruit enclosed in the persistent base of floral tube 11. P. ammocharis 3. Stems and leaves glabrous. Fruit naked at maturity 1. P. gilgiana 2. Floral tube of female flowers 1. 5-3.51-5) mm long; style-portion shorter than ovary-portion. 4. Flower cluster on a very short axillary branchlet, appearing strictly axillary. Male pedicels 1.5-6 mm long 9. P. argentea 4. Flower cluster terminal or on a short but definite axillary branchlet. Male pedicels 0 . 2-1 mm long. 5. Leaves l-5-(6) mm long. 6 . Stems hairy near each inflorescence. Flowers glabrous or nearly so outside, somewhat to very hairy inside floral tube 2. P. serpyllifolia 6 . Stems glabrous. Flowers hairy outside, glabrous inside 3. P. halophila 5. Leaves mostly 10-20 mm long, always with some 6 mm long. 144 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 7. Flowers densely hairy outside. Fruit succulent. 8. Stems hairy at first. Fruit enclosed in persistent base of floral tube 4. P. clavata 8. Stems glabrous. Fruit naked at maturity 5. P. microcephala 7. Flowers glabrous. Fruit dry. 9. Pedicels densely hairy. Inflorescence compact or sometimes elongate at maturity, rarely appearing branched, subtended by 2 or 4 sessile leaf-like bracts 6. P. spiculigera 9. Pedicels glabrous or subglabrous. Inflorescence elongate at maturity, commonly appearing branched, each 'branch' subtended by a deciduous brown bract and petiolate leaves 7. P. forrestiana 1 . Plants hermaphrodite or gynodioecious. 10. Stems very pale yellow-brown in distal 100-200 mm. Inflorescence elongate at maturity; involucral bracts 4-7, glabrous outside 31. P. holroydii 10. Stems either becoming brown or grey to black shortly below apex or (in P. trichostachya ) becoming reddish. Inflorescence compact or, if elongate, then bracts either 4 and hairy outside or absent. 1 1 . Ovary glabrous. Floral tube not circumscissile or, if so, then with short hairs on ovary- portion and a zone of much longer patent hairs above. 12. Leaf margins flat or incurved. 13. Stamens shorter than sepals: filament 0.3-1. 5 mm long 44. P. brevifolia 1 3. Stamens equalling to greatly exceeding (very rarely shorter than) sepals; filament 2-7 mm long. 14. Sepals hairy inside. Ovary-portion of floral tube with antrorse hairs ....35. P. spectabilis 14. Sepals glabrous inside. Ovary-portion of floral tube glabrous or with reflexed to retrorse (rarely patent) hairs. 15. Floral tube glabrous inside, the long hairs on outside mixed with short hairs. Sepals moderately densely hairy, with both long and short hairs. 16. Outer involucral bracts with distinct yellow margins 0.5-1. 5 mm wide. Flowers circumscissile 43. P. lanata 16. Outer involucral bracts not as above. Flowers not circumscissile 42. P. hispida 15. Floral tube often with hairs inside at throat, the long hairs on outside usually not mixed with short hairs. Sepals sparsely hairy, the hairs all of a similar size. 17. Ovary-portion of floral tube glabrous or with patent to antrorse hairs. Leaves discolorous. with a sheen on adaxial surface 32. P. lehmarwiana 17. Ovary portion of floral tube with reflexed hairs. Leaves concolorous, dull 34. P. rara 12. Leaf margins recurved to revolute laterally or recurved at apex only. 18. Anthers subsessile, with strictly adaxial slits; cells slightly exceeded laterally by the connective. Stigma not or scarcely exserted * 38. P. brevistyla 18. Anthers with a distinct filament, the slits lateral or semi-lateral after dehiscence; cells laterally exceeding the connective. Stigma prominently exserted. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 145 19. Longest hairs of floral tube not mixed with short hairs, at least 4 times longer than shortest hairs of tube. 20. Leaves shortly petiolate, not stem-clasping. Floral tube with a ring of hairs inside at throat 32. P. lehmanniana 20. Leaves sessile, somewhat stem-clasping at base. Floral tube glabrous inside 33. P. sessilis 19. Longest hairs of floral tube mixed with short hairs or (sometimes in P. brachyphylla) not much longer than shortest hairs of tube. 21. Anthers 0.3 0.5 mm long. Floral tube 4-8 mm long, white 45. P. brachyphylla 21. Anthers 0.6- 1.5 mm long. Floral tube 8-18 mm long or, if 7-8 mm long, then flowers pink. 22. Inner involucral bracts hairy inside except on margin.. ..43. P. lanata 22. Inner involucral bracts glabrous inside or with hairs confined to base or centre. 23. Stamens slightly to greatly exceeding sepals; Filament 3.25-5.5 mm long. Leaves acute 39. P. ciliata 23. Stamens shorter than to exceeding sepals; filament 0.7-2.5(-3) mm long, if 2.5-3 mm long then leaves obtuse. 24. Flowers pale to deep pink. Leaves not becoming revolute. 25. Stems glabrous. Leaves flexible. Peduncle 4-35 mm long 40. P. rosea 25. Stems often somewhat hairy at first. Leaves rather stiff. Peduncle up to 3 mm long 41. P. ferruginea 24. Flowers white to pale yellow at maturity. Leaves mostly becoming revolute when dried. 26. Flowers pale yellow or cream; tube 12-18 mm long, the longest hairs 3-4.5 mm long 36. P. leucantha 26. Flowers white; tube 8-12 mm long, the longest hairs 1.5-2(-3) mm long 37. P. avonensis 1 1 . Ovary hairy or, if not, then floral tube circumscissile above ovary in fruit; hairs of floral tube (when present) not as above. 27. Style-portion of floral tube shorter than ovary-portion. Sessile involucral bracts absent. 28. Inflorescence elongate at maturity. Floral tube 3-4 mm long, the longest hairs 2.5-3 mm long 8. P. trichostachya 28. Inflorescence compact. Floral tube 2-2.5 mm long, with hairs up to 0.5 mm long 10. P. micrantha 27. Style-portion of floral tube longer than ovary-portion in flower. Sessile involucral bracts present. 29. Sepals erect, very narrowly triangular, 5-9 mm long. Stamens: filament 11.5-16 mm long; anther 2-3 mm long 30. P. physodes 29. Sepals spreading, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 1.5-6 mm long. Stamens: filament up to 7 mm long; anther 0.5-2 mm long. 30. Flowers hairy inside in the distal half of floral tube. Flower head erect. 31. Flowers glabrous outside. Bracts 6(8), usually distinct from the leaves. 32. Anther slits semi-lateral. Floral tube white or, if pink, then distinctly expanded in distal half 17. P. sylvestris 32. Anther slits strictly adaxial. Floral tube pink, only slightly expanded in distal half 18. P. calcicola 146 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (198g) 31. Flowers hairy outside. Bracts (6-)8-numerous, usually similar to and often grading into the leaves. 33. Leaves alternate, often crowded, glabrous. Involucral bracts c. 40 12. P. graniticolq 33. Leaves opposite or, if alternate, then usually hairy. Involucral bracts 8-20. 34. Ovary-portion of floral tube densely hairy throughout. Leaves usually alternate. 35. Hairs of floral tube not longer on ovary-portion or slightly longer and grading into somewhat shorter hairs on distal part of style-portion. Leaves usually medium green to dark bluish green or deep green 13. P. imbricatq 35. Hairs of floral tube long on ovary-portion, suddenly becoming distinctly shorter on style-portion. Leaves usually pale to medium grey-green 14. P. subvilliferq 34. Floral tube glabrous at extreme base of ovary-portion, densely hairy above. Leaves opposite. 36. Young stems hairy. Bracts reflexed in fruit 15. P. villiferq 36. Stems glabrous. Bracts not reflexed in fruit 16. P. erectq 30. Flowers glabrous inside. Flower head pendulous or erect. 37. Young stems hairy. Leaves alternate or opposite, hairy when young. 38. Longest hairs of floral tube 7-9 mm long. Involucral bracts 6-12 1 1 . P. ammochark 38. Hairs of floral tube up to 2 mm long. Involucral bracts 4-6 19. P. longiflorq 37. Stems glabrous. Leaves opposite, glabrous. 39. Anthers subsessile at throat of floral tube, strictly introrse; cells laterally exceeded by connective. Stigma not or scarcely exserted from throat 20. P. preissii 39. Anthers definitely exserted, the slits usually semi-lateral after dehiscence; cells laterally exceeding the connective. Stigma distinctly exserted. 40. Inner involucral bracts densely ciliate around apex. 41. Longest cilia of bracts 0.5-1 mm long. Longest hairs of the floral tube concentrated towards the base. Ovary with a terminal tuft of hairs 23. P. sulphurea 41. Longest cilia of bracts (1)2-3. 5 mm long. Longest hairs of floral tube occurring throughout style-portion. Ovary hairy but hairs not in a terminal tuft. 42. Ovary portion of floral tube with both long and short hairs throughout. Inner involucral bracts glabrous or sometimes slightly hairy inside 27. P. tinctoria 42. Ovary-portion of floral tube with short hairs, the long hairs (when present) confined to distal part. Inner bracts usually hairy inside 28. P. suaveolens 40. Involucral bracts not or scarcely ciliate. 43. Ovary-portion of floral tube with dense deciduous hairs 3-4 mm long 29. P. drummondii 43. Ovary-portion of floral tube glabrous or with sparse to dense persistent hairs 1-3.5 mm long. B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 147 44. Outside of flower with long hairs on the ovary-portion of floral tube, with a close dense covering of shorter hairs above. Flower head erect or pendulous. 45. Bracts not reddish or the colour not confined to base, slightly overlapping. Hairs of floral tube all patent to antrorse.. 21. P. angustifolia 45. Bracts reddish at the base outside, greatly over- lapping. Floral tube with minute retrorse hairs occurring for 2-4 mm above the circumscission point, the hairs above patent to antrorse 22. P. floribunda 44. Flowers either subglabrous to glabrous or with a relatively sparse indumentum of spreading hairs. Flower head pendulous. 46. Flowers glabrous, pale green. Ovary glabrous or hairs confined to basal half 24. P. pendens 46. Flowers often with at least a few hairs on sepals, if glabrous then yellow. Ovary hairy throughout. 47. Sepals glabrous or with a few hairs along midrib outside. Leaves obtuse or narrowly obtuse. Flowers yellow...... 25. P. aeruginosa 47. Sepals hairy outside; hairs not confined to midrib. Leaves acute. Flowers creamy green to pale yellow 26. P. cracens 148 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Sect. 1. Heterantheros Pimelea sect. Heterantheros Rye, sect. nov. Frutices dioici. Caules glabri; nodi prominentes. Involucri bracteae 4 vel 6. Inflorescentia mascula compacta; receptaculum concavum, supra insertionem bractearum extensurn. Inflorescentiae femineae a masculis indumento in pedicellis et floribus abortivis vel in receptaculo densiore et longiore. Tubus floralis proportione stylari quam ovariali longiore, basi irregulariter fissus sub fructu exutus. Ovarium glabrum. Fructus siccus. Typus: Pimelea gilgiana. Shrubs, dioecious. Stems glabrous except for inconspicuous hairs in upper leaf axils; nodes abaxially prominent, up to twice as thick as petiole. Leaves opposite, shortly petiolate, glabrous. Involucral bracts 4 or sometimes 6, well differentiated from leaves, erect, glabrous. Male inflorescence head-like, terminal, many-flowered; receptacle concave, extended as a rather thin annular structure above insertion point of involucral bracts, the basal pedicels arising more or less level with the base of each inner bract. Female inflorescence as described for male inflorescence, differing from male inflorescence in having additional and longer hairs, the onger hairs occurring on pedicels and aborted flowers or on receptacle. Pedicels hairy or glabrous. Flowers medium-sized to large, hairy outside, glabrous inside. Floral tube with style-portion much longer than ovary-portion, persistent in immature fruit, splitting irregularly m ovary-portion as fruit expands and tardily shed. Sepals spreading. Stamens 2; connective narrower than anther; slits lateral after dehiscence. Ovary glabrous. Style filiform; stigma large, brush-like. Fruit dry, naked at maturity. A section of 1 species, occurring in south-western Australia. otes. The single species of this section was not described until after Bentham’s (1873) reatment. It is unique in having a strongly concave receptacle extended above the base of e involucral bracts. A second unique feature is the presence in the female inflorescence o eit er sterile flowers or bract-like structures with hairs longer than those on the female ovvers. n other respects this section appears similar to sect. Pimelea except that the involucral racts are better differentiated and the flowers larger than is typical for sect. Pimelea. \_ Pimelea gilgiana E. Pritzel in Diels & E. Pritzel, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 35: 396-397, t. 46 (1904). Type. Geraldton, July 1901, E. Pritzel 429 (lecto here designated: PERTH); S of Geraldton, 2/ June 1901, L. Diels 3197 (isosyn: PERTH). Shrub, erect, 0.35-1.2 m high, single-stemmed at ground level, many-branched above. Stems Pa e & reen nea r each inflorescence, usually becoming medium brown to black further from apex eventually becoming grey. Leaves usually patent or widely antrorse; petiole usually r" ' mm .S’ lam ma concolorous, medium green, usually narrowly ovate to narrowly nr ipcc T 101 ^ or e ’*' pt ' c ’ 3-23 x 1.5-6(-7) mm, flat or adaxially concave, more nv „.„ t ' , unc,e u P to 1.5 mm long. Male inflorescence: involucral bracts green, broadly ° s cir e ul ar and 8.5-10.5 x 7-10.5 mm or the outermost bracts (when 6 present) , ceptacle extended c. 1 mm above insertion point of bracts, glabrous; pedicels B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 149 c. 0.3 mm long, glabrous or sometimes with hairs 0.3-3 mm long. Female inflorescence : involucral bracts reddish green in flower, deep red-purple in fruit, ovate to almost circular, 5- 15 x 7-15 mm; receptacle extended as an entire thin annulus 1.5-2 mm above insertion point of bracts in flower, up to 7 mm long in fruit, glabrous outside except at summit, densely hairy inside and at summit, the hairs antrorse and up to 5 mm long; pedicels 0.3- 1.3 mm long, with hairs up to 5 mm long. Male flowers white or pinkish; floral tube narrowly cylindric, 6- 7 mm long. c. 1 mm diam. at summit, glabrous in basal 1-2 mm, with rather coarse, antrorse or patent, sometimes tangled hairs above, the longest hairs 0.6-1 mm long; sepals more or less elliptic, 2-3.2 mm long, with hairs similar to those on tube; stamens shorter or longer than sepals, the filament 1.2-2. 5 mm long and anther 0.4-0. 8 x 0.3-0. 5 mm; pistillode absent or with an abortive ovary c. 0.3 mm long. Female flowers white; floral tube c. 5.5 mm long, c. 0.3 mm diam. at summit, the ovary-portion 1.5-2 x c. 0.6 mm and glabrous, the style-portion cylindric and c. 4 mm long, with coarse hairs on style-portion, the longest hairs c. 1 mm long; sepals narrowly ovate to ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal part of tube; staminodes with a filament up to 0.5 mm long and anther c. 0.2 x 0.1 mm; ovary c. 1 mm long; style exserted by 1-2.5 mm. Abortive flowers of female inflorescence with a reduced compressed floral tube and often sepals but without staminodes and pistillode, white, 0.5-3 mm long, the sepals up to 0.3 mm long, densely hairy throughout on tube; hairs antrorse to patent, the longest hairs 3-5 mm long. Seed c. 4x2 mm, with longitudinal rows of small deep pits. (Figure 2.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 30 seen): S of Lynton on road to Port Gregory, A.M. Ashby 4524 (AD); Tamala Station, J.S. Beard 6820 (PERTH); between Georgina and G reenough, J.S. Beard 69 17 (PERTH); 5 km S of Leeman, E.A. Griffin 806 (PERTH); Dirk Hartog Island, K.F. Kenneally 1355 (PERTH); Horrocks Beach. R. Melville ms & J. Cabby (MEL, PERTH); Geraldton, C.H. Ostenfeld 77 5 (PERTH); 7 km S of Kalbarri, P.G. Wilson 6729 (PERTH); c. 10 mi [16 km] S of Dongara, Sept. 1967. M. Wittwer (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) Extends from Dirk Hartog Island (26°05’ S, 1 1 3° 1 O' E) south to near Leeman (c. 29°57’ S, 1 14°58’ E), always within 30 km of the coast. Habitat. Occurs close to the coast associated with outcropping limestone, in sand pockets or sometimes in crevices in the rock, often in thickets. Flowering period. May -September. Affinities. A very distinct species with no close relatives. Notes. The receptacle of female inflorescences sometimes bears obvious sterile flowers at the summit but sometimes merely appears to become lacerate and hairy at the summit. The latter situation presumably represents a further reduction in the sterile flowers to a more bract-like structure. Perhaps the hairs in the female inflorescence provide some protection of the few scattered fruits from potential predators. The structure of the inflorescence is in need of further study in this species. There is now no type material of Pimelea gilgiana at B. Presumably the B syntype collected by Diels was lost when the bulk of that herbarium was destroyed. Sect. 2. Pimelea Pimelea a. Eupimelea Endl., nom. illegit., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Pimelea sect. Eupimelea Meissner, nom. illegit. in DC., Prodr. 14: 497 (1857). — Pimelea subgen. Eupimelea 150 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) mf. U r? r' P' r, . ,e ^ a gUgiana. A- flowering stem of male plant: B- flowering stem of female plant; C- male flower (x To j sterile flower from female head (x 12). Drawn from R.J. Cranfield 4003 (A, C) and J.S. Beard 6917 (B, D, E). Gilg, nom. illegit. sect. Autopimelea Gilg, nom. iliegit. in A. Engler & K. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. Ill, 6a: 243 (1894). — Banksia sect. Pimelea (Banks & Sol. ex Gaertner) Kuntze in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 59 (1903). 151 B. L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Banksia Forster & G. Forster, Char. Gen. PI. 7, t. 4 (1775), nom. rej., non Linn. f. (1782), nom. cons. — Cookia J. Gmelin, nom. illegit., Syst. Nat. 2: 24 (1791). — Banksia sect. Typobanksia Kuntze, nom. illegit. in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 59 (1903). Type: P. gnidia (Forster & G. Forster) Willd. (as Banksia gnidia Forster & G. Forster in the former genus and as Cookia gnidia (Forster & G. Forster) J. Gmelin in the latter genus) (lecto, fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 1 18 (1983)). Pimelea d. Choristachys Endl., Gen. PI. 33 1 ( 1837). — Calyptrostegia B. Choristachys (Endl.) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Pimelea sect. Choristachys (Endl.) F. Muell., Fragm. 4: 49 ( 1 863). — Pimelea sect. Calyptrostegia subsect. Choristachys (Endl.) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 21 (1873). — Banksia sect. Typobanksia c. Choristachys (Endl.) Kuntze in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 60 (1903). Type: P. spicata R. Br. Gymnococca Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 10: 46 (1845). — Gymnococca I. Melanococca C. Meyer, nom. illegit., loc. cit. — Pimelea sect. Gymnococca (Fischer & C. Meyer) Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 514 (1 857). Type: P. drupacea Labill. (as G. drupacea (Labill.) Fischer & C. Meyer). Pimelea sect. Eupimelea 5. Micranthae Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 510 (1857). Type: P. serpyllifolia R. Br. (lecto designated here). Pimelea sect. Dithalamia Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 26 (1873). — Banksia sect. Dithalamia (Benth.) Kuntze in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 60 (1903). Type: P. elachantha F. Muell. (= P. hewardiana Meissner) (lecto, fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 156 (1983)). Undershrubs to tall shrubs, dioecious or rarely (not in Western Australia) hermaphrodite or (not in Australia) gynodioecious. Stems glabrous or hairy; nodes prominent, c. twice as thick as petiole. Leaves shortly petiolate or subsessile. Sessile involucral bracts sometimes present, minute or leaf-like. Inflorescence compact or rarely interrupted-elongate at maturity, erect, 1 -many-flowered; rachis slender or enlarged. Pedicels hairy or glabrous. Female or bisexual flowers (in Western Australia): floral tube small, the ovary-portion longer than style- portion, usually splitting irregularly at base as fruit expands and tardily shed, sometimes persistent, rarely circumscissile above ovary. Sepals spreading. Stamens 2 or (not in Western Australia) very rarely 1 ; connective narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral to lateral or very rarely (not in Western Australia) more or less adaxial after dehiscence. Fruit succulent or dry. A section of 36 species, 18 species endemic to Australia, 1 species endemic to Lord Howe Island and, according to Mark and Adams (1973), 17 species endemic to New Zealand and Chatham Island. The Australian species are widespread, occurring in all states and in habitats ranging from alpine to desert. Notes. All the extra-Australian members of the genus belong to this section. They appear to be similar to Australian species except that they are predominently gynodioecious and the flowers are more commonly elongate than in Australian species. The type species from New Zealand. Pimelea prostrata, is very similar to Australian species. An illustration of P. prostrata in Moore and Irwin (1978; 63) shows, in addition to the flowers, a succulent fruit with the floral tube irregularly split at the base. Sect. Pimelea is the only group in which the fruit is sometimes succulent and the only group, apart from the monotypic sect. Heterantheros, that includes species with floral tubes splitting in this manner. Pimelea spiculigera and P. forrestiana appear to link sect. Pimelea to sect. Epallage and could be placed instead in the latter section. The tendency shown by the inflorescence to elongate and become interrupted in fruit is common in sect. Epallage but unknown in other 58831-3 152 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) members of sect. Pimelea. However, the dioecy, glabrous flowers and persistent floral tube of the two species are more typical of sect. Pimelea. Furthermore, in their vegetative characters, P. forrestiana and P. spiculigera are difficult to distinguish from P. microcephala. a more typical member of sect. Pimelea. In eastern Australia, Pimelea petrophila and Pimelea J lava are somewhat intermediate between sect. Pimelea and sect. Calyptrostegia but appear to be best placed in sect. Pimelea because their bracts are shortly petiolate. 2. Pimelea serpyllifolia R. Br., Prodr. 360 (1810). — Banksia serpyllifolia (R. Br.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: Bay 4 [Petrel Bay, Isle of St Francis], South Australia, 3 Feb. 1802, R. Brown (BM). Description as for Pimelea serpyllifolia subsp. occidentals below but stems sometimes glabrous. Distribution. (Figures 5, 7.) In Western Australia extends along the south coast from Israelite Bay to the South Australian border. Also occurs in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea halophila. also showing affinities to the eastern Australian species P. hewardiana. Notes. Two subspecies are recognised. Key to Subspecies 1. Stems glabrous. Flowers usually glabrous inside 2a. subsp. serpyllifolia 1. Stems hairy for a few internodes below each inflorescence. Flowers at least sparsely hairy inside 2b. subsp. occidentals 2a. subsp. serpyllifolia Pimelea cluytioides Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 27 1 (1 848). — Calyptrostegia cluytioides (Meissner) Walp., Annales Botanices Systematicae 3: 324 (1852). Type: Port Phillip, Victoria, 1843, C.J. Latrobe (holo vel iso: NEU, n.v., fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 163 (1983)). In Western Australia this subspecies is known only from Eucla and is as described for the other subspecies except that the stems are glabrous. For a description of this subspecies in eastern Australia see Threlfall (1983:163). Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from 6 seen): Eucla. 1 Sept. 1963, M.E. Phillips (NSW). SOUTH AUSTRALIA (selected from over 280 seen): c. 3.5 km S of Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, H. Eichler 15252 (AD, BRI. CANB); lower Coorong, 20 km S of Salt Creek, D.E. Symon 10416 (ADW). NEW SOUTH WALES: 23 mi [37 km] W of Euston, 1 8 Feb. 1955, T. & J. Whaite (NSW). VICTORIA (selected from c. 50 seen): Bellarine Peninsula, Barwon area, 2 Jan. 1983, J.C. Kissane (PERTH); Rye, J.H. Ross 2528 (AD, MEL); TASMANIA (selected from c. 30 seen): King Island, 26 Aug. 1 95 1 , E. Smith (HO, PERTH); East Sister Island, J.S. Whinray 52, 392 (AD, HO). B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 153 Distribution. (Figure 7.) Occurs at Eucla (3 1°43' S 1 28°54' E), in south-eastern South Australia, most of Victoria and on islands of the Bass Strait (Tasmania), with one record from the extreme south-west of New South Wales. Notes. Threlfall (1983: 164) noted the occurrence of a stunted spinescent variant on basaltic plains in Victoria. This variant appears to be a new species. 2b. subsp. occidentalis Rye, subsp. nov. Differt a P. serpyllifolia R. Br. subsp. serpyllifolia indumento in internodiis nonnullis infra inflorescentiam et in facie interiore tubi floralis evoluto. Typus: 10 km S of Point Dover, Western Australia, 4 Sept. 1968, P.G. Wilson 7697 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB. K. MEL). Differs from P. serpyllifolia R. Br. subsp. serpyllifolia in being hairy on a few internodes below each inflorescence and in being hairy inside the floral tube. Shrub, erect or sometimes (in exposed situations) almost prostrate, 0.1-1 m high, up to 2 m broad, single-stemmed at ground level, many-branched and bushy above. Stems usually dark brown near each inflorescence and then dark grey to black, becoming medium to pale grey further from apex, sparsely to moderately hairy near each inflorescence, soon becoming glabrous further from apex; hairs 0.1 -0.3 mm long. Leaves opposite, crowded, patent or antrorse, glabrous; petiole up to 0.4 mm long; lamina concolorous, pale to medium green or grey-green, narrowly elliptic to broadly elliptic or broadest slightly above the middle within the same length/width ratios, 1-6 x 0.7-2. 5 mm, flat or slightly concave on adaxial surface, recurved and with an abaxial mucro at apex, acute to obtuse. Peduncle up to 1 mm long. lnvolucral bracts 2 or 4. leaf-like in colour, obovate to broadly obovate, 2.5-6 x 2. 2-3. 5 mm. glabrous. Inflorescence terminal but sometimes appearing axillary when on a very short lateral branchlet, compact, usually 4-12-flowered. Pedicels usually 0.3-0.7 mm long, densely hairy; longest hairs 0.6-1 mm long. Flowers white to yellow or greenish yellow, usually cream. Floral tube of mate flowers 2-2.5 mm long, slender at base, 0. 5-0.8 mm diam. at summit, glabrous outside or rarely with a few patent hairs 0. 1-0.3 mm long near base, hairy inside but sometimes only sparsely so, often very densely hairy at base, more sparsely hairy above and glabrous in distal 0.5-1 mm; hairs mostly patent, somewhat curled and tangled, 0. 1-0.3 mm long. Floral tube of female flowers scarcely continued above ovary, 2-2.5 x 1-1.5 mm. 0.8- 1 .2 mm diam. at summit, persistent in fruit or tardily splitting at base, glabrous outside, hairy throughout inside; hairs antrorse or patent, somewhat curled and tangled, 0.2-0.5 mm long. Sepals broadly ovate or ovate. 0.8- 1.3 mm long, incurved at apex, glabrous. Stamens shorter than sepals; filament 0. 5-0.8 mm long; anther 0.4-0.6 x 0.25-0.3 mm; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Staminodes of female flowers: filament 0.05-0.3 mm long; anther 0. 1 5-0.4 x 0. 1 -0.2 mm. Ovary c. 1 mm long, with an apical tuft of hairs 0. 1-0.8 mm long, glabrous below. Style exserted by 1-1.5 mm; stigma brush-like. Pistillode absent or < 0.5 mm long in male flowers. Fruit not seen at maturity, presumably dry. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Israelite Bay, Sept. 1915, J.P. Brookes (NSW); Twilight Cove. A.S. George 8554 (PERTH); 15 km S of Cocklebiddy, A.S. George 11846 (PERTH); c. 27 km Sof Caiguna. R. Parsons 191 (AD); near Point Dover. P.G. Wilson 5913 (PERTH); c. 30 km SW of Caiguna. P.G. Wilson 5968 (PERTH); 10 km N of Point Dover. P.G. Wilson 7696 (PERTH); 17 km S of Caiguna. E. Wittwer 1974 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figures 5. 7.) Extends along the coast from Israelite Bay (33°37’ S, 123°52’ E) to Twilight Cove (32°1 9’ S. 126°03’ E). 154 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (19881 Habitat. Occurs in limestone areas close to the coast. Flowering period. July-November. Derivation of name. Occidentals (L.) — western, referring to its occurrence in the western part of the species range. 3. Pimelea halophila Rye, sp. nov. (Figure 3.) Affinis P. serpyllifoliae R. Br. sed foliis alternis minoribus, floribus extus tantum pilosis et ovario in floribus femineis glabro diversa. Typus: Lake King salt lake. Western Australia, 4 Oct. 1982, B.L. Rve 82035 A (holo: PERTH, iso: CANB, K, MEL). Figiire 3. Pimelea halophila. A- small flowering female plant; B- female inflorescence and bracts (x 5); C- male flower (x 7.5); D female flower (x 12); E- stamen (x 10); F- ovary (x 12). Drawn from fresh material collected at type locality. Rented to P. serpyllifolia R. Br. but differs in the alternate and smaller leaves, in being densely hairy on the outside of the flowers and in the glabrous ovary of female flowers. 155 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Undershrub. 15-150 mm high, the main stem often buried and giving rise to a number of main branches appearing at ground level and forming a cushion. Stems yellow-green near each inflorescence, becoming purplish then grey further from apex, glabrous. Leaves alternate, patent or antrorse, glabrous; petiole up to 0.3 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green to bluish green, usually more or less elliptic (often broadly elliptic to almost circular in the smallest leaves), 0.4-3. 2 x 0.4- 1.5 mm. Peduncle 0.5 mm long. Involucral bracts usually 4, sometimes 3, similar in colour and length to the uppermost leaves but up to 1.7 mm wide, sparsely hairy on the central part inside, otherwise glabrous. Inflorescence terminal, compact, 4-20-flowered. Pedicels 0. 2-0.4 mm long; hairs up to 0.4 mm long in male flowers, up to 0.8 mm long in female flowers. Flowers glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; floral tube usually pink in style-portion; sepals white or cream, ovate, with an indumentum similar to that of floral tube but usually less dense, especially in female flowers. Male flowers: tube 2-2.5 mm long, cylindric but often swollen in basal 1-1.5 mm, densely covered by antrorse to patent hairs up to 0.5 mm long, the indumentum sometimes more dense in the swollen portion than above; sepals 1-1.3 mm long; stamens shorter than sepals, the filament 0.4-0.8 mm long and anther 0.4-0. 5 x c, 0.3 mm, the connective narrow, the slits lateral after dehiscence; pistillode with an ovary c. 0.5 mm long and with terminal hairs up to 0.6 mm long, the style c. 0.5 mm long. Female flowers: tube 1.5-1. 7 mm long, the ovary-portion c. 1 x 1 mm and style- portion c. 0.6 mm long, with a very dense indumentum of antrorse to patent hairs up to 0.6 mm long; sepals 0.6-0.7 mm long; staminodes with a virtually sessile anther up to 0.1 x 0.1 mm; ovary c. 0.8 mm long, glabrous; style exserted by c. 1 mm, the stigma brush-like. Fruit dry. Seed c. 2 x 1 mm. with faint longitudinal markings. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA; Lake King, A. S. George 10976 (PERTH); Lake King salt lake. B.L. Rye 82935B (CANB. K, MEL, PERTH); cultivated in Perth ex Lake King. B.L. Rve 84002 (PERTH); middle of Lake King causeway, R.A. Saffrey 574 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) Known only from Lake King salt lake (33°06' S, 1 19°35’ E). Habitat. Occurs on islands slightly raised above the level of the salt lake, in saline whitish sand in a very low open shrubland. Flowering period. August-October. Conservation status. This species, known from only one salt lake, appears to be rare and endangered. The only known locality is not a nature reserve and has been subject to mining in at least one area. Derivation of name. Halos (Gr.) — salt, philoe (Gr.) — to love, in reference to its saline habitat. Affinities. As indicated in the diagnosis. Similar to the type subspecies of Pimelea serpyllifolia in the absence of hairs on the stems and the absence of hairs inside the floral tube but differing from the Western Australian P. serpyllifolia subsp. occidentalis in both of these characteristics. Notes. Although the ovary of the female flowers examined was glabrous, the abortive ovary of the male flowers examined was hairy. 4. Pimelea clavata Labill., Nov. Holl. PI. 1: 11 (1805). — Banksia clavata (Labill.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: “Capite Van-Dieman” [probably collected at Observatory Island, Esperance Bay, Western Australia], Dec. 1792, J.J.H. de Labillardiere (holo: FI, n.v., photo, in PERTH). Pimelea viridula Lindb., Finsk. Vet. Soc. Forlandl. 9: 61-62, t. 60 (1867). Type: Illustration t. 60. 156 Nuytsia Vol. 6. No. 2 (19881 Shrub, erect, <0.3-)l-4(-6) m high, single-stemmed at ground-level, many-branched above, basically dioecious but rarely with a few female flowers on primarily male individuals. Stems green to greenish brown and hairy near each inflorescence, becoming medium to dark brown and glabrous further from apex: hairs appressed to patent, either all similar or some long and others much shorter, fine, the longest hairs 0.6- 1.5 mm long. Leaves opposite, patent or antrorse; petiole 0.4- 1.4 mm long, hairy: lamina discolorous. pale to medium green on abaxial surface, medium to dark green on adaxial surface, narrowly elliptic or nearly so to almost linear, (6 )1 1-43 x (1.5-12-9 mm, flat or the margins recurved, more or less acute, not mucronate but with an apical tuft of hairs resembling a mucro and up to 0.5 mm long, moderately to densely hairy on abaxial surface, glabrous on adaxial surface: hairs appressed to antrorse, very fine, the longest usually 0.8- 1.2 mm long. 'Peduncle (or length of stem between inflorescence and uppermost persistent leaves) up to 25 mm long. Uppermost leaves subtending inflorescence usually 2. deciduous, shortly petiolate, similar in colour, shape and vestiture to leaves below. 2-5 x 0.6- 1 .5 mm. Inflorescence terminal but often appearing almost axillary at first, compact, many-flowered. Pedicels 0.3-1 mm long, densely hairy; hairs 1-1.3 mm long. Flowers white or cream, rarely pale yellow, densely hairy outside, glabrous inside. Male flowers: tube 2-3.5(-4) mm long. 0. 2-0.5 mm diam. at middle, expanded to 0.5-0.6 mm diam. at summit: sepals ovate-elliptic. 1.2-2 mm long; hairs (of tube and sepals) antrorse. 0.1 -0.6 mm long, the longest ones, which are 0.3-0.6 mm long, either confined to sepals or on both tube and sepals; stamens shorter than sepals, the filament 0.4-0.7 mm long and anther 0.4-0.8 x 0.3-0.5 mm, the slits lateral after dehiscence; pistillode present, the aborted ovary < 1 mm long. Female (lowers: tube 1 .5-2 x c. 0.7 mm, continued 0.2-0.3 mm above ovary-portion, 0.3-0. 4 mm diam. at summit, circumscissile above ovary in fruit, the portion below the circumscission point persistent; sepals elliptic or nearly so, 0.6- 1.2 mm long; hairs (of tube and sepals) most densely arranged on sepals, appressed to antrorse. c. 0.3 mm long; staminodes < 0.5 mm long; ovary with an apical tuft of hairs up to 0.4 mm long; style exserted by 0.4-0.6 mm. the stigma brush- like. Fruit succulent, black when dried but probably dark purple when fresh, 3 4 x c. 2 mm, with a few hairs on outside of persistent base of floral tube. (Figure 4.) Figure 4. Pimelea cla\ D- female flower and 4882 (B. Dl a,a . A hai ,7 slem an ^ ' ca ^ * x 2-51; B flowering stem of female plant; C male flower (x 15); pedieel lx 15); E- partly enclosed fruit (x 11). Drawn from R.J. Cranfletd 4882a (A. C) and 157 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 90 seen): Augusta, AM Ashby 2691 (AD. PERTH); North Twin Peak Island, M.I.H. Brooker 3618 (PERTH); Warren National Park, EM. Canning 6501 (CBG); Middle Island, A. Cunningham 12 (BRI, MEL); Pemberton, C.A. Gardner 1219 (CANB, PERTH); Princess Royal Harbour, B.T. Goadby 1302 (PERTH); Mt Frankland, 14Feb. 1913, S. W. Jackson (PERTH); Torbay, K. Newbey 3487 (PERTH); Peaceful Bay, 5. Paust 370 (PERTH); 5 mi [8 km] W of Manjimup, R.D. Royce 2367 (PERTH); Observatory Island. AS. Weston 9371 (CANB, PERTH); Middle Island. AS. Weston 9869 (CANB, PERTH); Salisbury Island, 24 Nov. 1950, J.H. Willis (MEL); Mt Clare, Walpole, E. Wittwer 1153 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) A disjunct distribution. Extends from Margaret River (33°57' S, 1 15°04' E) to Bald Island (34°55‘ S, 1 18°27‘ E) and in the Recherche Archipelago from Observatory Island |33°55’ S. 121°47’ E) to Salisbury Island (34°22’ S, 123°33’ E). Habitat. On the mainland the species occurs in protected areas on coastal dunes, also in Karri forest further inland, and is often associated with watercourses or ephemeral lakes. In the Recherche Archipelago P. clavata has been recorded from limestone cliffs. Flowering period. Mainly September-February. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea microcephala. Notes. The known range of P. clavata is disjunct between Bald Island and the Recherche Archipelago, a distance of about 300 km. From Albany eastwards the species is only known from islands although, to the west of Albany, it extends inland to Manjimup. The apparent large disjunction in the range is possibly due to the shortage of large islands between Bald Island and the Recherche Archipelago. It is possible that the species would be found on Doubtful Island (34°22’ S. 1 1 9°36' E) and West Island (34°05‘ S. 120°29’ E), the only islands of any size spanning the disjunction, if these were explored. Labillardiere erroneously gave the type location of the species as Tasmania as he did for several other species (Nelson 1974) that do not occur in Tasmania. Believing that P. clavata did not occur in the Recherche Archipelago, Nelson wrongly concluded that Labillardiare could not have collected the type specimen. He suggested that Leschenault may have been the collector. In fact P. clavata occurs, and is probably common, on islands of the Recherche Archipelago including Observatory Island, where Labillardiere apparently made his Western Australian collections. 5. Pimelea microcephala R. Br., Prodr. 361 (1810). — Calyptrostegia microcephala (R. Br.) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Banksia microcephala (R. Br.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: Bay 4 (Petrel Bay, Isle of St Francis], South Australia. 3 Feb. 1802, R. Brown (BM). Description and distribution as for Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala. Affinities. Pimelea microcephala is most closely related to the eastern Australian species P. neo-anglica. In Western Australia the closest relative is P. clavata. Notes. There are two subspecies but only the type subspecies occurs in Western Australia. Key to Subspecies 1. Leaves green. Floral tube hairy outside 5a. subsp. microcephala 1. Leaves glaucous. Floral tube glabrous 5b. subsp. glabra 158 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Wyndhami Roebot Onslow. Geraldtor PERTH\ "Fremantle 1 Figure 5 Distribution of Pimelea gilgiana A. P. halophila ■ P clavata •. P. forrestiana O, P. spiculigera var. spiculigera V P. spiculigera var. ihesioides A and P. serpyllifolia ★ WESTERN AUSTRALIA 5a. subsp. microcephala n Hi Cr0 ^ eP n a,a var ' elon Z ala Meissner. Linnaea 26: 350 11854). Type : South Australia. - . uetler llecto. fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 161 (1983): G DC. n.v., microfiche seen). 159 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Pimelea microcephala var. linariifolia Meissner in DC.. Prodr. 1 4: 5 1 5 ( 1 857). Type: Lachlan River, New South Wales, June 1817. A. Cunningham 3/1817 (lecto, fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 162 (1983): G-DC. n.v., microfiche seen). Shrub, erect, usually 0.8-2. 5 m high, single-stemmed at ground level, many-branched above. Stems red-brown or green near each inflorescence and then red-brown, becoming dark brown to almost black then grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse or patent, glabrous; petiole 0.2-0. 8 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green, I usually narrowly elliptic or nearly so, (1.5-)6-25(-60) x l-5(-7) mm, flat or slightly concave on adaxial surface, acute or narrowly obtuse, mucronulate. Peduncle up to 4 mm long. Involueral bracts 2 or sometimes 4, leaf-like in colour, narrowly ovate to ovate-elliptic, 2-15 x 1.5-6 mm, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal, compact, few- to many-flowered. Pedicels up to 0.5 mm long, rather densely hairy; hairs up to 0.6 mm long. Flowers white to yellow or greenish, with a dense indumentum of rather coarse hairs outside, glabrous inside. Male flowers: tube narrowly cylindric, 3-7 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm diam. at summit, with curly, more or less patent hairs up to 0.7 mm long; sepals elliptic to ovate, 1.2-2 mm long, sparsely covered by hairs similar to those on tube; stamens shorter than sepals, the filament 0.7-1 mm long and anther 0. 4-0.7 x 0.3-0.5 mm, the slits lateral after dehiscence; pistillode absent or < 0.5 mm long. Female flowers with rather tangled hairs up to 0.3 mm long; tube 1.5-2 mm long, the ovary-portion c. 1 mm diam., scarcely continued above ovary-portion, c. 0.5 mm diam. at summit, persistent in immature fruit, splitting irregularly in the ovary-portion as the fruit expands and tardily shed; sepals elliptic to ovate or broadly so, 0.2-0. 9 mm long; staminodes with a subsessile anther 0.05-0.2 x 0.05-0.2 mm; ovary 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous; style exserted by 1.1-5 mm, the stigma papillose to almost brush-like. Fruit succulent and orange when fresh, black when dried, 4-7 x 2-4 mm, glabrous. (Figure 6.) Figure 6. Pimelea microcephala. A flowering stem of male plant; B male flower (x 201; C- female inflorescence with 3 naked fruits lx 2); D- female flower (x 25). Drawn from dried material. 160 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (198$)) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 240 seen): 20 mi [3j km] NE of Yuna. AM. Ashby 1 585 (AD. PERTH): Mt Fredrick, J. V. Blockley 267 (PERTH)- Southern Cross Caravan Park, R.J. Cranfield 1630 (PERTH); North Pool, L.A. Craven 5172 (BRI, NT, PERTH); c. 70 km S of Leonora, N.N. Donner 4527 (AD, PERTH); near Mt Singleton. C.A. Gardner & W.K Blackall 25 (PERTH); 23 mi [37 km] S of Learmonth, /US. George 1262 (PERTH); c. 27 km E of Terhan Rockhole, ,4.S. George 12182 (PERTH); q 5 km SW of Kambalda, A.A. Munir 5268 (AD. PERTH); 28 km E of Salmon Gums. K Newbey 6676 (PERTH); Ponier Rock. K. Newbey 7363 (PERTH); 10 mi [16 km] frory, Walkaway towards Strawberry, 15 Sept. 1968. ME. Phillips (AD. BRI); Cunderdin Hill, H de Rebeira 148 (PERTH); 10 mi [16 km] S of Belele. N.H. Speck 1013 (AD. BRI. CANS NSW. PERTH). NORTHERN TERRITORY (selected from c. 10 seen): Mt Riddock Station. P.K. Lai > 3172 (BRI. NT). SOUTH AUSTRALIA (selected from over 320 seen): 9 km E of Parachilna, N.N. Donne r 16 (AD. NT); 8 mi [1 3 km] S of Emu, N. Forde 408 (AD, BRI, NSW, PERTH); entrance to Mambray Creek, D.E. Symon 470, 471 (ADW, PERTH). QUEENSLAND (selected from c. 30 seen): Kindon Station. L.S. Smith 524 (BRI). NEW SOUTH WALES (selected from over 100 seen): Cocopara Range, M.D. Crisp 7705576 (AD); 27 km NW of Tilpa, J. Pickard 2017 (NSW). VICTORIA (selected from c. 20 seen): c. 2 km SE of Mt Crozier. M.G. Corrick 6641 & PS. Short (AD, MEL. PERTH). Distribution. (Figures 8. 9.) In Western Australia extends from North West Cape (2 1°47’ S 1 14" 10' E), south to Dongara (29° 15' S, 1 1 4°56' E), south-east to Ponier Rock (32°56' S, 123°30 : F.I and east to Reid (30*49 S. 128“25' E). Also occurs in Northern Territory, South Australia Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Habitat. Occurs in shrublands or sometimes in woodlands, usually in sand, sometimes in rocky ground or on dunes or floodplains. Flowering period. Mainly May-October, also February-April. Notes. The type material of this subspecies, borrowed from BM, was very poor, lacking flowers and fruits. The microfiche photographs of the lectotypes of the two varieties listed above were also poor but they appear to be of this subspecies. 5b. subsp. glabra (F. Muell. & Tate ex J. Black) Threlfall Pimelea microcephala var. glabra F. Muell. & Tate ex J. Black, FI. S. Australia 1st edn 3- 397 (1926). - Pimelea glabra (F. Muell. & Tate ex J. Black) Carolin in Jessop. FI. Centrai Australia 222 (1981). Type: Mt Illbillie, Everard Range, South Australia, 5 June 1891, R Helms (lecto. fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 162 (1983): AD, n.v.; isolecto: MEL). For a description of this subspecies, which does not occur in Western Australia refer to Threlfall (1983: 163). Specimens examined. SOUTH AUSTRALIA (selected from 12 seen): Camp 4 [near Mt Illillinna]. 9 June 1891, R. Helms (AD, MEL. NSW). Distribution. (Figure 8.) Known only from a small area in north-western South Australia. 6. Pimelea spiculigera F . Muell., F ragm. 1 1 : 46-47 ( 1 878). — Banksia spiculigera (F. Muell.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: near Russell Range, Western Australia, date unknown. A. Forrest (holo: MEL). B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 161 Figure 7. Distribution of Pimelea serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia • and P serpyllifolia subsp. occidemalis O. -*• — Zr AUSTRALIA - , Figure 8. Distribution of Pimelea microcephala subsp. microcephala ♦ and P. microcephala subsp. glabra 0 162 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (l98g) WESTERN AUSTRALIA Wyndhomi Geraldtoi PERTH) Bunbury, Busselt< Albany Figure 9. Western Australian distribution of Pimelea microcephala. 163 B.L Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Shrub, erect, (0.2 )0.31 (-2) m high, single stemmed at base, often rather open above. Stems pale green to pale yellow-brown near each inflorescence, becoming dark red-brown then medium grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, usually distant, antrorse to reflexed, usually patent, glabrous; petiole 0.3- 1.3 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green, linear or narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 4-26 x 0.7-3. 5 mm. obtuse to acute, not mucronate. Inflorescence usually of 1 head or spike, rarely of more than I head or spike as in Pimelea forrestiana, each head or spike terminal on a branch or a short leafy branchlet and subtended by involucral bracts. Involucral bracts 2 or sometimes 4. sessile, the same colour as leaves, ovate to narrowly ovate or very rarely linear, 2-10(13) x ( 1 .2 ) 1 .5-3 mm, glabrous. Inflorescence compact at first, sometimes becoming elongate and interrupted at maturity, many-flowered; rachis 1-1 1 mm long at maturity, with up to 2 mm between each group of flowers or fruits. Pedicels 0.3-0.7 mm long, densely hairy; longest hairs 0.5 I mm long. Flowers yellow or sometimes greenish yellow, completely glabrous. Male flowers: floral tube 3-5.5 mm long, c. 0.3 mm diam. near middle, 1-1.3 mm diam. at summit; sepals ovate-elliptic or broadly so. 1 .3- 1 .7 mm long; stamens shorter than sepals, the filament 0.6- 1 mm long and anther c. 0.6 x 0.3-0.4 mm, the slits semi-lateral after dehiscence; pistillode absent. Female flowers, tube 2-3 x 0. 7-0.8 mm, continued only 0.2-0. 3 mm above ovary-portion c. 0.5 mm diam. at summit, persistent in fruit; sepals becoming erect in fruit, elliptic-ovate! 0.8-1 mm long; staminodes sessile, more or less globular, up to 0.1 mm long; ovary c. 2 mm long, glabrous; style exserted by 1 1.7 mm, the stigma brush-like. Fruit dry. Seed 3-5.5 x 1 - 1 .3 mm. with a prominent pattern of irregular transverse ridges. (Figure 10.) Distribution. (Figure 5.) Extends from near Mullewa east to Cundeelee and south-east to near Mt Beaumont. Flowering period. July-October. Affinities. Very similar to Pimelea forrestiana. Apart from the differences indicated in the key, P spiculigera has a fruiting stipe about 0.5 mm long whereas in P. forrestiana the fruiting stipe is 1-2 mm long. Both species can be distinguished from other Western Australian members of sect. Pimelea by their distinctly curved fruit, with the adaxial surface convex. The floral tube is clear- translucent in fruit. Whereas the mature inflorescence of P. forrestiana is elongate and interrupted, the inflorescence of P . spiculigera var. thesioides. which overlaps in range with P. forrestiana. is compact. Pimelea spiculigera var. spiculigera. which occurs south of the range of P. forrestiana. has an elongate mature inflorescence but the maximum length of the spike is only about half as long as in P. forrestiana. Notes. The two varieties of P spiculigera are can only be distinguished when in late flower or fruit. They are not considered to be sufficiently distinct to be regarded as subspecies because they differ in only one character. It is not known whether or not they intergrade in this character or whether they show a complete geographical separation because some specimens are not sufficiently advanced in flowering to be definitely identified. Specimens occurring in the northern part of the range were assumed to be of var. thesioides even when they were only in the early stages of flowering. It is unfortunate that the name spiculigera has been applied to the species because the more common and widespread variety has a compact inflorescence rather than a spike-like inflorescence. The epithet spiculigera was first published by Bentham (1873; 23) as the nomen nudum Pimelea spiculigera F . Muell. ex Benth. Although the specimen cited was reportedly collected at Lake Muir, Western Australia, by J.R. Muir, it is actually Pimelea spicata. an eastern Australian species. Lake Muir, in the extreme south-west of Western Australia, is well outside the ranges of both P . spiculigera and P. spicata. The two species are similar in having small, glabrous or nearly glabrous flowers in an inflorescence that tends to be interrupted-elongate at maturity. 164 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (19§g> Key to Varieties 1. Mature inflorescence compact, not interrupted 6a. var. thesioic/ e s 1. Mature inflorescence elongate, often interrupted 6b. var. spiculigera 6a. var. thesioides (S. Moore) Rye, comb. nov. (Figure 10.) Pimelea thesioides S. Moore, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 34: 224-225 (1899). Type: between Coolgarclje and Lake Darlot. Western Australia, 1895, S.M. Moore (lecto here designated, female: BIM; isolecto: NY; syn, male: BM; isosyn: NY). Inflorescence (or rarely inflorescence unit) compact, not interrupted; rachis 1-2 mm long. !v h h r fi rl uligera var. spiculigera. A- flowering and fruiting stem of female plant; B female inflorescenc nerliri-i iv r 1 ! * „ ^ s P‘citHgera var. thesioides. C- flowering stem of male plant; D male flower an fram PG miL!, ^mn?A 1 ’lA 0r S5 Cf S C< U W,th n ° wers and frui,s ,x 6 5l: f female Bower and pedicel lx 8.5). Draw trom P.G. Utlson 10026 (A. Bl. H. Demarz 3811 (C, Dl and P.G. Wilson 7179 (E. F). 165 B.L- Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 30 seen): Mt Jackson, J.S- Beard 4755 (PERTH); 30 mi [48 km| S of Paynes Find, J. V. Blockley 507 (CANB); Glenorn Station. Aug. 1938, N. T. Burbidge (PERTH); near McPherson Rock. M.D. Crisp 976 (CBG); Mt Singleton, C.A. Gardner 12129 (PERTH); 32 mi [51 km[ E of Karonie, AS. George 591 1 (PERTH): 7 mi [1 1.5 km] E of Mullewa,/ W. Green 1576 (PERTH); Kumarl, L.A. Horbury 1 14 (PERTH); Watheroo Rabbit Fence, M. Koch 1580 (MEL); 15 mi [24 km] Sof Coolgardie, R. Melville 4075 & D. Kemsley (MEL, PERTH); Lake Moore, A. Robinson 1 (PERTH); 5 rhi [8 km] N of Norseman, R.D. Royce 3474 (PERTH); near Gibraltar. P.G. Wilson 7178 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) Extends from near Mullewa (28°3 1 ’ S. 1 1 5°35' E) south east to Kumarl (32 u 47'S, 121°33’ E)and Cundeelee (30°44'S, 123°25’E). Possibly also extends to Fraser Range ( T.E.H . Aplin 1789, PERTH) and Mt Ragged (M.A. Clements 2031, CBG) but flowering in these specimens is not advanced enough to be sure of the variety involved. Habitat. Occurs on granite outcrops and lateritic ridges, usually in shallow sand or sandy clay. Flowering period. July-September. 6b. var. spiculigera Pimelea microcephala var. psilantha F. Muell., Fragm. 1 1: 47 (1878). Type: Fraser Range, Western Australia, date unknown, A. Dempster (lecto here designated, female: MEL; isolecto: BM; syn, male: MEL; isosyn: BM). Inflorescence (or rarely inflorescence unit) compact at first, becoming elongate and often interrupted at maturity; rachis up to 11 mm long. (Figure 10.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Southern Hills Station, J.S. Beard 6298 (PERTH); Fraser Range, R. Filson 217 (MEL, PERTH); near Russel Range, date unknown, E.A. Forrest (MEL); 2 km NW of Mt Pleasant, Fraser Range, K. Newbey 7543 (PERTH); 1 15 km ENE of Esperance, R.A. Saffrey 1258. 1259 (PERTH); Fraser Range, 6 Sept. 1963, J.H- Willis (MEL); c. 100 km E of Esperance and 50 km N of the coast, P.G. Wilson 10026. 10027 (PERTH); c. 52 mi [83 km[ S of Balladonia. P.G. Wilson 10109 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) Extends south from the Fraser Range (c. 32°00' S, 122°50’ E) to near Mt Beaumont (c. 33°22' S, 1 22°4 1 ' E). Habitat. Occurs on granite outcrops, also recorded on gravelly soil. Flowering period. August-October. 7. Pimelea forrestiana F. Muell., Fragm. 1 1: 46 (1878). — Banksia forrestiana (F. Muell.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: Mt Pyrton. Hamersley Range, Western Australia, date unknown, J. Forrest (lecto here designated, female: MEL; syn, male: MEL). Shrub, erect, (0.3 )0. 5- 1.5 m high, single stemmed at base, many-branched but often rather open above. Stems yellowish green or yellowish brown near each inflorescence, becoming dark red-brown then medium grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, usually distant, patent or antrorse, glabrous; petiole 0.6-2. 3 mm long: lamina concolorous, medium green or darker green, linear to narrowly elliptic or nearly so, (6 )9-40 x 1 .5-6 mm, Hat or adaxially concave, acute, mucronate. Inflorescence commonly of several spike-like units and appearing branched, 1 terminal and (1)2 pedunculate ‘spikes’ arising in 166 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) the axils of the uppermost (leaf or) pair of leaves, which are petiolate and not bract-like. Peduncles up to 3 mm long in male plants, up to 8 mm long in fruit. Involucral bracts absent or 1 per spike, early-deciduous, ovate, commonly translucent yellow-brown with much darker veins, 1.5-2 x 0.5-1 mm, glabrous. ‘Spikes' compact at first, soon becoming elongate and interrupted, many flowered; rachis usually 5-25 mm long at maturity, with up to 3 mm between groups of flowers or fruits. Pedicels 0. 1-0.4 mm long, glabrous. Male Jlowers yellow, completely glabrous; floral tube narrowly cylindric to cylindric (except at summit), 3-6.5 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm diam. near middle, 0.7 1.2 mm diam. at summit; sepals ovate to broadly ovate, 1 .2-1.8 mm long; stamens shorter than sepals, the filament 0.7- 1 mm long and anther 0.8-1 x 0.3-0.5 mm, the slits semi lateral after dehiscence; pistillode absent. Female flowers not seen except in fruit, probably similar to those of Pimelea spiculigera; floral tube persistent in fruit; sepals erect in fruit, c. 0.6 mm long, tardily shed from floral tube. Fruit dry. Seed c. 5 x 1.5 mm, with a prominent pattern of irregular transverse ridges. (Figure 1 1.) Figure 1 1 . Pimelea forrestiana. A flowering stem of male plant: B- male flower (x 101; C- female fruiting inflorescence: U enclosed fruit and stipe (x 9). Drawn from ME Trudgen 2225 (A. B) and N.H. Speck 874 (C. Dl. 167 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from c. 30 seen): near Sandford River, Murgoo, AM. Ashby 3291 (AD); between Mount Magnet and Cue. W.E. Blackall 79 (PERTH); West Angelas, June 1984, J.N. Dunlop (PERTH); Mt Tallering. J. Galbraith 426 (MEL, PERTH); Lake Austin, C.A. Gardner 2254 (PERTH); near Yalgoo. C.A. Gardner 13341 (PERTH); 6 mi |9.5 km] E of Hillview Homestead. N.H. Speck 874 (AD. CANB, PERTH); 10 mi |16 km] W of Mileura, N.H. Speck 997 (AD, CANB, NT, PERTH); Tallering Peak, M.E. Trudgen 2225 (PERTH); 66 mi [105 km] N of Wubin, E. Wittwer (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 5.) Extends from near Mileura (c. 26°24’ S, 1 17" 13' E) south to near Lake Moore (c. 29"55’ S, 1 1 7“00' E) and from Mt Tallering (28°06’ S, 1 1 5°38' E) east to near Hillview (26°54’ S, 1 1 8°42' E). The type collection is reportedly from Mt Pyrton (2 1°53’ S, 117°20' E) and there is a recent collection from Angelas Bore (23°07’ S, 1 1 8°4 1 ' E). Habitat. Occurs on granite outcrops and rocky hillsides. Flowering period. June-September. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea spiculigera. See notes under that species. Notes. The inflorescence of this species is of particular interest because it generally consists of three closely associated spikes rather than a solitary spike or head as in nearly all other members of the genus. The pedicels become much enlarged in fruit, tending to be narrowly obconic or conic. There is some doubt that the type locality and collector cited above are correct. John Forrest probably did not collect specimens in the Hamersley Range, although he did undertake an expedition through the known range of the species in 1869, accompanied by Malcolm Hamersley (Feeken et al. 1970). Perhaps the latter person’s name has been confused with the range of hills. Sect. 3. Epallage Pimelea sect. Epallage (Endl.) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 5 (1873). — Pimelea f. Epallage Endl., Gen. PI. 33 1 (1837). — Calyptrostegia III. Epallage (Endl.) C. Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys. Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Petersbourg 4; 74 (1845). — Banksia sect. Epallage (Endl.) Kuntze in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 60 (1903). Type: P. cun'iflora R. Br. (lecto. fide S. Threlfall, Brunonia 5: 170 (1983)). Pimelea e. Malistachys Endl., Gen. PI. 33 1 ( 1 837). — Calyptrostegia II. Malistachys (Endl.) C. Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Petersbourg 4: 74 (1845). — Pimelea sect. Malistachys (Endl.) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 4 (1873). — Banksia sect. Malistachys (Endl.) Kuntze in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 60 (1903). Type: P. argentea R. Br. Pimelea sect. Eupimelea 4. Dasyphyllae Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 509 (1857). Type: P. nivea Labill. (lecto here designated). Prostrate to large shrubs or rarely herbs, usually hermaphrodite or gynodioecious, rarely dioecious or (not in Western Australia) monoecious. Stems hairy at least when young or rarely (not in Western Australia) glabrous; nodes abaxially prominent in shrub species but not always in herbaceous species, usually twice as thick as petiole or base of lamina. Leaves often concolorous, somewhat to very hairy, at least when young, or very rarely (not in Western Australia) glabrous. Sessile involucral bracts absent. Inflorescence a terminal head or of axillary clusters, each cluster terminating a very short axillary branchlet; head or clusters erect, compact 58831-4 168 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (19$$/ at first, sometimes becoming elongate and then commonly discontinuous. 2-many-flowere- south of Caiguna (c. 32-16' S, 125-29’ E) and Eucla (31 43 S, 128°54 E). Also recorded in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Habitat. Recorded in clay or clayey soils. Flowering period. August-November. Notes. This taxon belongs to a taxonomically difficult complex of Pimeleas. Threlfall (1983) treated the taxa of the complex as the single, extremely variable species, Pimelea curviflora. with three subspecies and five varieties. Pimelea micrantha is treated here as a species rather than as a subspecies ol P. curviflora because it differs in having a shorter floral tube scarcely extended above the ovary, erect sepals (or free lobes) rather than spreading ones and a pear- shaped fruit rather than one that becomes uniformly narrower towards one end. It also tends to have smaller leaves and to be more hairy and silvery. However, I have seen only a selection ol the material of the two species from other states and the group is greatly in need of further study throughout its range. 174 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (I98§j 175 B-L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Sect. 4. Calyptrostegia pimelea sect. Calyptrostegia (C. Meyer) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 1 1 (1873). — Calyptrostegia C- Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Petersbourg 4: 72 (1845). — Calyptrostegia I. Calyptridium C. Meyer, nom illegit.. Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Petersbourg 4: 72 (1845). — Calyptrostegia A. Calyptridium Endl., nom. illegit. b. Hololaena Endl., nom. illegit., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Pimelea sect. Calyptrostegia subsect. Calyptridium Benth., nom. illegit., loc. cit. — Banksia sect. Typobanksia Kuntze, nom. illegit. a. Calyptridium Kuntze, nom. illegit. in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 59 (1903). Type: C. hyperieina (Cunn. ex Hook.) C. Meyer (= P. ligustrina Labill. subsp. hypericina (Cunn. ex Hook.) Threlfall). Pimelea c. Phyllolaena Endl., Gen. PI. 331 (1837). — Pimelea sect. Calyptrostegia subsect. PhyUolaena (Endl.) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 20 (1873). — Banksia sect. Typobanksia b. Phyllolaena (Endl.) Kuntze (as Phylloclaena ) in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 59 (1903). Type: P. imbricata R. Br. (lecto here designated). Pimelea sect. Eupimelea 3. Imbricatae Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 506 (1857). Type: P. ammocharis F. Muell. (lecto here designated). Shrubs or undershrubs, usually hermaphrodite or gynodioecious, rarely dioecious. Stems with inconspicuous hairs in the upper axils or with more widespread hairs; nodes abaxially prominent, c. twice as thick as petiole or base of lamina. Leaves opposite or rarely alternate, glabrous or sometimes hairy. Sessile involucral bracts (2)4-numerous, usually well differentiated from leaves, sometimes either strongly recurved at apex or becoming reflexed in fruit. Inflorescence terminal, head-like, rarely somewhat elongate at maturity but always continuous, with (2-|4-numerous flowers (many -flowered in Western Australian species); receptacle well developed, more or less flat or convex. Pedicels with dense antrorse to appressed hairs or very rarely (not in Western Australia) glabrous. Floral tube circumscissile above ovary or very rarely persistent intact in fruit; style-portion longer than ovary-portion in flower and usually in fruit. Sepals spreading. Stamens 2, lateral to strictly adaxial, usually semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary often with an apical tuft of hairs, sometimes hairy throughout or glabrous. Fruit dry, enclosed in the persistent enlarged base of floral tube. A section of 33 species, occurring in all Australian states, mainly in temperate areas. Notes. This diverse section has close links with sections Pimelea, Epallage, Heterolaena and Macroslegia as discussed under those sections. Sect. Calyptrostegia is characterised mainly by the compact or slightly elongate, but always continuous, inflorescence with sessile involucral bracts and by the usually elongate and regularly circumscissile floral tube. 1 1. Pimelea ammocharis F. Muell., Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 9: 24 (1857). — Banksia ammocharis (F. Muell.) Kuntze., Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: Sturt Creek, Western Australia. Feb./Mar. 1856, F. Mueller (holo: MEL). Pimelea ammocharis var. maitlandii F. Muell., Fragm. 7: 5 (1869). Type: 20 mi [32 km] S of Nickol Bay, Western Australia, M. Brown (holo: MEL). Undershrub or shrub, 0.2-1. 8 m high, probably single-stemmed at ground level, dioecious or (in variant from Mt Leake) hermaphrodite. Young stems greyish, densely covered by a mixture of appressed to patent hairs 1-2 mm long and much shorter hairs, becoming glabrous and dark reddish brown or grey-brown. Leaves alternate, antrorse to patent, densely hairy; petiole 0.2-1 mm long; lamina concolorous, silvery pale green, usually narrowly elliptic, 4-17 176 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (I9^g) x 1-5 mm. acute or subacute: hairs appressed on both surfaces but spreading laterally frtjm lamina. 1-2 mm long. Involucral bracts 6-12 immediately surrounding inflorescence, intergrading below with the leaves, the same colour as leaves or more brownish, 7 1 4 x 1 . 5.4 mm, more densely hairy than leaves; hairs oriented as on leaves. 1 -2 mm long in bisexual plants. 2-3 mm long in male plants and 3-4 mm long in female plants. Infloresence terminal, head-like, erect or pendulous; rachis compact or (in variant from Mt Leake) elongate and up to 9 mm long. Pedicels up to 0.5 mm long; hairs up to 3 mm long. Flowers usually p^|e to deep yellow, rarely white or a combination of white and yellow, densely hairy outside, the indumentum a mixture of hairs of greatly varying length, glabrous inside except for t^e ovary. Floral tube of male flowers narrowly cy lindric, 5.5- 1 1 x 0.6 1 mm. almost uniformly hairy throughout or with longer hairs in proximal half; longest hairs of proximal half antrot-se or sometimes patent. 2 4(-6) mm long; longest hairs of distal portion usually patent, I 1.5 mm long. Floral tube of female or bisexual flowers narrowly cylindric with only a slight enlargement around ovary, 6 11 x c. 1 mm, not circumscissile but sometimes breaking irregularly above the mature fruit, with much longer hairs in proximal half; hairs antroLse to patent, the longest hairs 7-9 mm long in proximal portion and 1-3 mm long in distal portion. Sepals elliptic or broadly elliptic. 1.5-4 mm long, tending to be larger in male than in female flowers, densely hairy outside. Stamens: filament up to 0.2 mm long; anther 0.8- 1.4 x 0.4-1 mm; connective very broad but slightly narrower than anther; slits adaxial. Staminodes of female flowers: anther 0.5-0.7 x 0.2-0.3 mm. Ovary with subterminal and terminal hairs I. 75-2.5 mm long. Stigma scarcely exserted or exserted by up to 3 mm. Pislillode of nude flowers included, with hairs 1-2.5 mm long on abortive ovary. Seed c. 6 x 2 mm, with a prominent pattern of irregular bumps and hollows, which are more or less alligned horizontally into wavy ridges and furrows respectively. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 70 seen): Mt Bannerman, J. S. Beard 5612 (PERTH); Millstream. MAH. Brooker 2088 (AD. PERTH); Anna Plains Station. N.T. Burbidge 1398 (PERTH): Woodstock Station, N. T. Burbidge 5975 (CAN ij); Blackstone Range. R.C. Carotin 6037 (NSW); Williamburv Station, Kennedy Range. R ./. Cranfleld 1905 (PERTH); Vlaming Head, H. Demarz 6110 (PERTH); Mt Leake, W.V. Fitzgerald 1200 (NSW. PERTH); Millstream, C.A. Gardner 6288 (PERTH); pass in Blackstone Range. A.S. George 5248 (PERTH); 22 mi [35 km) W of Warburton Mission, A. S. George. 8377 (NT, PERTH); McLarty Hills, A.S. George 14720 (PERTH); Roebourne, J.N. Hutchinson 78 (PERTH); near Edgar Range, K.F. Kenneally 5561 (PERTH); 21 mi [34 kin) SW of Luluigui Station. M. Lazarides 6538 (BRI, CANB. MEL. NSW. NT, PERTH); Anketell Ridge. AS. Mitchell 1121 (NT. PERTH): Onslow. S.P Pfeiffer 33 (PERTH); Abydos Station, F. Richardson 13 (PERTH): Rudall River area. PG. Wilson 10544 (AD. NT. PERTH). NOR LHERN TERRITORY (selected from over 30 seen): Lander River, N.M. Henry 644 (BRI. CANB, MEL, NT. PERTH); 11 mi 1 17.5 km] N of Helen Springs Station. R.A. Perry 1905 (AD. BRI. CANB. NT. PERTH). Distribution. (Figures 13, 15.) In Western Australia extends from Kennedy Range (24“14’ S, 1 15° 15' E) east to the border, reaching Mt Leake ( 1 7°33' S, 126°02' E) in the north and extending south to near the junction of Western Australia. Northern Territory and South Australia (26°S, 129"E). Habitat. Mostly recorded from red sandy soils on dunes or from rocky rises in arid and semiarid regions. Flowering period. Mainly May-October. Affinities. C losest to Pimelea penicillaris. which occurs in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory. 177 B.L Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Notes. Although there are no collections from South Australia, Pimelea ammocharis may well occur in the extreme north west of that state because it has been collected close to the junction of the South Australian border with Western Australia and Northern Territory. A variant known only from a single collection (W. V. Fitzgerald 1200) needs to be further collected and studied to determine whether it is best regarded as a subspecies of P. ammocharis or whether it is sufficiently distinct to be treated as a new species. It was collected in flower in July from the summit of Mt Leake north of the range of the type variant of P. ammocharis and differs mainly in being hermaphrodite rather than dioecious, in having shorter hairs on the involucral bracts and in the inflorescence tending to become elongate. 12. Pimelea graniticola Rye, sp. nov. (Figure 16.) Affinis P imbricatae R. Br. sed differt foliis angustioribus et bracteis involucralibus numerosioribus. Typus: SE slope of Chiddarcooping Hill, Western Australia, 5 Nov. 1984, A.S. Weston 14511 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB. K, MEL, NSW). Related to P . imbricata R. Br. but differs in the narrower leaves and more numerous involucral bracts. Figure 16. Pimelea graniticola. A flowering stem; B leaf lx 5); C flower lx 9); D stamen (x 13)- E- ovary (x 13) Drawn from K Newbey 6527. ’ 178 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (198)$) Shrub , erect, spreading. 0.2-1 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems pale yellovv. green or red-brown near each inflorescence, becoming medium grey to almost black further from apex, glabrous. Leaves alternate, antrorse to patent, glabrous except when immediately below an inflorescence; petiole up to 0.3 mm long; lamina concolorous, pale green to bluish green, linear, 4-17 x 0.5-1 mm. flat or adaxially concave, acute or obtuse. Peduncle up t 0 1 mm long. Involucral bracts numerous, usually c. 40, becoming reflexed in fruit, similar in colour to leaves, narrowly triangular to linear, 6-8 x 1-2 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy outside, densely hairy inside, ciliate; hairs appressed to antrorse. 0.3- 1 .5 mm long, the longest cilia 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence erect, compact. Pedicels 0.2-0.5 mm long; longest hair s c. 1 mm long. Flowers bisexual, cream or white above circumscission point; floral tube 5-7.5 mm long, circumscissile at summit of ovary -portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube 1.5-2. 5 x c. I mm, very densely hairy outside and dark-coloured but the colour hidden by the hairs, glabrous inside; hairs antrorse, the longest ones 2-5 mm long, longer than and less fine that-) hairs above circumscission point. Style-portion of floral tube cylindric, 3.5-5 mm long, c. [ mm diam. at summit, with long antrorse to patent hairs and smaller patent hairs outside, the longest ones 1-2.5 mm long and shortest ones c. 0.2 mm long, with patent to antrorst hairs 0.2-0.5 mm long occurring inside. Sepals elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 2-5 mm long, with hairs on outside similar to those on distal part of floral tube, the longest ones 1-2 mm long, glabrous inside. Stamens longer than or sometimes more or less equalling sepals; filament 2.5-3 mm long; anther 0.6-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm; connective broad, slightly narrower than anther; slits adaxial. Ovary with hairs in distal part; longest hairs 0.6-1 mm long. Style exserted by 3-5 mm. Seed not seen. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Mt Gibbs. J.S. Beard 3711 (PERTH); Norseman-Mt Holland Rd, C.A. Gardner & W.E. Blackall 1245 (PERTH); Mt Gibbs, F. Lullfitz 3914 (PERTH); Mt Gibbs, K. Newbey 6527 (PERTH); Stennet Rock. K. Newbey 7677 (PERTH); 9.3 km NNW of Roes Rock, A'. Newbey 1 1044 (PERTH); Mt Gibbs. Dec. 1929, H. Steedman (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 18.) Extends from Chiddarcooping Hill (30°54’ S. 1 1 8°4 1 ' E) south to near Roes Rock (33°55‘ S, 1 19°20' E) and from near Pingaring (c. 32°47’ S, 1 18°39’ E) east to Stennet Rock (32°35' S, 121°33’ E). Habitat. Occurs on granite outcrops, in soil pockets or shallow soil over granite sheets. Flowering period. September-December. Conservation status. Pimelea graniticola has a scattered distribution on granite rocks. Only one plant was observed at Chiddarcooping Hill (A.S. Weston pers. comm.) and several other populations are also small (K. Newbey pers. comm.). The species may be rare and needs to be surveyed to assess its conservation status. Derivation of name. Graniti (L.) — granite — cola (L.) — to inhabit, referring to the occurrence of the species on granite outcrops. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea imbricata but perhaps more readily confused with P. v ill if era. from which it differs in having more numerous involucral bracts. 13. Pimelea imbricata R. Br., Prodr. 361 (1810). — Banksia imbricata (R. Br.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: King George Sound, Western Australia, Dec. 1801, R. Brown (BM). B L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 179 Figure 17. Pimelea imbricaia var. piligera. a variant approaching P. imbricata var. major. A- flowering stem; E bract (x 5); C- flower lx 7); D- stamen (x 12); E- ovary (x 12). Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen I02‘ Shrub, erect, (0.1)0.2 0.8(1) m high, often multi-stemmed at ground level. Stems glabrous to densely hairy and deep red or red-brown (rarely yellow-brown first) near each inflorescence (but sometimes appearing silvery if densely hairy), becoming medium grey and glabrous further from apex; indumentum (when present) usually a mixture of patent hairs 1-2 mm long and shorter patent hairs 0.1 -0.5 mm long, sometimes of long hairs alone. Leaves alternate or sometimes opposite, antrorse or rarely patent, more or less sessile or with a definite petiole; petiole up to 0.5 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green to deep bluish green, linear to elliptic, usually narrowly elliptic or nearly so, 1-16 x 0.6-4(-5) mm, flat or adaxially concave, obtuse or acute, usually moderately to densely hairy on both surfaces, sometimes sparsely 180 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) hairy or glabrous, rarely prominently ciliate but with no or few hairs on the surfaces; hairs antrorse to appressed, the longest usually 1-3 mm long. Peduncle up to 6 mm long. Involucral bracts 1 0-20 or sometimes more, becoming reflexed in fruit, all sessile or some very shortly petiolate, similar to leaves in colour or sometimes partially (especially near apex) deep red to purple. linear to ovate, usually narrowly ovate, usually 6-12 x 1-5 mm, usually densely hairy on both surfaces, sometimes sparsely hairy or glabrous outside, rarely glabrous except near middle or base inside; hairs appressed to antrorse, spreading rather widely laterally from the margin, the longest ones on outside or margin 2-2.5 mm long. Inflorescence erect, compact. Pedicels 0.2-0.6 mm long; longest hairs l-3(-5.5) mm long. Flowers bisexual or female, white to cream or sometimes pale to deep pink, with hairs usually 0.2-0.4 mm long inside style- portion of floral tube, glabrous inside sepals; tube 3.5-10 mm long, usually tardily circumscissile O. 5-1 mm above ovary-portion, sometimes apparently persistent. Bisexual j lowers : ovary- portion of floral tube usually 2-2.5 x c. 0.7 mm, densely hairy; hairs of ovary-portion antrorse or sometimes patent, the hairs in distal part similar in length or grading into those on style- portion, the hairs below usually shorter, the longest hairs 2-3(4) mm long, the short hairs commonly c. 0.2 mm long; style-portion of floral tube cylindric or narrowly cylindric, 4 7.5 mm long, 0.8-1. 2(1. 5) mm diam. at summit, either densely covered outside by a mixture of long patent hairs up to 2.5 mm long and shorter patent hairs 0.1 -0.3 mm long or moderately densely to sparsely covered by long hairs outside; sepals elliptic to ovate, 2.5-3. 5 mm long, with a rather similar indumentum to that of distal part of floral tube; stamens longer or rarely shorter than sepals, the filament 1.2-3. 5 mm long, the anther 0.5- 1. 2 x 0.2-0.4 mm, the connective narrower than anther, the slits more or less semi-lateral after dehiscence; ovary hairy at summit, the longest hairs c. 0.3 mm long; style exserted by 2.5-5 mm. Female flowers: ovary-portion of floral tube 1.5-2 x c. 0.7 mm, densely hairy; hairs of ovary-portion antrorse or patent, the longest hairs 0.3-2. 5 mm long; style portion of floral tube shortly cylindric or cylindric, 3.5-6(-7) mm long, c. 1 mm diam. at summit, densely covered by a mixture of antrorse to patent hairs 1.5-2. 5 mm long and shorter patent hairs 0.1 -0.3 mm long; sepals elliptic to ovate, 1. 5-2.5 mm long, densely hairy, the indumentum similar to that on distal part of floral tube; staminodes shorter than sepals, with a filament 0.4-0. 6 mm long and anther 0.2 0.5 x 0.1 -0.4 mm; ovary similar to that of bisexual flowers but tending to be smaller; style exserted by 3-5(-7) mm, the stigma usually brush-like. Seed 2-3 x c. 1 mm, with longitudinal rows of minute pits. (Figure 17.) Distribution. (Figures 18, 19, 20.) Widespread in south-western Australia from the Murchison River to east of Esperance and inland to Sandstone. Also occurs in South Australia. Flowering period. August-March, especially September-January. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea subvillifera. Notes. A very variable taxon in Western Australia, with three main variants occupying distinct geographical areas. The variants could be recognised either as subspecies or varieties, perhaps with equal justification. Varietal rank has been used by all previous authors and has been retained here because there appears to be considerable intergradation between the widespread P. imbricata var. piligera and each of the other two variants in Western Australia and because differences between var. piligera and the South Australian variant are minimal. More field work is needed to determine how complete an intergradation there is between Western Australian variants. Limited examination of the species on the coastal plain near Perth suggests that western populations are of typical P. imbricata var. major but that the plants become progressively hairier towards the Darling Scarp and become typical of P. imbricata var. piligera before the scarp is reached. Indeed in Western Australia as a whole, there is a tendency for plants to be relatively glabrous near the coast and progressively more hairy the further inland they occur. B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceac Figure 18. Distribution of Pimelea graniticoia , P. imbricaia var. major ▼. P imbricata var. imbricaia ▲ and P villi/era • Figure 19. Distribution of Pimelea imbricaia var. piligera ▲ and Western Australian distribution of P subvilli/era * Key to Varieties 1. Style-portion of floral tube sparsely to moderately densely hairy, the hairs all long. Stems glabrous 13a. var. major 1. Style-portion of floral tube densely covered by a mixture of long and short hairs. Stems nearly always hairy near each inflorescence. 2. Flowers pale to deep pink 13b. var. imbricata 2. Flowers while or cream, very rarely pink tinged. '3. Floral tube of bisexual flowers 6-10 mm long, with hairs inside reaching summit or to well within 1 mm of summit. Anthers 0.6-1 mm long, if nearly as wide as long then floral tube 6-8 mm long...- 13c. var. piligera 182 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 3. Floral tube of bisexual flowers 8-11 mm long, with hairs inside absent or nearly so from uppermost 1 mm of tube. Anthers c. 0.5 mm long, nearly as wide as long 13d. var. petraea 13a. var. major (Meissner) Rye, comb. nov. Pimelea microcephala var. major Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss 1: 606 (1845). — Pimelea imbricata var. glabra ta Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 270 (1848). — Pimelea imbricata var. gracillima Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 507 (1857). — Pimelea imbricata f. gracillima (Meissner) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 21 (1873). Type-, south-western Australia, date unknown J. Drummond 552 (iso: MEL). Stems glabrous, deep red-brown. Leaves opposite or alternate (usually some of each arrangement on each plant), medium green, linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, up to 16 mm long, glabrous, lnvolucral bracts medium green, glabrous outside (very rarely sparsely hairy), hairy inside but the hairs sometimes confined to the middle and base, sometimes ciliate, when ciliate the margin usually toothed, each tooth terminating in a cilium. Flowers white. Floral tube : ovary-portion densely hairy, the longest hairs 3-4 mm long: style-portion sparsely to moderately densely hairy, the hairs all long, the longest ones 2-2.5 mm long. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 35 seen): Serpentine, T.E.H. Aplin 1230 (PERTH); Ellen Brook Sanctuary, N.T. Burbidge 7916 (CANB); Jandakot, H. Demarz 9144 (PERTH); Mahogany Creek. Diels & Pritzel 225 (PERTH); Kenwick, G.J. Keighery 4 1 62 (PERTH); 9 mi [ 1 4.5 km] N of Gingin, V. Mann & /l. 5. George 1 79 (PERTH); Cannington, 14 Oct. 1911. A. Morrison (BR1, CANB). Distribution. (Figure 18.) Extends from north of Gingin (3 1°2 T S, 1 1 5°54’ E) south to Serpentine (33 0 22’ S, 115°58’ E). Habitat. Restricted to the coastal plain, occurring in sand over clay or sandy clay in low- lying areas associated with seasonally waterlogged depressions or watercourses. Flowering period. Mainly October-January, also recorded February. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea imbricata var. piligera. Apart from the characters given in the key, var. major differs from var. piligera in the longer hairs on the ovary-portion of the floral tube. Pimelea imbricata var. major tends to have narrower leaves than all the other varieties. Notes. All of the specimens examined were bisexual. Specimens collected from Mahogany Creek have strongly ciliate and distinctly denticulate involucral bracts whereas in other specimens the involucral bracts are not ciliate or not prominently so and are entire. Another difference is that the hairs on the ovary-portion of Mahogany Creek specimens are very short compared with those of other specimens. The Mahogany Creek variant needs further investigation. 13b. var. imbricata Pimelea imbricata var. baxteri Cun n. ex Meissner in DC.. Prodr. 14: 507 (1857). — Pimelea imbricata f. baxteri (C unn. ex Meissner) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 21 (1873). Type- south-western Australia, date unknown, W. Baxter (lecto here designated: NY; isolecto: MEL) Mt Clarence, Western Australia, 25 Nov. 1840, L. Preiss 1273 (syn: LD, NY). 183 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Stems moderately densely hairy and reddish near each inflorescence. Leaves opposite or alternate, medium green, usually narrowly elliptic, up to 8 mm long, glabrous or the uppermost ones ciliate or rarely all sparsely to densely hairy. Involucral bracts often partially red to purple, entire, hairy throughout. Flowers pale to deep pink. Floral tube densely hairy outside, ovary-portion sometimes slightly more densely hairy than style-portion but the hairs not longer or scarcely longer than those of style-portion; style-portion densely covered by a mixture of long and much shorter hairs, the longest hairs 1.3-2 mm long. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 35 seen): Mt Chudelup, TE H Aplin 1433 (PERTH); 56 km S of Manjimup, H. Demarz 7792 (PERTH); Albany, Oct. 1964. J. Galbraith (MEL); near Boggy Lake, 6 mi [10km] SW of Walpole, J. W. Green 1028 (PERTH); Nancy Peak. N.D. Lovett 527 (PERTH); Shannon, 12 Dec. 1877, F. Mueller (MEL); Nillup, R.D. Royce 44 (PERTH); near Bornholm, A. Strid 21813 (PERTH); Quaranup, J. Tavlor 1800 & P. Otterenshaw (CBG); road to Point Nuyts, 14 Oct. 1968, J. W. Wrigley (CBG). Distribution. (Figure 18.) Extends from Mt Chudalup (34°46" S, 1 16“05’ E) east to Albany (35°02' S, 1 17°53' E). with an isolated occurrence at Nillup (34°10' S, 1 15° 16’ E). Habitat. Occurs in sand, associated with granite or with seasonally waterlogged depressions. Flowering period. October- January, also recorded in March. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea imbricata var. piligera. Notes. A further syntype examined was “Toodjay” (Toodyay), Western Australia, date unknown, ,/. Gilbert (NY). This is not cited above because it is of P. imbricata var. piligera. All of the specimens of var. imbricata examined were bisexual. 13c. var. piligera (Benth.) Diels & E. Pritzel, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 35: 397 (1904). — Pimelea imbricata f. piligera Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 21 (1873). Type: south-western Australia. J. Drummond coll. 1. n. 553 (lecto here designated: K); Darling Range. Perth, Western Australia. 1 Nov. 1839, L. Preiss 1275 (isosyn: LD); "Greenmountain” [Greenmountl, Western Australia, 16 Oct. 1839, L. Preiss 1277 (isosyn: LD); Port Gregory, Western Australia, date unknown, A -F Oldfield (syn: K). Stems usually densely hairy, rarely moderately hairy, very rarely glabrous. Leaves alternate, usually densely hairy and medium to dark bluish green or deep green, rarely sparsely hairy or glabrous and medium green, usually narrowly elliptic, up to 14 mm long. Involucral bracts the same colour or more silvery than leaves or partially deep red to purple, entire, usually densely hairy throughout. Flowers white to cream (rarely pink-tinged). Floral tube : ovary- portion with hairs up to 2.5 mm long, usually much shorter in female than in bisexual flowers; style-portion densely covered by a mixture of long and much shorter hairs, the longest hairs usually 1-2 mm long. (Figure 17.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 250 seen): Salt River Rd - c. 17 km E of Cranbrook, A.M. Ashby 5087 (AD); 6 mi 110 km) W of Agnew, J.S. Beard 6580 (PERTH); Lake Cowan. N.T. Burbidge 2733 (CANB); Moresby Range. A. C. Burns 2, 3 (PERTH); Lake Wagin, 1890. M. Cronin (MEL); c. 3 km NW of Young River crossing on Ravensthorpe-Esperance Rd, N.N. Donner 2769 (AD, CANB. PERTH): Waterloo. G.J. Keighery 6503 (PERTH)- Dwellingup, PC. Kimber 187 (PERTH); Cowcowing, M. Koch 1245 (MEL. PERTH); Wooroloo. M. Koch 1754 (AD. MEL. PERTH): Pindar, Oct. 1909, J H. Maiden (NSW); Forrestdale, V. Mann & A S. George 13 (PERTH); Mt Bakewell, Nov. 58831-5 184 Nuytsia Vol. 6. No. 2 (I9g8> 1877, F. Mueller (MEL); Mt Gibbs, K. Newbey 6526 (PERTH); c. 21 km NNW of co0 st at Stokes Inlet, A. E. Orchard 1674 (AD, CANB, PERTH); Murchison River gorge. 27 SeP 1 - 1962, ME. Phillips (CBG); Cockleshell Gully, 24 Sept. 1968, M.E. Phillips (CGB, MEP ; Pinjarrah, Oct. 1872, J.S. Price (MEL); Watheroo National Park, R.D Royce 9544 (PERTH); Mt Burdett, B.L Rye 82020 (PERTH); Mt Caroline, 1886, G.A. Sewell (MEL); c 35 k nl N of Merredin D.J.E. Whibley 4716 (AD, PERTH); Wickepin-Harrismith, E Wittwer 8^ 7 Distribution. (Figure 1 9.) Extends from the Murchison River gorge (27°34’ S, 1 1 4°27' E) sou 1 * 1 to Margaret River (33°57' S. 1 15 u 04’ E), inland to Wogarl (31°54’ S, 1 1 8°31’ E) and east to near Mt Ney (33°34’ S, 122°28’ E). Habitat. Occurs usually in sand or sandy clay, sometimes in clay or with gravel, often associated with granite outcrops or sheets or with seasonally waterlogged depressions, sometimes > n sandplain. Flowering period. Mainly September-December, also recorded in August and February. Affinities. Close to and tending to intergrade with each of the other varieties in Weste rn Australia and possibly even more closely related to the South Australian variety. Notes. This is by far the most widespread and variable of the varieties. Many herbarium specimens are female. It appears that there are approximately equal numbers of bisexual add female plants in the wheatbelt areas but probably more bisexual than male plants in the more humid parts of the range. A further syntype examined was Phillips River, date unknown, G. Maxwell 1 25 (PERTH); 1 5 km SW of Newdegate, J.M. Koch 89 (PERTH); 6 mi [ 10 km] S of Forrestiana cross roads. F. Lullfitz 3971 (PERTH); Frank Hann National Park, D. Monk 186 (PERTH): 2.5 mi [4 km] NW of Ongerup, K. Newey 70 (PERTH); 1 mi [1.5 km] N of Hopetoun. M E. Phillips 623004 (PERTH); Perkins Rock, Fitzgerald River National Park., R.D. Royce 9212 (PERTH); Israelite Bay, 27 Nov. 1950, J.H. Willis (MEL); Hopetoun, 27 Oct. 1968, ,/. IV. Wrigley (BRI, CBG); Esperance, near Pink Lake, 30 Oct. 1968, J. Wrigley (CBG, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 25.) Extends from Ongerup (33°56’ S, 1 18°28' E) east to Israelite Bay (33°37' S, 123°52’ E). Habitat. Occurs in sand or clay, sometimes recorded in open mallee woodland. Flowering period. July-March, especially October-January. Derivation of name. Erectus (L.) — upright, referring to the erect inflorescence and involucral bracts, the latter, unlike the bracts of several related species, not becoming reflexed in fruit. Affinities. A much less variable species than its closest relative, Pimelea villifera. The involucral bracts of P. erecta differ from those of P. villifera in being less hairy, having a less prominent midrib and being reddish at the base on the outside. Other differences are given in the diagnosis. 17. Pimelea sylvestris R. Br., Prodr. 361 (1810). — Calyptrostegia sylvestris { R. Br.)C. Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint- Petersbourg 4: 74 (1845). — Banksia sylvestris (R. Br.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: King George Sound, Western Australia, Dec. 1801. R. Brown (BM, MEL). 191 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Pimelea graciliflora Hook. Bot. Mag. 60: t. 3288 (1833). — Calyptrostegia graciliflora (Hook.) End!., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). Type: Illustration t. 3288. Shrub, erect, 0.3-2 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems very pale to medium green or pale brown or rarely dark purplish near each inflorescence, becoming red-brown or dark grey-brown further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, glabrous; petiole 0.5-2. 2 mm long; lamina concolorous or paler on abaxial surface, medium green on adaxial surface, usually narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 12-45 x 2.5-12(-20) mm, flat or adaxially concave, rather acute. Peduncle 5-65 mm long. Involucral bracts usually 6, sometimes 4 or 8, usually becoming reflexed in fruit, either the same colour as leaves or purplish on the abaxial surface, narrowly ovate or rarely ovate, 8-22 x 2- 1 0 mm. glabrous. Inflorescence erect, compact. Pedicels usually 0.5-0.8 mm long; hairs 1.5-2 mm long. Flowers bisexual, dark- coloured below circumscission point, white or pink above, glabrous outside; tube 7-14 mm long, circumscissile 0.3-1 mm above the ovary-portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube 2-3 x 1-1.5 mm. glabrous. Style-portion of tube distinctly expanding in distal half, 5-1 1 mm long, 0.8-2 mm diam. at summit, hairy in expanded part inside, glabrous below; hairs usually patent, somewhat curved or curly, 0.2-0.6 mm long. Sepals ovate, 2.5-6 mm long, glabrous. Stamens slightly to greatly exceeding sepals; filament 3-6.5 mm long; anther 0.8- 1.5 x c. 0.3 mm; connective much narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary hairy at apex; hairs 0.2 0.4( 0. 7) mm long. Style exserted by 3-7 mm. Seed 3-5 x 1.4-2. 2 mm, with longitudinal rows of well defined shallow pits. (Figure 24.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from c. 100 seen): Stirling Range, AM. Ashby 659 (AD); Augusta, A. M. Ashby 2686 (AD. PERTH); 6 mi [9.5 km| inland from Cervantes, J.S. Beard 7841 (NSW'. PERTH); Bolder Rock area, R.J. Cranfietd 1970 (PERTH); Banksiadale Dam, H. Demarz 4135 (PERTH); between Gardner River and West Mt Barren, A.R. Fairall 2320 (PERTH); Mt Bakewell, York, C.A. Gardner 1028 (PERTH); Nancy Peak, Porongurup Range, T. E. George 493 (MEL); near Boggy Lake. 6 mi [9.5 km] SW of Walpole. J. W. Green 1088 (PERTH); Eneabba Flora Reserve, 1 2 Sept. 1963, A. Kessell (PERTH); Wooroloo. M. Koch 1836 (MEL); Donnybrook. M. Koch 2090 (MEL); Cape Leeuwin. F. Lullfitz 2053 (PERTH); Smiths Mill [Glen Forrest], A. Morrison 7202 (BR1, PERTH); Canning River, near crossing of Aschendon Rd, A.E. Orchard 4287 (AD. PERTH); Karridale. R.D. Royce 4674 (PERTH); Mt Bakewell. York, B.L. Rye 82008 (PERTH); road to Point Nuyts near bridge, 14 Oct. 1968. J. IVrigley (CBG, MEL). Distribution. (Figure 25.) Extends from near Coolimba (29°52’ S, 1 14°59’ E) south to near Cervantes (c. 30°25" S, 1 1 5° 1 0’ E) and from Parkerville (31°53' S, 1 16°08' E) around the coast to near West Mt Barren (c. 45°15’S, 1 19°25’ E)and inland to Mt Bakewell (31°51’S, 1 16°45' E). Habitat. Mainly occurs in woodland or forest, often in gullies or on hills, recorded in lateritic and granitic areas. However, populations from Coolimba to Cervantes occur in coastal shrublands associated with limestone. Flowering period. Mainly September-December. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea calcicola. Notes. Pimelea graciliflora is regarded here as being conspecific with P. sylvestris. It was regarded by some authors, such as Beard (1970), as being a related species, which has now been named P. calcicola (Rye 1 985). As no type specimen has been located for P. graciliflora. the type description and illustration must be relied upon to identify the species. The taxon was reportedly grown from seed collected at King George Sound. Its flower colour and stamens were typical of P. sylvestris but the illustration suggests that the floral tube was more cylindrical 192 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Figure 24. Pimelea sylvestrts. A flowering stem with bracts reflexed: B- flower (x 8); C stamen and opened floral tube (x 91; D ovary (x 12). Drawn from R.J. Cranfield 1970 than usual. Pimelea sylvestris typically has pure white flowers, although some specimens are pale pink or pink-tinged, and its floral tube shows a more obvious expansion at the summit than in P. calcicola. In P. sylvestris, the involucral bracts become reflexed in fruit and are often dark purple or black on the abaxial surface. The anthers are more elongate than in P. calcicola, with a narrower connective and the anther slits semi-lateral after dehiscence 193 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae rather than adaxial. In P. sylvestris the anthers are orange whereas in P. calcicola the anthers are only orange on the inside at dehiscence, then becoming deep pink to purple throughout. Specimens of Pimelea sylvestris from Mt Bakewell, near York, have very large leaves and flowers. Pink-flowered specimens have only been recorded from near the south coast. 18. Pimelea calcicola Rye, Nuytsia 5: 4-6 (1984). Type: Cromford Way, Carine, Perth, Western Australia, 31°50' S. 115°45’ E, 10 Oct. 1983, N. Cohen 1007 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW). [Pimelea graciliflora auctt. non Hook.; e.g. Meissner in Lehm, PI. Preiss. 1: 605 (1845).] Shrub, erect, 0.2- 1 m high, single-stemmed at ground level, bushy above. Stems pale green and sometimes pink-tinged near each inflorescence, becoming red-brown then grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse to patent, glabrous; petiole 0.7-1 .5 mm long; lamina concolorous, pale to medium green, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, (4 ) 13-27 x ( 1)3-7 mm. flat or adaxially distinctly concave, acute to almost obtuse. Peduncle (2-)5-20(-25) mm long. Involucral bracts 6 or sometimes 8, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, similar to leaves in colour and texture, ovate or nearly so. 9-19 x 4-8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence erect, compact. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long; hairs 1.5-2 mm long. Flowers bisexual, pale to deep pink, the proximal half often more deeply coloured than distal half; tube 12-16 mm long, circumscissile 0.5- 1. 5 mm above ovary-portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube 3-4 x 1-1.5 mm, glabrous. Style-portion of floral tube narrowly cylindric, expanding only slightly throughout its length, 9-12 mm long, 1-1.5 mm diam. at summit, glabrous outside. Figure 26. Distribution of Pimelea calcicola •. P. longiflora subsp. eyrei ▼ and P. longiflora subsp. longiflora A. 194 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) hairy inside in the distal half, the circumscission point often distinctively coloured; hairs mostly patent, often curved, 0.3 0.6( 0.8) mm long. Sepals ovate, 2-4 mm long, glabrous. Stamens longer or rarely shorter than sepals; filament 2-3 mm long; anther 0. 5-0.8 x 0.3-0.5 mm; connective very broad but slightly narrower than anther: slits strictly adaxial. Ovary hairy at summit; hairs 0.5-0.7 mm long. Style exserted by 4-7 mm. Seed c. 4x2 mm, with longitudinal furrows. (Figure — Rye 1984: 5.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 25 seen): Mandurah, Aug. 1961,7. Burbidgei CANB);29.6mi [48 km] S of Fremantle, 3 Oct. 1968, E.M. Canning (CBG): Mandurah. C.F. Davies 138 (PERTH); Burns Beach Rd, H. Demarz 359 (PERTH): Madora Beach settlement, B. Haberley 201 (PERTH); North Fremantle, 3 Nov. 1897, R. Helms (PERTH): Yanchep National Park. AM. James 49 (PERTH): 24 mi peg |38 km] on Yanchep road, F. Lullfitz 3700 (PERTH); The Plains, near Mandurah, V. Mann & AS. George 32 (PERTH): near Coogee, date unknown. F. Mueller (MEL); Yalgorup National Park, S. Paust 1341 (PERTH); Yanchep National Park, 27 Oct. 1962, M.E. Phillips (CBG): Carine, B.L. Rye 82014 (PERTH); N of Wanneroo, F.G. Smith 1584. (PERTH); Victoria Park, date unknown, J.L. Steedman (NSW). Distribution. (Figure 26.) Extends from Yanchep National Park (3 1°32' S, 1 15"40’ E) south of Yalgorup National Park (32°50' S, 1 15°40’ E). Habitat. Occurs close to the coast associated with outcropping limestone, growing in sand. Flowering period. September-November. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea sylvestris. Notes. See note under Pimelea sylvestris. The sepals are distinctly concave and do not spread as widely as in other Western Australian species in this section. 19. Pimelea longiflora R. Br., Prodr. 361 (1810). — Calyptrostegia longifora (R. Br.) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Banksia longifora (R. Br.) Kuntze. Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: King George Sound, Western Australia, Dec. 1801, R. Brown (BM. MEL). Shrub, erect, 0.3- 1.3 m high, usually spindly, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems reddish brown and very densely hairy near each inflorescence, becoming medium brown to very dark brown and glabrous further from apex; hairs antrorse to patent, very fine, the longest ones 1-2 mm long, sometimes very variable in size and including minute hairs 0. 1-0.3 mm long. Leaves opposite or alternate, sometimes crowded; petiole 0.2-1 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium to dark green, linear to elliptic, usually narrowly elliptic, 4-18 x 1-3 mm, adaxially concave, acute to obtuse, sparsely to densely hairy outside (but often appearing glabrous) when young, glabrous or densely hairy inside; hairs 1-4 mm long. Peduncle 2-20 mm long. Involucral bracts 4-6, becoming reflexed in fruit, similar to leaves in colour, narrowly ovate or ovate, 5-12 x 1 .5-3 mm, sparsely to densely hairy on both surfaces or glabrous inside; hairs similar to those on leaves. Inforescence erect, usually compact but sometimes becoming cylindric. the rachis up to 10 mm long. Pedicels usually 0.4-0.5 mm long; hairs up to 2.5 mm long, very fine. Flowers bisexual or very rarely female, brown below circumscission point, white or rarely cream above, glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube 7-12 mm long, circumscissile 0.5-1 mm above ovary-portion. Ovary-portion of fora! tube 1.5-3 x c. 1 mm: hairs appressed to antrorse. the longest ones 1-1.5 mm long, slightly thicker than those on style-portion. Style portion of foral tube very narrowly cylindric. 5.5-9 mm long. c. 1 mm diam. at summit, densely and uniformly hairy; hairs appressed to antrorse, up to 2mm long, very fine. Sepals narrowly ovate to ovate. 5-6 mm long, with similar hairs to those on distal 195 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae part of floral tube. Stamens subsessile at throat of flower; filament c. 0.25 mm long; 1.2- 1.6 x 0.5-0.6 mm; connective very broad, slightly exceeding the cells laterally; slits strictly adaxial. Staminodes of female flowers: anther c. 0.5 mm long. Ovary with an erect terminal tuft of very fine hairs, glabrous or almost glabrous below; hairs up to 0.5 mm long, very fine. Style reaching the throat but not exserted in bisexual flowers, exserted by c. 1.5 mm in female flowers. Seed c. 3 x 1.7 mm. with longitudinal rows of very shallow pits. (Figure 27.) Figure 27. Pimelea loneijlora subsp. eyrei. A- flowering stem; B- outer surface of leaf (x 6); C- inner surface of bract (x 6); D- flower (x 8): E-inner surface of stamen (x 12); F- side view of stamen (x 16); G- ovary lx 12). Drawn from fresh material represented by K. Newbey 9846. 196 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Distribution. (Figure 26.) Extends from near Bunbury to Cape Riche, with a disjunct occurrence about 140 km to the north-east of the latter locality in Fitzgerald River National Park. Flowering Period. August-February. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea preissii but very distinctive. It is the only Western Australian species of sect. Calyptrostegia in which the inflorescence sometimes becomes elongate. Notes. Two subspecies are recognised. Key to Subspecies 1. Young leaves densely hairy on both surfaces. Bracts densely hairy inside 19a. subsp. eyrei I. Young leaves hairy on abaxial surface, adaxially glabrous or sparsely hairy. Bracts glabrous inside 19b. subsp. longiflora 19a. subsp. eyrei (F. Muell.) Rye, comb, et stat. nov. (Figure 27.) Pimelea eyrei F. Muell., Fragm. 5: 109 (1866). — Banksia eyrei (F. Muell.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: Eyre Range, Phillip River and Fitzgerald River, Western Australia, date unknown, G. Maxwell (holo: MEL). Leaves: lamina narrowly elliptic or sometimes elliptic, 5-9 x 1.5-2. 5 mm, conspicuously hairy and appearing silvery when young; hairs dense on both surfaces of leaf, up to 4 mm long. Involucral bracts slightly flatter than the leaves below, with similar hairs to those on leaves. Flowers white or cream; hairs up to 2 mm long. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: N of Hamersley River estuary, A.S George 7222 (PERTH); 7 km W of East Mt Barren, K. Newbey 9470 (PERTH); Hamersley Drive, 3 km N of track of Hamersley Inlet, J. Taylor 1730 & P. Ollerenshaw (CBG, MEL, PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 26.) Extends from the Bremer River (c. 34°10’ S, 1 19°04' E) to Hamersley Inlet (33°57’ S, 1 1 9°55' E), in the Fitzgerald River National Park. Habitat. Recorded in sand, often on quartzite ridges, in low shrublands. Flowering period. August-November. 19b. subsp longiflora Calyptrostegia villosa Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 25/2: 178 (1852) — Pimelea villosa (Turcz.) Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 508 ( 1 857). Type: south-western Australia, 1 848, J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 428 (iso vel syn: K, MEL, NY). Pimelea longiflora var. latifolia Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 34 ( 1 873). Type: south-western Australia. 1848, J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 428 (holo: K, iso vel syn: MEL, NY). Leaves: lamina linear to narrowly elliptic, 4-18 x 1-3 mm, glabrous on adaxial surface or sometimes with a few hairs in leaves close below an inflorescence, sparsely to moderately hairy on abaxial surface when young but usually appearing glabrous, becoming glabrous with age; hairs up to 2.5 mm long. Involucral bracts tending to be shorter and broader than leaves, hairy (sometimes sparsely) outside, glabrous inside. Flowers usually white; hairs up to 1.5 mm long. 197 B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaeeae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 135 seen); 7 mi 1 1 1 km] S of Pemberton. T.E.H. Aplin 1387 (PERTH); Bayonet Head. Albany, A.M. Ashby 3112 (AD. PERTH); Mt Hamilla, E.M. Canning 6158 (CBG, MEL); c. 35 km W of Denmark. H. Eichler 16102 (AD); Parry Inlet. C.A. Gardner 13035 (PERTH); Bluff Knoll. A.S. George 412 (PERTH); 4 mi [6.5 km] N of Northcliffe, /LS. George 3183 (PERTH); 2.5 mi [4 km] W of Narrikup. K.F. Kenneally 71/262 (PERTH); 3 km S of Mount Barker. K.F. Kenneally 6941 (PERTH); Porongurup Range, T.B. Muir 3971 (MEL); Scott River, 21 Sept. 1973, EC. Nelson (CANB. PERTH); Mt Mistake, 25 Sept. 1973. E C. Nelson (CANB. PERTH); c. 10 km NE of Augusta, A.E. Orchard 4342 (AD. PERTH); Yoongarillup, R.D. Royce 3162 (PERTH); c. 2 km SW of the Stewart Rd Brockham Highway intersection, E.A. Shaw 679 (AD); King George Sound, R. Solivsbergh 38 (BRI); 6 mi [9.5 km| from Australind to Brunswick Junction, 18 Aug. 1970, G. Stone (PERTH); Walpole, 6 Sept. 1947, J.H. Willis (MEL); 3 mi [5 km] inland from Two Peoples Bay, 24 Oct. 1965, J. W. Wrigley (CBG). Distribution. (Figure 26.) Extends around the coast from Brunswick Junction (33 u 16' S, 1 1 5°48’ E) to Cape Riche (34°36' S, 1 1 8°47' E) and inland to the Stirling Range. Habitat. Occurs in sand or sandy clay, usually associated with seasonally waterlogged depressions. Flowering period. August-February. Notes. The type collection of Pimelea longiflora var. latifolia (J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 428) may be heterogeneous. The specimen at K has uniformly broad leaves whereas those at MEL and NY have all or most of the leaves narrow. 20. Pimelea preissii Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 1: 601-602 (1845). — Calyptrostegia preissii (Meissner) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Banksia preissii (Meissner) Kuntze. Revis. Gen PI. 2; 583 (1891). Type: "Halfwayhouse" [The Lakes], Darling Range, Western Australia, 13 Sept. 1839, L. Preiss 1266 (presumed holo; LD; iso; MEL). Shrub. 0.08-0.6(1) m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems pale green or yellowish near each inflorescence, becoming dark reddish then grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, glabrous; petiole 0.5- 1.5 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green, usually narrowly elliptic and 5-20 x 2-5 mm, sometimes ovate and up to 7 mm wide in leaves directly below an inflorescence, flat or adaxially somewhat concave, narrowly obtuse to acute. Peduncle 2-20 mm long. Involucral bracts 4. closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, medium green, ovate or broadly ovate, 6-14 x 4-10 mm, glabrous outside; outer bracts sometimes appressed-hairy inside; inner bracts more frequently appressed -hairy inside, often ciliate, the cilia 0.2-1 mm long. Inflorescence erect, compact. Pedicels 0.5- 1.5 mm long; hairs 1-3 mm long. Flowers bisexual, white or pink or very rarely red. glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube 10-16 mm long, circumscissile 1-2.5 mm above ovary portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube usually c. 3 x 1 mm, glabrous at base, with a dense mixture of long and minute hairs above; long hairs appressed to antrorse. 1 -2 mm long: short hairs appressed to antrorse, c. 0.2 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube narrowly cylindric. 7-12 mm long. c. 1 mm diam. at summit, densely hairy; hairs antrorse, very fine, those above circumscission point at most 0.5-1 mm long, those below grading into the hairs of the ovary- portion. Sepals ovate or elliptic, 3-5 mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal part of tube. Stamens subsessile at throat of floral tube; filament 0. 1-0.5 mm long; anther 1.1 -1.8 x 0. 3-0.7 mm; connective very broad, slightly exceeding the cells laterally; slits strictly adaxial. Ovary glabrous. Style not exserted. Seed at least 3 x 1.5 mm, apparently with irregular longitudinal furrows but not seen at maturity. 198 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 45 seen): Ruabon- Ludlow, T.E.H. Aplin 1182 (PERTH); near Nannup, A.M. Ashbv 3694 (AD); Albany Hwy, 59.2 mi |94.5 km| S of Perth. E.M. Canning 3713 (CBG); 15.4 mi [25 km| from Pemberton towards Nannup, E.M. Canning 65 1 8 (CBG); 1 5 km W of Dunsborough, R.J. Cranfield 935 (PERTH); c. 23 km NW of North Banister, N.N. Dormer 1471 (AD); Frankland River C A Gardner 13013 (PERTH); Bow River, Dec. 1912,5'. TK Jackson (NSW. PERTH); Wooroloo, M Koch 1755 (MEL): Mt Saddleback. 13 Nov. 1904, A. Morrison (PERTH); Needilup Hill, K. Newbey 1339 (PERTH); 16 km W of Kybulup Pool. West River, K. Newbey 11302 (PERTH); Albany Hwy, 28 mi [45 km[ S of Perth, M.E. Phillips 1916 (CBG); Pinjarra, Oct, 1 872, J.L. Price (MEL); Ambergate, R.D. Royce 3952 (PERTH); Helena Valley, J. Seabrook 394 (PERTH); 7 mi [11.5 km) E of Nannup, 12 Oct. 1961, J.H. Willis (MEL, PERTH). B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 1 99 Distribution. (Figure 29.) Extends at least from Wooroloo (31°48'S. 1 16° 19’ E) south to Cape Leeuwin (34 22 S, 1 1 5 J 08 E) and Bow River (34°55’ S, 1 16"55’ E) and from Ongerup (33°57’ S, 1 18°29’ E) east to West River (33°47’ S, 1 19°47’ E). Habitat. In the Darling Range occurs in clay, usually in lateritic areas in Eucalyptus woodlands. South ot the Darling Range occurs in sand, sometimes with lateritic gravel and sometimes associated with winter-wet depressions or watercourses, usually in Eucalyptus forests. Flowering period. September-December. Affinities. Close to Pimelea longiflora and to a lesser extent to P. angustifolia. Notes. Specimens from the Ongerup — West River area are smaller in habit than specimens from the western part of the species range and also tend to have smaller bracts and flowers. 21. Pimelea angustifolia R. Br., Prodr. 360 (1810). — Calyptrostegia angustifolia (R. Br.) C. Meyer, Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Petersbourg 4: 74 (1845). — Banksia angustifolia (R. Br.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: King George Sound, Western Australia, Dec. 1801, F.L. Bauer (BM). Pimelea angustifolia var. minor Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 269 (1848). Type: “New South Wales' [actually collected in Western Australia), date unknown, “Frazer" [presumably C. Fraser] ( presumed holo: NY). Pimelea angustifolia var. major Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 269 (1848). Type: south- western Australia, date unknown, J. Drummond 287 (iso: LD, MEL, NY). Pimelea angustifolia var. drummondii Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 269 (1848). Type: south-western Australia, 1843-1844, J. Drummond coll. 3, n. 237 (iso: MEL). Pimelea nervosa Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 269-270 (1848). — Calyptrostegia nervosa (Meissner) Walp., Annales Botanices Systematicae 3: 324 (1852). — Banksia nenosa (Meissner) Kuntze. Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: south-western Australia, 1842, J. Gilbert (presumed holo: NY). Pimelea angustifolia var. calvescens Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 499 (1857). Type: Oyster Harbour, King George Sound, Western Australia, 22 Jan. 1818, A. Cunningham (NY). Pimelea tenuis Scott. Bull. Misc. Inform. 1 16-1 17 (1915). Type: Nangeenan. Western Australia, date unknown, F. Stoward 1 1 3 (holo: K). Pimelea tenuis var. longistyla Scott, Bull. Misc. Inform. 117(1915). Type: Camp 57 of the Elder Expedition, [c. 30°S, 124°E] Western Australia. 20 Sept. 1891, R. Helms (holo: K, n.v„ photo in PERTH; iso: MEL). Shrub, erect, spindly or open, 0.1-1 (possibly rarely 1-1.5) m high, single-stemmed or very rarely multi-stemmed at ground level. Stems medium to deep red-brown or sometimes partially yellowish near each inflorescence, becoming medium grey or medium grey-brown to almost black further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse, glabrous; petiole 0.2-1 mm long; lamina concolorous, medium green, usually narrowly elliptic to linear, (2 )6-30 x 1-5 mm, flat or adaxially concave, acute or narrowly obtuse. Peduncle 2-32 mm long. Invo/ucral bracts 4 or very rarely 6, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, medium green or very rarely partly to fully reddish, usually ovate, rarely narrowly ovate 58831-6 200 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988} or broadly ovate, 4-15 x 2.5-8 mm, glabrous outside, hairy inside at least near centre any base or the outer bracts rarely glabrous inside, not ciliate; hairs appressed or rarely antrorse. Inflorescence usually erect or semi-pendulous, rarely pendulous, compact. Pedicels usually 0.3-0.5 mm long; hairs usually c. 1.2 mm long. Flowers bisexual or female, usually whit^ or cream, sometimes pale pink or yellow, glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube (4.5-16-1 5 mm long, circumscissile c. 1 mm above ovary. Proximal portion of floral tube (belovy circumscission point) 2-4 x c. 1 mm, rather densely to very densely hairy, dark-coloured but the colour hidden by hairs; hairs all antrorse or the distal ones patent, the longest hairs 1 - 3.5 mm long, not as fine as those occurring above circumscission point. Distal portion of flora/ tube (above circumscission point) very narrowly cylindric to cylindric, (2.5 )4- 12 mm long c. 1 mm diam. at summit; hairs all antrorse or a small minority patent, very fine, the longest ones 0.5-1 mm long, the shortest ones c. 0.1 mm long. Sepals elliptic to ovate, (1.5-)2-3(-4) mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal part of tube or with a few hairs longer, th^ longest ones up to 2 mm long. Stamens shorter or longer than sepals; filament 1-4 mm long; anther 0.6- 1. 3 x 0.2-0.7 mm; connective narrow to very broad but always at least slightly narrower than anther; slits adaxial to almost lateral after dehiscence, usually semi-latera| ? rarely strictly adaxial. Staminodes: filament commonly 0.3-0.5 mm long; anther commonly 0. 1 -0.5 x c. 0. 1 mm. Ovary glabrous or rarely with apical hairs up to 0.6 mm. Style exserteq by 1-5 mm. Seed not seen. (Figure 31.) Figure 31. Pimelea angustifolia. A- flowering stem; B inner surface of bract (x 6); C- flower (x 11); D- stamen (x 16). Drawn from fresh material represented by R.J. Cranfield 2959 (A) and N. Cohen 101 1 (B, C, D) 201 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from c. 300 seen): W of Moora, AM. Ashby 1286 (AD); 5 mi |8 km] NW of Point Culver, MG. Brooker 3684 (PERTH); Pingelly-Wandering road, N. T. Burbidge 7899 (CANB); Oyster Harbour, King George Sound, A. Cunningham 22 (MEL); Menzies, date unknown, L Diets (PERTH); c. 13 km Oldfield River estuary, N.N. Donner 2998 (AD, PERTH); near foot of Mt Ragged. H. Eichler 20409 (CANB. PERTH); near Southern Cross, A.R. Fairall 2425 (CANB); No Tree Hill, AS. George 1984 (PERTH); Queen Victoria Rock, AS. George 8030 (PERTH); 1 1 mi [17.5 km] from Kalbarri on the Northwest Hwy. C.H. Gittins 1594 (BRI. NSW, PERTH); 8 km S of Eneabba, E.A. Griffin 828 (PERTH); near Cowcowing, L. Haegi 1 104 (AD, PERTH); near Warangering c. 100 km S of Kalgoorlie, 14 Nov. 1891, R. Helms (AD); Mt Hampton, E.N.S. Jackson 3403 (AD); 1 1 km WNW of Northcliffe, 27 Aug. 1983, G.J. Keighery (PERTH); 3 km S of Mount Barker, K.F. Kenneally 6478 (PERTH); Collie Basin, J. Koch 528 (PERTH); Merredin, M. Koch 2898 (MEL); Bushmead, F. Lullfitz 1817 (PERTH); Howatharra Hill Reserve. D. McFarlane & N. McFarlane 1 173 (PERTH); 4 mi [6.5 km] NW of Ongerup, K. Newbey 62 (PERTH); 2 mi [3 km] E of Yuna, K. Newbey 2212 (PERTH); 10 mi [16 km] W of Bremer Bay, K. Newbey 2401 (PERTH); 21 km SW of 90 Mile Tank, Frank Hann National Park, K. Newbev 65\ 1 (PERTH); Duke of Orleans Bay. A.E. Orchard 1317 (AD PERTH); 1 I mi ]17.5 km] N of Lake Grace, S. Paust 888 (PERTH); 19 mi [30.5 km] S of Morawa, 2 Oct. 1962, M.E. Phillips (CBG); Hithergreen, R.D. Royce 5754 (PERTH); Glen Forrest, B.L. Rye 82013 (PERTH); Katanning, date unknown, / Scott (NSW); 12 mi [19.5 km] NW of Wialki, 4 Oct. 1958, G.M. Storr (PERTH); near Bornholm, A. Strid 21814 (PERTH): Albany Highway, 9 km NW of Williams,/. Taylor 21 16 & P. Ollerenshaw (CBG); Eucla, 1885, G.R. Turner ( MEL). Distribution. (Figure 28.) Extends from Kalbarri National Park <27°54' S, 1 14°26' E) in the north to the extreme south-west of the state, to Eucla (3 1°43' S, 128°54' E) in the east and inland to Menzies (29°42' S, 121°02’ E). Not recorded for South Australia but possibly extends into that state because it has been recorded very close to the South Australian border at Eucla. Habitat. Occurs mainly in sand, sometimes in gravelly sand or soil with lateritic rocks, sometimes in sandy clay and then usually in seasonally waterlogged sites. The dominant vegetation consists of shrubs, mallees or sometimes woodland trees. Flowering period. Mainly August-January. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea foribunda and to the eastern Australian species P. linifolia. Notes. An extremely variable species throughout its geographical range but not readily divisible into infraspecific taxa. Specimens with six bracts are restricted to the northern part of the species range, occurring mainly from Eneabba to Geraldton, while pink-flowered specimens are concentrated in the south in the Albany area. Other relatively unusual characteristics, such as adaxial anther slits, are scattered throughout the species range. In some specimens the hairs below the circumscission point are very dense, as in P. foribunda, so that the ovary- portion is obscured from view. Some specimens have much sparser hairs, more like those in P. sulphurea, and the ovary-portion is clearly visible through the hairs. 22. Pimelea floribunda Meissner in DC., Prodr. 14: 505 (1857). — Banksia foribunda (Meissner) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type; south-western Australia. 1843-1844, /. Drummond coll. 3, n. 214 (iso: LD. MEL, NY). Shrub, erect, open, 0.25-1 mm high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems yellowish or red-brown near each inflorescence, becoming medium grey-brown further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse or patent, tending to all point vertically 202 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988> when on an oblique to horizontal portion of stem, glabrous; petiole 0.5- 1.3 mm long, lamina almost concolorous, medium green or bluish green on adaxial surface, similar but slightly more glaucous on abaxial surface, ovate to elliptic or more often narrowly so, (7-)l_-40 \ (2 )6-15 mm, rather thick, adaxially concave, acute or narrowly obtuse. Peduncle 2-27 mm long. Involucral bracts 4 or very rarely 6, sometimes closely subtended by 2 bract-like leaves, laterally overlapping considerably and closely surrounding basal I/3-1/2 ot inflorescence, often strongly recurved in distal 1-8 mm. not becoming reflexed, largely green but red or pink on base, ovate or broadly ovate, 10-28 x 8-20 mm, glabrous outside, appressed-hairy inside but not near margins, not ciliate or only the innermost pair (when 6 bracts present) with some cilia 0.5-1 mm long. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, white or cream above circumscission point, glabrous inside; tube 14-17 mm long in bisexual flowers c. 1 1 mm long in female flowers, circumscissile 2-3 mm above ovary. Proximal portion of floral tube (below circumscission point) 3-4 x c. 1 mm, densely hairy, dark-coloured but the colour hidden by hairs; hairs mostly antrorse to patent and c. 2 mm long but the uppermost hairs shorter and retrorse. not as fine as hairs above circumscission point. Distal portion of floral tube (above circumscission point) 10-12 mm long in bisexual flowers, c. 7 mm long in female flowers, densely covered by very fine retrorse fairs 0. 1-0.3 mm long in the proximal (2 )3-4 mm and often also with a few longer antrorse hairs similar to the longer hairs occurring higher on tube, the distal 6-9 mm with short, usually patent, hairs c. 0.2 mm long and longer antrorse hairs, the longest hairs c. 1 mm long. Sepals narrowly elliptic, 3.5-5 mm long, with short hairs and a few longer hairs 1.5-2 mm long. Stamens longer than (usually greatly exceeding) sepals; filament 4-7 mm long; anther 1.2-1. 7 x 0.3-0.4 mm; connective narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Staminodes: filament 1-3 mm long; anther c. 1 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Style exserted by 9-10 mm. Seed not seen. (Figure 32.) Figure 32. Pimelea Jloribunda. A- flowering stem; B- outer surface of bract |x 2); C- flower lx 5); D- stamen (x 10). Drawn from fresh cultivated material represented by RJ. Cranfield 4926. B.L. Rye. Weslern Australian Thymelaeaceae 203 Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 45 seen): Moora, AM. Ashby 74 (AD. PERTH); near Geraldton, AM. Ashby 1576 (AD); E of Badgingarra, AM. Ashby 1924 (AD, PERTH); 19 mi [30.5 km] N of Geraldton, N.T. Burbidge 2035 (CANB); Hill River, C.A. Gardner 12283 (PERTH); Wanneroo, A.S. George 2629 (PERTH); Just N of Lake Indoon, E.A. Griffin 929 (PERTH); near Coomallo Creek, R.J. Hnatiuk 770859 (PERTH); Yanchep National Park, AM. James 288 (PERTH); 8 mi [13 km) W of Northampton, R. Melville 4175 & J. Calaby (MEL, PERTH); 1 mi [1.5 km] W of Gingin, K. Newbey 1673 (PERTH); 6.5 mi [10.5 km[ S of Dongara, M.E. Phillips 681406 (CBG); 32 mi [51 km] S of Geraldton, R.D. Royce 388 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 30.) Extends from near Northampton (28°22' S, 114°33’ E) south to Wanneroo (31°45' S, 1 1 5°48' E). Habitat. Occurs in sand over limestone along the coast and in deep sand or on lateritic breakaways further inland. Flowering period. July October. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea angustifolia. Motes. The name Pimelea macrocephala Hook., published five years before P. foribunda, probably applies to the same species. However, there is some doubt about the correct application of this name, as noted in more detail under P. drummondii. 23. Pimelea sulphurea Meissner, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 6: 396 (1848). — Calyptrostegia sulphurea (Meissner) Walp., Annales Botanices Systematicae 3: 325 (1852). — Banksia sulphurea (Meissner) Kuntze (as sulfurea ), Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: near “Pine- Apple" [in Maylands], Perth, Western Australia. 8 June 1839, L. Preiss 1278 (lecto here designated: LD; isolecto: MEL, NY); south western Australia, date unknown, J. Drummond 549 (isosyn: MEL). [Pimelea flava auct. non R. Br.; Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 1: 605 (1845).] Shrub , erect, spindly or open, 0.15-0.6 m high, often multi-stemmed at ground level, regenerating from an elongate woody underground stock. Stems dark red-brown near each inflorescence or yellowish first then red-brown, becoming medium grey or grey-brown further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse or patent, sessile to subsessile, the petiole up to 0.4 mm long; lamina concolorous. medium green or bluish green, narrowly elliptic to circular, 2-16 x 1.5-9 mm, flat or adaxially concave, acute or obtuse. Peduncle 1-5 mm long. I nvolucral bracts in 3-5 pairs, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, the same colour as leaves or sometimes more yellowish, narrowly elliptic to circular, 4-15x3-10 mm; outermost bracts glabrous outside, usually appressed-hairy inside, not ciliate; inner 2 or 4 bracts glabrous outside or with a few hairs toward apex, appressed-hairy inside, densely ciliate around apex, the longest cilia 0.5- 1 mm long. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Pedicels 0.2-0.6 mm long; hairs 1-2 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, yellow, glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube 6.5-17 mm long, circumscissile 0.5-3 mm above ovary-portion. Ch’ary-portion of floral tube 1.5-3 x c. 1 mm; hairs appressed or antrorse, 1-2 mm long, not as fine as those occurring above circumscission point. Style-portion of floral lube narrowly or very narrowly cylindric, 4-14 mm long, 1-1.3 mm diam at summit, with hairs similar to those on ovary-portion occurring below circumscission point; indumentum above circumscission point a mixture of antrorse or rarely patent hairs 0.6- 1.5 mm long and shorter patent hairs 0. 1 -0.3 mm long, the hairs often somewhat tangled. Sepals narrowly elliptic or elliptic, 2-5 mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal part of floral tube. Stamens 204 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 ( 1 988) shorter or longer than sepals; filament 1.5-4 mm long; anther 0.6- 1.4 x 0.2-0.4 mm; connective rather broad but narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Staminodes: filament 0.2- 1.5 mm long; anther 0.2-0.5 x c. 0. 1 mm. Ovary with a terminal tuft of hairs; longest hairs 0.4-0.8 mm long. Style exserted by 2.5-9 mm. Seed not seen. (Figure 33.) Figure 33. Pimetea sulphured. A- flowering stem of female plant; B- bisexual flower (x 10); C opened upper part of female flower lx 8); D old stamen (x 10); E- ovary (x 20l. Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1005 IA. C. E) and N. Cohen 1006 IB. Dl. 205 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 95 seen): near Tambellup, AM. Ashby 2723 (AD, PERTH); Mt Lesueur, J.S. Beard 7824 (NSW, PERTH); Wubin. W.E. Blackall 3793 (PERTH); between Wagin and Dumbleyung, N. T. Burbidge 5603 (CANBl; 4.5 mi [7 km] from G ingin toward Bindoon, EM. Canning 683566 (CBG); Kings Park, I. Common 429 (CANB); 7 km S of Eneabba, E.A. Griffin 964 (PERTH); NE of Lake Pinjar, J. Havel 92 (PERTH); 17 km due NE of Brookton, R.J. Hnatiuk 790176 (PERTH); 80 km WNW of Kumarl, T.B. Muir 4372 (MEL); N of Point Anne, Fitzgerald River National Park, R.D. Royce 9129 (PERTH); Bruce Rock, F. Stoward 729 (BRI); 0.5 km E of Harrismith, J. Taylor 893, M.D. Crisp & R. Jackson (CBG, PERTH); c. 80 km W of Daniell, P. Wilson 3209 (AD). Distribution. (Figure 35.) Extends from near Eneabba (2 9°43’ S, 115°14' E) south-east to Fitzgerald River National Park (c. 34°05’ S, 1 19°35’ E) and inland to near Southern Cross (c. 31°16’ S. 1 19°28' E). Habitat. Usually occurs in sand, often with gravel or with a lateritic sheet below the sand, in woodlands or shrublands. Flowering period. July-November. Affinities. Probably closest to Pimelea angustifolia. Notes. Specimens occurring well inland tend to have smaller leaves, bracts and flowers than specimens from more humid areas closer to the coast. 24. Pimelea pendens Rye, sp. nov. (Figure 34.) Affinis P. aeruginosae F. Muell. sed differt foliis viridibus, floribus pallide viridibus, sepalis longioribus et ovario minus piloso. Typus: Coolingup Rd, 3.6 km SW of Howick Rd, E of Esperance, Western Australia, 33°33 S, 122°3T E, 13 Aug. 1983, N. Cohen 101 9A (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW). Related to P. aeruginosa F. Muell. but differs in the green colour of the leaves, pale green flowers, longer sepals and less hairy ovary. Shrub, erect, spindly, 0.1-1 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems red-brown near each inflorescence, becoming medium grey-brown further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, patent to antrorse, sessile, concolorous, medium green or sometimes yellowish green, ovate to narrowly elliptic, 6-18 x 3-8 mm, glabrous, acute to obtuse. Peduncle 1-5 mm long. Involucral bracts in (1)2-4 pairs, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, hiding the flowers laterally, pale to medium green or yellow-green and sometimes partially reddish, broadly elliptic or broadest slightly below middle, 14-25 x 12-20 mm, glabrous. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Pedicels up to 2 mm long; hairs 2-3 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, pale green, glabrous; tube 9-14 mm long, circumscissile c. 1 mm above ovary-portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube 3-3.5 x c. 1 mm. Style-portion of floral tube narrowly cylindric and expanding gradually to summit. 6-10.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm diam. at summit. Sepals narrowly ovate to ovate, 3. 5-4.5 mm long. Stamens shortly exceeding sepals; filament 3-4 mm long; anther 1.25-1.5 x 0.25-0.5 mm; connective much narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary glabrous or sometimes sparsely hairy in basal half; hairs patent, up to 0.5 mm long. Style exserted by 3-5 mm. Seed c. 5 x 1.5 mm, longitudinally patterned with slightly raised bumps. 206 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Figure 34. Pimelea pendens. A flowering stem; B flower (x 10); C- stamen lx 141; D ovary (x 14). Drawn from fresh material represented by the type collection. N. Cohen 1019. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Howick Hill, 20 Sept. 1968, D.G. Austin (AD); Lucky Bay, E.M. Bennett 897B (PERTH); 0.5 km E of Clyde Hill. M.A. Burgman 1 197 & S. McNee (PERTH); Mt. Ney. M.A. Clements 1790 (CANB); type locality, N. Cohen 1019B (PERTH); 39.5 km NE of Gibson, N. Cohen 1021. 1021a (PERTH); c. 3 km NE of Howick Hill, H. Eichler 19866 (AD, PERTH); Mt Arid, A.S. George 14307 (PERTH); c. 25 mi [40 km] E of Esperance, M.E. Phillips 3197 (CANB); Howick Rd.. SW of Mt Ney, 207 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae B.L. Rye 82029 (PERTH); Coolinup Rd., 3.6 km SW of Howick Rd., B.L. Rye 82031 (PERTH); near Wittenoom Hills, V. Scarth-Johnson 869 (BRI); Mississipi Hill. A.S. Weston 6776 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 35.) Extends from near Mt Ney (33°27' S, 122°29’ E) and Clyde Hill (33°22’ S, 122°59' E) to the south coast and along the coast from Frenchman Peak (33°58’ S, 122° 10’ E) east to Mt Arid (33°59’ S, 123°12’ E). Habitat. Recorded on granitic scree slopes, also in brown or grey sandy clay on cleared road verges backed by mallee woodlands. Flowering period. May-August. Derivation of name. Pendens (L.) — hanging down, referring to the pendulous inflorescences. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea aeruginosa and also similar to P. cracens. Pimelea pendens can be readily distinguished from P. cracens by its complete lack of hairs on the outside of the flowers. Apart from the differences given in the diagnosis, P. pendens differs from P. aeruginosa in the colour of the young stems and bracts and in the pattern on the seeds. Some specimens of P. aeruginosa have partially hairy sepals but the sepals are always completely glabrous 208 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 25. Pimelea aeruginosa F . Muell., Fragm. 7: 2 (1869). — Pimelea sylvestris var. aeruginosa (F. Muell.) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 11-12(1 873). Type: south-western Australia, date unknown J. Drummond (holo: MEL). Shrub, erect, spindly, 0.2- 1.5 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems yellow-green near each inflorescence, becoming red-brown then grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, patent or antrorse, sessile (but narrowly tapered at base) or with a petiole up to 1 mm long, glabrous; lamina concolorous, bluish to greyish green or sometimes yellowish, narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 7-22 x 2. 5-7.5 mm, rather thick, adaxially concave, obtuse or nearly acute. Peduncle 1.5 mm long. Involucral bracts usually in 3-6 pairs, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, broadly elliptic to almost circular, 1 1-25 x 7-17 mm, glabrous on both surfaces; outer bracts not ciliate; inner bracts yellow or yellowish, sometimes with a few fine cilia c. 1 m long around apex or lower on margins. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Pedicels 0.5- 1.5 mm long; hairs up to 2.5 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, dark-coloured below the distinct circumscission point, yellow above; tube 11-15 mm long, circumscissile 0.7- 1.2 mm above ovary-portion, glabrous. Ovary-portion of floral tube 3-4 x 1-1.5 mm. Style-portion of floral tube narrowly cylindric but enlarging gradually to summit. 8-1 1 mm long, c. 1 mm diam. at summit. Sepals elliptic- ovate or narrowly so to elliptic, 3-4 mm long, glabrous outside or with a few hairs along midrib, glabrous inside; hairs up to 1.25 mm long, very fine. Stamens shorter than to exceeding sepals, filament 1 .5-4 mm long; anther 1-1.5 x 0. 3-0.6 mm; connective much narrower than anther, slits semi-lateral to lateral after dehiscence. Ovary hairy throughout but sometimes only very sparsely so; hairs appressed to antrorse, 0.3-0.5 mm long, very fine. Style exserted by 4-7 mm. Seed c. 4.5 x 1.5 mm. with longitudinal furrows. (Figure 37.) Spec, mens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 80 seen): between sSFPTmf ""Kf- ?T'° y 533 (PERTH) ; 3 mi I 5 M W of Kulja, T.E.H. Aplin 079 STS ; 3 m ‘ [5 k ™ ] £ of Wubin ’ TEH A P lin 558 (PERTH); Tammin, A.M. Ashbv rk Untagl u f , 7 - Bailey 639 < PERTH >; 1 1 mi [18 km| E of Narembeen, J.S. Beard 2 V u d N B) ; nea ^ o^ lg( ?I lan ’ WE Blacka/l 4 °02 (PERTH); 1 0 mi [ 1 6 km] N of Trayning. M./.H. Brooker 1891 (PERTH); 13 km E of Koorda. M.D. Crisp 6539 (CBG)- S Yanneymoonmg. P. de Rebeira 171 (PERTH); Wilroy A.R. Fairall 1483 (PERTH); 5 mi °f Burracoppm,^. Filson 212 (MEL); Wyalkatchem. C.A. Gardner 179 (MEL, of/A tif , A mi 163 k Ti E of Pm 8 arir >g> A.s. George 9340 (PERTH); Ballidu, EH. /sing 93 uP , V ? WC i )W ' ng n A f/ 0r/? 1009 ,MEL PER TH); Merredin. M. Koch 277 1 (MEL); 20 km W of Tandejm, R.H Kuchel 2063 (AD, CANBl; 39 mi [63 km] E of Lake King on Norseman mad F Lullfitz 5027 (PERTH); Frank Hann National Park. D. Monk 398 B r ^ 0s ' er ^~ (PER TH); 1 1 mi [18 km] N of Jibberding, R.A. Saffrey nol!SrTtf ); , 5 k Trayning, PS. Valentine T44 (PERTH); E of Caron, F. W. Went 98 (PERTH); 1 mi [1.5 km] E of Wyalkatchem, E. Wittwer 1225 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 36.) Extends from near Mullewa (28°36' S, 1 15°24' E) south-east to north of Stokes Inlet (c. 33"06' S, 121°10' E). Habitat. Over most of its range the species occurs in sand or sandy clay, often mixed with gravel or overlying laterite, and the soil colour is commonly yellow. In the south-east, the soil is sometimes pale brown and overlying clay. The vegetation is often mallee-dominated. Flowering period. Mainly June-October. Affinities. C losest to Pimelea pendens and P. cracens. See notes under those species. Notes. The specimens with hairs on the outside of the sepals are all from the south-eastern part of the species range. B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 209 Figure 37. Pimelea aeruginosa. A- flowering stem of bisexual plant; B- bisexual flower (x 8); C- female flower (x 81; D stamen (x I5|; E ovary (x 141. Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1024 I A, B. D. E) and N. Cohen 1024a (C). 26. Pimelea cracens Rye, sp. nov. (Figure 38.) Affinis P. aeruginosae F. Muell. sed differt foliis acutis, tubo florali plerumque piloso. proportione ovariali breviore et sepalis magis pilosis. 210 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Typus: Dempster Rd, 8.3 km NE of Norwood Rd, NE of Esperance, Western Australia, 33°2 1 ’ S, 122"05' E, 13 Aug. 1983. N. Cohen 1023 (holo: PERTH: iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW). Related to P. aeruginosa F. Muell. but differs in the acute leaves, the usually hairy floral tube with a shorter ovary-portion, and the more hairy sepals. Shrub, erect, spindly, 0.4- 1.5 m high, single - or sometimes multi-stemmed at ground level. Stems yellow to pale green near each inflorescence, becoming reddish then medium grey- brown further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, usually patent or antrorse, sometimes somewhat reflexed, glabrous: petiole 0.3- 1.3 mm long;’ lamina concolorous, yellowish or medium green to deep bluish green, narrowly elliptic to ovate or nearly so, 6-22 x 2-6 mm or rarely less in the smallest leaves of a branch, thinner than in P. aeruginosa, flat or adaxially concave, acute. Peduncle 1-4 mm long. Involucral bracts usually 6 or 8, rarely 10, paired, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, yellowish or pale green, sometimes with reddish portions or the outer bracts sometimes fully or partly the same colour as leaves, elliptic. 12-28 x 6-14 mm, glabrous or sometimes with a few appressed hairs inside at base or along middle. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Pedicels usually c. 1 mm long: hairs 1-2.5 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, cream or creamy green to pale yellow, glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube 7.5-12 mm long, circumscissile 0. 5-2 mm above ovary portion. Ovary-portion of floral tube 2-2.5 x c. 0.9 mm, hairy or glabrous; hairs antrorse, 1-3 mm long, very fine, the longest ones exceeding those on style- portion. Style-portion of floral tube very narrowly cylindric, 7-9.5 mm long in bisexual flowers. 5-6 mm long in female flowers, 0.7 1.2 mm diam. at summit, hairy or glabrous; indumentum (when present) of very fine, widely antrorse to patent hairs, commonly a mixture of long and short hairs in the range 0.3 2.5 mm long, sometimes consisting of a few long hairs restricted to distal part or sometimes the hairs widespread but all short. Sepals elliptic or nearly so, 25 4.5 mm long, hairy outside; hairs 0.3-2. 5 mm long. Stamens slightly or definitely longer than sepals, filament _-4 mm long; anther c. 1 x 0.3 mm; connective narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Staminodes: filament c. 0.2 mm long; anther c. 0.35 mm long. 0\ar\ hairy throughout; hairs appressed, very fine, the longest ones 0.3-1 mm long. Style exserted by 4-6 mm. Seed c. 4 x 1.7 mm, with faint longitudinal markings. Distribution. (Figure 42.) Extends from the Donnelly River east to near Israelite Bay and inland north to Kumarl. Flowering period. July-November and rarely December. Derivation of name. Cracens (L.) — graceful, slender, referring to the habit. Affinities. C losest to Pimelea aeruginosa overall. In vegetative morphology more similar to P tinctoria except in the lack of cilia on the involucral bracts. The leaves of both P. cracens and P. tinctoria are not as thick as those of P aeruginosa. Notes. The two subspecies recognised are allopatric. They appear to be distinguished only by the presence/absence and type of indumentum on the floral tube. However, they show no intergradation and are regarded here as being just distinct enough to be recognised as subspecies rather than as varieties. Key to Subspecies 1. Floral tube completely glabrous or with a few hairs 1-2 mm long near summit 26a. subsp. glabra 1. Floral tube hairy throughout, the shortest hairs of the style-portion 0.3-0.5 mm long 26b. subsp cracens B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 211 fei 8, %?n n \ subsp ' A n ° wcrl "S stem of bisexual plant; B flowering stem of female plant; C femak lx 14); E ovary lx 14). Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1023 26a. subsp. glabra Rye, subsp. nov. Differt a P cracente Rye subsp. cracente floribus glabris vel subglabris. Typus: Palgarup Swamp, c. 6 km N of Manjimup, Western Australia, J.R. Wheeler 2069 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW). 2)2 Nuytsia Vol. 6. No. 2 (1988) Differs from P. cracens Rye subsp. cracens in the glabrous or almost glabrous flowers. Floral tube completely glabrous or with a few hairs 1 -2 mm long in distal half of style-portion. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Donnelly River plains, W of Manjimup, A.M. Ashby 504 (PERTH): Muir Rd, E of Lake Muir, W.R. Barker 2347 (AD); Mersea Lake, Wilgarup, Nov. 1962, W.A. Loneragan (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 42) Extends from the Donnelly River (c. 34°13’ S, 1 15°55’ E) east to Lake Muir (34°26’ S, 1 1 6°25’ E). Habitat: Apparently associated with wetlands but no habitat details provided on specimen sheets. Flowering period. August-November. Derivation of name. Glaber (L.) — hairless, referring to floral tube. 26b. subsp. cracens Floral tube hairy throughout; ovary-portion with fine antrorse hairs 1-3 mm long; style- portion with a mixture of short and long hairs or with only short hairs, the shortest hairs 0.3-0.5 mm long and longest hairs up to 2.5 mm long. (Figure 38.) Specimens examined. WEST ERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 90 seen): near Hamersley River, Oct. 1903, C. Andrews (PERTH); Lake King, J.S. Beard 2185 (PERTH); Pingrup, W.R Blackall 3025 (PERTH); Circle Valley, A.J. Cough 10 (PERTH); Buyi Billanak Homestead, SE of Condingup Peak, N.N. Donner 2662 (AD, CANB, PERTH); c. 58 km N of mouth of Oldfield River. H. Eichler 20379 (AD, CANB, PERTH); near Truslove, C.A. Wwr H 190 (PERTH); c. 80 km ENE of Lake King towards Norseman, L. Haegi 997 dcdtu^I^'’ Kumarl, L A. Horbury 69 (PERTH); Bremer Bay area, A. Kessell 996 ncnlr, ’ Salmon Gums - R H Kuchel 1731 (AD); W end of Lake King. F. Lullfitz 5538 (PERTH); c 12 km N of Israelite Bay, EC. Nelson (PERTH); Frank Hann National Park, K. Newbey 5564 (PERTH); c. 3 km NE of Howick Hill, A.K Orchard 1131 (AD, PERTH)' n m oJn?, kr £ l w of Ravensth °rpe- Faust 71 1 (PERTH); 35 km E of Gnowangerup. B.L. G e 8 ?2in ,RERTH); 6 5 km w of Lake Biddy, R.A. Saffrev 593 (PERTH); Frankland River. Nov. 1932. H. Steedman (PERTH); 10.5 km NNW of Ongerup, M.D. Tindale 3892 (CANB. PERTH). Mt Madden, P.G. Wilson 6828 (PERTH); 6 km from Borden towards Amelup J.W. Wrigleybm5\ (PERTH). Distribution (Figure 42.) Extends from near Mount Barker (c. 34°38’ S, 1 1 7°40’ E) east to near Israelite Bay (c. 33°37’S, 123°52’ E) and inland as far north as Kumarl (32°47’ S, 121°33’ E). Habitat. Occurs in sandy clay or rarely sand, often in shrublands dominated by scattered mallees. Flowering period. July-November and rarely December. 27. Pimelea tinctoria Meissner in Lehm., PL Preiss. 1: 603 (1845) — Calyptrostegia tinctoria (Meissner) End!., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Pimelea suaveolens var. tinctoria (Meissner) Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 14-15 (1873). — Banksia tinctoria (Meissner) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2; 583 (1891). Type: “Mt Wuljenup” [Willyung Hill], Western Australia, 20 Oct. 1840. L. Preiss 1280 (presumed holo: LD; iso: MEL). B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 213 Figure 39. Pimelea tinctoria. A- flowering stem; B- outer surface of bract (x 3); C- flower (x 6); D- stamen (x 10); E- ovary (x 12). Drawn from A. M. Ashby 1950 (A, B) and B.T. Coadby 2093 (C, D. E(. Shrub, erect, spindly, usually 0.5- 1 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems red-brown or dark bluish near each inflorescence, becoming grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse, glabrous; petiole 1-2 mm long; lamina concoiorous, bluish green or sometimes yellowish, elliptic or nearly so, 9-21 x 4-10 mm, flat or with the adaxial surface slightly concave, acute or narrowly obtuse. Peduncle 1-3 mm long. Involucral bracts usually in 4-7 pairs, not becoming reflexed, yellow, often with green patches, ovate- elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 18-27 x 6-17 mm, closely surrounding flowers, densely ciliate, otherwise glabrous or with a few appressed hairs inside along midrib; longest cilia 2.5-3. 5 214 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (198&1 mm long. Inflorescence pendulous, compact. Pedicels 0.5-2 mm long; hairs 1-2 mm long, Flowers bisexual, apparently dark red-brown below the circumscission point, yellow ot- yellowish green above, glabrous inside floral tube and sepals; tube 17.5-22 mm long, circumscissile 1-2 mm above ovary-portion. Ovary-portion oj floral tube 2.5-3 x 1-1.5 mrfl, covered by long hairs and more numerous small hairs; long hairs antrorse to patent, 2 4 mfn long, usually rather coarse; short hairs commonly 0. 1-0.3 mm long. Style-portion of florPl tube narrowly cylindric but expanding gradually to summit, 14-19 mm long, 1-1.5 mm diard. at summit, with a moderately dense mixture of long and short hairs; long hairs patent, 3-3 mm long, finer than those on ovary- portion; short hairs patent, mostly 0. 1-0.3 mm long. Sepals elliptic, 3. 5-5. 5 mm long, sparsely hairy; indumentum mainly of small hairs, with a few long hairs similar to those on the floral tube. Stamens shorter than sepals; filament 1.5-4 mm long; anther 1-1.5 x 0.5-1 mm; connective much narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary rather densely hairy; hairs appressed, 0. 2-0.4 mm long, fine. Style exserted by 3-4 mm. Mature seed not seen. (Figure 39.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 40 seen): Mt Manypeaks, A.M. Ashby 1950 (AD, PERTH); between Mount Barker and Albany, 13 Oct, 1968, E.M- Canning (CBG); near Denmark, A.B. Cashmore 27 (PERTH); 6 mi [9.5 km] N of Cape Riche, C.A. Gardner 2179 (PERTH); King George Sound, B. T. Goadby 38 (PERTH); South Stirlings, F. Lullfitz 3458 (PERTH); 6 mi [9.5 km) S of Narrikup, R. Melville 4400 & R.D. Royce (MEL); Toolbrunup, Stirling Range, T.B. Muir 3937 (MEL); 65 mi [104 km] from Albany towards Jerramungup, S. Paust 543 (PERTH); Stewart Road, 18.9 km from Vasse Hwy, J.R. Wheeler 21 1 1 (PERTH), 65 km NE of Albany towards Jerramungup, D.J.E. Whibley 5240 (AD); Chester Pass, Stirling Range, 13 Oct. 1961, J.H. Willis (MEL); Millbrook Rd, N of Albany, E. Wittwer 271 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 43.) Extends from near Denmark (34°57’ S, 1 1 7°2 1 ’ E) east to near Cape Riche (34°35' S, 1 18°43' E) and inland to the Stirling Range (c. 34°50’ S, 1 18°28’ E), with a disjunct occurrence south-west of Nannup (c. 34°12’ S, 115°36’ E). Habitat. Recorded in sand, sometimes with gravel, in low shrublands or in clearings. Flowering period. August-October. Affinities. Most similar to Pimelea suaveolens in floral morphology and to P. cracens in vegetative morphology. 28. Pimelea suaveolens Meissner in Lehm., PI, Preiss. 1: 603-604 (1845). — Calyptrostegia suaveolens (Meissner) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). Type: “Greenmountain" [Greenmount], Perth, Western Australia, 13 Sept. 1839, L. Preiss 1268 (lecto here designated: LD; isolecto: MEL, NY); south-western Australia, J. Drummond 548 (isosyn: MEL). Shrub, erect, 0.25-1.2 m high, often multi-stemmed at ground level, unbranched or with few branches and open above, regenerating vegetatively from a fusiform underground swelling. Stems yellowish first then red-brown near each inflorescence, becoming grey-brown or pale grey then medium to dark grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse or sometimes patent, tending to all point vertically when on an oblique to horizontal portion of stem, glabrous; petiole up to 2.3 mm long, lamina concolorous, usually either medium green or glaucous, narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate or ovate to obovate, 5-34 x 1.5-6 mm, thick, adaxially concave, acute or obtuse. Peduncle 1-4 mm long. Involucral bracts in 4-7 pairs, sometimes becoming reflexed in fruit, more yellowish or rarely more reddish than leaves, often pale brown in fruit, narrowly ovate to broadly elliptic, 6-28 x 3-14 mm; outermost 2 or 4 bracts glabrous outside, sometimes ciliate, usually at least partially hairy B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 215 Figure 40. Pimelea suaveolens subsp. sumeolens. A- flowering stem; B- bract (x 4); C- flower (x 5.5|; D- anther (x 14); E- ovary (x 14). Drawn from fresh material represented by JR. Wheeler (Darlington, July 1983). inside, the cilia and other hairs shorter than those on inner bracts; inner and medial bracts glabrous outside or the innermost ones hairy, usually moderately densely covered inside by appressed to antrorse hairs shorter than or as long as the cilia, sometimes subglabrous or glabrous inside, densely ciliate or the medial bracts moderately densely ciliate; longest cilia 58831-7 2 |g Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) occurring near middle of each margin, ( 1 -)2-5 mm long, very fine. Inflorescence ^pendulous or very rarely erect, compact. Pedicels usually c. 1 mm long; longest hairs 1.5-2. 5 mm long. Flowers bisexual or very rarely female, dark-coloured below circumscission point, pale to deep yellow above; tube (8 )9- 18 mm long, circumscissile 1.5-4 mm above ovary-portion, glabrous inside. Ovary-portion of floral tube 1.5-3 x c. 1 mm, with appressed to patent hairs 0. 1 -0.6 mm long, which are often mixed in distal part with long hairs usually 2-3 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube very narrowly cylindric, scarcely enlarged at summit, 7-15 mm long, 0.8- 1.1 mm diam. at summit, with a mixture of hairs of varied lengths, some hairs minute and some medium-sized to long; minute hairs patent, usually 0.1 -0.3 mm long; longer hairs patent or widely antrorse, becoming progressively shorter from base upwards, those below circumscission point 2-5 mm long and sometimes distinctly coarser than those above, those at middle of tube 1-3.5 mm long and very fine, those at summit (when present) 1 2 ram long. Sepals narrowly ovate to ovate, (2.5-)3-6 mm long, the indumentum on outside similar to that of distal part of floral tube, glabrous inside or with a few minute inconspicuous hairs below apex. Stamens shorter than or as long as (rarely exceeding) sepals; filament 1.5-3. 5 mm long; anther 0.7- 1.6 x 0.3-0.4 mm; connective narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral to almost adaxial after dehiscence. Ovary moderately densely hairy; hairs appressed, very fine, the longest ones 0.3-0.4 mm long. Style exserted by 2-6.5 mm. Seed c. 6 x 2 mm, with longitudinal rows of minute pits. (Figures 40, 41.) Distribution. (Figure 44.) Extends from near Jurien Bay south east to Albany and inland to near Coolgardie. Flowering period. June -October. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea tinctoria in floral morphology but with leaves more similar to P. aeruginosa. Notes. Two subspecies are recognised. They appear to be geographically allopatric from the available collections. Specimens occurring at the edges of the apparent disjunction tend to be somewhat intermediate in morphology between the two subspecies. Key to Subspecies 1. Leaves not glaucous. Inner involucral bracts yellowish green or green or sometimes pale brown or reddish. Floral tube 12-18 mm long 28a. subsp. suaveolens 1. Leaves glaucous. Inner involucral bracts yellow or rarely yellowish green. Floral tube 8-14 mm long 28b. subsp. flava 28a. subsp. suaveolens Pimelea menkeana Lehm. ex Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 1: 604 (1845). — Calyptrostegia menkeana (Lehm. ex Meissner) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Pimelea suaveolens var. menkeana (Lehm. ex Meissner) Diels & E. Pritzel, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 35: 395 (1904). Type: south-western Australia, Oct. 1840, L. Preiss 1269 (lecto here designated: LD; isolecto: MEL, NY). Leaves: lamina not glaucous, narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic to elliptic, (5 )9-34 x (1.5 )2. 5-6 mm, acute or narrowly obtuse, sometimes mucronulate. Involucral bracts usually yellowish green, sometimes green or rarely somewhat reddish, narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic or ovate to elliptic, 10-28 x 5-14 mm; innermost bracts glabrous outside. Floral tube 12-18 mm long. Sepals 3. 5-5. 5 mm long. Stamens shorter than sepals; anther 1 .2- 1 .6 mm long. (Figure 40.) B.L. Rye. Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 217 Figure 41. Pimelea suaveolens subsp. Jlava. A- flowering stem; B- bract (x 6): C- flower (x 9|; D stamen lx 12); E- ovary (x 12); F- enclosed fruit lx 5). Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1026. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 160 seen): Stirling Range, near Warrungup, AM. Ashby 2665 (AD, PERTH); Mount Barker, S.T. Blake 20857 (BRI); Narrogin, N.T. Burbidge 2316 (CANB); 10.7 mi [17 km] from Pemberton towards Nannup, 15 Oct. 1968, EM. Canning (CBG); Red Hill, R.J. Cranfield 412 (PERTH); c. 5 km NE of Jarrahdale, N.N. Donner 1457 (AD); 8 km W of Gidgegannup, M. Fagg 1044 (CBG); 2 km NW of Mt Lesueur, E.A. Griffin 1962 (PERTH); Logue Brook Dam, T.A. Hallidav 206 (AD, CANB, PERTH); Wooroloo, M. Koch 1390 (BRI); Kelmscott, A. Morrison 9234 2 jg Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (19)^ (BRI); Gingin, A. Morrison 12173 (PERTH); 6 km W of Lake King, K. Newbey 27^ (PERTH); 3 mi [5 km] from Tallanalla towards Harvey, M E. Phillips 4068 (CBG, ME|j. Rosa Glen, Margaret River, R.D. Royce 2765 (PERTH); near Yarloop, F.W. Went 2^ (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 44.) Extends from Mt Lesueur (30"H’ S, 1 1 5° 1 2’ E) south to Ca^ Naturaliste (33°32’ S, 1 1 5°00’ E) and from there to Albany (35°02’ S, 1 17°53’ E) and east 0 f the Stirling Range (c. 34°50’ S, 118°28’ E). Habitat. Usually occurs in sandy clay, always recorded with gravel or laterite rocks underlying laterite, in forests or woodlands or sometimes shrublands, often on hillsides. Flowering period. June-October. Notes. The hairs on the floral tube in this subspecies are usually longer than those in PimeU, a suaveolens subsp. flava but some specimens of P. suaveolens subsp. suaveolens from tl le southern part of the range have small hairs. The involucral bracts, especially the innermo st ones, are usually less hairy than in P. suaveolens subsp. flava. 28b. subsp. flava Rye, subsp. nov. (Figure 41.) Differt a P. suaveolente Meissner subsp. suaveolente foliis glaucis, bracteis intensius flavj s et plerumque floribus minoribus. Typus: 9.6 km S of Bodallin on South Bodallin Rd, Western Australia, 27 Aug. 1983, A/ Cohen 1027 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW). Differs from P. suaveolens Meissner subsp. suaveolens in the glaucous leaves, more deeply yellow involucral bracts and usually smaller flowers. Leaves: lamina somewhat to very glaucous, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obova( e to obovate, 5-13 x 1.5-6 mm, acute to obtuse, not mucronate. Involucral bracts yellow c>r rarely yellowish green or the outer ones partly green, elliptic or sometimes broadly elliptic, 6-16 x 3.1 1 mm; innermost bracts often hairy outside. Floral tube (8 )9- 14 mm long. Sepals (2.5-)3-4 mm long. Stamens shorter than to slightly exceeding sepals; anther 0.7- 1 .4 mm long. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 55 seen): 2 mi [3 kni] W of Gilgai Siding, T.EH. Aplin 1972 (BRI, PERTH); Koorarawalyee, A.M. Ashby 2847 (AD, BRI, PERTH); Hyden, M. Barrow 44 (PERTH); between Burracoppin and Mooririe Rock, J.S. Beard 6219 (PERTH); Frank Hann National Park, D. Butcher 308 (PERTH); c. 18.9 km WSW of Coolgardie, R.J. Chinnock 3092 (AD); 8 mi [13 km] N of Bodallin, C F Davies 254 (PERTH); 2 mi [3 km] SW of Queen Victoria Rock, R. Filson 8903 (MEL); 0.5 mi [0.8 km] S of Lake King, F. Lullfitz 5530 (PERTH); 80 km WNW of Kumarl, T.B. Muir 4374 (MEL); 22-23 mi [35-37 km] W of Southern Cross, 10 Sept. 1968, M.E. Phillips (CBG, PERTH); Cramphorne, N of Narembeen, R.D. Royce 7849 (PERTH); Mt Caroline, 1892, M. Sewell (MEL); Mt Gibbs, Dec. 1929, H. Steedman (PERTH); Muntadgin, T.W. Stone & ET. Bailey 813 (PERTH); 90 Mile Tank, c. 80 km W of Daniell, P. Wilson 3206 (AD). Distribution (Figure 44) Extends from Mt Caroline (33°48’ S, 1 17°38’ E) in the west to near Coolgardie (c. 30°57’ S, 1 20°58’ E) in the north-east and to near Peak Charles (32°46' S, 1 2 1°1 7’ E) in the south-east. Habitat. Occurs in sand or sandy clay, usually with gravel or laterite rocks or underlying laterite, probably in shrublands or open mallee woodlands. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 219 Figure 42. Distribution of Pimelea cracens subsp. glabra • and P. cracens subsp. cracens A. Figure 43. Distribution of Pimelea tinctoria. Figure 44 Distribution of Pimelea sua veolens subsp. suaveolens A, P. suaveolens subsp. /toro A and P. drummondii • Flowering period. July-October. Derivation of name. Flavus (L.) yellow, referring to the involucral bracts. Notes. Both the flowers and bracts tend to be a deeper yellow in this subspecies than in Pimelea suaveolens subsp. suaveolens. 29. Pimelea drummondii (Turcz.) Rye, comb. nov. (Figure 45.). Calyptrostegia drummondii Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscow 25/2: 178-179 (1852). Type: south-western Australia, 1848, J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 426 (hoi: KW, n.v., seen by N.G. Marchant pers. comm.; iso: MEL, NY). Shrub, erect, 0.4-2 m high, single-stemmed and up to 25 mm diam. at ground level. Stems usually pale yellow-brown or pale green near each inflorescence and becoming red-brown then dark grey further from apex, glabrous except for axillary hairs. Leaves opposite, antrorse to patent or rarely slightly reflexed, sessile, concoiorous, medium green, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or broadest slightly below middle, 10-48 x 4.5-18 mm, flat, usually acute. Peduncle 1-4 mm long. Involucral bracts 6, 8 or sometimes more, paired, usually pale green to yellow- green, the outer bracts with a reddish base or central stripe, the inner bracts rarely reddish, greatly overlapping laterally and tightly enclosing basal half of inflorescence, usually rather suddenly recurved at apex, not becoming reflexed, glabrous inside and outside; outermost and medial bracts ovate or broadly ovate, 11-21 x 7-18 mm, recurved in distal 2-7 mm, not ciliate; innermost bracts tending to be smaller than outermost or medial bracts, ciliate, the Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 220 cilia 2-2.5 mm long. Inflorescence pendulous or sometimes erect, compact. Pedicels up to 2 mm long; hairs mostly 1-3 mm long. Flowers bisexual, white or cream, glabrous inside; tube 19-27 mm long, without definite ovary- and style-portions but broader below the slightly constricted circumscission point than above, the broader proximal portion much longer than ovary. Proximal portion of floral tube 8-10 x c. I mm, with deciduous antrorse hairs 3.4 mm long, glabrous in fruit. Distal portion of floral tube very narrowly cylindric except near summit, 11-17 mm long, c. 1 .5 mm diam. at summit, with patent hairs; hairs variable in length, the longest hairs 2-3.5 mm long, the smallest hairs usually c. 0.5 mm long. Sepals ovate, 4-5 mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal part of floral tube. Stamens slightly exceeding sepals; filament 3 4.5 mm long; anther 1.4-2 x 0.5-0.6 mm; connective much narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary glabrous. Style exserted by 3-5 mm. Seed c. 6.5 x 1 .7 mm, with longitudinal rows of small but well developed pits. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 40 seen): between Mt Baring and Mt Ragged, J.S. Beard 5337 (PERTH); second beach W of Nanarup, 1982, D. Davidson (PERTH); Duke of Orleans Bay, H. Demarz 6297 (PERTH); c. 8 km W of Israelite Bay, N.N. Donner 2827 (PERTH); near Cape Le Grande, C.A. Gardner 14133 (PERTH); c. 30 km W of Mt Ragged, R.H. Kuchel 1638 (PERTH); 3 mi [5 km] N of Esperance. K. Newbey 2564 (PERTH); Dempster Head, Esperance, B.L. Rye 82021 (PERTH); Esperance. B.L. Turner 5528 (MEL); East Mt Barren, E. Wittwer 372 (PERTH); Frenchmans Peak, J.W. Wrigley 685400 (CANB). Distribution. (Figure 44.) Extends from Mt Gardner (35°00’ S, 1 1 8°1 1 ’ E) east to near Israelite Bay (33°37’ S, 123°49' E), always within 40 km of the coast. Habitat. Mainly recorded on sand dunes or sandy soil overlying granite. Flowering period. June- August. Affinities. No close relatives but certainly has affinities with Pimelea suaveolens and its allies, including the South Australian species P. macrostegia. Its leaves are rather similar to those of P. physodes. Notes. The name Pimelea macrocephala Hook., which was published prior to Calyptrostegia drummondii Turcz., has often been applied to this taxon because both descriptions cite the single collection of J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 426. However, the description given by Hooker matches the accompanying illustration of cultivated material rather than the Drummond specimen cited. No herbarium specimen derived from the cultivated material has been located, so the illustration is taken to be the type. Hooker's description and illustration resemble P floribunda very well except perhaps in the description of the flower colour as a very pale rose. Certainly the description and illustration do not match P. drummondii. particularly in regard to the shape and orientation of the leaves. Pimelea macrocephala is regarded here as a nomen dubium. Figure 45. Pimelea drummondii. A- flowering stem; B- leaf; C- flower (x 6); D- stamen (x 10); E- ovary (x 10). Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1003. 222 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Sect. 5. Macrostegia Pimelea sect. Macrostegia (Turcz.) Rye, comb. nov. — Macrostegia Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 25/2: 177 (1852). Type: M. erubescens Turcz. ( = P. physodes Hook.). Shrubs, hermaphrodite or gynodioecious. Stems glabrous except for inconspicuous hairs in upper leaf axils; nodes abaxially prominent, c. twice as thick as base of leaf. Leaves opposite, sessile or subsessile, glabrous. Involucral bracts highly differentiated from leaves, closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed, very large, colourful, hiding flowers laterally, glabrous. Inflorescence head-like, terminal, pendulous, compact, many-flowered; receptacle well developed. Pedicels with dense antrorse to appressed hairs. Flowers hairy outside, glabrous inside. Floral tube circumscissile above ovary, prominently constricted at circumscission point; proximal portion (below circumscission point) extended well above ovary, with deciduous hairs; distal portion cylindric, longer or sometimes as long as portion below constriction and often broader, broad throughout rather than only towards summit. Sepals erect, elongate. Stamens 2, very long; connective narrower than anther; slits lateral after dehiscence. Ovary glabrous. Style filiform, very long; stigma small, papillose. Fruit Ary, enclosed in the persistent enlarged base of the floral tube. A section of 1 species, occurring in south-western Western Australia. Notes. This section is undoubtedly closest to sect. Calyptrostegia but has a number of unique characters. It differs from all other sections primarily in the shape of the floral tube and sepals, in the sepals being both erect and free and in the extremely long stamens and style. The involucral bracts are the largest and most showy in the genus. The single member of sect. Macrostegia. P. physodes, is probably the only bird-pollinated species in the genus and this may account for its very distinctive floral features. 30. Pimelea physodes Hook., Icon. PI. 9: t. 865 (1851). — Banksia physodes (Hook.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: south-western Australia, 1848, J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 424 (lecto here designated: K; isolecto: K W, n.v.); south-western Australia, J. Drummond suppl. n. 84 (syn: K; isosyn: MEL). Macrostegia erubescens Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 25/2: 177-178 (1852). Type: south-western Australia, 1848, J. Drummond coll. 5, n. 424 (holo: KW, n.v., photo in PERTH; iso: K). Shrub, nearly always erect, spindly or open, 0.2-1 mm high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems yellowish or deep red to purple near each inflorescence, becoming medium grey-brown further from apex. Leaves opposite, antrorse, concolorous, medium green, ovate to elliptic or narrowly so, (8 ) 12-32 x (3 )5-1 1 mm, flat or concave on adaxial surface, acute to obtuse. Peduncle 3-14 mm long. Involucral bracts 6, 8 or rarely 4, sometimes almost completely pale green to cream, more commonly with reddish portions or completely red to purple, the outer bracts usually with the most red to purple colouring, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 22-60 x 11-45 mm, glabrous. Pedicels usually 0.7-1 mm long; hairs 1-2.5 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, green or creamy green with a reddish style; tube 6-9 mm long, circumscissile and strongly constricted c. 3 mm above base and c. 1 mm above ovary. Proximal portion of floral tube (below constriction) usually 3-4 x c. 1.5 mm, with deciduous antrorse hairs 1.5-2. 5 mm long, glabrous in fruit. Distal portion of fora! tube (above constriction) cylindric, 3-5 .5 x 1 .5-2 mm, with very fine antrorse to patent hairs mostly 0.5-1. 5 mm long, the longest hairs up to 3 mm long. Sepals very narrowly triangular, 5-9 mm long, with hairs similar to those on distal portion of floral tube but sometimes less densely hairy. Stamens greatly exceeding sepals; filament 1 1.5-16 mm long; anther 2-3 x 0.2-0. 3 mm. Staminodes of female flowers; filament c. 8 mm long; anther c. 1 mm long. Style exserted by 18-23 mm. Seed c. 6 x 1.5 mm, with longitudinal rows of shallow pits. (Figure 46.) B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 223 Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 55 seen)- c 8 km W of Ravensthorpe, D.G. Austin 197 (AD); 50 km NW of Ravensthorpe, T.C. Daniell 23 (PERTH); Phillips River, C.A. Gardner 1917 (PERTH); Mt Short, C.A. Gardner 16116 (™TH); Thumb Peak Range, A.S. George 7118 (PERTH); East Mt Barren. T.E. George 651 (MEL); West Mt Barren, Hook 294 (MEL); c. 20 km WNW of Ravensthorpe. S D Hopper 224 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1 988) 887 (PERTH); Jerramungup, F. Lullfitz 351 1 (PERTH); 8 mi [13 km] W of Pabelup Lake, K. Newbey 491 (PERTH); No Tree Hill, 1 Nov. 1962, ME Phillips (CBG); NW corner of Fitzgerald River National Park. R.A. Saffrey 1442 (PERTH); 39 km S of Ravensthorpe along road to Hamersley River estuary, I.R Telford 8621 (CBG); East Mt Barren, 28 Oct. 1968, J.W. Wrigley (BRI, CBG). Distribution. (Figure 47.) Extends from near Lake Pallarup (c. 33°15' S, 1 1 9°43’ E) south to Fitzgerald River National Park (34°04’ S, 1 1 9°26' E) and from Jerramungup (33°56’ S, 1 1 8°55' E) east to Desmond (33°38’ S, 120°08’ E). Habitat. Occurs in sand, often with gravel or rocks, on plains or hillsides. Flowering period. July October. Affinities. Pimelea physodes is similar in vegetative characters to some specimens of P. drummondii. Although very distinctive in its floral morphology, P. physodes is clearly closest to P. drummondii. Like P drummondii , it loses the hairs of the proximal portion of the floral tube very readily and is glabrous outside in fruit. Notes. The bell like inflorescence of P. physodes bears a striking resemblance to the ‘bells’ of a number of Darwinia species occurring mainly in the Stirling Range, particularly to D. macrostegia iTurcz.) Benth. The parallel evolution in the two genera of pendulous flower heads with large colourful bracts hiding the elongate flowers from side view is apparently related to the adaptation of the species concerned to bird pollination. Keighery (1975) recorded Phylidonyris melanops, the Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, as a probable pollinator of P. physodes. Sect. 6. Stipostachys Stipostachys Rye, sect. nov. Caules pallidi, glabri; nodi abaxialiter non ultra petiolum protrudentes. Involucri bracteae 4-12. saepe deciduae. Inflorescentia maturitate elongata, contigua; pedicelli numerosi, in seriebus pluribus longitudinalibus dispositi. Flores bisexuales. Tubus floralis extus tenuiter patenti-pilosus; portio stylaris quam ovarialis longior. Ovarium apice pilosum. Fructus siccus, basi tubi florali persistente inclusum. Typus: Pimelea haemostachya F. Muell. Shrubs or partially herbaceous perennials, hermaphrodite. Stems pale-coloured, glabrous; nodes not protruding abaxially beyond the petiole. Leaves usually opposite and decussate, shortly petiolate, glabrous; lamina concolorous. Involucral bracts 4-12. often deciduous, sessile, papery and pale-coloured at maturity, broader than leaves. Inflorescence terminal, erect, compact at first, elongate at maturity, continuous. Rachis and pedicels with short hairs and long antrorse to patent hairs, the pedicels numerous and in many longitudinal rows. Flora! tube with fine patent hairs outside and often inside, circumscissile or (in Western Australia) fully persistent but sometimes irregularly tearing above ovary; style-portion much longer than ovary-portion. Sepals spreading, hairy outside, glabrous inside. Stamens 2; connective narrower than anther; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Ovary hairy at apex. Style exserted, filiform; stigma small, papillose. Fruit dry, enclosed in persistent base of floral tube. A section of 3 species, of which 1 occurs mainly in the Pilbara, Western Australia and 2 occur in Queensland. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 225 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Wyndhom* POOjCCTiO* LAM8C8T KNiTMAl tOUAL A»f A Roebot Onslow, Geraldton. TemantleT* igure 47. Distribution of Pimelea physodes • and r. riolroyuit a. Notes. Two species of sect. Stipostachys were described prior to Bentham's treatment (1873) but none had been described prior to the earlier publications giving ‘°J£ of Pimelea. Bentham separated P. haemostachya and P. holroydn intc s P £ subsect. Choristachys and sect. Epallage respectively (both groups are here included under sect. Epallage except for the type species of Choristachys ) but noted a possible .relati ons f between the two species. Together with P. decora . these species form a quite distinct section, which is unusual in having non-prominent nodes. It has a continuous-elongate inflorescence. 226 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) which can extend to over 200 mm long but remains dense, the flowers in many longitudinal rows. The upper floral tube seems to be odd in that it tends, at least when dried, to be square in cross-section but this character needs to be examined further. Its closest affinities are with sect. Calyptrostegia while it also shows some similarity to sect. Heterolaena. 31. Pimelea holroydii F. Muell., Fragm. 6: 159-160, t. 59 (1868). — Banksia holroydii (F. Muell.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type. Hamersley Range, Western Australia, date unknown, C. Harper 16 (holo: MEL). Shrub, erect, 0.3-1 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems very pale yellow-brown in the distal 100-300 mm, becoming red-brown further from apex. Leaves opposite or subopposite; petiole 0.5-2 mm long; lamina more or less medium green or bluish green, often with black patches w r hen dried, ovate or broadly ovate, 12-37 x 6-20 mm, flat, obtuse; midvein and several lateral veins pale yellow-brown in the proximal half of the lamina, becoming indistinct above, prominent on abaxial surface. Peduncle usually 5-30 mm long. Involucral bracts 4-7, the same colour as leaves at first but becoming pale yellow-brown in fruit, broadly ovate or rarely ovate, 9-20 x 7-16 mm, glabrous outside, usually ciliate especially around apex, hairy throughout the inner surface or with hairs concentrated in the centre-base, dry and chartaceous in fruit, persistent but with portions sometimes breaking off; cilia 1 -4 mm long, very fine, silky. Inflorescence initially compact and head-like but elongating as flowering proceeds; rachis narrowly conic and usually 13-30 mm long at maturity. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long, with mixed long and short hairs, the long hairs 1.5-3. 5 mm long, the short hairs 0. 2-0.5 mm long. Flowers white or sometimes cream, not circumscissile but sometimes breaking irregularly above the ovary, glabrous inside; floral tube 10-12 mm long. Ovary-portion of foral tube 2-3 x 0.7-1 mm, very densely hairy; hairs antrorse, 0.5-1. 5 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube 8-9 x c. 0.7 mm, with a mixture of long hairs 2-2.5 mm long and minute hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long in proximal half, shortly hairy' above. Sepals elliptic, 2.5-3 x 1-1.7 mm. Stamens slightly shorter than to slightly exceeding sepals; filament 2-2.5 mm long; anther 1.2- 1.5 x 0.4-0. 7 mm. Ovary c. 2 mm long; hairs 1-1.3 mm long. Style exserted by 1.5-4 mm. Seed 4-4.5 x 1.5-1. 8 mm, with longitudinal rows of shallow pits. (Figure 48.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 1 5 seen): Wanna Station, J.S. Beard 6QM (NSW, PERTH); 21 mi [34 km] E of Hamersley Station, H. Demarz 2851 (PERTH); 10 km S of Hamersley Homestead, H. Demarz 7102 (CANB, PERTH); between Port Hedland and Fortescue River, Oct. 1946, CM. Donald (CANB, MEL); 2 km SE of Dingo Bore, Mt James Station, T.L. Setter 378 (ADW); 5 km E of Juna Downs Homestead, M.E. Trudgen 358 & G. Marton (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 47.) Extends from Hamersley Station (c. 22°15’ S, 117°50’ E) east to Yuna Downs (c. 22°51’ S, 118°32’ E) and south-west to Wanna Station (23°55’ S, 116°33’ E) and Mt James Station (24°5 1 ’ S, 1 1 7°1 3’ E). Habitat. Recorded in red clayey soil. Flowering period. Recorded January-February and August-October. Affinities. A very distinct species, closest to the two other members of sect. Stipostachys, Pimelea haemostachya and P. decora, both of which occur in Queensland. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 227 Sect. 7. Heterolaena Pimelea met. Heterolaena (Endl.) F. Muell., Fragm. 6: 159 (1868). - Pimelea b. Heterolaena FndL Cen. PI. 331 (1837). - Banksia sect. Heterolaena (Endl.) Kuntze (as Heteroclaena ) in T. Post & Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan. 59 (1903). Type: P. rosea R. Br. (lecto here designated). Heterolaena Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 10: 47 (1845). Type: P. spectabilis Findley (as H. spectabilis (Lindley) Fischer & C. Meyer). 228 Nuytsia Vol. 6. No. 2 (1988) Shrubs or undershrubs , hermaphrodite or gynodioecious, rarely some individuals with bisexual and female flowers. Stems glabrous except for inconspicuous hairs in upper leaf axils or rarely (P. ferruginea) inconspicuously hairy when young; nodes abaxially prominent, c . twice as thick as petiole. Leaves opposite, decussate, glabrous; petiole (when present) usually brown or brownish; lamina often discolorous. I nvolucral bracts in 1-3 (usually 2) pairs, sessile, often with subsessile bract-like leaves below, erect and closely surrounding flowers, not becoming reflexed in fruit, broader and usually more colourful than leaves, glabrous 0 r subglabrous outside, often ciliate laterally but not (except in P. brevistyla) around apex. Inflorescence terminal, head-like, many-flowered; receptacle very compact, ovoid to more or less flat. Pedicels with dense antrorse to appressed hairs. Flowers hairy outside. Floral tube wholly persistent in fruit or rarely circumscissile above ovary, nearly always with 2 or more distinctly different kinds of hairs, usually with a subbasal to medial band of long patent hairs; ovary-portion usually prominently 8-ribbed; style-portion longer than ovary-portion, broadest at summit, the gradual expansion occurring mainly in the distal half. Sepals spreading, persistent or shed with distal part of floral tube. Stamens 2; cells usually protruding laterally beyond connective and with slits semi-lateral to lateral after dehiscence, rarely ( P brevistyla ) laterally exceeded by connective and strictly introrse. Ovary glabrous. Stigma small, papillose. Fruit dry, enclosed in the persistent enlarged base of floral tube, apparently tending to be shed before seed matures. A section of 14 species, endemic in south-western Western Australia. It is closest to sect. Calyptrostegia but also shows some similarities with sect. Pimelea and sect. Stipostachys. Notes. The name Heterolaena is derived from the Greek words hetero (different, unequal, variable) and chlaena (cloak), perhaps referring to the variable size of the hairs on the floral tube. When this section was first named, a heterogenous assemblage of species was included, most of which were later referred to sect. Calyptrostegia. The lectotype chosen here for the group is a species included by all subsequent authors who have listed species for this section. The genus Heterolaena was published after the name Heterolaena had been used as an unspecified infrageneric category but without any reference to the previous usage of the name and without citing any of the species included in the earlier publication. •As circumscribed here, sect. Heterolaena is a relatively uniform group. It is characterised by the compact flower heads with well defined involucral bracts, by the elongate floral tube, usually with long and short hairs, and by the usual absence of circumscission. Its closest ties are with sect. Calyptrostegia. 32. Pimelea lehmanniana Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 1: 603 (1845). — Calyptrostegia lehmanniana (Meissner) Endl., Gen. PI. Suppl. 4: 61 (1848). — Banksia lehmanniana (Meissner) Kuntze. Revis. Gen. PI. 2; 583 (1891). Type: “Mt Wuljenup" (Willyung Hill], Western Australia, 14 Oct. 1840, L. Preiss 1271 (lecto here designated; LD; isolecto: MEL, NY). Shrub, erect, 0.3- 1.2 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems usually dark reddish brown near each inflorescence, dark grey-brown further from apex. Leaves antrorse or patent; petiole usualy 0.5- 1.3 mm long; lamina discolorous, dull yellowish green to grey-green on abaxial surface, darker bluish green with a sheen on adaxial surface, narrowly obovate to narrowly ovate in most leaves but ovate in a few leaves immediately below the inflorescence, (4 )1 1-26(-34) x 1-7 mm, up to 8 mm wide in uppermost ovate leaves, flat or slightly recurved at apex, usually acute and/or mucronulate. Peduncle 2-17 mm long. Involucral bracts 4 or 6, commonly pale yellow-green, sometimes reddish, rarely similar in colour to leaves, ovate or broadly ovate, 13-21 x 7-14 mm; outer bracts often partially hairy inside but with fewer hairs than on inner bracts, not ciliate or rarely with very few cilia; inner bracts partially hairy inside, sometimes ciliate, the longest cilia 1.3-3 mm long. Inflorescence erect or pendulous. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 229 Figure 49. Pimelea lehmanniana subsp. lehmanniana. A flowering stem; B inner surface of bract (x 4); C- flower (x SI; D upper part of flower (x 10). Drawn from fresh material represented by K. Newbey 9845. 230 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (198$) Pedicels usually 1-2 mm long; hairs up to 3 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, whit e to pale yellow, sometimes pinkish in bud, not circumscissile or circumscissile 2-3 mm above ovary-portion, hairy inside at the throat and sometimes with a few hairs on base of sepa] s but otherwise glabrous inside, the longest hairs in throat reflexed and c. 1.5 mm long; tube 8-14 mm long. Chary- portion of floral tube 2-3 xc. 1.2 mm. glabrous or with patent toantrorse hairs 0.1 -0.5 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube 6-1 1 mm long, 1-1.5 mm diam. at summit, with long patent to widely antrorse hairs 4-6 mm long, but no short hairs, in the proximal half and antrorse hairs 0.5-1. 5 mm long above. Sepals ovate or rarely narrowly ovate, 3-5.5 mm long, with a few antrorse hairs, the longest hairs 2-3 mm long. Stamens greatly exceeding sepals; filament 5-7 mm long; anther 0.7-1. 4 x 0.25-0.6 mm; slits semi-lateral to lateral aft er dehiscence. Style exserted by 6-10 mm. (Figures 49, 50.) Distribution. (Figure 55.) Extends from the Darling Range near Perth to Fitzgerald River National Park. Flowering period. August-September. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea spectabilis and P. rara. Notes. The two subspecies recognised here are very distinct and could be regarded as separate species. Treating them as subspecies results in Pimelea lehmanniana being perhaps the only species of the genus to have both early-circumscissile and non-circumscissile members. Subspecies rank was chosen for the two taxa because the morphological differences between them are less than those separating all the other pairs of the taxa recognised here as species in sect. Heterolaena. Since they do not occur sympatrically, it is not possible to determine whether they are capable of hybridising in nature. Further studies, examining other aspects of their biology, such as anatomy, biochemistry and cytology, might demonstrate better which taxonomic rank is most appropriate. Key to Subspecies 1. Floral tube circumscissile; ovary-portion hairy 32a. subsp. lehmanniana h Floral tube not circumscissile; ovary-portion glabrous 32b. subsp. nervosa 32a. subsp. lehmanniana Shrub. 0.3- 1 .2 m high. Leaves usually slightly recurved. Peduncle up to 10 mm long. Involucral bracts 4 or very rarely 6 but sometimes with a pair of subsessile bract-like leaves immediately below, ovate or broadly ovate. Inflorescence pendulous. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, white to pale yellow, circumscissile 2-3 mm above ovary-portion of floral tube. Ovary- portion of floral tube with patent to antrorse hairs 0. 1 -0.5 mm long. Anthers 0.7- 1.2 x 0.3-0.6 mm. (Figure 49.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 55 seen): Stirling Range, AM. Ashby 2016 (AD, PERTH); between Bremer Bay and Gordon Inlet, M.G. Corrick 7691 (MEL); Middle Mt Barren, C.A. Gardner 9159 (PERTH); West Mt Barren, A. S. George 6957 (PERTH); Jerramungup, F. Lullfitz 3517 (PERTH); E ’nd of Porongurup Range, K. Newbey 1843 (PERTH); Mt Drummond, K. Newbey 2690 (PERTH); 7 km E of Mount Barker. P. Wilson 3355 (AD); 2 mi (3 km] from Albany towards Denmark, 12 Oct. 1968, J.W. Wrigley (CBG). Distribution. (Figure 55.) Extends from Lake Muir (34°28’ S, 1 16°39’ E) east to East Mt Barren (33°55’ S, 120°01’ E). B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Habitat. Recorded in sand and/or gravel, often in ranges of hills. Flowering period. August-November. 231 Notes. Pimelea lehmanniana var. meiocephala Diels is probably a synonym of this subspecies but is listed as a nomen dubium because there do not appear to be any type specimens still in existence and the description is inadequate to definitely place the taxon. Figure 50. Pimelea lehmanniana subsp. nervosa. A- flowering stem; B- inner surface of bract |x 4); C- flower (x 9); D- stamen (x 8). Drawn from fresh material represented by B.L. Rye 84001. 58831-8 232 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) 32b. subsp. nervosa (Meissner) Rye, comb, et stat. nov. (Figure 50.) Pimelea lehmanniana var. nervosa Meissner in Lehm., PI. Preiss. 2: 270 (1848). Type: south- western Australia, 1843-1844, J. Drummond coll. 3, n. 284 ex parte (iso: NY). Shrub, usually 0.3-0.6 m high. Leaves flat or nearly so. Peduncle up to 17 mm long. Involucral bracts 4 or 6, ovate. Inflorescence usually erect, rarely pendulous. Flowers bisexual, white but often pinkish in bud. not circumscissile. Ovary-portion of floral tube glabrous. Anthers 1-1.4 x 0.25-0.4 mm. Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 25 seen): Gleneagle- Jarrahdale road, T.E.H. Aplin 1222 (PERTH); Preston River, 1896, G.H. Berthoud ( MEL); Capel-Donneybrook road, R.J. Cranfteld 908 (PERTH); between Marradong and Pinjarra, 18 Nov. 1904. A. Morrison (PERTH); Gooseberry Hill, 22 Oct. 1910, A. Morrison (BRI, CANB); Blackwood River, 1883, McHard (MEL); 2 mi (3 km] E of Dwellingup, K. Newbey 2627 (PERTH); 3 mi [5 km] from Darkan towards Collie, M.E. Phillips 684003 (CBG, PERTH); Jarrahdale, Nov. 1916, Sloward (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 55.) Extends from Gooseberry Hill (3 1°5’ S, 1 16°0’ E) south to near Donneybrook (33° 10’ S. 115°10’ E). Habitat. Occurs on the Darling Scarp and Range and in nearby hilly areas, recorded in gravel. Flowering period. September-November. 33. Pimelea sessilis Rye, sp. nov. (Figure 51.) Affinis P. lehmannianae Meissner sed differt foliis arete sessilibus, involucri bracteis ellipticis ad subcircularibus et tubo florali fauce intus nudo. Typus: 0.7 km S of Kalbarri — Ajana road on track to Meanarra Hill, Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia, 28 Sept. 1985, N. Hoyle 527 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, MEL). Related to P. lehmanniana Meissner but differs in the closely sessile leaves, the broadly elliptic to almost circular involucral bracts and the absence of hairs inside the throat of the floral tube. Shrub, erect, usually 0. 1 5-0.4 m high, single-stemmed at ground level. Stems deep red-brown or yellowish near each inflorescence, becoming dark brown further from apex. Leaves usually patent, sessile, elliptic to almost circular, almost concolorous to definitely discolorous, medium green to dark bluish green on adaxial surface, paler on abaxial surface, variable in size, the larger leaves 8-15 x 6-9 mm and the smaller leaves 2-8 x 1-6 mm, somewhat 2-lobed and stem-clasping at base, the margin recurved, broadly obtuse but mucronulate at extreme apex. Peduncle usually 5-25 mm long. Involucral bracts 4, green with reddish or yellowish areas, broadly elliptic to almost circular. 7-15 x 6-14 mm, appressed-hairy inside, not ciliate. Inflorescence erect. Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; hairs up to 2.5 mm long. Flowers bisexual or rarely female, white or cream, not circumscissile, glabrous inside; tube 8- 1 1 mm long. Ovary- portion of floral tube c. 2 x 0.7 mm, usually with reflexed to retrorse minute hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long and sparse long hairs. Style-portion of floral tube 6. 5-8. 5 mm long, c. 0.7 mm diam. at summit, with long patent hairs 2-3.5 mm long but no small hairs in proximal half or for most of style-portion, with antrorse hairs c. 1 mm long in distal half or only at summit. Sepals narrowly ovate, 3-5 mm long, with hairs 1-3 mm long. Stamens exceeding sepals; filament 2.5-4 mm long: anther 0.7-1 x c. 0.4 mm; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Style exserted by 3-4.5 mm. B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae 233 ^' g , u , r . e 11 • P‘ me f ea sessilis. A flowering stem; B leaves (x 2); C- inflorescence from below 1 ; D- flower (x 1 Of E- stamen (x 16). Drawn from fresh material represented by B. Bellairs (near Kalbarri, 21 Aug. 1983). Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: King George Sound, C. Andrews 825 (PERTH); Yandanooka, 1932, A.M. Baird (UWA); c. 1/2 mi [0.8 km] from Kalbarri, 21 Aug. 1983, B. Bellairs (PERTH); Mullewa Plains, Sept. 1931, W.E. Blackall (PERTH); Balia, Oct. 1964, W. H. Butler (PERTH); 5.7 mi [9 km] S of Geraldton-Mullewa road toward The Casuarinas. £ M. Canning 683140 (CBG); Murchison River, A. J. Cough 181 (PERTH); 0.5 mi [0.8 km] from Kalbarri on Ajana Rd, A. R. Fairall 1180 (PERTH); Mullewa Plains, C. A. Gardner & W. E. Blackall709 (PERTH); Turnoff to Meanarra Hill, Kalbarri National Park, R. J. Garraty 518 (PERTH); NW Coastal Hwy, 28 mi [45 km] N of Murchison River, 234 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) A. S. George 1503 (PERTH); NW Coastal Hwy, 9 mi (14.5 km] N of Murchison River, A.S. George 7878 (PERTH); 4 mi (6.5 km] SE of Tamala Station, A S. George 9573 (PERTH); NW Coastal Hwy, c. 42 km N of Murchison River, E.N.S. Jackson 3127 (AD); c. 20 km by road N of Whelarra, E.N.S. Jackson 3168 (AD); Shark Bay, 1877, F. Mueller (MEL); Murchison River Gorge, 27 Sept. 1962, M.E. Phillips (CBG); 13 mi (21 km] by road SE of Kalbarri, R.V. Smith 66/365 (MEL); Murchison River, 6 Sept. 1949, N.H. Speck (UWA); Hawks Head Lookout, Kalbarri National Park, A.S. Weston 6922 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 55.) Extends from Tamala Station (26°44' S, 1 13°43’ E) south-east to Yandanooka (29°19’ S, 1 15°34' E). Habitat. Occurs in sand in shrublands. Flowering period. August-October. Derivation of name. Sessilis (L.) — sessile, referring to the leaves. Affinities. Closest to Pimelea lehmanniana, also similar to P. leucantha. Notes. Of 1 1 collections examined in PERTH, one was from a female plant and the remainder from bisexual plants. 34. Pimelea rara Rye, Nuytsia 5: 9-10 (1984). — Pimelea lehmanniana var. ligustrinoides Benth., FI. Austral. 6: 9 (1873). Type: Swan River (Western Australia), date unknown, J. Drummond, coll. 1 (lecto, fide Rye loc. cit.: K; isolecto: K, NY). Shrub, erect or decumbent, 0.2-0.35 m high, single- or multi-stemmed at ground level, with few branches above. Stems somewhat reddish near each inflorescence, becoming dark brown to black further from apex. Leaves antrorse to patent; petiole c. 1 mm long; lamina concolorous, dull bluish green, elliptic or obovate, 15-30 x c. 8 mm, flat, obtuse or almost acute. Peduncle 2-20 mm long. Involucral bracts 4, broadly ovate, 9-20 x c. 10 mm; outer bracts glabrous; inner bracts sparsely hairy inside, often with a few cilia, the cilia 0.5-1 mm long. Inflorescence erect. Pedicels c. 0.6 mm long, with hairs 1-2 mm long. Flowers bisexual, white, not circumscissile, glabrous inside or with a few hairs c. 0.5 mm long in a ring at throat of tube; tube c. 9 mm long. Ovary-portion of floral tube c. 3 x 1 mm, covered by reflexed hairs c. 0.5 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube c. 6 mm long, c. 1 mm diam. at summit, reflexed- hairy at base, with a band of patent hairs 2.5-3 mm long, usually mixed with short hairs similar to those on the ovary-portion or longer and more spreading and often with antrorse hairs c. 1 mm long at summit. Sepals ovate, 3-4 mm long, the outside sparsely covered by hairs 0.5-1 mm long, glabrous inside. Stamens greatly exceeding sepals; filament 4-5 mm long; anther 1.2-1. 5 x c. 0.5mm; slits semi-lateral after dehiscence. Style exerted by up to 7 mm. (Figure — Rye 1984: 9.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: between Parkerville and “Smith’s Mill [Glen Forrest], Jan. 1904, W.V. Fitzgerald (NSW); Parkerville, W.A. Ross 435 (PERTH). Distribution. (Figure 56.) Extends from near Parkerville (31°53’ S. 1 16°08’ E) south to near the Perth Observatory. Habitat. Occurs on the Darling Range, recorded in lateritic soil in Jarrah forest. Flowering period. December- January. 235 B.L. Rye, Western Australian Thymelaeaceae Conservation status. This species appears to be very rare and geographically restricted. Until recently there were only three known collections, two from the vicinity of Parkerville and one of unknown origin, the most recent collection having been made in 1919. Now a small population has been recorded further south. Affinities. Probably closest to Pimelea lehmanniana. perhaps also close to P. lanata. Figure 52. Pimelea spectabilis. A- flowering stem; B- inner surface of bract (x 3); C- flower (x 6); D- stamen (x 10). Drawn from fresh material represented by N. Cohen 1010. 236 Nuytsia Vol. 6, No. 2 (1988) Notes. The summer flowering time of Pimelea rara is unusual and may partially account for the small number of collections of the species. 35. Pimelea spectabilis Lindley, Sketch Veg. Swan R. 41 (1840). — Heterolaena speetabilis (Lindley) Fischer & C. Meyer, Index Sem. Hort. Petrop. 1 0: 48 ( 1 845). — Banksia spectabilis (Lindley) Kuntze. Revis. Gen. PI. 2: 583 (1891). Type: south western Australia, 1839, J. Drummond coll. 1 (lecto here designated: CGE); south-western Australia, date unknown, J. Mangles (syn: CGE). Shrub, erect, usually 0.5-2 mm high, single -stemmed at ground level. Stems pale yellowish green or brown near each inflorescence, becoming dark red-brown to black further from apex. Leaves antrorse to patent: petiole 0.5-1 .5 mm long; lamina discolorous, medium to dark green and often bluish on adaxial surface, paler green on abaxial surface, very narrowly elliptic, 11-42 x 2-7 mm or often broader in leaves shortly below each inflorescence, flat, acute, mucronate. Peduncle 2-15 mm long. Involucral bracts 4 or 6, green and partially reddish or largely reddish, ovate, 16-30 x 9-20 mm, sometimes partially hairy inside; outermost bracts not ciliate; inner bracts sometimes ciliate, the cilia 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence erect or pendulous. Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; hairs l-2(-4) mm long. Flowers bisexual or very rarely female, white, pale pink or pale yellow, not circumscissile; tube 13-19 mm long, glabrous inside. Chary -portion of floral tube 2-3.5 x c. 0.7 mm, with minute antrorse hairs c. 0.1 mm long. Style-portion of floral tube 10-15 mm long, 1.1 -1.5 mm diam. at summit, with a mixture of long patent hairs 4-8 mm long and minute hairs 0.10.2( 0.3) mm long in proximal half and with antrorse hairs 0.5-1 mm long in distal half. Sepals narrowly ovate or ovate, 4-6 mm long, with short hairs and a few long hairs outside, the longest hairs 1.5-3 mm long, appressed-hairy throughout or at base inside, the hairs up to 1 mm long. Stamens exceeding sepals, often greatly; filament 4-7 mm long; anther 1. 2-1.5 x c. 0.2 mm; slits semi-lateral to lateral after dehiscence. Style exserted by 7-10 mm. Bunjong. (Figure 52.) Specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA (selected from over 90 seen): 36 mi {57 km] N of Pemberton on road to Nannup. J.C. Anway 564 (AD, MEL, PERTH); Albany, A. Ashby 23 (PERTH); near Augusta, A.M. Ashby 2695 (AD); SW of Shannon on road to Northcliffe, A.M. Ashby 3104 (AD. PERTH); near Mt Dale, M.G. Corrick 7838 (MEL); 34 mi peg [54.5 km], Brookton Hwy, H. Demarz 443 (PERTH); Northcliffe, A.R. Fairall 859 (PERTH); Nornalup Inlet, C.A. Gardner 13026 (PERTH); Thumb Peak Range, A. S. George 7116 (PERTH); Shannon River, c. 25 km due E of Northcliffe, T.A. Holliday 283 (AD, CANB, PERTH); East Mt Barren. T.B. Muir 4165 (MEL); Albany Hwy, 35 mi |56 km] S of Perth, S. Pausl 1069 (PERTH); 2 mi [3 km] E of Canning Dam, 16 Oct. 1962, M. Phillips (CBG); Metricup. R.D. Royce 4685 ((PERTH); Fitzgerald River National Park, R.D. Royce 9259 (PERTH); upper Helena Valley, J. Seabrook 398 (CANB, PERTH); between Cowaramup and Margaret River. D. J. E. Whibley 5045 (AD, PERTH); Denmark, C. T. White 5365, (BRI); 4.5 mi [7 km] from Denmark towards Mount Barker, 13 Oct. 1968. J. Wrigley (AD, CBG). Distribution. (Figure 57.) Extends from Mundaring (3P54'S, 1 16°I0' E) and possibly further north in the Darling Range south to near Jarrahdale (c. 32°50’ S and 1 1 6°1 3’ E) and from Cape Naturaliste (33"32’ S, 1 1 5°0 1 ’ E) south-east to Albany (35°02' S, 1 1 7°53* E). Also occurs in Fitzgerald River National Park near Thumb Peak (34°02' S, 1 19°43’ E) and on East Mt Barren (33