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Nuytsia
The journal of the Western Australian Herbarium

Nuytsia is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes original papers on the systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature of Australian (particularly Western Australian) plants, algae and fungi, especially descriptions of taxa, revisions, identification guides, nomenclatural and taxonomic issues, systematic analyses and classifications, censuses, and information on invasive species.

Nuytsia was founded in 1970 and is named after the iconic Western Australian Christmas Tree Nuytsia floribunda, an arborescent root hemiparasite endemic to south-west Western Australia. One-fifth of all published native plant names for Western Australia have been formally established in the journal, including over one-quarter of the conservation-listed taxa in the State. Refer to the cumulative index to scientific names published in Nuytsia for details.

Nuytsia papers are published electronically, singly or in small batches. For authors, this will provide a short turn-around time between submission and publication of papers. For readers, it will mean being up-to-date with the very latest taxonomic research in Western Australia. Subscribe to our Publication Alert via news feed to be informed of new papers as they are published.

Readers will be able to purchase a hard copy of each volume at the end of the year (see Subscription / Exchange for more information). A limited number of hard copies of each volume will also be distributed to key botanical libraries around the world.

New to Nuytsia

Published on Thursday, 20 July 2023.

The taxonomy of the Styphelia corynocarpa subgroup (Ericaceae: Epacridoideae: Styphelieae)

HISLOP, M., Nuytsia 34: 139–155 (2023)

A small subgroup within the heterogeneous Styphelia Sm. Group X is recognised based on morphological and molecular data. A morphological synopsis of, and key to, the subgroup are provided, and all four member species are described and illustrated. Three of the four species are described as new, S. anomala Hislop, S. cylindrica Hislop and S. planiconvexa Hislop, while S. corynocarpa (Sond.) F.Muell. is given an updated description. Styphelia anomala has Western Australian conservation listing as Priority Two.

Ferdinand Mueller in Western Australia in 1877, with notes on his later contributions to the Western Australian flora

DOWE, J.L., Nuytsia 34: 157–178 (2023)

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, Australia’s most productive botanist of the mid–late nineteenth century, was especially enamoured with the flora of Western Australia, and wrote about its ‘marvellous exuberance’, ‘typic singularity’ and ‘endemism’. He botanised in Western Australia on three occasions: in 1856 in the Sturt Creek area during Augustus Gregory’s North Australian Exploring Expedition; in 1867 in the Porongurup Range and Stirling Range and around Albany; and in 1877 with excursions from Champion Bay to Shark Bay and from Perth to Albany. Although he considered that most of Australia’s plant taxa had been described by the late 1870s, he remained attentive for novelties, especially those that were rare or from remote, under-botanised areas, especially in Western Australia. Many of Mueller’s later publications consolidated aspects of nomenclature, systematics, biogeography, economics, horticulture and utilisation of the flora of Western Australia.

Echinostelium australiense (Myxomycetes: Echinosteliaceae), a new species of slime mould described from Western Australia

KNIGHT, K.J., STEPHENSON, S.L. AND NOVOZHILOV, Y.K., Nuytsia 34: 179–186 (2023)

A new and unusual species of Echinostelium de Bary appearing on samples of bark collected in Western Australia and placed in moist chamber cultures is described and illustrated. This new species is clearly distinct from all other species of Echinostelium as it differs in a number of morphological and colour characters. The dark colouration of the sporotheca, stalk and spores with distinct patches of closely arranged warts arranged in a loosely circular pattern, and a large bi-coloured petaloid collar are unusual for the genus.

Volvopluteus earlei and Volvariella taylorii: new fungi for Western Australia (Basidiomycota, Agaricales, Pluteaceae)

BOUGHER, N.L. AND BARRETT, M.D., Nuytsia 34: 187–201 (2023)

Re-examination of vouchered specimens of pink-spored, volvate, agaricoid fungi held at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH) has revealed the first recorded occurrences in Western Australia of Volvopluteus earlei (Murrill) Vizzini, Contu & Justo and Volvariella taylorii (Berk. & Broome) Singer, and affirmed the regional prevalence of Volvopluteus gloiocephalus (DC.) Vizzini, Contu & Justo. The identities of the two Volvopluteus Vizzini, Contu & Justo taxa were confirmed with molecular data relative to extra-Australian samples validated in previous studies. Volvopluteus earlei had not been previously reported from Australia. Evidently Volvopluteus earlei and Volvariella taylorii are less common in Australia than the larger and more often encountered Common Rosegill, Volvopluteus gloiocephalus.