Re-assessment of the saline-dwelling Eucalyptus spathulata complex (Myrtaceae) from southern Western Australia
NICOLLE, D. AND BROOKER, M.I.H.
The circumscription of taxa within the Eucalyptus spathulata complex is revised. The status of E. vegrandis is resolved and the new species E. orthostemon Nicolle & Brooker is described to accommodate populations of mallees previously and erroneously referred to E. vegrandis. The new taxon E. vegrandis subsp. recondita Nicolle & Brooker is described to accommodate coarse, relatively broad-leaved mallees in the Stirling Range area, previously referred under the manuscript name E. ‘recondita’. E. suggrandis is recircumscribed, with subsp. alipes (as to the type – the mallet/obligate seeder variant) raised to specific status as E. alipes (L. Johnson & K. Hill) Nicolle & Brooker. E. mimica is recircumscribed as an obligate seeder (mallet) species and E. suggrandis subsp. promiscua Nicolle and Brooker described from the Lake Grace – Pingrup area, previously being confused with both E. mimica and E. suggrandis. The new subspecies, E. spathulata subsp. salina Nicolle & Brooker, is described from mallets restricted to the Salt River drainage system of the northern part of the southern wheatbelt. E. cernua is recircumscribed as an obligate seeder (mallet) species with resprouter (mallee) populations, previously included under E. cernua, published as E. proxima Nicolle & Brooker. The manuscript name E. ‘verruculosa’ is considered to be E. suggrandis subsp. suggrandis, as to the proposed type. A key and distribution maps for the E. spathulata complex are provided.
