Nuytsia
The journal of the Western Australian Herbarium

Four new species from the Western Australian endemic genus Conostephium Benth., C. hortiorum Hislop, C. laeve Hislop, C. papillosum Hislop and C. prolatum Hislop are described, illustrated and their distributions mapped. Among these, C. prolatum has a very restricted distribution and is a conservation priority. A key to the 11 recognised species is provided as well as one to distinguish between the two putative generic taxa in the Conostephium clade. Lectotypes are designated for C. pendulum Benth., C. preissii Sond. and for the genus Conostephiopsis Stschegl. Taxonomic notes pertaining to C. drummondii (Stschegl.) C.A.Gardner, C. pendulum, C. preissii and C. roei Benth. are also included.

The generic limits of Wedelia Jacq., Melanthera Rohr, and Wollastonia DC. ex Decne., as currently recognised, are re-examined on the basis of comparative morphology, and a new classification recognising the first two genera in a restricted sense is proposed, with other taxa redistributed through nine genera. In this classification, Wedelia (including Aspilia Thouars) with c. 100 species, is restricted to the Americas and Africa. Melanthera is restricted to c. five species of the Caribbean basin and northern Andes. It is proposed that African species formerly in Melanthera be transferred to Lipotriche R.Br. and the following new combinations are made: L. scandens (Schum. & Thonn.) Orchard; L. scandens subsp. subsimplicifolia (Wild) Orchard; L. scandens subsp. dregei (DC.) Orchard; L. triternata (Klatt) Orchard; L. abyssinica (Sch.Bip. ex Rich.) Orchard; L. gambica (Hutch. & Dalziel) Orchard; L. pungens (Oliver & Hiern.) Orchard. The autonym L. scandens subsp. scandens is newly created. Echinocephalum Gardner of South America is resurrected, with a single species (E. latifolium Gardner). It is proposed that Wollastonia be retained as a genus distinct from Wedelia, Melanthera and Lipochaeta DC., with which it has been variously synonymised by recent authors. In Australia two species of Wollastonia are recognised, W. biflora (L.) DC. and W. uniflora (Willd.) Orchard. These species are keyed, described and illustrated. The Hawai‘ian species of Lipochaeta sect. Aphanopappus (Endl.) Benth. & Hook.f. are transferred to Wollastonia, and placement of Wollastonia lifuana (Hochr.) Fosb. of New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and the Asian species Wedelia prostrata Hemsl. in Wollastonia (as Wollastonia dentata) is confirmed. New combinations are made for Wollastonia biflora var. ryukyuensis (H.Koyama) Orchard, W. bryanii (Sherff) Orchard, W. dentata (H.Lév. & Vaniot) Orchard, W. fauriei (H.Lév.) Orchard, W. integrifolia (Nutt.) Orchard, W. kamolensis (O.Deg. & Sherff) Orchard, W. lavarum (Gaudich.) Orchard, W. micrantha (Nutt.) Orchard, W. micrantha subsp. exigua (O.Deg. & Sherff) Orchard, W. perdita (Sherff) Orchard, W. populifolia (Sherff) Orchard, W. remyi (A.Gray) Orchard, W. subcordata (A.Gray) Orchard, W. tenuifolia (A.Gray) Orchard, W. tenuis (O.Deg. & Sherff) Orchard, W. venosa (Sherff) Orchard, W. waimeaensis (H.St.John) Orchard and W. uniflora (Willd.) Orchard. The autonym W. micrantha subsp. micrantha is newly created. Lipochaeta DC. in Hawai‘i is restricted to the species with 4-lobed disc floret corollas, formerly treated as Lipochaeta sect. Lipochaeta. The Australian and New Guinean species formerly placed in Wedelia are transferred to two new genera: Apowollastonia Orchard, with eight species, including four new combinations (A. longipes (Klatt) Orchard, A. spilanthoides (F.Muell.) Orchard, A. stirlingii (Tate) Orchard and A. verbesinoides (Benth.) Orchard) and five new taxa (A. cylindrica Orchard, A. hamersleyensis Orchard, A. hibernica Orchard, A. major Orchard and A. stirlingii subsp. fontaliciana Orchard). The autonym A. stirlingii subsp. stirlingii is newly created, as is the genus Acunniana Orchard, with one species (A. procumbens (DC.) Orchard). In Malesia/Asia, two monotypic new genera are proposed, Indocypraea Orchard (with a single species, I. montana (Blume) Orchard, formerly Wedelia (Wollastonia) montana), and Quadribractea Orchard (with a single species, Q. moluccana (Blume) Orchard, formerly Wedelia moluccana). Five species related to the former Wedelia urticifolia (Blume) DC. are transferred to the new genus Lipoblepharis Orchard (L. urticifolia (Blume) Orchard, with two subspecies L. urticifolia subsp. urticifolia and subsp. hortorum Orchard, L. thailandica (Koyama) Orchard, L. asperrima (Decne.) Orchard, L. stenophylla (Merr.) Orchard and L. floribunda Orchard). Lectotypes are chosen for Verbesina urticifolia Blume, V. moluccana Blume, V. montana Blume, Buphthalmum australe Biehler (≡ Buphthalmum helianthoides sensu Forster), Wedelia spilanthoides F.Muell., Wedelia verbesinoides Benth. and Wedelia stirlingii Tate.

Hemigenia rigida Benth. (sect. Homalochilus Benth.) is a species of high conservation concern from Western Australia’s Avon Wheatbelt known from three collections made 150 and 20 years apart. Hemigenia pritzelii S.Moore (also sect. Homalochilus), a more frequent species from the Jarrah Forest of south-west Western Australia, has been frequently confused with H. rigida and both were previously confused with H. ramosissima Benth. The mis-application of the name H. rigida to the distinct and more abundant species H. pritzelii has hampered recognition of the potentially dire conservation status of H. rigida. To resolve longstanding confusion, distinguishing characters are provided for H. pritzelii and H. rigida along with morphological descriptions, distribution maps and information on ecology. An interim key to the species of sect. Homalochilus is presented for context and to aid identification.

Hibbertia sericosepala K.R.Thiele is described as new. Morphologically similar to H. helianthemoides (Turcz.) F.Muell. and H. huegelii (Endl.) F.Muell., H. sericosepala is distinctive in its combination of sepal and leaf indumentum, floral bract shape and anther and carpel number. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

Calytrix watsonii (F.Muell. & Tate) C.A.Gardner is reinstated and four species with conservation priority are described: C. hislopii Rye, C. patrickiae Rye, C. sagei Rye and C. viscida Rye. Keys are given for the species groups that include these taxa. The current study has eliminated about half of the informal names that have been in use for Western Australian members of the genus. Several species complexes that need further study are noted.

Taxonomic review of the Drosera indica L. (Droseraceae) complex requires the clarification of a number of published names. This paper is focussed on the application of names applying to taxa occurring in Australia. Two lectotypes are chosen and one neotype is designated for names historically listed as synonyms of D. indica. Drosera serpens Planch. and D. angustifolia F.Muell. are lectotypified. A neotype is selected for D. hexagynia Blanco as no original material is known. Drosera hexagynia is considered to be a synonym of D. indica. Drosera angustifolia and D. indica f. robusta F.M.Bailey are here considered to be synonyms of D. finlaysoniana Wall. ex. Arn. Drosera angustifolia var. purpuriflora F.Muell. ex Diels is an illegitimate name. Notes are provided on D. hartmeyerorum Schlauer, the only other named Australian taxon in this species complex. Characteristics of the seeds, anthers and glandular hairs are considered diagnostic at the species level. Illustrations of key identifying features and full descriptions of the Australian species are provided.

Thirteen new species of Acacia Mill. from the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia are described. These species are accommodated into three sections of the genus. Acacia sect. Juliflorae (Benth.) Maiden & Betche: A. anastomosa Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. camptocarpa Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. cyclocarpa Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. diastemata Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. phacelia Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett and A. synantha Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett. Acacia sect. Plurinerves (Benth.) Maiden & Betche: A. anserina Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. obtriangularis Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. orthotropica Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett and A. perpusilla Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett. Acacia sect. Lycopodiifoliae Pedley: A. claviseta Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett, A. dimorpha Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett and A. prolata Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett. Notes are provided on A. gracillima Tindale (Acacia sect. Juliflorae) which provisionally includes a poorly known, distinctive entity in need of further taxonomic scrutiny. Except for A. claviseta, which extends to the Northern Territory, the new species are endemic to the Kimberley region. Eleven of the new species (all except A. camptocarpa and A. claviseta) are endemic to the high-rainfall area of the north-west Kimberley, highlighting significant levels of plant endemism in this region. A number of these species are geographically restricted (three are known only from the type) and all except A. prolata are treated as Priority taxa under the Department of Parks and Wildlife’s Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora. Most of the new species are killed by fire and their distributions are restricted to rocky, presumably naturally fire-limiting sites.

Three species of Amanita Pers. are documented from Western Australia. Amanita lesueurii E.M.Davison is described from the mid-west region. It is distinguished by its small to medium fruiting bodies with a white pileus and white universal veil (both of which become vinaceous-buff or grey with age), white gills, short white stipe with a small obconic or turbinate bulb, white partial veil, amyloid, elongate to cylindrical spores, and no clamp connections. Amanita wadjukiorum E.M.Davison is described from the Perth metropolitan area. It has medium to large fruiting bodies with a cream pileus that ages milky coffee to snuff brown, a pale grey or buff universal veil that ages hazel to drab, cream gills, grey to buff stipe with a napiform or fusiform bulb, white to cream to vinaceous-buff partial veil that disappears with age, amyloid, ellipsoid to elongate spores and no clamp connections. Amanita fibrillopes O.K.Mill., which was previously only known from the type locality, is a widespread but misidentified species. It has small to large fruiting bodies with a pale peach to pale salmon pileus that rapidly ages cream, a white universal veil that rapidly ages buff or milky coffee, white gills that age buff, white or pale pink stipe with a spherical or obconic or tapered bulb, white or buff apical partial veil that disappears with age, inamyloid, ellipsoid to elongate spores and no clamp connections. A BLASTn search has shown that there are no exact matches of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of each species with those in GenBank.