Article

TWO NEW SPECIES OF POLYGALACEAE FROM CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

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Abstract

Comesperma pallidum and Polygala isingii are described as new. These names are used in the account of Polygalaceae in the handbook to the Flora of Central Australia. Comesperma pallidum Pedley, species nova affinis C. ericini DC. foliis inflorescentiisque grandioribus et C. sylvestris Lindl. ramulis glabris foliis oblongis differt. Typus. Queensland: Mitchell District: Torrens Creek, March 1933, White 8703 (BRI, holotypus; BRI, K, isotypi). Frutex usque circa 2 m altus; ramuli angulates glauci glabri vel raro sparsim puberuli. Folia subsessilia oblonga obtusa mucronulata 15-25 x 2.5-5 mm, 4-6.5 plo longiora quam latiora crassa costa sola conspicua. Inflorescentia aliquantum densa circa 6 cm longa; pedicelli circa 4 mm longi; bracti et bracteoli decidui. Flores eburnei ad carinae apicem purpurascentes. Calyx: sepala externa ± aequilonga, 1.4-1.6 mm longa, sepala interiora concava obtusa 4.2-4.7 mm longa. Corolla: carina 4.3-4.8 mm longa, alis longiora; alae 3.8-4.4 mm longae. Pistillum glabrum. Capsula 10-15 x 3.5-4 mm, retusa umbonata, sensim basin versus attenuata. Semina 2.7-3 mm longa, subcylindrica 1.2-1.5 mm diam., coma basem capsulae complenti.

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... In addition, both C. sylvestre and C. ericinum have purple wing sepals and minutely papillose leaf margins whereas C. pallidum has white wing sepals and smooth leaf margins. As circumscribed here, C. pallidum is regarded as endemic to Queensland, whereas previous authors considered this species to occur over a much broader area, including the Northern Territory and Western Australia (Pedley 1981(Pedley , 1984Monro 2003). The disjunction in records between those in Queensland and the Northern Territory is over 1000 km and is not an artefact of limited collecting as suggested by Monro (2003), but rather a genuine biogeographic disjunction between two closely related species. ...
... Because flowers are not present on the specimen, we have retained it under C. pallidum for the time being. A few collections post-publication by Pedley (1981) (BRI AQ395860). All have isolated short spreading hairs on the branchlets, and yet have the critical features of C. pallidum, including glaucous stems and leaves, a smooth leaf margin and the various floral and fruit characters outlined in Table 2. ...
... The epithet pallidum is derived from the Latin pallidus (pale) in 'reference to the pale flowers and the overall pale appearance of the leaves of the plant when dry' (Pedley 1981). Erect and much branched perennial, single stemmed, 0.4-4 m high; stem diameters up to 35 mm at ground level; leafy twigs puberulent, the trichomes erect, white, short and thick. ...
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A taxonomic treatment is presented for all eight white-flowered Comesperma species that occur in tropical Australia (here defined as north of latitude 21°S). In total, eight species are circumscribed, of which five are new species and one is new subspecies, viz. C. albimontanense A.J. Ford & Halford, C. anemosmaragdinum A.J. Ford & Halford, C. minutum A.J. Ford & Halford, C. rhyoliticum A.J. Ford & Halford, C. sabulosum A.J. Ford & Halford and C. secundum subsp. oligotrichum A.J. Ford & Halford. Notes on habitat, distribution and conservation status are provided. A key to all 10 tropically distributed Comesperma species, including two non-white flowered species, is given.
A review of the herbaceous species of Polygala (Polygalaceae)
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