Xerochrysum murapan T.L.Collins & I.Telford, 2022

Collins, Timothy L., Schmidt-Lebuhn, Alexander N., Andrew, Rose L., Telford, Ian R. H. & Bruhl, Jeremy J., 2022, There’s gold in them thar hills! Morphology and molecules delimit species in Xerochrysum (Asteraceae; Gnaphalieae) and reveal many new taxa, Australian Systematic Botany 35 (2), pp. 120-185 : 165-167

Xerochrysum murapan T.L.Collins & I.Telford , sp. nov.

Type: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Northern Tablelands: Barrington Trail 0.6 km S of the Barrington Tops Forest Road , Barrington Tops State Conservation Area , 27 Feb. 2009, J. R. Hosking 3201 (holo: NSW!; iso: CANB, MEL, NE 95474 !, PERTH) .

Xerochrysum bracteatum subsp. barringtonense MS, G.J. Harden , New South Wales Fl. Online (see http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ floraonline.htm, accessed 21 May 2018).

[ Xerochrysum bracteatum auct . non (Vent.) Tzvelev: N.N. Tzvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 27: 151 (1990), p.p., populations of perennial, shortly rhizomatous plants with branching habit restricted to Barrington Tops National Park, New South Wales only].

Diagnosis

Distinguished from other species, with which it has been confused in the past, by the perennial life form (v. X. bracteatum and X. macsweeneyorum annual to biennial), foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 10–25 mm long (v. 8–10 mm long on X. bracteatum and X. copelandii ), inflorescences in panicles (v. X. neoanglicum inflorescence solitary), cuspidate to apiculate medial phyllary apices (v. X. neoanglicum obtuse), and cauline leaves 10–25 mm wide (v. X. neoanglicum leaves 2–12 mm wide; X. copelandii leaves 5–10 mm wide).

Erect, rhizomatous or taprooted, perennial herb up to ~ 70 cm tall. Stems and branches becoming purple–red with age, cobwebby and hirsute with septate trichomes, or glabrescent, and with glands; internode length 10–75 mm. Basal leaf rosette present or absent at flowering. Basal leaves spathulate, 60–180 mm long and 15–35 mm wide, base amplexicaul, margin hirsute with septate trichomes, apex apiculate; abaxial indumentum hirsute with septate trichomes, midvein with scattered septate trichomes; adaxial indumentum hirsute with septate trichomes. Cauline leaves oblanceolate to obovate, 30–200 mm long and 10–25 mm wide, base subauriculate and amplexicaul, margin cobwebby and hirsute with septate trichomes; apex mucronate; abaxial indumentum cobwebby and hirsute with septate trichomes, and with glands; midvein indumentum hirsute with septate trichomes or hispid with scattered glands; adaxial indumentum hispid with septate trichomes, and with glands. Foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 10–25 mm long, margin woolly, or cobwebby, and hispid. Capitula 30–45 mm wide, terminal, in panicles or occasionally solitary. Outer phyllaries broad-ovate, brown, basal margin fimbriate or hispid, abaxial surface smooth, apex apiculate. Medial phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, abaxially yellow, apex cuspidate to apiculate. Stylar appendages ovate. Cypsela oblong, ~ 2.3 mm long and 1 mm wide, cross-section squarish to circular; pericarp brown, idioblasts present. Pappus deciduous, ~ 8 mm long.

Distribution

Restricted to the Barrington Tops National Park in the New England Tablelands Bioregion, with known occurrences restricted to Barrington Tops itself and Gloucester Tops, ~ 22 km to the south-east, in New South Wales ( Fig. 35 ).

Phenology

Recorded flowering February–April with mature cypselae recorded in February and April ( Fig. 36 ).

Habitat

Occurs in eucalypt forest and woodland at altitudes of> 1000 m.

Conservation status

All existing collections come from either Barrington Tops National Park, including the Gloucester Tops area, or the adjoining Barrington Tops State Forest, with specimen label data estimating some populations comprising thousands of plants. Issues associated with anthropogenic climate change including heatwaves, extreme drought and intense fires are likely to present a threat to X. murapan and the associated vegetation in the future. We recommend a status of ‘ Least Concern ’ ( IUCN 2019), with the need for reassessment in the future if climate changes rapidly.

Notes

The informal phrase name Xerochrysum sp. Barrington Tops has been used at NE for curatorial purposes and this study.

Etymology

The specific epithet, in reference to the phyllary colour on the type specimen, is the colour yellow in the Gathang and Wonaruah languages of the traditional owners of Barrington Tops (Stephen Brereton, pers. comm., 2020), and is used as a noun in apposition.

Selected specimens examined

NEW SOUTH WALES: Northern Tablelands: Moonan State Park [Barrington Tops State Forest], Cobark Lookout , 5 Feb. 1996, M. Ito 96029, T. Nishino & Y. Kita ( CANB, MEL!, NSW, TI); Barrington Trail , 0.6 km south of the Barrington Tops Forest Road, 27 Feb. 2009, J.R. Hosking 3204 ( CANB, MEL, NE!, NSW, PERTH); Barrington Tops National Park , Gloucester Tops , 9 Apr. 2018, T.L. Collins 1041 ( CANB!, BRI!, NE!, NSW!); Barrington Tops National Park , Polblue Swamp , 10 Apr. 2018, T.L. Collins 1044 ( CANB!, BRI!, NE!, NSW!); Barrington Tops National Park , Bull Ridge Road , 10 Apr. 2018, T.L. Collins 1046 ( CANB!, BRI!, NE!, NSW!); Careys Peak , Barrington Tops , 12 Feb. 1971, I.R. Telford 2729 ( CANB!) .

Figures

Fig. 35. Distribution of Xerochrysum murapan.

Fig. 36. Isotype of Xerochrysum murapan (J.R.Hosking 3201, NE 95474).