Xerochrysum berarngutta 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 : 146-147

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

Type: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Northern Tablelands: New England National Park, Eagles Nest Lookout , below Point Lookout , 5 Feb. 2005, I.R. Telford 12830 & L.M. Copeland, (holo: NSW!; iso: BRI!, MEL!, NE 83736 !, PERTH!) .

Xerochrysum sp. Point Lookout (I.R.Telford 12830) NE Herbarium, CHAH, Austral. Pl. Census (2020) [accessed 20 February 2020].

[ Xerochrysum bracteatum auct . non (Vent.) Tzvelev: N.N. Tzvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 27: 151 (1990), p.p., populations on the high escarpment cliffs at Point Lookout, New England National Park, New South Wales only].

Diagnosis

Distinguished from X. bracteatum sens . str. by a perennial life form (annual or biennial in X. bracteatum ), abaxial leaf surface pilose with septate and glandular trichomes and glands (only with glands in X. bracteatum ), cuspidate to apiculate phyllary apices (obtuse in X. bracteatum ), and foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 10–20 mm long (8–10 mm in X. bracteatum ); and from all other species in the genus by a long, thick rhizome, a densely pilose leaf indumentum of septate trichomes, and stipitate glands both abaxially and adaxially.

Decumbent, rhizomatous, perennial herb. Stems and branches with glands and villous with septate trichomes, internode length 40–55 mm. Basal leaf rosette absent at flowering. Basal leaves spathulate, 70–200 mm long and 15–30 mm wide, base amplexicaul, margin villous with septate trichomes, apex obtuse and mucronate; abaxial indumentum densely pilose with septate trichomes and with glands, midvein indumentum villous with septate trichomes; adaxial indumentum densely pilose with septate trichomes. Radical leaves arising from a rhizome. Cauline leaves oblanceolate to obovate, 40–150 mm long and 4–30 mm wide, leaf base attenuate, margin villous with septate trichomes, apex apiculate and mucronate; abaxial indumentum densely pilose with septate trichomes and sessile glands, midvein indumentum villous with septate trichomes; adaxial indumentum hirsute to densely pilose with septate trichomes, and sessile glands. Foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 10–20 mm long, margin villous. Capitula 40–60 mm wide, terminal, in panicles or solitary. Outer phyllaries broad-ovate, brown or straw-coloured, basal margin fimbriate, apex apiculate, abaxial surface smooth. Medial phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, abaxially orange or yellow, apex cuspidate to apiculate. Stylar appendages narrowly triangular to ovate. Cypsela oblong, ~ 2.7 mm long and 0.9 mm wide, cross-section squarish or circular; pericarp straw- or brass-coloured, idioblasts present. Pappus deciduous, ~ 7 mm long.

Distribution

Endemic to the high-altitude escarpment on the eastern edge of the New England Tablelands Bioregion, where it is known only from the vicinity of Point Lookout, ~ 70 km east of Armidale, New South Wales ( Fig. 18 ).

Phenology

Recorded flowering from February–April ( Fig. 19 ). Latestage infructescence containing small numbers of cypselae collected in April.

Habitat

Occurring in small openings in the canopy at ~1400-m altitude, growing in humic sediments on and between basalt boulders, on steep slopes and broken cliffs. Associated with Acacia melanoxylon , Banksia integrifolia subsp. monticola , Eucalyptus pauciflora , Lomatia fraseri , Cassinia telfordii , Lomandra longifolia , Solanum and Plectranthus .

Other associated species include the localised cliff-line endemics Coronidium elatum subsp. minus , Gingidia rupicola , Gaultheria viridicarpa and Wahlenbergia telfordii .

Conservation status

Only known from effectively one population in the New England National Park, New South Wales, where 17 plants were recorded scattered along ~ 170 m of escarpment in 2017. On the basis of only one known extant population of less than 50 individuals, we suggest a ‘ Critically Endangered ’ status is appropriate under the IUCN (2019), fulfilling Criteria C2 and D.

Etymology

The species epithet is the traditional name of the type locality, a place considered sacred to traditional owners (Steven Ahoy, pers. comm., 2020), as a noun in apposition ( ICN Art. 23.5, Shenzhen Code, Turland et al. 2018) .

Selected specimens examined

NEW SOUTH WALES: Northern Tablelands: New England National Park, Point Lookout , 12 Apr. 2017, T.L. Collins 958 & J.J. Bruhl ( BRI!, NE!, NSW!); New England National Park , Eagles Nest Lookout, 11 Mar. 2006, G.P. Duley 69, J.J. Bruhl & I.R. Telford ( NE!) .

Figures

Fig. 18. Distribution of Xerochrysum berarngutta.

Fig. 19. Isotype of Xerochrysum berarngutta (I.R.Telford 12830 & L.M.Copeland, NE 83736).