Xerochrysum macsweeneyorum T.L.Collins, 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 : 162-163

Xerochrysum macsweeneyorum T.L.Collins , sp. nov.

Type: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Northern Tablelands: Roadside reserve, Old Gostwyck Road , ~ 180 m S of intersection with Bellandean Road, 11 Apr. 2017, T.L. Collins 957 & J.J. Bruhl, (holo: NSW!; iso: BRI!, CANB!, NE 104743 !, K!) .

[ Xerochrysum bracteatum auct . non (Vent.) Tzvelev: N.N. Tzvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 27: 151 (1990), p.p., populations of annual or occasionally biennial plants with very small septate flagelliform trichomes on leaf abaxial surface naturally occurring on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, and in southern Queensland only].

Diagnosis

Distinguished from X. bracteatum by presence of a dense covering of very small septate flagelliform trichomes on leaf abaxial surface ( X. bracteatum has no septate trichomes abaxially), cauline leaves 3–10 mm wide (5–25 mm wide in X. bracteatum ); and from other similar species by the annual or biennial life form ( v. perennial life form in X. copelandii and X. murapan ), cauline leaf width (10–25 mm wide in X. murapan ), foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 4–9 mm long (10–25 mm long in X. murapan ), obtuse phyllary apices (acuminate in X. copelandii ).

Erect, taprooted, annual to short-lived perennial herb, up to ~ 1.3 m tall. Stems and branches cobwebby or glabrescent, and with glands; internode length 10–40 mm. Basal leaf rosette may be present but usually marcescent at flowering. Basal leaves spathulate, 80–150 mm long and 15–30 mm wide, base subamplexicaul, margin pilose with septate trichomes, apex mucronate; abaxial indumentum hirsute to hispidulous with septate trichomes, and with glands; abaxial midvein indumentum pilose with septate trichomes; adaxial indumentum hirsute with septate trichomes. Cauline leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, 30–110 mm long and 3–10 mm wide, leaf base subauriculate, margin hispid with septate trichomes, apex mucronate; abaxial indumentum cobwebby and hispid with septate trichomes, and with glands; abaxial midvein indumentum cobwebby and hispid with septate trichomes, and with glands; adaxial indumentum hispid with septate trichomes, and with glands. Foliaceous bracts subtending capitula 4–9 mm long or absent, margin with glands, cobwebby, fimbriate, and hispid. Capitula 30–45 mm wide, terminal, in panicles. Outer phyllaries broad-ovate to rounded, brown or straw-coloured, basal margin fimbriate to hispid, abaxial surface smooth, apex apiculate. Medial phyllaries oblong, narrow ovate or elliptic, abaxially yellow, apex acuminate to apiculate. Stylar appendages narrowly triangular to triangular. Cypsela oblong, ~ 2 mm long and 0.7 mm wide, cross-section squarish to circular; pericarp straw- or brass-coloured, idioblasts present. Pappus ~ 6–8 mm long.

Distribution

Occurs in the New England Tablelands and South Eastern Queensland bioregions, with disjunct populations on grassy balds at Bunya Mountains National Park in Queensland, and at Copeland Tops and in Barrington Tops National Park in New South Wales ( Fig. 33 ).

150°0 ̍ 0 ̎ E

150°0 ̍ 0 ̎ E

Phenology

Recorded flowering November–May and fruiting December– May ( Fig. 34 ).

Habitat

Grassy herblands and woodlands, often on basalt-derived clay soils, usually at altitudes of> 450 m.

Conservation status

Occurs over a wide geographical area, including in several conservation reserves and is not considered to be rare or threatened. We recommend a status of ‘ Least Concern ’ ( IUCN 2019).

Notes

Often with persistent, desiccated (marcescent) basal rosette leaves or leaf bases. A population introduced to Jukes Road, Queenstown, Tasmania, has become naturalised there (M. Baker, pers. comm., 2018). The informal phrase name Xerochrysum sp. Northern Tablelands NE Herbarium has been used at NE for curatorial purposes and this study.

Etymology

Honouring my partner’s grandfather and mother, Eddie and Geraldine (Gerry) McSweeney of Dublin and Randwick respectively, both growers and lovers of plants. Orthography follows ICN Rec. 60C.4(a) (Shenzhen Code, Turland et al. 2018).

Selected specimens examined

QUEENSLAND: Darling Downs: Bunya Mountains National Park, track to Barker Creek Lookout from Paradise , 21 Nov. 2018, T.L. Collins 1141 ( BRI!, CANB!, NE!) ; Spring Creek Road , W of Condamine River, 20 Mar. 2018, T.L. Collins 1039 & B. Wright ( BRI!, CANB!, NE!) ; Eukey, Anderson Lane , 21 Nov. 2018, I.R. Telford 13531 ( BRI!, CANB!, NE!, NSW!) ; Stanthorpe , 5 Nov. 1963, W.T. Jones s.n. ( CANB 266087.1 *) . NEW SOUTH WALES: Northern Tablelands : E of Glencoe, Costello Road, 8 Dec. 2018, T.L. Collins 1147 ( CANB!, NE!, NSW!) ; Ben Lomond Range , N of Guyra, 24 Feb. 1970, I.R. Telford 1415 ( CANB *) ; ~ 20 miles [~ 32 km] from Guyra towards Glen Innes on New England Highway , 23 Feb. 1961, M.E. Phillips s.n. ( CANB 14159.1 *, NSW 518529 !) ; junction to New England National Park , 4 Feb. 1996, M. Ito 96011, T. Nishino & Y. Kita ( AD, CANB *, NSW, TI) ; Waterfall Way , ~ 1.5 km E of Ebor, 22 Apr. 2018, T.L. Collins 1049 & D.T. Collins ( AD!, CANB!, NE!, NSW!) ; near Meldrum between Dorrigo and Ebor, 16 May 1978, B. Barnsley 191 ( CANB *) ; Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Apsley Falls , 17 Feb. 2018, T.L. Collins 1015 ( BRI!, CANB!, HO!, NE!, NSW!) ; Thunderbolts Way, ~ 4.96 km S of Nowendoc Road intersection, 22 Dec. 2017, T.L. Collins 1009 & P.L. Collins ( BRI!, CANB!, E!, NE!, NSW!); Barrington Tops National Park, Gloucester Tops , 9 Apr. 2018, T.L. Collins 1042 ( CANB!, MO!, NE!, NSW!, PERTH!) . TASMANIA: Mount Jukes Road, 4.9 km from King River crossing, 20 Feb. 2005, M.L. Baker 1539 ( CANB!, HO!, PERTH!) ; Mount Jukes Road , 21.4 km SSE of Queenstown, 23 Jan. 2018, J.R. Nevin 154 ( NE!) ; Queenstown area, Mount Jukes Road, 4.85 km after the King River bridge, 1 Mar. 2018, T.L. Collins 1023 & R.L. Andrew ( CANB!, HO!, NE!) .

Figures

Fig. 33. Distribution of Xerochrysum macsweeneyorum.

Fig. 34. Isotype of Xerochrysum macsweeneyorum (T.L.Collins 957 & J.J.Bruhl, NE 104743).