From Field and Study: James Drummond and the Black Kangaroo Paw [Macropidia fuliginosa]

2005·0.51 MB·English

by  Rica Erickson

FROM FIELD AND STUDY
James Drummond and the Black as "near Moore River, W.A., 1843,
Kangaroo Paw - James Johnston Drummond; holo: K,
Drummond proposed the name iso:BM, both n.v., fide D. Geerinck,
Anigozanthos Molloyiae for the Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat 40:275 (1970)".
Black Kangaroo Paw in a letter he This means that at least since
sent to the editor of the Inquirer 1970, systematic botanists have
in June 1843. The letter was not been clear that the type
published and the species was specimen of Macropidia fuliginosa
first named by W.J. Hooker in was labelled as collected by
1847 in the Botanical Magazine (pg Johnston Drummond from "near
73: t. 4291) as Anigozanthos Moore River”.
fuliginosus Hook. 1 too had my doubts that the Hill
A new genus and species were River was the original collection
named by Drummond and locality since James Drummond
Harvey in Hooker's ). Bot. Kew did not collect there until 1850.
Gard. Misc. 7:57 in 1855 as The plant was collected for him
Macropidia fumosa J.L Drumm. ex by his son Johnston who
Harvey. The decision to do this shepherded the family's flock
jointly must have arisen from near New Norcia and was never
Harvey's visit to Perth in April as far away as Hill River. He was
1854 when he spent a few days in speared in the Moore River area
the field with James Drummond. in July 1845.
By this time Drummond may
Since publishing The Drummonds
have become convinced that the
of Hawthornden the exact place
species was best placed in a new
where Johnston was killed has
sister genus to Anigozanthos. come to hand, at Yarrawindah, a
Druce subsequently recognised tributary brook which flows into
that the earlier (1847) specific the Moore River near New
epithet had priority so made the Norcia. In 1961 1 found Black
formal combination into Kangaroo Paws growing in open
Macropidia in the Bot. Soc. Exch. forest near Yarrawindah Brook
Club Brit. Isles 1916: 634 in 1917 as and believe that Johnston
Macropidia fuliginosa (Hook.) collected it there. Unfortunately
Druce. that land has since been cleared.
This species grows abundantly in The species today has been
the Hill River area and it has collected as far south as the hills
been generally assumed that this just to the east of Muchea, and is
area was the type locality. That also known from lateritic hills
this was the likely type locality east of Gingin (Hopper 1987 Flora
was not considered correct by of Australia; Hopper 1993
Hopper (Flora of Australia 45:126, Kangaroo Paws and Cats paws: a
1987) who cites the type locality Natural History and Field Guide).
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Whether Johnston Drummond one of four snakes known from
could have collected the type the greater Perth metropolitan
specimen at these more southerly area which is either totally or
localities remains conjecture. principally restricted to the
However it is unlikely because Darling Scarp or Plateau.
such localities were well On 11 February 2004 at 2135 hr, I
removed from routes between collected an active blind snake
Toodyay and the Moore River in on the Old Yanchep Road at
the 1840s. Carabooda 3r34’03"S 115°42’4rE,
James Drummond wrote that it approximately 45 kilometres
was a true flower of mourning - north of Perth. The air
as a tribute to Mrs Molloy’s death temperature was estimated to be
in 1842. The death of Johnston between 19-21°C with a slight
Drummond, the collector of the wind. The yellowish soil at the
plant, would have given it collection site is indicative of the
deeper significance when his Spearwood Dune system, and
father mourned his death in supported a mixed Banksia
1845. attenuata woodland with
I would like to thank Steve emergent Banksia grandis over
Hopper for advice on references Dryandra sessilis, Xanthorrhoea
and distribution of Macropidia preissii and Hakea sp. Considering
the location on the Swan Coastal
fuliginosa and John Dell for
Plain, I expected the blind snake
assistance in preparing this
manuscript. to be R. australis, which is
commonly found throughout
- RICA ERICKSON, Unit 462 The
the Perth region (pers. obs.).
Close, 118 Monash Ave., Nedlands.
Upon closer examination in the
6009.
hand, 1 noticed the blind snake
had a stout body, dark body
A Record of a Blind Snake, colouration and a slightly
Ramphotyphlops pinguis on the angular snout that are diagnostic
Swan Coastal Plain, Perth, characters for R. pinguis (Storr et
Western Australia - The endemic al 2002). 1 collected and lodged
Western Australian blind snake this specimen (R125664) at the
Ramphotyphlops pinguis (Waite WA Museum, where its
1897) is one of three species identification was determined to
recorded from the Perth region, be an adult male R. pinguis
and is considered absent from (snout-vent length: 276mm, tail
the Swan Coastal Plain (Bush et length: 13mm, weight: 17.2g).
al 1995). Storr et al (2002) also Geographical proximity to the
notes that all records are from nearest Western Australian
localities on the raised plateau, Museum records of R. pinguis on
reflecting a preference for the coastal plain include
heavier soils and How and Dell specimens from Forrestfield
(1993) also state that R. pinguis is (R82627), Kalamunda (R29754)
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