Table Of Content)
Nuytsia 14(3):445-452(2002 445
Notes on the genus Cratystylis (Asteraceae), including one new species
Paul G. Wilson'and David E. Albiecht-
'WesternAustralian flerbarium. DepartmentofConservationand Land Management,
LockedBag 1(J4,Bentley Delivery Centre, WesternAustralia6983
-Herbarium,ParksandWildlifeCommissionoftheNorthernTerritory', PO Box 1046,
AliceSprings,NorthernTerritory0871
Abstract
Wilson, PaulG.&Albrecht,D.E. NotesonthegenusCratystylis(Asteraceae),includingonenew
species. Nuytsia 14(3);445^52(2002). AreviewofthegenusCranty/T/wS.Mooreispresented. One
newspecies,C. centralisAlbr.&PaulG. Wilson, fromtheNorthernTerritoryisdescribed,aputative
hybrid, C. conocephala,xC. wicrophylla,isnoted, andakeytoall taxaisprovided. Theresultsofan
examinationofthetypematerialassociatedwiththenamesCratystylismicrophyllaS.MooreandStera
microphyllaEwart&B.Reesaredetailed,andtheformernamelectotypified. Alectotypeisalsochosen
for C. conocephala (F. Muell.) S. Moore.
Introduction
ThetribalpositionoftheAustraliangenusCratystylisS.MoorewithintheAsteraceaeisunclearbut
aplacementin thesubfamilyCichorioideaewassuggestedby Anderbergetal.(1992),whoprovided
adetaileddescription ofitsmorphology. They indicatedthattheapparent absenceofacloseaffinity
with any ofthe recognized tribes ofAsteraceae suggests that it is a very isolated member of the
subfamily.
Cratystylis is a small genus ofshrubby dioecious plants, with three named species in Western
Australia,oneofwInchextendseastwardsacrosssouthernAustralia. Thepreparationofanaccountfor
the“FloraofAustralia” has led ustoexaminethematerial in Australian herbaria and in particularto
study and re-collect a Cratystylis plant that is found in the Northern Territory. The presence in the
NorthernTcrritoi^ofaspecieso\'Cratystylishasbeenrecognisedforsomeyears;itwasmentionedby
•lessop(19SI)whosuggestedthatitwasanundescribedspeciescloselyrelatedtoC’. conocepbahnand
listed by Dunlop etat. (1995)and by Albrecht etah {1997) whoreferred to it as Cratystylis A36t)62
GlenIlelen. AnumberofcollectionsofthistaxonfromseverallocalitiesinthcNonhernTerritoryhave
now been madeanditisclearthat itdiffers fromthethreenamed speciesofC’ro/v.s7v//.s'.
In the process ofexamining herbarium material ofthe genus it became apparent that specimens
identified as C. microphyllacould heseparated intotwogroups, eachwith adifferenttypeoffoliage
and capitulum. This observation led to an investigation into the applications of the names
C. microphylla S. Moore and Steramicrophylla Ewart& B. Rees, the epithetsofboth beingderived
from thesame manuscript nameofF. Mueller& R. Tate.
446 NuytsiaVol. 14,No. 3(2002)
Thenames Cratystylismicrophylla andSteramicrophylla
InNovember(and possibly December) 1891 Richard Helms,thebotanist ontheElderExploring
Expedition 1891-1892, made collections of a plant at Lake Lefroy, Weslcm Australia, that was
subsequentlygiventhenamePlucheaconocephalavar.microphyllabyMueller& Tate(1896), butit
was notthen fomiallydescribed. Thecollectionsbearingthismanuscriptname foundtheirwayto a
numberofherbariaincludingtheRoyalBotanicGardens,Kew'(K)andtheNationalHerbariumofVictoria
(MEL). The specimens at Kew were described by Spencer Moore (1905) underthename Cratvstylis
microphylla.whilethoseintheNationalHerbariumofVictoriaweredescribedbyEwart&Rees(1912)
underthenameSteramicrophylla. AccordingtocolIectionsseeninBM,K,MELandPERTH,Richard
HelmscollectedCmicrophylla-diLakeLefroyon7November1891 and“NearLakeLefroy”on“12.91”
The latterdate, which is written on a printed label attached to a PERTH specimen in pencil, has been
interpretedasbeingDecember 1891.However,accordingtoamapwhichaccompaniedtheexpedition
(Lindsay1893)andaccordingtoaresumeoftheitineraryoftheexpeditionbyC.M.Eardley(Anon. 1950),
alltherelevantcollectionsmusthavebeenmade inNovembersincebyDecemberthepartywaswest
ofSouthernCrosswhichisover 180kmwestofLakeLefroyandwellbeyondtheotherwiserecorded
distributionofC. microphylla.
ThedescriptionofC. microphyllabySpencerMoorereferstotheleavesasoblong,obtuse,witha
prominentdorsalrib, 1.5-2.5 mm long,appressedtothestem, andreferstothenumberoffloretsas 1
or2. ThisdescriptionagreeswithspecimenscollectedbyHelms'nearLakeLefroy’w'hicharemounted
onsheetPERTH01044044,andagreeswithoneofthetwospecimensmountedonsheetMEL249444
thatwerecollectedbyHelmsatLakeLefroyon7November189 andwithonespecimen(thelectotype,
1,
seebelow)otthetwomountedonthetypesheet,herb.K,exceptthatthenumberoffloretspercapitulum
appearstobestrictly 1 andtheleavesareonly 1-1.5 mm long. Thesespecimensmatchthoseofother
collections that come from an area which stretches from near Comet Vale (about 100 km north of
Kalgoorlie) southtoNorseman. The pappus bristles ofthese specimens are minutely denticulate or
smoothtowardstheapex.
The description and accompanying illustration ofStera microphylla by Ewart & Rees (1912)
indicatethattheleavesofthistaxonareslightlyspreading,2-3mmlong,obovateandobtuse,covered
withwoollyhairs,andthatthecapitulaaretwo-How'ered. Thisdescriptionagreeswiththespecimenon
sheetMEL249445 collected byHelmsatLakeLefroyon 7November 1891,withaduplicate ofthis
collectionatBM,withoneolthetwospecimensonsheetMEL249444,andwiththeleft-handspecimen
(excludedsyntype)onthetypesheetofCratystylismicrophyllaS.Mooreinherb.K. Thefirstofthese
sheetshasbeen labelled(? by Ewart) ^Steramicrophylla Ewart& Rees’ andisacceptedasbeingthe
holotypeofthatname.
Thesespecimensthat agreewith thedescriptionandpresumedholotype ofSteramicrophyllaare
intermediate in moi'phology between the lectotype of Cratystylis microphylla and the variant of
C. conocephalafound intheLakeLefroy-Kalgoorliearea. Itisassumedtobeahybridbetweenthese
twospecies. Onecollector(ArthurWeston,pers.comm.)indicatedthattheintermediateplantandthe
putativeparentswere foundgrowingin thesame locality.
ItisprobablethatMoorederivedhisdescriptionofCratysn’lismicrophyllaprincipallyfromtheright-
handspecimenonthetypesheetinherb.K,whichmatchesthesheetPERTH01044044citedabove,but
healsosawaspecimenthatmatchedthematerialonMEL249225(thetype Steramicrophylla)which
is2-floweredandforthisreasondescribedthenumberoffloretsasoneortwoandtheleafsizeas 1.5-
mm
2.5 long. Cratystylismicrophylla, aslectotypifiedbelow,correspondstotheplantwith I-flowered
capitulaandwith smalleroblongresinous leavesthatareappressedtothestem.
PaulG. WilsonandD.E.Albrecht,NotesonthegenusCratysiyUs 447
Key tospecies ofCratystylis
1 Plantappressed-villonswith medifixedhairs; branchlets spinescent;
antherswith long(c. 0.5 mm)tails C. subspinescens
Planttomcntose,hairsbasifixed;branchletsnotspinescent; anthers
I:
withveryshorttailsto0.05 mm,ortheseabsent
2 Glandularhairsabsent; leavesobovatc,spreading, 5-10mm long;
florets(4)5(6) C. conocephala
2: Globularsessileglandularhairsobvious; leaves from subtereteand
appressed to spathulateand spreading; llorels 1-4
mm
3 Leaves 1-1.5 long, oblong, closely appressedtobranch,resinous;
capitula l-llowered C. microphylla
3: Leaves 2-6 mm long, elliptictoobovatc, notcloselyappressedto
branch,tomcntose;capitula2-4-now'ered
4 Capitula2-flowered;occurringin WesternAustralia .. ?C.conocephala x C. microphylla
4: Capitula3-or4-nowered;occurringinNorthern Territoty C. centralis
Descriptions
&
Cratystylis centralis Albr. Paul G. Wilson,sp. nov.
Foliaangusteobovatavelspathulata,3-6mmlonga,patentia,cineraceolanataetglandibusminutis
mm
globulosisornata. Capitulum angusteturbinatum,c. 10 altum,3vel 4tlorum. Antheracalcarata
perbrevibuseaudata.
Tvpus: 2 km west-north-west ofGlen Helen, West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory,
16 October 1997, MJ.A. Barritt3000 {holo: DNA A95428); iso: PERTH 05538882).
(
Muchbranched,brittle,greyishshrubto 1 mhigh. Leavesspreading,tleshy,narrowlyobo\ateto
spathulate, 3-6 mm long, covered with small globular glands and athin greyish woolly tomentum.
Capitulasolitary,terminalonbranchlets,3-or4-tlowercd. Involucrenarrowlyturbinate,7-10mmlong;
involueralbractscartilaginous,woollyciliate, resinousand shortlytomcntosetowardstheapex, outer
ones ovate, c. 2 mm long, innerones narrowly oblong, c. 8 mm long, eventually spreading. Corolla
mm mm
glabrous,white,tubenarrowlycylindrical,c:4.5 long;lobeserect,narrowlytriangular,c. 2 long.
Antherscalcarateandveryshortlytailed. Stylearmsinmaleflowerappressed,infemale(lowerspreading,
linear, 1-2mmlong,obtusetoacute. Cyywe/wnarrowlycylindrical,c.3mmlong,finelyribbed. Pappus
bristlesshortlyplumosebelow,denselybarbellatetowardsapex,c. 3/4lengthofcorolla. (Figure 1A-C’)
Otherspecimensexamined. NORTHERNTERRITORY:4kmWSWofMtSonder,D.E.Albrecht8845
(DNA,PERTH);TylersPass,23°39'S, 132°4(TE,G. Griffin 108(DNA);MtPeachy,24°18'S, 133°52'E,
G. Griffins.n. (DNA);MtLaughlanIbothills,NorthGardenStation,23°20’S, 134°25'E,G. Griffins.n.
(DNA);WaterhouseRange,24°02'S, 133°28’E,G. Griffins.n. (DNA);8.4kmfromArltungaonPaddy’s
Plain,23°28’S, 134°36’E, A/. Ilemywood1 (DNA);4.25 kmSSEofTopWell nearGarden Ilomestead,
23°00’S, 134°08’E, M. Ileywood (DNA);Tylers Pass,P.K. Laiz 10263 (DNA, MEL); Mt Riddock
Station,23°0rS, 134°32’E,P.K.Cn/e3156(DNA);HennannsburgStation.23°42'S,132°2rE,T’.A'. Latz
6740(DNA,AD,NWSW,R);c.4kmSol'AlkaraBore.MtRiddockStation,22°35'S, 135°26’E,B.W.Strong
779(DNA);2 km ofGlen Helen,23°40’S, 132°38’E. B.G. Thomson3566(DNA).
448 NuytsiaVol. 14,No.3 (2002)
Figure1. A-C. CraA'.vn'/MctWroZ/.v,drawntromS.(liS/ro/7,g779(DNA).A -floweringbranch;B-malecapitulura;C-leaf
indumentum(x 100):D-'ICralyslylisuonocephulaxC. microphylla,floweringbranch,male,drawnfromA. Chapman5/91
(PERTH);E-CratystylismicrophyUa,floweringbranch,male,drawnfromI..A.Craven7466(PERTH). Scalebarsall0.5tnin.
Distribution. Northern TeiTitory, where known from relatively few populations within a radius of
c. 200kmofAliceSprings. (Figure2)
Habitat. Confincdtobreakawaycountryandsimilarpalliderodingareas. Soilshavebeentestedatonly
onesitewheretheywerefoundtohaveextremelyelevatedsalinitylevelsandaphof7.5. Populations
east ofAlice Springs are typically found growing with Eucalyptus thozetiana. Acacia georginae,
Eremophiladalyana,orPtilotusparvifolius. TothewestofAliceSpringsassociatedspeciesinclude
Prilotusparvifolius,Sclerolaenaspp., andFrankeniacordata.
Floweringperiod. Thepeak floweringperiod isbetweenAugustandNovember. Floweringoutside
thisperiodappearstobeuncommonwithasingle floweringspecimencollectedinApril.
Conservationstatus. Albrechtetal. (1997)consideredthataconservationcodeof3RCisappropriate
because there are tew populations and most ofthese are small. It is poorly reserved with only two
localisedpopulations,eachwith fewerthan 100plants, knownwithintheWestMacdonnellNational
Park.
Etymology. TheepithetistheLatinwordforcentreandalludestothepresenceofthisspeciesinCentral
Australia.
PaulG. Wilsonand D.B.Albrecht,NotesonthegenusCratystylis 449
I'igiire2. Distributioni.>(Cnilystylixccniralix.
Notes. Avegetalivecollection[R.J. Craiifield6H54. PHRTII)ofaCnitystyli.sspeciesfromBarwidgee
Station,c. 80kmsouth-eastofWiluna, WesternAustralia,hassimilarfoliagetoC. centralisbutsince
itbearsno llowers its precisetaxonomic position cannotbe determined.
Cratystyliscentralishasawoollyindumentumandglobularglandsontheleaves,andthereare3or
4flowerspercapitulum. Inthepossessionofthesecharactersandinleafshapeitisintennediatebetween
C
micropliy/laand C. conocephala. It istreated asadistinct speciesbecauseneitheroftheothertwo
speciesisfound intheNorthernTerritorywhiletheformerisrestrictedtoarelativelysmallareanorth
and south of Kalgoorlie. In addition C. centralis shows little morphological variability across its
geographic rangedespitepopulations beingseparated by 00 km ormore.
1
. 1
450 NuytsiaVol. 14,No.3 (2002)
Cratystylis conocephala (F. Muell.) S. Moore, J. Bot. 43: 138 (1905). - Eurybia conocephala F.
Miiell.,Trans. &Proc. Viet.Inst.Advuncem.Sci.36(1855).-Asterconocephala(F.Muell.)F.Muell.,
Fragm.5: 79(1865). Oleariaconocephala(F.Muell.) Benth.,FI.Austral. 3:480( 861).—Pluchea
conocephala (F. Muell.) F. Muell., Bot. Centralhl. 32: 150 (1887). -Stem conocephala (F. Muell.)
Ewart&B.Rees,Proc.Roy.Soc. Victoriaser.2,24:264(1912). Type:MurrayRiver,SouthAustralia,
October 1848,F. Mueller{lecto: MEL248222, lectotypeheredesignated).
Pteronia australiensis J. Hutchinson, Biol. Meddel. Kongel. Danske Viden.sk. Selsk. 3: 131 (1921).
Type: Kalgoorlie, WesternAustralia, 7 October 1914, C.H. Ostenfeld858 {iso: PERTH01044036).
m
Densely branched shrub to 1.5 high. Leaves obovate, obtuse to rounded, cuneate at base,
5-10mmlong, leathery,woollytomentose,notresinous. Capitiila(4)5(6)-nowered. Pappusbristles
shortlyplumose.
Distribution. Occursinsouth-easternWesternAustralia,southern SouthAustralia,farsouth-western
NewSouthWales,andfarnorth-westernVictoria. InWestern Australiathespeciesextendsfromthe
Kalgoorlie-Ravensthorpeareaeastwards.
Habitat. Usuallyfoundgrowinginmalleewoodlandoncalcareoussoil.
Note. According to Keighery (1984), in Western Australia female plants usually predominate in a
populationbyabout 6:1.
? Cratystylisconocephala(F. Muell.) S. Moore x C. microphylla S. Moore
SteramicrophyllaEwart&B.Rees,Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoriaser.2,24:264,t. 55fig.b(1912). Type:
Lake Lefroy, WesternAustralia, 7November 1891 R.Helms{holo: MEL249445; iso: BM).
,
[CratystylismicrophyllaS.Moore,J.Bot.43: 139(1905),yU./x,astoleft-handspecimenontypesheet
inherb. K,notasto lectotypej
[Pliicheaconocephalavar.microphyllaF Muell.&Tate,Trans. &Proc. Roy.Soc.SouthAustralia 16:
365 (1896)p.p., nom. nud.]
Roundedshrubto0.5mhigh. Leaveselliptictoobovate,2-4mmlong,erecttosomewhatspreading,
tomentose, with globularsessile glandularhairs. Capitula 2-t)owered. Pappus bristlesvery shortly
plumose tothe apex. (Figure ID)
Otherspecimensexamined. WESTERNAUSTRALIA: 5 kmEofNorseman,P.G. Wilson6044his
(PERTH); 30kmSSW ofCoolgardie,A. Chapman& G. Landwehr5/9 (PERTH); ThreeMile Hill,
1
Coolgardie,J. Bale44 (PERTH).
Distribution. FoundbetweenCoolgardieandNorseman, WesternAustralia.
Notes.SpecimensareintermediateinmorphologybetweenC.microphyllaandC.conocephalaandone
botanisthasnoted(seeabove)thattheputativeparentswereobservedatthesamesiteasthepresumed
hybrid.
.
PaulG. Wilsonand D.E.Albrecht,NotesonthegenusCrcitystylis 451
Cratystylis microphylla S. Moore,J. Bot. 43: 139 (1905). Type: Lake Lefroy, Western Australia,
R. Helms {lecto: K, right-hand specimen on sheet, lectotype here designated; isolecto: PERTH
01044044).
[Plucheaconocephalavar.microphyllaV Muell.&Tate,Trans. &Proc.Roy.Soc. SouthAustralia 16:
365 (1896)p.p., noni. mid.|
Denselybranchedshrubto 1 mhigh. Leavescongested,erectandappressedtobranch,semiterete,
1-2 mm long, finely grey-tomentose, resinous. Capiliila 1-flowered. Pappus bristles sparsely
denticulateorsmooth towards apex. (Figure IE)
Distribution. Found fromc. 100kmnorthofKalgoorliesouthtoNorseman in WesternAustralia.
Habitat. Growsin yellowsandyloam,which isoftensalineorealcareous.
Note. Inabouthalfoftheherbarium.specimensofC. microphyllasomeorallthefloretsaregalled. In
thesefloretsthecorolladoesnotformandthepappusisreplacedby lanceolatescalesthataresimilar
intexturetothecartilaginousinvolucral bracts.
Cratystylis subspinescens S. Moore, J. Bot. 43: 139 (1905). Type: near Hunt’s Well, Western
Australia, R. Helms(holo: Kn.v.).
SterasubspinescensEwart&B.Rees,Proc.Roy.Soc. Victoriaser.2,24:265,t.55fig.c(1912). Type:
Lake Lefroy, Western Australia, December 1891, R. Helms{n.v.).
[Plucheaconocephalavar.subspinescensF.Muell.&Tale, Trans. &Proc. Roy. Soc. S.Australia 16:
365 (1896), nom. nud.]
Roundeddivaricately branchedgreyshrubto 1 m high; branchlets spinescent, appressed-villous.
Leaves spreading, narrowly elliptic to narrowly spathulate, 3-12 mm long, appressed-villous with
medifixed hairs. Capitula3-6-flowered. Pappus bristles seabrid.
W
Distribution. Foundinsemi-aridareasof estemAustraliafromthecentralwestcoastatPointQuobba
south-easttoNorseman and Plumridge Lake.
Habitat. Associatedwithcalcareousorsalinesoilandfrequentlyfoundaroundsaltlakes. Sometimes
formingadominantcoverin saltbush steppe(Keighery 1984).
Acknowledgements
TheAustralian Botanical LiaisonOfficer, RodSeppelt,whileattheKewHerbarium,arranged for
thepreparationofaCibachromecopyofthetypesheetofCratystylismicrophylla. and Ken Hill,also
when the Liaison Officer, photographed the isotype sheet oi'Stera microphylla at the BM. The
illustrationswerepreparedbyAnnemarieWilson. Theworkwasundertakenwhileoneofus(P.G.W.)
was inreceiptofagrantfrom theAustralian Biological Resources Study.
452 NuyisiaVol. 14,No.3 (2002)
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