Stylidium candelabrum (Stylidiaceae), a new species from the Northern Territory, Australia

4 Pages·1999·0.94 MB·

by  A Lowrie

3 1 :
Nuytsia 1 (1):25 -254(1999) 251
Stylidiumcandelabrum (Stylidiaceae),anewspeciesfrom the
NorthernTerritory,Australia
Thenewspeciesoftriggerplant(Stylidiaceae)describedhereisendemictotheNorthernTerritory.
ItbelongsinStylidiumsubgenusAndersonia(R.Br.)Mildbr.,whichischaracterizedbyhavingalinear
hypanthium,thewallsofthematurecapsulerecurved, theseptumerectandpersistent,andnumerous
seeds.ThissubgenusoccursinregionsoftropicalnorthernAustraliaandextendsintosouth-eastAsia
(Mildbraed 1908).
Taxonomy
Stylidiumcandelabrum Lowrie&Kenneally,sp. nov.
A speciebustropicisbenedistincta.foliisobovato-spathulatis, secuscaulem erectumdispersis et
in rosula terminali positis, inflorescentiis scorpioideis cymosis multifloribus e rosula exorientibus,
floribus parvis, lobis corellae verticaliter binatis, apicibus petaliorum multilobis, sepalis in grege
d2.u5o-rumettriumfere ad apicemconnatiscalycem bilobumformantibus.
.5-
Typus: HeadwatersKatherineRiver,Amhemland, 13°47’ 24”S, 133°05’ 18”E,NorthernTerritory,
Australia, 11 July 1996, C.P. Mangion 245 & C. Dunlop(holo DNAD0130045; iso: PERTH).
Erect annual herb 8-30 cm (mostly 12-20 cm) high including inflorescence; stem reddish,
5cmlong,c. 1 mmdiam.,withleavesscatteredalonganerect stemandinaterminalrosette. Leaves
green, obovate-spathulate, lamina with marginal hyaline, 6.5-7 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, petioles
0.5-0.8mmwideatthebase,dilatedto1.5-2mmwideatthebaseofthelamina,flatinsection,glabrous.
Inflorescenceamulti-floweredscorpioidcymearisingfromtheterminalrosette,6-20cmlong,sparsely
mm mm
glandularthroughout. Bractsandbracteoleslanceolate, 1-2 long, 0.15-0.4 wide, sparsely
mm mm
glandularatbase. Pedicelssessile. Hypanthium linear, usually 10-12.5 long butup to 20
mm
long in some specimens, 0.3-0.4 diam. at anthesis, glandular just below the sepals. Calyx
1 2 mmlong,2-lobed,glabrous; lobeof3 sepalsconnate towithinc. 0.6mmoftheapex; lobeof
2sepalsconnatetowithinc. 0.7mmoftheapex. Corolla whiteandpinkwithredmarksnearthebase
ofeachlobe,abaxialsurfacebearingafewscatteredredcappedglands,lobesverticallypaired;anterior
mm mm
lobes white, pink near the base, obovate, c, 2 long, c. 1.3 wide, with crenate, dentate or
mm
irregularly crenate-dentate apices c. 4-lobed, posteriorlobes pink, broadly obovate, c. 3 long,
c. 3 mmwide,withcrenate,dentateorirregularlycrenate-dentateapicesc. 8-lobed. Throat bearing
4 appendages (2 pairs) at base ofthe corolla lobes; each anterior appendagejoined to a posterior
appendage and arranged (when viewed from the adaxial surface) to appear as 2 separate lobes;
anteriorappendageattachedatthebase and along partofitsside tothe insidemargin oftheanterior
mm mm mm mm
corollalobe,c. 0.4 long,c. 0.3 wide; posteriorappendagec. 0.5 long,c. 0.5 wide,
mm
attachedtothebaseoftheposteriorcorollalobe. Labellum positionedc. 0.3 belowthe thesinus
mm mm
oftheanteriorcorollalobes;boss ovate,convex,c. 1.7 long,c.0.5 wide,smooth;apicalpoint
short,glabrous. Gynostemium6.5-7 mm long,geniculatec. 1.5 mm belowtheanthers, thesensitive
mm mm
torosusc. 0.5 long,positionedc. 1 abovethebase,glabrous. Capsule linear,similarinlength
to that at anthesis. Seeds rusty brown, ± ellipsoid, 0.2-0.25 mm long, 0.1-0.15 diam., ± smooth.
(Figure 1)
252 Nuytsia Vol. 13, No. 1 (1999)
Stylidium candelabrum A - habit of flowering plant; B - leaf, enlarged section right; C - hypanthium and sepals;
D-corolla; E- throat appendages; F-labellum, showing its position on the corolla tube below the sinus; G -oblique
view of the labellum on the corolla tube; H - adaxial view of gynostemium; I - abaxial view of gynostemium tip;
J24-5a&daxiC.alDvuinelwopof(gA,ynBo)staenmdiuLm.At.ipCwriatvhenst2ig4m6a4gsrpiorwitnmoauttercieanlt,re.CAScNaBle(bCa-rJ)f.orall = 1 mm. Drawn from C.P. Mansion
A. Lowrie & K.F. Kenneally, Stylidium candelabrum, a new species from the NT 253
Otherspecimensexamined. NORTHERNTERRITORY: TinCampCreek, Oenpelli, 15 Apr. 1993,
K.Brennan2262(OSS);TinCampCreek,6kmWSW[of]MyraFalls,Oenpelli,9Mar. 1994,K.Brennan
2695 (OSS); Little Nourlangie Rock, 19 Feb. 1995, A". Brennan 3006 (OSS); Baroalba Creek,
MtBrockman massif, Cahill, 29 Mar. 1995, K. Brennan 3093 (OSS); Sandstone plateau, 12°40' S,
133° 15'E[c. 45 kmeastofJabiru], 2March 1973,LA. Craven2464(DNA,PERTH,CANB,spirit
material CANB only); Kakadu National Park, 7 km NNE ofJabiru, 12° 35' 51" S, 132° 59' 30" E,
25Apr. 1995,J.L.Egan 4795&S.Knox,(DNA); nearLittleNourlangieRockatturnofftoKoongarra,
Kakadu, 12°49'35"S, 132°47W'57"E,1 1Apr. 1990,A.Lowrie60-B(PERTH);21May1999,A.Lowrie
2315(PERTH,DNA,MEL); branchofCoopersCreek,Nabarlek, 12°20'S, 133° 19'E, 20Apr. 1979,
M.O.Rankin 2039(DNA CANB,BRI,NSW,K).
,
Distribution. Known from Nourlangie, Mt Brockman, Oenpelli and Nabarlek regions in Kakadu
NationalPark,andfromtheheadwatersoftheKatherineRiverc. 120kmsouthofMtBrockmansouth-
eastofJabiru.
Habitat. Recorded in grassy woodland on crest of schist hill {K. Brennan 2695); in shallow sand
depositsonsandstone(K. Brennan3093);indampsandbesideseasonalstreamonsandstoneoutcrop
(K. Brennan 3006); in rock crevices on sandstone pavement beside creek (C.P. Mangion 245 &
C. Dunlop)', in sand above creek (J.L. Egan 4795 & S. Knox)', and in quartz-laterite alluvium
(A. Lowrie 60-B,A. Lowrie 2315).
Phenology. Flowering specimens havebeen collected from February toJuly.
Conservationstatus. Knownfrom anumberoflocations in Kakadu National Parkandcurrentlynot
under threat.
Etymology. Theepithetcandelabrum, referstotheinflorescencebeingarrangedsimilarlytothatofa
candelabrum (large branched candlestick).
Affinities. Theclosestrelative to Stylidium candelabrum is considered to be S. uliginosum Swartz.
Bothspecieshaveverysmall flowerswithvertically-pairedcorollalobesandsimilarlyshapedleaves.
S. candelabrum differs from S. uliginosum by having its leaves scattered along an erect stem
terminatinginarosette,withscorpioidcymoseinflorescencesarisingfromtheterminalrosette,calyx
2-lobed, the lobes of2 or3 sepals connate tojust below the apex, and throat appendages 4.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Kym Brennan for the opportunity to study and determine his Northern
TerritoryStylidiaceaecollectionshousedatOSS(OfficeoftheSupervisingScientistfortheAlligator
RiversRegion)andforhismany informativepersonalcommunicationsregardingthebiologyofthis
speciesinthefield,ClydeDunlopforarrangingforKevinKenneallytoexamineStylidium specimens
DNA
at and forexpediting the loan ofrelevantmaterial applicable to this species, Brendan Lepschi
forfacilitatingtheloanofthespiritmaterialofthisspecieshousedatCANBwhichwasusedtoillustrate
this species-especially the finerparts ofthe corolla, Paul Wilson for his assistance with the Latin
diagnosis,AlanBurbidgeandBarbaraRyefortheircomments,andthestaffoftheWesternAustralian
Herbarium.
254 Nuytsia Vol. 13, No. 1 (1999)
Reference
Mildbraed, J. (1908). Stylidiaceae. In: Engler, A. (ed.) “Das Pflanzenreich.” Vol. IV, 278 (35), pp. 1-98 (Engelmann:
Leipzig.)
AllenLowrie
6GlennPlace, Duncraig,Western Australia6023
KevinF.Kenneally
Science Publications Unit, Corporate Relations Division, Department of Conservation and Land
Management, Locked Bag 29, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia6983