Happy Taxonomist Appreciation Day!

This day was declared 11 years ago when Californian researcher and Associate Professor in Biology Terry McGlynn decided to boost appreciation of these critical scientists. As the science of organism classification (identifying, naming, describing and ordering), taxonomy underpins all other biological sciences. You need to know what something is in order to study it further: Learn its chemical and physical properties, mimic it for human inventions, or conserve it in the wild. As McGlynn himself said:

Without taxonomists, entire fields wouldn’t exist. We’d be working in darkness.

Whether you realise it or not, you are interested in taxonomy, or at least you use it. When you send your friend a picture of an interesting flower or potential weed you found in your garden, you are seeking to understand taxonomy.

On a grander scale, climate change and the current biodiversity crisis are pressing environmental concerns that cannot be tackled without taxonomy. Experts in some species groups are scarce, and taxonomy itself is a dying art. This is why we say thank you to our taxonomists, and why we encourage people to consider this path for their (and the world’s) future.

Thanks Herbie!

As for the State Herbarium of South Australia in particular: In the year preceding this 2024 Taxonomist Appreciation Day, staff and Honorary research associates published 40 new Australian taxa (species and subspecies) and 3 new combinations (such as the transfer of an existing species to another genus). In addition, botanists from other institutions published 5 new species and 16 new combinations in our journal Swainsona.

Three new species published during the last year: Ptilotus ostentans, Hibbertia fulva and P. durus. Photos: G. Krygsman, K. Brennan & D.J. Duval.

Some of the newly published species are pictures above, they include: Ptilotus ostentans from Western Australia described by Tim Hammer and R.W. Davis; Hibbertia fulva from the Northern Territory published by Tim Hammer; a rare Ptilotus was also published by Terena Lally from the Australian National Herbarium, P. durus, after having been discovered during fieldwork of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, several years ago.

On Taxonomist Appreciation Day, we are grateful to all taxonomists who tirelessly describe the world’s biodiversity, but today we would like to highlight the outstanding contributions of long-time researcher, staff member and now Honorary Research Associate Dr Hellmut Toelken, who published a whopping 85% of the herbarium’s 2023-24 taxonomic work.

Two examples of species described by Hellmut can be seen below: Hibbertia prorufa from Sydney (photo: T. Hammer) and H. pustulifolia from the Blue Mountains.

Two species described by H.R. Toelken (from left to right): Hibbertia prorufa and H. pustulifolia. Photos: T.A. Hammer.

So please think of all the toiling taxonomists out there today and pass on your gratitude. Even better, if you are interested in this field, why not pursue taxonomy yourself? With an estimated 75% of Australian biodiversity still to be discovered and described, there’s clearly a pressing need. Maybe we’ll be thanking you and highlighting your contributions in years to come.

Written by State Herbarium staff member Jem Barratt.

New Journal article: Mar. 2024

The State Herbarium of South Australia published one article in Vol. 38 of its journal Swainsona today, 1 Mar. 2024.

P.C. Jobson, A new species of Senna (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae: Cassieae) from the Top End, Northern Territory (1.2mb PDF).

The author from the National Herbarium of New South Wales describes the new species Senna arcuata, which was previously known under the phrase name Senna sp. Pine Creek (P.Martensz 480). It occurs in the Top End region of the Northern Territory, in a broad arc from Maranboy to Pine Creek, and from Mary River and Kakadu National Parks to Ramingining in central Arnhemland.

Senna arcuata, a new species from the Northern Territory. Photo: K. Brennan.

To access content of all volumes of Swainsona and the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since Vol. 1 (1976), please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/swainsona.

New Journal articles: Feb. 2024 (2)

The State Herbarium of South Australia published two further articles in Vol. 38 of its journal Swainsona today, 19 Feb. 2024.

The new species Hibbertia prorufa, near Sydney. Photo: T.A. Hammer.

(1) H.R. Toelken, Notes on Hibbertia subgen. Hemistemma (Dilleniaceae) – 13. The eastern Australian H. acicularis and H. perhamata groups (4.4mb PDF).

Hon. Research Associate Hellmut Toelken continues his revision of Hibbertia in eastern Australia with this contribution on two groups of species allied to the well-known H. acicularisH. exutiacies and H. rufa. In the paper, 36 species are described in detail, of these 28 are new to science. Most species occur in New South Wales and Queensland, a few also in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

(2) D. Nicolle, Transfer of residual species and subspecies from Angophora and Corymbia to Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) (0.1mb PDF).

In this SHORT COMMUNICATION, Dean Nicolle from the Currency Creek Arboretum publishes several new combinations in the genus Eucalyptus for species that are so far only known as Corymbia or Angophora. This is in order to make the names available to people, who prefer to use a large single genus Eucalyptus, incl. AngophoraCorymbia and the recently published Blackella (Crisp et al. 2024).

To access content of all volumes of Swainsona and the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since Vol. 1 (1976), please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/swainsona.

New Journal articles: Feb. 2024 (1)

The State Herbarium of South Australia published two articles in Vol. 38 of its journal Swainsona today, 2 Feb. 2024.

(1) J.L. Dowe & P.S. Short, The Gullivers’ travels: Thomas Allen Gulliver (1848–1931), Benjamin John Gulliver (1851–1938) and Susannah Gulliver (1857–1938): their contribution to Australian natural history and horticulture (7.6mb PDF).

Isotoma gulliveri from northern Queensland, named by Ferdinand von Mueller after Thomas Gulliver. Photo: D. Albrecht.

The authors report on the history of the natural history collections of the Gulliver siblings, who were active in the late 1800s. After a short biography of the family, they discuss the different periods in their lives: Thomas and Benjamin Gulliver provided plant and animal specimens for Museums and Herbaria. Their sister Susannah collected plants at a more limited scale.

The main focus of the article is the plant collections from New South Wales, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Queensland, which are now mainly found at the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL) and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K), with lesser numbers at other institutions. Lectotypes are chosen for some names that were published from Gulliver collections.

(2) T.A. Hammer & R.W. Davis, Ptilotus ostentans (Amaranthaceae), a new species from Western Australia segregated from Ptilotus seminudus. (2.5mb PDF).

Ptilotus ostentans, newly described by Tim Hammer and Rob Davis. Photo: G. Krygsman.

A new species of Ptilotus from southern Western Australia is described. Distinguishing characters and photographs are provided to separate it from the related P. seminudus, which is now restricted to South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

To access content of all volumes of Swainsona and the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since Vol. 1 (1976), please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/swainsona.

New Journal article: Jan. 2024

Amanita muscaria in native vegetation on Kangaroo Island. Photo: J. Haska.

Today, 24 Jan. 2024, the State Herbarium of South Australia published the first article in this year’s volume of its journal Swainsona, Vol. 38.

T. Lebel, T.W. May, J.A. Cooper, D. Catcheside, P. Catcheside & J. Haska. Confirming the presence of five exotic species of Amanita in Australia and New Zealand (32.4mb PDF).

The authors of this study examined and viewed herbarium collections and citizen scientists’ records (e.g. iNaturalist, FungiMap) of exotic Amanita in Australia and New Zealand and undertook a molecular phylogenetic analysis of selected samples. They conclude that there are three introduced species in both countries and two more species in New Zealand only. Often other names of northern hemisphere taxa have been applied here, but these are considered misidentifications. Descriptions, notes, photos and distribution maps are provided for all five species. All five exotic Amanita species are considered toxic and not edible: Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) and A. phalloides (death cap) are the most well-known of these.

In a poisoning emergency phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

AUSTRALIA – 13 11 26

NEW ZEALAND – 0800 764 766

To access content of all volumes of Swainsona and the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since Vol. 1 (1976), please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/swainsona.