Cylindropuntia spinosior, buds

For many years, State Herbarium Hon. Associate and former staff member Bob Chinnock has undertaken research on opuntioid cacti in Australia (prickly pears and relatives). The first part of his revision of the feral opuntioid cacti in Australia, containing the cylindrical-stemmed genera Austrocylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia and Corynopuntia, will be published soon.

Opuntioid cacti are some of the worst weeds in Australia. This book will be an essential reference tool for land owners and managers, staff of government agencies, conservation groups, people involved in bushcare, and anyone concerned with identifying and eradicating weedy cacti. It will also be a valuable addition to libraries of ecologists and botanists, and people interested in cacti and succulents.

Please go to know.ourplants.org/cacti for more information and to register your interest, so we can notify you by email once the book is published.

Roebuckiella oncocarpa

When Phillip Short published his revision of Brachyscome at the end of 2015, he also described a new genus of daisy, Roebuckia. Unfortunately he discovered soon afterwards that the name had already been used for a genus of fossil fern, described by Steve McLoughlin in 1996.

In contrast to living seed plants, where there are catalogues of plant names available (IPNI, and for Australia APNI), there is no unified index of fossil plant names, and it is very difficult to search for them.

According to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants (which also covers fossils), Phil Short has created a homonym, i.e. a new generic name that is the same as an already existing one. Homonyms are illegitimate names, according to the Code, and cannot be used. To rectify this, the author has now published a paper, renaming his genus as Roebuckiella and providing new combinations for the 9 species and 5 varieties under the new genus name.

P.S. Short
Roebuckiella P.S.Short, nom. nov., a replacement name for Roebuckia P.S.Short (2014), with new combinations (183kb PDF)

To access content of all volumes of the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since Vol. 1 (1976), please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/jabg (the Journal is also available through JSTOR).

Goodenia valdentata

Yesterday, 24 Dec. 2014, the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens published the last paper for year. Peter Lang from the State Herbarium of South Australia describes a new species of Goodenia, restricted to a small area in the arid centre of the State.

Goodenia valdentata (Goodeniaceae), a new rare species endemic to Davenport Range, South Australia (2.5mb PDF)

Nine collections are known of this species, the first from 1968, but they were for a long time mistaken for Goodenia saccata or G. chambersii. The new species belongs to Goodenia subsect. Goodenia and is related to G. grandiflora and similar taxa. This increases the number of species of the genus in South Australia to 46.

To access content of all volumes of the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since 1976, please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/jabg.

Today, 1 Dec. 2014, a new special volume of the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens was published.  Volume 28 of the Journal consists of one article: P.S. Short’s magnum opus, the revision of the Australian species of Brachyscome (Asteraceae).

Brachyscome tatei near the SA/WA border

A taxonomic review of Brachyscome s.lat. (Asteraceae: Astereae), including descriptions of a new genus, Roebuckia, new species and new infraspecific taxa. (10mb PDF)

The 219 page article is the result of over 20 years’ of research. All Australian species of Brachyscome and related genera are reviewed. 17 new species and 4 subspecies of Brachyscome are described as new, totalling the number of species of the genus to 87. The new genus Roebuckia is split from Brachyscome. It is named after William Dampier’s ship, the Roebuck, which landed on the W.A. coast in 1699. Roebuckia contains 9 species, of which 5 species are new described, as well as 5 new varieties.

The paper is illustrated with photographs and very detailed line-drawings of fruits by botanical artist Sue Wickison from New Zealand. The articles concludes with a large appendix, listing the character states for 87 morphological and other characters for all species discussed.

To access content of all volumes of the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens since 1976, please visit the journal’s web-site at flora.sa.gov.au/jabg.