Category Archives: Publications

New journal articles: August 2021 (1)

The State Herbarium of South Australia published three articles in Vol. 35 of its journal Swainsona online, today, 16 August 2021.

(1) S. Dema, I.R.H. Telford, R.L. Andrew, D.J. Duval & J.J. Bruhl, Phebalium calcicola (Rutaceae: Boronieae): a species described as new, restricted to south-eastern South Australia, is proposed as Critically Endangered. (7.7mb PDF).

The authors describe a new species of Phebalium, which is only known from a small population near Mount Gambier. The species is described and illustrated in detail, and compared with its closest relatives. It grows on shallow soil over limestone, hence the name is derived from the Latin calx (limestone) and cola (dweller).

Phebalium calcicola, a new species for South Australia. Photo: D.J. Duval.

(2) T.A. Hammer & R.W. Davis, Ptilotus crinitus (Amaranthaceae), a new species from Western Australia’s Kimberley region. (1.1mb PDF).

Ptilotus crinitus, part of the type specimen. Photo: PERTH.

This new species from northern Western Australia is only known from one collection in a remote coastal area in the northern Kimberley. This study evaluates the morphology of this specimen and concludes that it warrants recognition at species rank. Its closest relatives are Phebalium distans and P. capensis.

(3) R.W.Davis, J. Palmer & T.A. Hammer, Gomphrena axillaris and G. longistyla (Amaranthaceae), new species of Gomphrena from central and northern Australia. (1.7mb PDF).

Gomphrena is one of the largest genera in Amaranthaceae. In this paper, several phrase names and manuscript names from northern and central Australia (WA, NT & Qld) are evaluated. As a result, two new species are described.

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 or the Swainsona back-up site.

New 2020-21 weeds report published

Herbarium specimen of Euphorbia davidii, collected west of Caltowie from a localised but substantial population that was spreading into paddocks from the roadside. Photo: C.J. Brodie.

The State Herbarium of South Australia documents all known plant taxa (species, sub-species, varieties and forms) native and naturalised (weedy) in South Australia. These are listed in the Census of South Australian Plants, Algae and Fungi. All newly discovered State and regional records are added to the Census throughout the year. These records are based on preserved plant specimens, verified by a botanists and housed in the vaults of the State Herbarium.

For all new records of non-native plants, an annual report is produced by Weeds Botanist Chris Brodie and colleagues from the State Herbarium. The report includes the list of new weeds recorded for South Australia with locations, descriptions and photographs. Also documented are updates to taxa that have had a change in distribution, weed status or name. Other activities carried out by Weeds Botanist are also summarised, such as field trips or presentations to community groups.

The latest report is now available online:

Brodie, C.J. & Lang, P.J. (2021). Regional Landscape Surveillance for New Weed Threats Project, 2020-2021: Annual report on new plant naturalisations in South Australia. (2.2mb PDF)

Also available for download are last year’s 2019-20 report (16mb PDF), as well as the reports for 2018-19 (4.2mb PDF), 2017-18 (4.5mb PDF), 2016-17 (3.8mb PDF) and a compilation of all reports from 2010 to 2016 (3.7mb PDF).

These reports highlight to land managers, which non-native plant species have recently been found in South Australia and where. New records are listed as either “naturalised/established” (*) or “questionably naturalised/established” (?e).

At the end of June 2021, there were 5144 vascular plant taxa recognised in South Australia, of which 1618 are weeds, i.e. 31%. This year, 8 new weeds have been added to the Census; and over the last ten years, Chris Brodie’s weed surveys have discovered 244 new naturalised plants.

Continue reading

New journal articles: July 2021

Trymalium ledifolium var. rosmarinifolium. Photo: J. Kellermann.

The State Herbarium of South Australia published two articles in Vol. 35 of its journal Swainsona online, today, 20 July 2021. In these articles, Jürgen Kellermann (State Herbarium, Adelaide) reviews the typification of several names in Trymalium and with his colleague Anna Monro (Australian National Herbarium, Canberra) publishes names for two Australian orchids.

(1) J. Kellermann, Nomenclature and typification of several pre-1958 names in Trymalium revisited (Rhamnaceae: Pomaderreae). (1.5mb PDF).

The author reviews the typification of six taxa in the genus Trymalium, which occurs in Western Australia and South Australia. Lectotypes are chosen for five current names and several synonyms. Three names for plants cultivated in Paris in the 1840s are also discussed.

(2) J. Kellermann & A. Monro, Validation of two names of Australian orchids. (1.2mb PDF).

In this short communication, the authors validate two names of Australian orchids, which had so far not been published according to the International Code of Nomenclature, even though they are used for many years: Cadetia maideniana and xGlossadenia tutelata. Lectotypes are chosed for both names.

Cadetia maideniana, part of type specimen (CANB).

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 or the Swainsona back-up site. Note that due to Covid-19 restricitons, upload of these two new articles to the official journal web-site is delayed.

New journal articles: April 2021

Stenanthemum leucophractum, growing in Wanilla Settlement Reserve (Eyre Peninsula). Photo: J. Kellermann.

The State Herbarium of South Australia published three articles in Vol. 35 of its journal Swainsona online, today, 7 April 2021. In these articles, State Herbarium botanist Dr Jürgen Kellermann and colleagues, continue the publication of results of the research project on Australian Rhamnaceae, which is funded by the Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra (ABRS).

(1) J. Kellermann, Further lectotypifications and nomenclatural notes on Rhamnaceae from northern Australia. (8mb PDF).

Ventilago ecorollata from rainforests in eastern Queensland. Line drawing by Anita Barley.

In this paper, the nomenclature and typification of seven species of Rhamnaceae from genera occuring in northern Australia, is discussed and lectotypes are chosen for some of them. Several species are illustrated with excellent line-drawings by Anita Barley (see below).

(2) J. Kellermann & K.R. Thiele, The other ‘propeller plant’ – Notes on Stenanthemum Reissek (Rhamnaceae: Pomaderreae) and a key to the genus in Australia. (3.2mb PDF).

The genus Stenanthemum was reinstated by Western Australian botanist Barbara Rye, who also published several new species in 1995, 2001 and 2007. While she provided detailed descriptions of all new species and subspecies, no recent descriptions are available for most of the already existing taxa. These ten plants are treated in this paper by Jürgen Kellermann and Kevin Thiele, who also select lectotypes for most of them and present a key to all species of the genus in Australia.

(3) J. Kellermann, The importance of the ‘h’ – Parahomonymy in Trymalium (Rhamnaceae: Pomaderreae. (2.2mb PDF).

Spyridium daphnoides, formerly known as S. spathulatum, from Deep Creek Conservation Park (Fleurieu Peninsula). Photo: J. Kellermann.

The history of the species names Trymalium spatulatum (Labill.) G.Don from Western Australia and T. spathulatum F.Muell., the basionym of Spyridium spathulatum (F.Muell.) Benth., from South Australia is discussed. The author concludes that the names are so similar that they are likely to be confused and that they should be treated as homonyms under the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN). This means that the current name for the South Australian species is illegitimate and needs to be replaced by the new combination S. daphnoides (Reissek) Kellermann, which is published in this paper.

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.

Continue reading

New Journal articles: Dec. 2020

Swainsona katjarra, a new species from Western Australia. Photo: K. Brown.

The State Herbarium of South Australia published three articles in Vol. 33 of its journal
Swainsona online, today 22 Dec. 2020: A paper on the genus Swainsona in Western Australia, and two papers on nomenclature and typification in the plant family Rhamnaceae.

This volume of the journal concludes with these articles; hardcopy of Vol. 33 will be printed within the next few months.

(1) J. Kellermann, Nomenclatural notes on the Alphitonia Group in Australia (Rhamnaceae). (3.4mb PDF).

The Alphitonia Group consists of four genera from Australia and the Malesian/Pacific region: Alphitonia (10-15 spp.), Emmenosperma (5 spp.), Granitites (1 sp.) and Jaffrea (2 spp.). The nomenclature and tyification of seven species are clarified in this paper.

(2) R.W. Davies & T.A. Hammer, A key to species of Swainsona (Fabaceae) in Western Australia and description of S. katjarra from the Little Sandy Desert region, Western Australia. (1.7mb PDF).

In this paper, a new dichotomous identification key to all 50 species and phrase names of the iconic genus Swainsona is presented. A new species from Katjarra (Carnarvon Range) in the LIttle Sandy Desert (Birriliburu Indigenous Protected Area) is also described. (A survey of the flora of Katjarra was published in 2014; 3.6mb PDF).

(3) J. Kellermann & F. Udovicic, A review of Colletieae and Discaria (Rhamnaceae) in Australia. (1.1mb PDF).

The authors describe the two species of Discaria in Australia and review the nomenclature and typification of D. pubescens; the type of the species is a rare and unusual example of a pre-1959 holotype. This species occurs in Tasmania, Victoria, N.S.W. and southern Queensland. The second species, D. nitida, has a more restricted distribution in the high country of Victoria and New South Wales. In areas where the distribution overlaps, sometimes hybrid plants can be found. The genus has also one species in New Zealand, D. toumatou, and three in extra-tropical South America: D. americanaD. articulata and D.chacaye.

Flowers of the Queensland tree Alphitonia petriei. Drawing by Anita Barley.

During the next year, 2021, the State Herbarium will publish two volumes of Swainsona:

  • Vol. 34 will contain several historical monographs, the first of which was published recently.
  • Vol. 35 will contain regular papers.

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, JSTOR or the Swainsona back-up site.