Morphological and molecular evidence refute a broad circumscription for Pultenaea glabra (Fabaceae: Mirbelieae), with implications for taxonomy, biogeography, and conservation
Author
Renner, Matthew A. M.
Author
Barrett, Russell L.
Author
Clarke, Steve
Author
Clugston, James A. R.
Author
Wilson, Peter H. Weston Trevor C.
text
Australian Systematic Botany
2022
2022-07-14
35
3
225
277
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sb21030
journal article
10.1071/SB21030
1446-5701
11048683
8.
Pultenaea weindorferi
Reader,
Vict. Naturalist
22(3): 51 (1905)
Type
citation
: ‘Collected at
Wandin
, in a swamp, near the road from
Lilydale
to
Warburton
,
25 miles
[~
40 km
] from
Melbourne
, in
September
, 1903, by Mr.
G
. Weindorfer
.’
Type
:
Wandin
, in a swamp, near the road from
Lilydale
to
Warburton
,
25 miles
[~
40 km
] from
Melbourne
,
Sept. 1903
,
G
.
Weindorfer s.n. (lecto, here designated:
MEL 580100
; possible isolecto:
NSW 425491
; possible isolecto or residual syn:
NSW 425490
ex herb. Reader,
MEL 35428
)
.
Erect branched shrub up to
2 m
tall, branchlets glabrous.
Stipules
linear–lanceolate, divided, plane, lobes not reflexed or divergent, divided to ~0.5 of their length, lobes keeled, keels running through lamina to base, margins irregularly denticulate.
Leaves
linear–lanceolate 5.9–15 (average 11.1) mm long, 0.6–1.4 (average 0.9) mm wide, navicular at apex, apex rounded to obtuse, cucullate; abaxial leaf surface mamillose, each mamilla formed by a single epidermal cell, triangular to dome-shaped; adaxial surface with columnar papillae that are tapered towards their apex; leaf lamina and petiole glabrous. Leaf anatomy with orange–red pigmented cells scattered throughout on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. Ventral epidermis orange-pigmented, 3 veins present,
Inflorescences
terminal, internodes contracted, terminating short lateral shoots, occasionally branching below the inflorescence; leaves among flowers reduced, stipules enlarged, broader and less divided than stipules in sterile shoot sectors.
Flowers
in clusters of 10 or more, pedicellate, pedicels glabrous.
Calyx
glabrous, except for cilia on inner margin of lobes; lobes cucullate with three veins, abaxial surface mamillose, mamillae formed by single epidermal cells, triangular to dome shaped as on the abaxial leaf surface.
Bracteoles
exceeding sinus between calyx lobes, coriaceous, nearly equal to calyx lobes in length.
Corolla
orange–yellow, with pronounced red semicircular marking at base of standard, otherwise lacking red markings, wings suffused with red towards their base; keel slightly paler than rest of the flower; greenish-cream to pale yellow particularly towards the apex; standard ovate above a basal stipe, folded not flat at flower maturity, apex with a shallow notch defined by the left and right sides of the standard; wing orientation variable, from embracing the keel to slightly laterally splayed, broadly rectangular–obovate above a long basal stipe, upper margin straight, lower margin curved, apex rounded, basal auricle a broad rounded triangle. Keel asymmetrically elliptic, upper margin linear, lower margin continuously curved, deepest at mid point, apex broadly rounded.
Ovary
glabrous.
Pods
not seen, turgid and glabrous
fide
Corrick (1996)
(
Fig. 31
).
Distribution and ecology
Pultenaea weindorferi
is endemic to central
Victoria
, including the Gippsland Plain,
Central Victorian Uplands
, and the Northern and
Southern Fall Highlands
, in association with drainage lines and swamps at a scattering of localities including near Daylesford, Kinglake, and Tonimbuk
.
Recognition
Pultenaea weindorferi
can be recognised by its combination of flowers in a terminal head-like inflorescence thee internodes of which are contracted, the linear leaves with a cuculllate apex, and abaxial leaf surface bearing conspicuous triangular mamillae.
Variation
A form with
long soft hairs on the calyx and leaves, and a tuft of hairs on the summit of the ovary that occurs in Kinglake National Park was noted by
de Kok and West (2002)
. Specimens in broad agreement with this description included in our study also had broader leaves (0.8–2.0 mm wide). These forms may represent hybrids with other cooccurring
Pultenaea
, such as
P. humilis
Benth. ex Hook.f.
, variation within
P. weindorferi
, as suggested by
de Kok and West (2002)
, or an undescribed taxon, and further work on their status should be undertaken.
Notes
Multiple specimens derived from Weindorfer’s
September 1903
gathering(s) exist. Variously, these are associated with three different identifiers, some specimens are associated with the number 1966, others with 2252; the remaining specimens have no unique identifier. Reader’s citation of original material refers to Weindorfer’s gathering(s) (
Reader 1905
), which is therefore citation of the included specimens (Art. 9.6). The association of different specimens with different numbers may suggest that Weindorfer made more than one gathering, but we do not think this is the case. Rather, we suspect that the numbers are Weindorfer’s own distribution numbers, recording the specimens he has sent to other people. Part of the evidence for this interpretation is that the numbers associated with Weindorfer’s specimens are not consecutive, and, further, different numbers are applied to what appear to be the same gathering. In support of this interpretation is the fact that the material in
NSW
, which was sent to Maiden in 1903, bears the number 1966. This material is accompanied by a note from Weindorfer that the specimen was ‘found by me at said locality’ and that Maiden believed the plants were likely new, and would describe them as such if so. One of the specimens in
MEL
bears the number
2252 in
Weindorfer’s hand, along with a specimen label also written by Weindorfer, which has the species name ‘
Pultenaea weindorferi
F.M.Reader
species nova’, suggesting that Weindorfer distributed this specimen closer to the publication date of 1905, and after he had sent material to Maiden in Sydney.
Reader (1905)
makes no mention of collection numbers. We infer that all the specimens gathered by Weindorfer near Wandin in
September 1903
comprise a single gathering, which have different histories of distribution from Weindorfer’s personal herbarium. We designate the large specimen in
MEL
as
lectotype
, the other specimens are therefore
isolectotypes
.
Fig. 31.
Pultenaea weindorferi
line drawing. (
a
) Flowering branch detail, (
b
) habit, (
c
) stipule, (
d
)
flower, profile view, (
e
) standard petal, ventral view, (
f
) wing, profile view, (
g
) keel, profile view, (
h
)
flower, perianth removed, lateral view, (
i
) ovary detail, (
j
) leaf abaxial surface, (
k
) leaf adaxial surface,
(
l
) leaf detail, adaxial surface, (
m
) leaf detail, abaxial surface.
a
,
b
,
d–i
from NSW424887,
c
,
j–m
from
NSW 37200, all from dried material.
Conservation status
Pultenaea weindorferi
is listed as Endangered on the Victorian Government’s current
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
list. As noted in the introduction, the state of
Victoria
did not accept the synonymisation of
P. weindorferi
with
P. glabra
, a position supported by this study.
Specimens examined
VICTORIA
.
Wandin
,
G
.
Weindorfer
s.n.,
Oct. 1904
, (
NSW 37200
);
Wandin
,
Oct. 1905
,
G
.
Weindorfer
5847/15, (
NSW 37203
);
Wandin
(
~
43 km
E
of Melbourne
),
11 Oct. 1907
,
P
.
R
.
H
.
St John
s.n., (
NSW 424887
);
eastern Highlands
,
Tynong North
,
Button
grass walking track near the intersection of
Camp Road
and the
Gembrook–Tonimbuk
road,
29 Nov. 2007
,
J
.
A
.
Jeanes
1803,
G
.
Lay
&
D. Wilson
, (
NSW 831384
);
eastern Highlands
,
Kinglake National Park
, ~
1 km
NW of Mt Everard
, at end of track that leaves
W
side of
Mt Everard
to
Mt Beggary
track ~
1.5 km
S
of Mt Beggary
,
28 Dec. 1996
,
M
.
G
.
Corrick
11489, (
NSW 624283
);
Midlands
,
Lerderderg State Park
(
N
central part of park),
O’Briens Rd
,
24 Oct. 1999
,
V
.
Stajsic
s.n., (
NSW 675907
)
.