A partial revision of the south-western Australian species of Micromyrtus (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae)

Abstract

Rye, B.L. A partial revision of the south-western Australian species of Micromyrtus (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 16(1): 117-147 (2006). This partial revision of the genus Micromyrtus Benth., deals mainly with species that have a ten-ribbed hypanthium, but excludes the M. racemosa complex. All of the new species are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Eight taxa are named: M. acuta Rye, M. chrysodema Rye, M. clavata J.W. Green ex Rye, M. elobata subsp. scopula Rye, M. placoides Rye, M. navicularis Rye, M. redita Rye and M. triptycha Rye. A key is given for Western Australian members of the genus. Micromyrtus is compared with its close relative Corynanthera J.W. Green, and the morphological specialisations of both genera and their possible affinities to other genera in tribe Chamelaucieae are discussed. The compressed winged diaspore of Corynanthera, which has the peduncle fused to both the bracteoles and fruit, is of particular interest, and an illustration compares it with diaspores from five-and ten-ribbed species of Micromyrtus. 123 B.L. Rye, A partial revision of the south-western Australian species of Micromyrtus 5. Leaves more or less narrowly oblong-elliptic, 2.5-4 mm long. Sepals with small denticulate auricles, the hypanthium clearly visible. (Cundeelee to Rawlinson Range.

Reduction of Corynanthera to the synonymy of Micromyrtus (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae: Micromyrtinae)

“…Hypanthium ribbing and dimorphic sepals (see Rye 2006: 120, Figure 1A-C). There is a great diversity of longitudinal ribbing on the hypanthium in Micromyrtus and the unique kind in M. flava (Rye 2002(Rye , 2006 is not any more remarkable than the kinds found in other members of the genus.…”

“…Green abandoned his studies of Micromyrtus in the late 1980s and no further publications appeared until additional eastern Australian species of Micromyrtus species were described by Hunter et al (1996) and Bean (1997). Interest in Corynanthera was renewed when work on Western Australian species of Micromyrtus led to two publications (Rye 2002(Rye , 2006 in which the morphology of Corynanthera was compared with Micromyrtus, uncovering some additional unique characters in Corynanthera (see Notes below). In the second paper (Rye 2006), it was noted that the first attempt to obtain nuclear DNA sequences for Corynanthera had failed.…”

“…Interest in Corynanthera was renewed when work on Western Australian species of Micromyrtus led to two publications (Rye 2002(Rye , 2006 in which the morphology of Corynanthera was compared with Micromyrtus, uncovering some additional unique characters in Corynanthera (see Notes below). In the second paper (Rye 2006), it was noted that the first attempt to obtain nuclear DNA sequences for Corynanthera had failed.…”

Two new species of Hibbertia (Dilleniaceae) from near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia

“…Recent floristic surveys and inventories of the Ravensthorpe Range and Bandalup Hill in southern Western Australia have resulted in the discovery and subsequent description of a number of new and geographically restricted species (e.g. Nicolle 2002; Orthia et al 2005;Rye 2006;Barrett 2007;Toelken & Craig 2007;Wege 2007;Wilkins et al 2009), with a number of additional taxa awaiting formal description (Western Australian Herbarium 1998-). This region is a biologically important area of south-west Western Australia, supporting a wide variety of habitat types and a species-rich flora with significant levels of endemism (Beard 1973;Craig 1995;Craig et al 2007;Kern et al 2008).…”

Micromyrtus trudgenii (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae), a new species from the Blue Hill Range area of south-western Australia

“…(Myrtaceae) omitted those taxa that are considered to be variants or very close relatives of M. racemosa Benth. (Rye 2002(Rye , 2006). The M. racemosa complex is fairly widespread, extending from Kalbarri National Park south-east to Kondinin and inland to Diemals Station (Figure 1).…”