The Collectors and Type Locations of Some of Labillardière's “Terra Van‐leu Win” (Western Australia) Specimens

Abstract

Summary Labillardière visited Australia in 1792 when he collected many botanical specimens at “capite van‐Dieman” (Tasmania) and at “Baie Le Grand” (Esperance Bay) in “terra van‐Leuwin” (Western Australia). In 1804, Labilkrdière published the first part of “Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen”, which contains descriptions of some of the plants that he collected in New Holland (Australia). While studying Labillardière's original description of Adenanthos obovata, it was noted that the type location was inconsistent with the present distribution pattern of that species. An examination of the areas of distribution of all the species labelled “terra van‐Leuwin” showed that some specimens could not have been collected in Western Australia. In other cases the species could be shown to have been collected in localities in Western Australia that Labillardière did not visit, and therefore must have been collected by other botanists. Thus the type locations, indicated by Labillardière, for a group of species are incorrect. An attempt has been made to correct these anomalies, and to suggest the probable collectors.

Australian Collections of Labillardiere in the Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

“…Detailed accounts of d'Entrecasteaux' expedition, Labillardiere's activities, and the botanical results have been written by Maiden (1910), Stafleu (1967), Nelson (1974, 1975), and Carr (1976. The expedition sailed eastward to the Pacific via the Cape of Good Hope, and called at many places, including New Caledonia, the Admiralty Islands, Amboina, Tonga, and Australia.…”

Naming Stylidium (Stylidiaceae): an historical account, with specific reference to S. graminifolium and S. lineare

“…Labillardière miscommunicated the type locality of S. setaceum, an error he repeated for several other Australian taxa (Nelson 1974(Nelson , 1975. Specimens with the label "terra vanLeuwin" were supposedly collected in the vicinity of Esperance in Western Australia, Labillardière's only known landfall in this State (Nelson 1975); however, S. lineare is endemic to the east coast of Australia.…”

“…Specimens with the label "terra vanLeuwin" were supposedly collected in the vicinity of Esperance in Western Australia, Labillardière's only known landfall in this State (Nelson 1975); however, S. lineare is endemic to the east coast of Australia. As a consequence, S. setaceum was tentatively regarded by Bentham (1868) and Nelson (1974Nelson ( , 1975 as conspecific with S. spinulosum R.Br., a species endemic to the south coast of Western Australia which has a very similar leaf morphology to S. lineare; however, both authors noted the possibility of S. setaceum being synonymous with S. lineare. Although Mildbraed (1908: 72) treated S. setaceum as a synonym of S. lineare, he did so with a degree of doubt.…”

“…Both S. lineare and S. spinulosum are restricted to regions of Australia that were not visited by Labillardière. Nelson (1974, 1975 tentatively suggested that Leschenault de la Tour collected the type of S. setaceum from King George Sound in Western Australia, in which case the name S. setaceum would have nomenclatural priority over S. spinulosum (published by Robert Brown in 1810). Phenology records do not support this suggestion: the holotype of S. setaceum is in very early flower and yet S. spinulosum does not flower in February, the time of Leschenault's visit to Albany.…”

“…It may have been acquired by Leschenault who visited Port Jackson and is known to have given material to Labillardière (Nelson 1974(Nelson , 1975; however, it is equally plausible that the type was collected by John White, first Surgeon-General of New South Wales. Smith (1819) states that he sent duplicates of White's Stylidium collections to Labillardière.…”