New plant species discoveries

30 June 2020

 

Two new plant species have recently been described and recognised as part of the established native flora of Queensland.

Drosera buubugujin

Drosera

Flowers of Drosera buubugujin, Muundhi National Park, c. 5 mm in diameter. Photo: M.T. Mathieson

A spectacular new species of Sundew, Drosera buubugujin, has recently been described from the Cape York Peninsula.

The species is named for the Buubu Gujin Aboriginal Corporation as the species occurs on their traditional lands.

It is a perennial herb with rosettes of mature individuals with 4-12 active leaves that has an inflorescence of 6-38 red-purple flowers.

The species has a very restricted distribution and is considered to be critically endangered.

About sundews

Sundews are “flypaper” plants that trap prey in sticky hairs on their leaves. They make up one of the largest groups of carnivorous plants.

Long tentacles protrude from their leaves, each with a sticky gland at the tip. These droplets look like dew glistening in the sun, thus their name.

More information about Drosera buubugujin can be found here.

Acacia lespedleyi

Acacia lespedleyi

Acacia lespedleyi. Image description included at bottom of article.

The genus Acacia has over 300 species in Queensland and species of the genus dominate a large number of ecosystems (e.g. mulga, brigalow).

The recently described Acacia lespedleyi was first collected by Paul Forster in 2006 and recognised by the late Les Pedley as being a distinct species.

It is a shrub to 3 m tall with minni-ritchi red-brown bark that falls off as irregular longitudinal strips.

The species has a restricted distribution in the Burnett District of South-East Queensland and is considered to be critically endangered.

About Les Pedley

Les Pedley (1938-2018) was the celebrated wattle and legume specialist at the Queensland Herbarium. He formally described over 180 plant species new to science, most of these from Queensland, and contributed over 4000 specimens to the Queensland Herbarium collections. Les was the Editor of the Queensland Herbarium’s scientific journal, Austrobaileya, from 1977 to 1988, and he was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Flora of Australia from 1980 to 1988.

Following retirement, Les enthusiastically continued to pursue his taxonomic studies as a Research Associate at the Herbarium. In 2008, he was awarded an Australia Day Achievement Award from the Department in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Queensland botany.

Les is honoured by the legume genus Pedleya and five native plant species have been named in his honour:

  • Acacia pedleyi
  • Commersonia pedleyi
  • Diploglottis pedleyi
  • Ptilotus pedleyanus
  • Tephrosia pedleyi.

 

Acacia lespedleyi image: A. habit of flowering branchlet ×2. B. single phyllode showing most obvious venation ×5. C. detail of phyllode venation ×10. D. base of phyllode at attachment to stem showing reduced pulvinus and poorly developed gland ×15. E. inflorescence ×5. F & G. views of dehisced pod ×5. A & E from Rogers s.n. (BRI [AQ814938]); B–D, F & G from Forster PIF31353 (BRI). Scale bar = 10 mm at ×1 magnification. Del. N. Crosswell.

 

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This