A revision of Cassinia (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) in Australia. 6. Section Cassinia
A. E. OrchardC/o Australian Biological Resources Study, GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Email: tony.orchard@environment.gov.au
Australian Systematic Botany 22(5) 344-376 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB09018
Submitted: 1 May 2009 Accepted: 4 August 2009 Published: 28 October 2009
Abstract
The present paper completes a taxonomic revision of Cassinia subg. Cassinia, a group of 35 species separated from subg. Achromolaena by the structure of its inflorescence (capitula arrangement approximately dichasial, giving rise to flat- or round-topped compound inflorescences, as opposed to the irregular or alternate arrangement of capitula in subg. Achromolaena, where the overall shape of the inflorescence is conical or elongate). The seven species of Cassinia sect. Cassinia (C. aculeata, C. thinicola, C. wilsoniae, C. longifolia, C. aureonitens, C. trinerva and C. cinerea) are keyed, described and illustrated, with discussion of ecology, distribution and variation. Cassinia aculeata subsp. nova-anglica Orchard, C. thinicola Orchard, C. wilsoniae Orchard and C. cinerea Orchard are described as new. Cassinia aculeata is a variable and widespread species. Four morphological variants are described and discussed, although not formally named. Previously suggested hybridisation between C. aculeata and Ozothamnus obcordatus is discussed, and dismissed. A new subspecies, narrowly endemic to the New England region of New South Wales (NSW), and separated by 350 km from subsp. aculeata, is described. Cassinia longifolia is similarly widespread and variable, particularly in indumentum and leaf shape. Again, four more or less distinct local morphological variants are described, but they are not formally named because of problems with satisfactory circumscription. Cassinia thinicola is newly segregated from C. aculeata. It is a strikingly distinct species, confined to coastal habitats north and south of Newcastle, distinguished by its (usually) lack of hairs on the upper leaf surface, ochre-coloured inflorescences and compact habit. Cassinia wilsoniae, confined to Wyperfeld National Park in western Victoria, has hitherto been largely overlooked, with specimens assigned to a broadly circumscribed ‘C. uncata’, or C. aculeata or C. longifolia. It is geographically widely separated from all of these taxa. It is unusual in the genus, in being confined largely to the summits of consolidated sand dunes. It has rather small inflorescences with few capitula, and these are ochre-coloured. The leaf margins are strongly revolute, almost completely covering the midrib below, unlike related taxa where the midrib remains uncovered. Cassinia cinerea is a rare species confined to south-eastern Queensland, and hitherto confused with C. laevis and C. collina, both in subg. Achromolaena (and thus with conical inflorescences). It also differs from both in a range of indumentum and leaf characters. The remaining, previously recognised, species are redescribed in detail, and their nomenclature, variation, ecology and distribution are discussed as required.
Acknowledgements
I thank two previous Australian Botanical Liaison Officers at Kew, Annette Wilson and Jenny Tonkin, for searching for C. affinis type material in London herbaria. Neville Walsh (MEL) kindly provided a photograph of the type of H. pseudoferrugineum. Curatorial and management staff at BM, CANB, CGE, E, K, OXF and P are thanked for providing a congenial place to work during this revisionary work. I thank my wife and field companion Theresa for patient and observant hours spent hunting elusive Cassinia species in several States. This paper, as for others in this series of monographs of Cassinia species, was based on examination of specimens borrowed from or consulted in several herbaria (AD, BM, BRI, CANB (incl. CBG), CGE, E, HO, K, MEL, MO, NE, NMW, NSW, NY, OXF, P, PERTH, S, UNSW, W), and the curators of these herbaria are thanked for making their collections available for the study. I thank all those collectors who provided collections for the study, and in particular Ian Telford (NE) and his associates for their assiduous pursuit of elusive taxa in New England and contiguous areas. Serkan Alasya (CANB) is thanked for the photograph of C. wilsoniae. Annette Wilson, ABRS, provided assistance in scanning the illustrations. The original research on which this paper is based in part was supported, many years ago, by a research grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study to the Tasmanian Herbarium, and the work was completed while the author was Australian Botanical Liaison Officer at Kew. Finally, my thanks to Annette Wilson, three anonymous referees, and the editor, for constructive criticisms on the earlier drafts of this paper.
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