Nuytsia The journal of the Western Australian Herbarium 25:195-196 Published online 3 July 2015 SHORT COMMUNICATION A new and rare species of Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae) from the Yalgoo bioregion, Western Australia Ptilotus andersonii R.W.Davis, sp. nov. Type: Burnerbinmah Station, Western Australia [precise locality withheld for conservation reasons], 13 September 1996, S. Patrick 2787 {holo: PERTH 05068517). Ptilotus sp. Burnerbinmah (S. Patrick 2787), Western Australian Herbarium, in FloraBase, http:// florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/ [accessed 23 June 2015], Prostrate perennial herbs to 5 cm high. Stems terete, slightly ribbed, with dense, spreading, verticillate hairs to 2.5 mm long. Basal leaves spathulate to oblanceolate, 30-45 mm long, 3-10 mm wide, with sparse, spreading, verticillate hairs to 1.5 mm long; apex rounded or sometimes mucronate. Cauline leaves alternate, flat, oblanceolate, obovate to elliptical, with sparse to dense, spreading, verticillate hairs to 2 mm long; apex mucronate. Inflorescences spiciform, terminal, solitary or more commonly in loose panicles, pink, ovoid, 10-20 mm long, 15-23 mm diam. Bracts brown, 6-7 mm long, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, with sparse, verticillate hairs; midrib obscure. Bracteoles light brown becoming translucent towards margins, 5.8-6.3 mm long, broadly ovate, with sparse, verticillate hairs; midrib obvious. Flowers pedicellate, incurved. Outer tepals green becoming pink towards the apex, narrowly oblanceolate, concave, flattening towards the apex, 8-10 mm long; outer surface hairy except at the apex with dense, spreading, verticillate hairs to 2.5 mm long; inner surface glabrous; apex broad, rounded to slightly mucronate, serrate. Inner tepals green becoming pink towards the apex, narrowly oblanceolate, concave, 7-9.5 mm long; outer surface hairy except at the apex with dense, spreading, verticillate hairs to 2.3 mm long; inner surface glabrous except for a basal tuft of hairs on the margins; apex slightly concave, attenuate, serrate. Staminalcup symmetrical, 1.1-1.4mmlong, glabrous. Stamens 2; filaments glabrous, incurved, dilating slightly towards base, 3.5^4.2 mm long; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long. Staminodes 3, < 0.5 mm long. Ovary obconical, slightly gibbose, 1.4-1.6 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm wide, glabrous; stipe flattened, 0.4-0.6 mm long; style curved, eccentrically fixed to ovary, 2.8-3.1 mm long. Seeds not observed. Distribution and habitat. Currently only known from Burnerbinmah Station, in the Yalgoo bioregion of Western Australia, where it is found in open Eucalyptus woodland on brown calcareous loam soils. Conservation status. Recently listed as Priority One under Department of Parks and Wildlife Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora, as P. sp. Burnerbinmah (S. Patrick 2787) (Western Australian Herbarium 1998-). There have been several attempts by the author in good seasons to rediscover the only known population of P. andersonii on Burnerbinmah Station but these searches have been unsuccessful. Burnerbinmah Station is currently recognised as Unallocated Crown Land (UCL) and is managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife. © Department of Parks and Wildlife 2015 ISSN 2200-2790 (Online) http://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/nuytsia/ ISSN 0085-4417 (Print) 196 Nuytsia Vol. 25 (2015) Phenology. The single collection of this species was made in September and is flowering only. Etymology. Ptilotus andersonii is named after Don Anderson, then owner, now caretaker, of Bumerbinmah Station. Don has been an innovative farmer and pastoralist who has shown great consideration to the environment and bushland on his property. Although lodged under a Sue Patrick collecting number, the specimen was collected by Don (S. Patrick pers. comm.). Notes. Ptilotus andersonii is superficially similar to P. holosericeus (Moq.) F.Muell., but differs in having two fertile stamens, persistently hairy leaves, and dark brown bracts; P. holosericeus has three fertile stamens, largely glabrous leaves, and translucent bracts. Material of P. sp. Bumerbinmah was sent to Tim Hammer (Old Dominion University, Virginia) for inclusion in a molecular study of Ptilotus R.Br. based on ITS nrDNA and matK cpDNA. However, possibly because of the age of the material, only matK could be sequenced, and therefore this taxon was excluded from the published analysis (Hammer et al. 2015). The matK result, however, provided a strong indication that P. sp. Bumerbinmah was a good species which fitted within Ptilotus clade D (T. Hammer pers. comm.). Acknowledgements I would like to thank Kevin Thiele for his continuing support and Tim Hammer for the molecular information. References Hammer, T., Davis, R. W. & Thiele, K. (2015). A molecular framework phylogeny for Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae): Evidence for rapid diversification of an arid Australian genus. Taxon 64(2): 272-285. Western Australian Herbarium (1998-). FloraBase—the Western Australian Flora. Department of Parks and Wildlife, http:// florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/ [accessed 23 June 2015], Robert W. Davis Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Western Australia 6983 Email: [email protected]