173 SHORT COMMUNICATION A new combination in Eryngium (Apiaceae) Peter W. Michael In my studies towards the revision of Eryngium in Australia and an account of the genus for the Florn of Victoria, involving examination of specimens in MEL, BRI and NSW, it has become clear that the name E. plantagineum F.Muell. (type in MEL) has often been misapplied. £. plantagineum itself appears to be confined to central Queensland, around the Tropic of Capricorn. WilJis in Handb. Plants Viet. 2: 487 (1972) pointed out that the Victorian populations he had seen were most probably identical with E. rostratum Cav. var. pahidosum Moore & Betche. The Victorian specimens examined show similar variation to that shown by plants from New South Wales especially in the vesicular scales of the fruit which are more or less cylindrical, sometimes flattened, with apices obtuse, acute or sometimes acuminate with minute teeth towards the apex, not globular as in £. plantagineum. Other features of E. plantagineum F. Muell. clearly different from plants so called from New South Wales and Victoria and among those from Queensland include the commonly much longer peduncles to 8 cm or more (cf. 1 to 3 cm) and the more or less flat basal leaves, pinnatifid or with somewhat distant spines or spiny lobes (cf. basal leaves, cylindrical with spines, if they occur, only in upper portion.) Accordingly, I make the new combination: Eryngium paludosum (Moore & Betche) P.W. Michael, comb, et stat. nov. Basionym: Eryngium rostratum Cav. var. paludosum Moore & Betche, Handb. Flora N.S.W., 220 (1893) Holotype: New South Wales: Nevertire, in a waterhole on the railway line. E. Betche NSW 456361, Sept. 1886 (NSW) The type shows many basal leaves with young developing inflorescences just mature enough to show the more or less cylindrical vesicular scales with obtuse apices. Specimens with mature cylindrical flowering heads with similar vesicular scales include: Victoria: Kerang, on heavy inundated soil, Baldzuin s.n., Nov 1937 (MEL) [annotated by J. H. Willis and identified by him as E. plantagineum F. Muell. forma in Jan 1965]. New South Wales: North Western Plains: Gwabegar, scattered over 1 ac (0.4 ha) of gilgai country as a result of flooding, C. Tassell s.n., Nov 1971 (NSW 407357); 'Allaru', Mungindi, /. /. Smith s.n., Jan 1922 (NSW 456362). Specimens of another form with vesicular scales that are acuminate with minute teeth especially towards the apex include: Victoria: Lake Lalbert, 4 km W of Lalbert, 35°40'S 143°20'E, on heavy clay flat adjacent to lake; several thick patches 5 m in diameter. R. jochinke s.n., Sep 1983 (MEL). New South Wales: South Far Western Plains: 2.5 miles (4 km) E of Robinvale, Victoria and 4 miles (6.4 km) S of Lake Benanee, NSW amongst a pumpkin crop in irrigated land, per R. K. Wall, Apr 1972 (MEL). North Western Plains: 3.2 km N of Bourke, E. /. McBarron 18644, Nov 1969 (BRI, MEL, NSW). E. ovinum A. Cunn. (syn. E. rostratum auett. non Cav.) was reinstated by me in Austral. Syst. Bot. Soc. Newsletter 53: 3-5, 1987. It is distinguished from E. paludosum by its 174 Telopea 7(2): 1997 strongly erect more regular dichasial flowering habit, long bracteoles spread throughout the more or less ovoid flowering heads, not confined to the basal involucre and the apex, as in £. paludosutn, and the long, thin, acuminate vesicular scales on the fruit. £. supinum J. M. Black, with its cylindrical flowering heads resembling those of £. paludosum, is a less robust plant that has long-petiolate, ovate juvenile leaves and much more slender vesicular scales bearing conspicuous teeth from near the base to the apex. P.W. Michael National Herbarium of NSW Mrs Macquaries Road Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Manuscript received 10 April 1997 Manuscript accepted 7 May 1997