New Species Discoveries
In Queensland, new discoveries of plants, algae, lichens and fungi species are being made at the rate of approximately 50 per year. These new species are new to science and are named and documented according to International rules.
Botanists at the Queensland Herbarium discover and describe new species, and record the floristics, structure, distribution and conservation status of Queensland's plant communities. New species descriptions, illustrations and information on conservation status are published in the Queensland Herbarium journal Austrobaileya.
A census of the Queensland flora is produced annually.
New Species discoveries 2011
Cycas terryana. photo: Mike Mathieson
Solanum callosum. photo: Tony Bean
Nyssanthes impervia. photo: Tony Bean
Plectranthus bellus. photo: Paul Forster
A new cycad, four new tropical rainforest trees, four new species of native mint, and three new species of potato bush are some of the 18 new species recently discovered and documented for Queensland in 2011. Queensland Herbarium botanists discovered and published new species for Queensland in the 2011 issue of the Herbarium’s journal Austrobaileya.
Cycas terryana (family Cycadaceae) is a new stemmed cycad from central Queensland, with stems are up to 3 m high, with a crown of pale green to grey green keeled leaves to nearly 2 m long. The new growth is densely hairy with pale brown hairs. The male cones grow to 28 cm long and are densely hairy. The female seed leaves bear 4 to 6 olive green seeds which become orange when ripe. Described by Paul Forster.
Solanum (family Solanaceae) is a large genus with many species occurring in Australia. The three new species described from western Queensland, S. callosum, S. emmottii and S. unispinum, are all herbaceous rhizomatous resprouters with prickly stems, soft leaves and purple potato-like flowers. Described by Tony Bean.
Nyssanthes (family Amaranthaceae) is a small endemic genus of herbs or woody shrubs characterised by their opposite leaves and spreading spiny bracts. The two newly discovered species: N. impervia and N. longistyla, are woody shrubs occurring in western Queensland. Described by Tony Bean and Cathy Miller (CANB).
Plectranthus (family Lamiaceae) is genus of soft aromatic herbs and subshrubs with spurred two-lipped flowers clustered in terminal or axillary racemes. Four new species are described for Queensland, two from the south: P. frangrantissimus endemic to Kroombit Tops and P. insularis, endemic to an area near Millmerran, and two from the north: P. bellus endemic to the western Daintree and Hann Tableland, and P. venustus endemic to eastern Cape York. Described by Paul Forster.
Symplocos (family Symplocaceae) is a pantropical rainforest genus of more than 300 trees and shrubs. The three new species, S. boonjee, S. bullata, and S. oresbia are shrubs or small trees with spiralling simple leaves, small white flowers and small black or blue fruits. Endemic to the wet tropics in north Queensland, described by Laurie Jessup.
Wilkiea kaarruana (family Monimiaceae) is another new species endemic to wet tropics and is characterised by the thick, longitudinally fissured, corky bark, slaty green leaves with pink-red petioles and separate male and female inflorescences. Described by Frank Zich and Andrew Ford.
Pterocaulon (family Asteraceae) is a widespread daisy genus of mostly soft aromatic herbs or subshrubs, with winged stems and softly hairy leaves. Soft, globose to cylindrical flower heads terminate the branches. Of the six new species described, two occur in Queensland: P. intermedium and P. tricholobum. Described by Tony Bean.
Pluchea (family Asteraceae) is another tropical daisy genus of woody subshrubs, characterised by the alternating toothed leaves and pink tubular florets. Two new species are described for Queensland: P. xanthina and P. punctata, both have gland-dotted leaves. Described by Tony Bean.
Last updated 30 January 2012