Additions to Epacris (Epacridoidae, Ericaceae) in Tasmania

Abstract

Examination of the tasmanica Complex, indicates that both major clusters identified in the morphometric analysis of Crowden and Menadue (�990), contain taxonomic units additional to those originally published. Two new species, graniticola R.K. Crowden and moscalianus R.K. Crowden have been separated from the virgata group. A morphometric analysis of the designated tasmanica component of Cluster B, using floral characters only, has resolved two additional taxa. Taxonis the type of squarrosa Hook. f., subsequently renamed tasmanica W.M. Curtis. Taxon 2 is identified as a new species cerasicollina R.K. Crowden. A new diagnostic key has been prepared which differentiates all currently known taxa within the E. tasmanica Complex. Introduction The tasmanica Complex (Jarman and Crowden �977; Crowden and Menadue �990), comprises a group of Tasmanian Epacris species which share the common floristic characters of tube +/- campanulate and about equal in length to the sepals, anthers exserted above the plane of the corolla lobes and styles with varying degrees of basal swelling, which position the stigmas at the top of or above the anthers. Within the group definitive separation of five species ( acuminata Benth., barbata Melville, E exserta R. Br., glabella S.J. Jarman and stuartii Stapf) is relatively straightforward because their respective morphologies feature at least one character which will permit of their unambiguous identification. However, the other two species ( tasmanica W.M. Curtis and virgata Hook. f.) have long been regarded as problematical because of their variable and partially overlapping morphologies. Over recent years, the reported range of occurrence of virgata has expanded from restricted locations around the Range (west of the Tamar River in northern Tasmania) to include new sites east of the Tamar River as well as a number of locations in southern Tasmania. Earlier botanists had known of and had commented on the disjunct distribution of virgata, Hooker (�860) citing the distribution as Asbestos hills, Yorktown, and between Hobarton and Huon, Gunn. Despite this, the southern populations were included in squarrosa Hook. f. in the Floras of Rodway (�903) and Curtis (�962). squarrosa was later determined as an invalid name and emended by Curtis (�969) to tasmanica W.M. Curtis. A morphometric study carried out by Crowden and Menadue (�990), involving 37 populations of the tasmanica Complex yielded two major clusters. Epacris tasmanica Cluster A integrated all northern and southern populations nominated as virgata, on the basis of which an emended description for virgata was prepared. Cluster A also contained stuartii and an unidentified taxon, aff. exserta Mt Cameron, and was bordered by a minor group containing glabella. Epacris aff. exserta Mt Cameron is now considered to be a new species and is discussed further below. tasmanica Cluster B was made up of tasmanica W.M. Curtis (excepting the southern populations of virgata), plus barbata and a minor group containing exserta. A later study of pollen exine ornamentation in Epacris by Menadue and Crowden (�99�) separated populations of the E. tasmanica Complex into the same two groups, in