Revision of the Spyridium bifidum – S. halmaturinum complex (Rhamnaceae: Pomaderreae) from South Australia and Victoria

Abstract

Vol 30(1) 2012 Introduction Spyridium Fenzl. is one of the larger genera of Rhamnaceae in Australia. Comprising about 45 species, it is the third largest genus of the Pomaderreae, a tribe endemic to Australia and New Zealand (Kellermann et al. 2005; Kellermann & Udovicic 2008). The genus occurs in temperate and semi-arid south-western and south-eastern Australia. Its main centre of distribution is in South Australia (currently 20 species), with a secondary centre in Western Australia (15 species). Only two species are shared between western and south-eastern Australia. There are eight species of Spyridium in Victoria, half shared with South Australia, six species in New South Wales, one extending into south-eastern Queensland, and eight species in Tasmania (see Lepschi et al. 2011). The last treatment of Spyridium for South Australia (Canning 1986) recognised 14 species and six infraspecific taxa. Apart from the addition of S. nitidum Wakef. and S. tridentatum (Steud.) Benth., Canning’s (1986) treatment repeated that by Black (1926, 1952) with a few minor amendments. Since 1986 there have been several changes: Spyridium tridentatum has been transferred back into the re-established genus Stenanthemum Reissek (Rye 1995a; Barker 2005; Thiele 2007) as St. tridentatum (Steud.) Reissek; Spyridium tricolor W.R.Barker & Rye and S. erymnocladum W.R.Barker have been newly described (Barker & Rye 1993, Barker 1995), and S. waterhousei F.Muell., which had been long subsumed under Cryptandra Sm., has been re-instated (Kellermann 2007b). The last Spyridium treatment for Victoria (Walsh 1999) included seven species, one of which was not published at the time: Spyridium sp. 1. Two species endemic to the Grampians were later transferred from Trymalium to Spyridium (Kellermann 2006b): S. daltonii (F.Muell.) Kellermann and S. ×ramosissimum (Audas) Kellermann. Abstract