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Persoonia terminalis

Coordinates: 29°20′S 151°41′E / 29.333°S 151.683°E / -29.333; 151.683
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29°20′S 151°41′E / 29.333°S 151.683°E / -29.333; 151.683

Persoonia terminalis
Persoonia terminalis subspecies recurva at the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
Order:
Proteales
Family:
Proteaceae
Genus:
Persoonia
Species:
P. terminalis
Subspecies:
P. t. recurva P. t. terminalis
Binomial name
Persoonia terminalis
L.A.S.Johnson & P.H.Weston
Synonyms

Persoonia nutans subsp. D P.H.Weston[1]

Persoonia terminalis, also known as the Torrington geebung, is a rare shrub belonging to the family Proteaceae native to northern New South Wales and southern Queensland in eastern Australia.[2] Initially reported as a subspecies of Persoonia nutans in 1981, it was described as a species by Lawrie Johnson and Peter Weston in 1991. Two subspecies are recognised; both are found on acidic, well-drained soils in sclerophyll forests, with one a component of granite outcrops. Although similar in appearance, they differ in leaf length and curvature. Both have a restricted range, with subspecies terminalis being found in an area of under 100 kilometres (62 mi).

Persoonia terminalis grows to 1.5 metres (5 ft), with an upright or spreading habit, with narrow short leaves to 1 centimetre (0.4 in) in length. The yellow flowers mainly appear in December and January (Australia's temperate zone summer),[3] and are followed thereafter by purple-striped green drupes (stone fruit). The fruit of all persoonias are eaten (and seeds dispersed) by undomesticated extant vertebrates.

Taxonomy

Persoonia terminalis was first treated by Lawrie Johnson of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney in the 1981 edition of Flora of New South Wales as a distinctive subspecies of Persoonia nutans,[a] a broadly defined species that included many forms later classified as separate species.[4] Queensland botanists Trevor Donald Stanley and Estelle M. Ross classed it as a subspecies of Persoonia oxycoccoides in their 1986 work Flora of South-eastern Queensland, though considered it more likely to be a species in its own right. Upon re-examining these species, Johnson and colleague Peter Weston concluded that there were several distinct species and Persoonia terminalis was described as such in 1991. The type specimen was collected 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi) south of the Torrington pub on the Emmaville–Torrington road by Weston and Peter Richards,[5] and is now housed in the National Herbarium of New South Wales, which is part of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Sydney and Office of Environment and Heritage. The Herbarium houses over 1.2 million other specimens.[2][6] The genus Persoonia was named after a South African botanist, Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1761–1836, author abbreviation: Pers.) in 1798.[7] The specific name terminalis refers to the inflorescences (clusters of flowers) that, in this species, are at the ends of the branches.[4] It has been given the common name of Torrington geebung.[8]

Within the genus, it is classified in the Lanceolata group, a group of 58 closely related species with similar flowers but very different foliage. These species will often interbreed with each other where two members of the group occur.[9] P. terminalis has been reported to interbreed with P. cornifolia and P. sericea.[10]

Two subspecies are recognised: P. terminalis subspecies recurva has shorter, more recurved leaves reaching a maximum of 0.75 centimetres (0.30 in) in length, while P. terminalis subspecies terminalis has longer, straighter leaves measuring a maximum of 1 centimetre (0.4 in) long.[10] The former grows from Warialda in northern New South Wales north into Queensland and is rated as 3R[b] on the ROTAP list,[12] while the latter subspecies grows only in the vicinity of Torrington and is rated 2R[c] on ROTAP.[12] Both subspecies have been found commonly near the Severn River Nature Preserve.[13]

Description

The characteristic glassy leaves and terminal flower of a Persoonia terminalis ssp. terminalis.

Persoonia terminalis grows as a shrub reaching a height of 0.7–1.5 metres (2+1⁄4–5 ft), with an upright or spreading habit. It has smooth bark,[2] although new growth is covered in fine hair. The small, narrow leaves are 1.2–2 millimetres (1⁄16–3⁄32 in) wide and 3.5–10 millimetres (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) long, with a convex upper surface and margins curved downwards. Initially slightly hairy or hairless and becoming hairless with age, the leaves are concolorous, that is both leaf surfaces are the same colour, or slightly discolorous.[5] The leaves are rougher than other persoonias.[4]

The yellow flowers mainly appear in December and January (summer in the temperate zone of Australia),[3] although occasional flowers have been seen to July.[5] They are terminal, that is, arising at the ends of branchlets, where they appear in groups of one to five. P. terminalis is described as mostly anauxotelic, which means each stalk bears an individual flower that is subtended by a scale leaf at its junction with the stem. A proportion of flowers have a true leaf instead, and are described as auxotelic (inflorescences or axes).[4] Each individual flower consists of a cylindrical perianth that splits into four segments or tepals, and contains both male and female parts. Within this, the central style is surrounded by the anther, which splits into four segments; these curl back and resemble a cross when viewed from above.[9] They provide a landing area for insects attending to the stigma, which is located at the tip of the style.[14] Flowers are followed by the development of the fleshy purple-striped green drupes.[4]

Distribution and habitat

A white map of Australia with a red region for New South Wales
A multi-colored map of regions of New South Wales
The plant grows in the temperate zone of the Australian state of New South Wales (red, above) and in the more specific region of New England (light beige, below) along its Northern Tablelands.

Persoonia terminalis subspecies terminalis is found in the Torrington-Binghi area on the western parts of the far Northern Tablelands in New South Wales, roughly halfway between Glen Innes and the Queensland border, between 900 and 1,100 metres (3,000 and 3,600 ft) above sea level. It grows on acidic sandy or stony granite soils in dry sclerophyll forest.[4] The region is dotted with granite outcrops, where the subspecies is a component of Babingtonia odontocalyx–Brachyloma saxicola shrubland and Prostanthera staurophylla–Kunzea bracteolata low shrubland in the Torrington area, and Allocasuarina brachystachya shrubland in the Severn River Reserve.[15]

Subspecies recurva has two disjunct populations. One is found on the North Western Slopes in New South Wales, near Warialda northwest of Inverell, and the other is southwest of Inglewood in southeastern Queensland, between 350 and 450 metres (1,150 and 1,480 ft) above sea level. It grows on acidic sandstone-based sandy soils in dry sclerophyll forest.[4] Within the Warialda State Conservation Area, it is found in black cypress pine (Callitris endlicheri)‍—‌dirty gum (Eucalyptus chloroclada) woodland and smooth-barked apple (Angophora leiocarpa)‍—‌black cypress pine woodland.[8] Although subspecies recurva has not been recorded from Kings Plains National Park, it could be expected to be found there as there is suitable habitat.[16]

Both subspecies are found in the Arakoola Nature Reserve, where they are components of a woodland ecological community dominated by smooth-barked apple and long-fruited bloodwood (Corymbia dolichocarpa), which grows on sandstone soils.[17]

Ecology

Persoonia terminalis grows in a fire-prone habitat, where fire is essential for many species to regenerate. Subspecies terminalis is killed by bushfire and regenerates from seed,[18] which lies dormant in the soil.[19] Large numbers of Persoonia seedlings appear after fire.[9]

Colletid bees of the genus Leioproctus subgenus Cladocerapis exclusively forage on and pollinate flowers of many species of Persoonia. Bees of subgenus Filiglossa in the same genus that also specialise in feeding on Persoonia flowers do not appear to be effective pollinators. The fruit are adapted to be eaten by vertebrates, such as kangaroos and possums, as well as currawongs and other large birds.[9]

Cultivation potential

It has been proposed that cultivating the plant will aid in its conservation. Cultivating the plant would most likely require good water drainage, a sunny or part-shaded position and acidic soil. P. terminalis is hardy to heavy frosts, and is expected to fare better in a temperate rather than subtropical garden climate. Propagation would theoretically be by seed or by taking cuttings of new growth,[20] though persoonias as a genus are generally difficult to propagate by any means in cultivation.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Persoonia nutans subsp. D[1]
  2. ^ The 'R' signifies the taxon as rare but with no current identifiable threat, and the '3' indicates it has a range of over 100 km, though in small populations.[11]
  3. ^ The '2' indicates it has a range of under 100 km.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Weston, P.H. (2002). Harding, G.J. (ed.). Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 2. UNSW Press. ISBN 978-0-86840-609-1. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Holotype of Persoonia terminalis L.A.S.Johnson & P.H.Weston [family PROTEACEAE]". Global Plants; JSTOR. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Australian weather and seasons – a variety of climates". australia.gov.au. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Weston, Peter H.; Johnson, Lawrence Alexander Sydney (1991). "Taxonomic changes in Persoonia (Proteaceae) in New South Wales". Telopea. 4 (2): 369–406 [281–83].
  5. ^ a b c "Persoonia terminalis L.A.S.Johnson & P.H.Weston". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  6. ^ "National Herbarium of New South Wales". anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Persoonia chamaepitys". anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  8. ^ a b Hunter, John T. (2015). "Vegetation and flora of the Stonehenge section of the Warialda State Conservation Area" (PDF). doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.1239.9201. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Weston, Peter H. (2003). "Proteaceae subfamily Persoonioideae: Botany of the Geebungs, Snottygobbles and their Relatives". Australian Plants. 22 (175): 62–78 [70]. ISSN 0005-0008.
  10. ^ a b P.H. Weston. "New South Wales Flora Online: Persoonia terminalis". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
  11. ^ a b Walters, Brian (February 2010). "Threatened Flora Lists". ANPSA website. Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  12. ^ a b "PlantNET – FloraOnline". nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  13. ^ Hunter, John T.; Clarke, Peter J. (1998). "The Vegetation of Granitic Outcrop Communities on the New England Batholith of Eastern Australia" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 5 (3): 547–618 [594].
  14. ^ Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1991). Banksias, Waratahs and Grevilleas. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. pp. 475–76. ISBN 0-207-17277-3.
  15. ^ Hunter, John T.; Clarke, Peter J. (1998). "The vegetation of granitic outcrop communities on the New England Batholith of eastern Australia" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 5 (3): 547–615.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Hunter, John T. (2015). "Flora Survey of Kings Plains National Park: A Report to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service" (PDF). doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.1740.2724. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Hunter, John T. (2003). "Vegetation and flora of Arakoola Nature Reserve, North Western Slopes, New South Wales" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 8 (2): 188–201.
  18. ^ Clarke, Peter J.; Knox, Kirsten J. E. (2002). "Post-fire response of shrubs in the tablelands of eastern Australia: do existing models explain habitat differences?". Australian Journal of Botany. 50 (1): 53–62. doi:10.1071/BT01055.
  19. ^ Clarke, Peter J.; Knox, Kirsten J. E.; Campbell, Monica L.; Copeland, Lachlan M. (2009). "Post-fire recovery of woody plants in the New England Tableland Bioregion" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 11 (2): 221–39.
  20. ^ Elliot, Rodger W.; Jones, David L.; Blake, Trevor (1997). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation. Vol. 7: N–Po. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Lothian Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-85091-634-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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