Strelitzia Nicolai (Strelitziaceae): a New Species, Genus and Family Weed Record for New South Wales
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume 20: 1–3 ELOPEA Publication date: 30 January 2017 T dx.doi.org/10.7751/telopea11022 Journal of Plant Systematics plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Telopea • escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/TEL • ISSN 0312-9764 (Print) • ISSN 2200-4025 (Online) Strelitzia nicolai (Strelitziaceae): a new species, genus and family weed record for New South Wales Marco F Duretto1,4, Seanna McCune1, Reece Luxton2 and Dennis Milne3 1National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. 2Clarence Valley Council, Locked Bag 23, Grafton, NSW 2460, Australia. 3Yuraygir Landcare, Minnie Water, NSW 2462, Australia. 4Author for correspondence: [email protected] Abstract Strelitzia nicolai Regel & Körn. (Strelitziaceae), a native of South Africa, is newly recorded as a sparingly naturalised weed for New South Wales and represents new family, generic and species records for the state. Descriptions, notes and identification key are provided for the family, genus and species. Introduction Strelitzia nicolai Regel & Körn. (Giant White Bird of Paradise or Natal Wild Banana; Strelitziaceae), a native of South Africa, is a common horticultural subject in eastern Australia. Recently a small colony of plants was discovered at Minnie Water (c. 60 km NNE of Coffs Harbour, North Coast, New South Wales). The colony is of note as some plants were 8 m tall (suggesting they had been there for some time) and that they were setting viable seed. Seedlings were found within this population and Milne and Luxton have observed that the species is being found in increasing numbers on council land and in National Parks of the area. The species has also been recorded from the Murri-yanna Track, Bidjigal Reserve (North Rocks, NW Sydney) in 2006, with vouchers lodged at the National Herbarium of New South Wales. This latter population consisted of approximately 20 seedlings. This area was visited by Duretto in 2015 and the population is extant with roughly the same number of plants. There were plants of different sizes (30–250 cm tall, the height being mostly leaf length) suggesting that they were of different ages and thus recruitment events. In addition it was noted that the plants were found not only along the track but scattered in the forest in wetter areas to a few 10’s of metres from the track. No mature plants were seen though plants are growing in private gardens bordering the reserve and these may be the seed source. The Atlas of Living Australia (http://www.ala.org.au/) and NSW BioNet (http://www.bionet.nsw.gov.au/) both have a few additional observational sightings of this species from the Sydney and Newcastle areas but with very little information. It would appear that Strelitzia nicolai has become sparingly naturalised in at least two localities in New South Wales. The species is well known and large and so awkward to collect. It may be underrepresented in Herbaria as people tend not to collect and send in familiar and/or large plants for identification. The species is sparingly naturalised in south-eastern Queensland (Queensland Government 2015). © 2017 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust 2 Telopea 20: 1–3, 2017 Duretto, McCune, Luxton and Milne 2 Telopea 20: 1–3, 2017 Duretto, McCune, Luxton and Milne The descriptions provided below were compiled from living material and the descriptions given in Wright (1913),The descriptions Dyer (1976) provided and Anderson below were (1998). compiled from living material and the descriptions given in Wright (1913), Dyer (1976) and Anderson (1998). Strelitziaceae (K.Schum.) Hutch. Strelitziaceae (K.Schum.) Hutch. Arborescent suckering plants or acaulescent plants with dichotomously branched stem. Leaves alternate, distichous;Arborescent sheath suckering without plants distinct or acaulescent ligule; petiole plants distinct, with indistinctdichotomously or absent; branched blade stem.entire, Leaves midrib alternate, distinct, lateraldistichous; veins sheath closely withoutset and parallel. distinct Inflorescence ligule; petiole a terminaldistinct, orindistinct lateral thyrsus, or absent; bearing blade cincinnate entire, midrib flower distinct, clusters inlateral axils veins of spathaceous closely set and bracts parallel. on an Inflorescence indeterminate a terminalmain axis. or Flowers lateral thyrsus, bisexual, bearing trimerous, cincinnate heterochlamydeous, flower clusters zygomorphic,in axils of spathaceous subtended bracts by carinate on an indeterminate bracteoles. Sepals main 3, axis.free orFlowers more orbisexual, less adnate trimerous, to petals. heterochlamydeous, Petals 3, variously connate,zygomorphic, equal subtended or very unequal. by carinate Stamens bracteoles. 5 or Sepals 6, staminodes 3, free or moreabsent; or anthersless adnate basifixed, to petals. elongate, Petals 3, 2-thecate, variously 4-sporangiate.connate, equal Ovary or very inferior, unequal. 3-locular, Stamens with 5 ordeeply 6, staminodes sunken septal absent; nectaries; anthers ovules basifixed, anatropus, elongate, 1 to numerous2-thecate, on4-sporangiate. axile placenta; Ovary style inferior, filiform. 3-locular, Fruit a dehiscent with deeply capsule. sunken Seeds septal inoperculate, nectaries; arillate, ovules withanatropus, a 1-layered, 1 to numerous starchless perisperm,on axile placenta; with copious style filiform. starchy Fruit endosperm. a dehiscent capsule. Seeds inoperculate, arillate, with a 1-layered, starchless perisperm, with copious starchy endosperm. The naturalised species of Strelitziaceae are distinguished from other plant families in New South Wales by usuallyThe naturalised being arborescent, species of Strelitziaceaehaving large banana-likeare distinguished leaves from (usually other > plant1 m long families including in New petiole) South Walesarranged by distichouslyusually being and arborescent, with an elliptic having lamina large and banana-like a main midrib, leaves and (usually the large > 1 flowers.m long Someincluding species petiole) in Strelitzia arranged are notdistichously arborescent and but with these an elliptic are not lamina naturalised and a andmain can midrib, be distinguished and the large by flowers. forming Some large species clumps in of Strelitzia large leaves are andnot arborescentthe large, showy but these and unequalare not naturalised tepals. and can be distinguished by forming large clumps of large leaves and the large, showy and unequal tepals. The family consists of three taxa native to southern Africa (Strelitzia, Bird of Paradise), Madagascar (Ravenala madagascariensisThe family consists Sonn., of three Travellers taxa native Palm) to andsouthern South Africa America (Strelitzia (Phenakospermum, Bird of Paradise), guyannense Madagascar (Rich.) (Ravenala Endl. ex Miq.)madagascariensis (Anderson 1998).Sonn., Strelitzia Travellers and Palm) Ravenala and South are common America in ( Phenakospermumhorticulture and only guyannense the former (Rich.) appears Endl. to beex Miq.)naturalised (Anderson while 1998).the latter Strelitzia may persist and Ravenala from dumped are common garden in refuse. horticulture and only the former appears to be naturalised while the latter may persist from dumped garden refuse. Key to genera Ravenala and Strelitzia (Strelitziaceae) Key to genera Ravenala and Strelitzia (Strelitziaceae) 1 Petals very unequal, the anterior pair connivent into a large sagittate structure with a central groove 1 enclosingPetals very stamens unequal, and the style; anterior posterior pair connivent petal small into and a largescalelike; sagittate arborescent structure or with not ....................a central groove Strelitzia enclosing stamens and style; posterior petal small and scalelike; arborescent or not .................... Strelitzia 1: Petals ± equal in shape though posterior one slightly smaller, not connivent; arborescent ......... Ravenala 1: Petals ± equal in shape though posterior one slightly smaller, not connivent; arborescent ......... Ravenala Strelitzia Banks, Strelitzia reginae [plate] (1788). Strelitzia Banks, Strelitzia reginae [plate] (1788). Type species: Strelitzia reginae Banks Type species: Strelitzia reginae Banks Arborescent and suckering or acaulescent and clumping with dichotomously branching corm like stems. InflorescenceArborescent and lateral. suckering Sepals orunequal, acaulescent the median and clumping sepal smaller with thandichotomously the lateral branchingpaired ones. corm Petals like strongly stems. unequal,Inflorescence free; lateral.the paired Sepals ones unequal, large, brightlythe median coloured, sepal conniventsmaller than into the a sagittatelateral paired structure ones. centrally Petals strongly with a grooveunequal, enclosing free; the the paired style ones and stamens;large, brightly the unpaired coloured, (posterior) connivent one into small. a sagittate Stamens structure 5, perfect. centrally Ovary with 2a rowsgroove of enclosingovules. Seeds the stylefew, globose, and stamens; with orange the unpaired woolly (posterior)aril. one small. Stamens 5, perfect. Ovary with 2 rows of ovules. Seeds few, globose, with orange woolly aril. A South African genus of 5–6 species. Three species, S. reginae (Bird of Paradise), S. nicolai and to a lesser extent S.A junceaSouth African Link, are genus widely of 5–6cultivated species. and Three important species, floricultural S. reginae (Bird plants. of Paradise),Strelitzia nicolaiS. nicolai is sparinglyand to a lesser naturalised extent inS. junceasouth-eastern Link, are Queensland widely cultivated