i THE VASCULAR EPIPHYTE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA by Ben J.Wallace Appendix 1 to Ph.D. Thesis ( ONTENTS Preamble to Key. i Maps A-D showing geographic localities ............. iii Key to the Major Groups ........ _ ..................... 1 Key to genera of Group 1. .... .. 6 II II II " ti 2 .. 14 II " It " 3..... ...... 39 II II II It " 4 ................... 43 " " " " " 5 .................. 107 II II II " " 6. ................ 150 " " " " II 7. 156 II II " II " 8 .... 228 Provisional List ................................ 268 References. 269 Index ..... 272 -,--------~---~-----~----·-------~~--- ---~~- ------- -----------~--------··---·---- --··----·----------·---·---------~-·-- ii The Australian Vascular Epiphyte Flora Preamble to Key The geographic area that this flora covers is continental Australia, Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait, as well as near offshore islands but not, e.g. Lord Howe and Norfolk Is, as these have a flora more related to that of New Caledonia. The plants that the key is intended for use with includes all species that habitually grow on trees or rocks, as well as those terrestrials that climb and develop significant root system on trees. For a definition and discussion of these groups, see the section of the flora chapter on epiphyte classification. A few facultative lithophyte/terrestrial spp. are included in the key for the sake of completeness and comparison where there is only one or a few such in a large group of otherwise epiphytic spp. e.g. Hymenophyllaceae and Asplenium. The key is an indented dichotomous one and is artificial, since wherever possible, it is based on features that are permanently present on the plant and readily observable, i.e. features that are often not important taxonomically. Taxa in the ultimate parts - the keysto the spp. - are arranged in systematic order as modified from various authors, e.g. Scagel (1965), Sporne (1970), Copeland (1947), Dressler (1981) etc. The flora is arranged so that there is firstly a key to 8 major groups, viz., eusporangiate pteridophytes, filmy ferns, typical ferns with simple, entire fronds, typical ferns with lobed to compound fronds, dicots, non­ orchid monocots, sympodial orchids and monopodial orchids. These groups are then keyed to genera and finally, in a third tier, species are keyed out (sub-specific taxa are mostly not keyed but are mentioned within the text of the species description). Each species is then briefly described to an extent* that should allow positive determinations and the name is accompanied by the sp. author and most recent taxonomic combination citation in standard abbreviation and a list of most of the synonyms. Diagrams are given for almost all spp. as an aid to identification, either as an inset of a key feature or on diagram pages; the great majority were * Details given in family and generic descriptions or in prece.ding arms of the key are not repeated in each sp. description, therefore, refer back to these if necessary. iii drawn from fresh or preserved field material, fresh greenhouse material or photographs of any of these. It must be noted that family, generic and spp. descriptions apply only to the local flora and are not meant to cover exotic representatives. iv Jan~+Ra. :~i:: ·. ·. ~:::: :::::::;::::·:.... \j ....Jrcn IYIJ-.1c:>2~,. , 'v R.ct . --r;z.e ..-- !<Q. D -·· .-·· .,:.< ... (' .. -:~ B .Ki~ B'-'"Y"' f'll~s f J)-\trMel>a.<li'lq ~ A HffrsUb..-. t1''""3e.-R. IYlac.l=y R.. ' :.-s-l-in9s R.. rsoo N<wca.s-1\e Maps A,B,C & D, showing geographic localities mentioned in text. 1 THE VASCULAR EPIPHYTE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA Key to the Major Groups 1. Spore-bear•in:7 plants (pteriodphytes) . 2. Sporangia massive., lacking an annulus (eusporangiate - see Figs. lb, e,i,j) sessile or virtually so and either solitary or fused into bi­ or trilocular or spicate synangia; aerial stems, when present, bearing scattered scale-like, or crowded leaf-like microphylls less than 2 cm long and if branching, then dichotomously so. (Figs. la-j;p.2) .... Group 1 (Fern allies & eusporangiate ferns) p.6 2*.Sporangia of delicate structure., uJith an annulus (leptosporangiate - see Figs. 2a,b) stalked and either groupedinto discrete sori which may be protected by an indusium or naked, (see Figs. 2d-j; p. 3) or ± covering the frond undersurface; stems bearing true leaves and not branching dichotomously. 3. Frond lamina filmy., one or -two cells thick; sporangia borne on a thread-like receptacle and surrounded by a tubular ot two-lipped indusium (Fig. 2k,l); plants mostly growing in particularly moist, humid, shaded sites . .... Group 2 (Filmy Ferns - Hymenophyllaceae) p.14 3*.Frond lamina several to many cell layers thick; sori not as ahove; plants growing in various microhabitats. 4. Fronds simple and entire (margins may be sinuate or crenate - see Figs. 2e,m; p.3) . ... Group 3 (Typical ferns with simple, entire fronds) p. 39 4*.Fronds lobed., dissected or compound (Figs. 2n-q; p.3) . ... Group 4 (Typical ferns with with lobed, dissected or compound leaves) p. 43 1 * .FlouJering plan lD. 2 d. e. c. h. 2 (l'Yl g. Figure 1. Eusporangiate Pteridophytes. a. Pailotum nudum , pendulous frond, showing typical, regular dichot­ omous branching. b. P. complanatum trilocular synanqium in axil of bifid scale. C. aerial stem end, of same. J. Tmeaiptel'ia ovata , habit. e. terminal portion .of aerial branch of T. truncata with two bifid sporophylls , each bearing a bilocular synangium. f. Lycopodium phlegmal'ia , hab~t , g. terminal part of strobilus, h. side ~1ew of sporangium and subtending sporophyll 1. underside of same. j. Ophio~losaum pendulum - basal part of fertile frond with spicate synangium. 4 5. Dicotyledons : flower parts in whorls of 4 or 5; inflorescence not a spadix (except in Peperomia which lack spathes or special bracts - Fig. 3b); leaves with reticulate venation (Fig. 3a) and if fleshy, then opposite or whorled (Figs. 3a,b) and petiolate (alternate and± sessile in one or two Peperomia spp.) ; plants woody or herbaceous . .. Group 5 (Magnoliatae or Dicots) p.107 5* .Monocotyledons : flower parts in whorls of 3; EITHER, flowers orchidaceous (see Fig. 3k), OR, inflorescence a spadix subtended by a spathe (Fig. 3d) or several coloured, bract-like leaves (Fig. 3c); leaves with parallel venation or penniveinedt and if fleshy then alternate and usually (except in Araceae and a few orchids) with sheathing bases, or, plants leafless; herbs. 6. Growth monopodial (Figs. 3o,p) or apparently so, OR, plants leafless and virtually stemless~ OR, fanplants (i.e. very short-stemmed, leaves ± radially arranged and conduplicately fused or flattened in at least the lower half or so). 7. Inflorescence a spadix, either spathate or bracteate; leafy, vine­ like plants with long-creeping stems that are often closely appressed to the substrate (some may have free-standing or hanging, rootless, flowering branches); often with roots to the ground . .. Group 6 (Non-orchid Liliatae or Monocots.) p.150 ?*.Inflorescence a raceme (sometimes contracted to± umbellate or approaching spicate condition but never spathate or bracteate and the flowers relatively large); stems short- to medium-creeping but neither vine-like nor closely appressed to the substrate, or the plants vegetatively consisting simply of· a fascicle of roots; rarely with roots to the ground . .... Group 8 (Monopodial and fanplant orchids) p.228 6*.Growth sympodiaZ (Figs. 31,m,n), if leafless then with pseudobulbs (Fig. 3g) . ... Group 7 (Sympodial orchids) p.156 t more or less reticulate in Epipremnum . --·- ·----~ 5 I \\ 0. Figure 3. Flowering Plants. a. whorled leaves (3-merous) & reticulate venation - Rhododendron /,ochae. b. Peperomia tetraphyl/,a - inflorescence a spadix (naked) & leaves in 4-merous whorls. C. Freycinetia exce~Ba inflorescence - spadix surrounded by coloured bracts. d. sPathate spadix - Epipremnum pinnatwn. e. Scinda;sus altiasimus leaf - penniveined with basally stem-claspinq petiole. f .. leaf with ~arallel venation & sheath­ ing base - Cjmbidium madidum. q.- i. leafless orchids - Q. Bul/Jophyilum minutissimum, sympodial & pseudobulbous, h.Taenio­ th::: ZZum ;landuZosU/11 & i. Chilosahista phy lZorhiaa - both monopodial & ± stemless. j. fanplant - Oberonia palmiaola. k. orchidaceous flower (Dendrobiwn graailicaule) : ov, ovary; se, sepals; pe, petals (lateral); an, anther; at, stiqma; & distinguishing characters, co, column, fusion structure of androecium, stvle & stiqma; la, labellum, heavily modified media petal. 1., m. schematic diagrams of sympodial qrowth, 1. with terminal inflorescences, m. with lateral inflorescences. n. eg. of latter, l'. agrostophi:,!lwr., o. monopodial growth p. e9. of latter, Pler1torr•hiza tridentata. 6 AUSTRALIAN VASCULAR EPIPHYTES Key to the Genera Group 1 Fern Allies and Eusporangiate Ferns 1. Leaves (microphylls) less them 5 cm long. 2. Aerial stems dichotomously branched (see Figs. la,f p.2) 3. Microphylls few, 1-2 mm long, scale-like, appressed and broadly attached; stems flattened, or triangular or square in cross section. (Fi gs. la-c ; p. 2) .... Psilotum (Psilotaceae) p. 7 3*. Microphylls numerous, 5-25 mm long, not ocale-Zike, free standing and attached by a constricted section; stems± round in cross section. (Figs. lf-i ; p. 2) .... Lycopodium (Lycopodiaceae) p.10 2*. Aerial stems not branched, (rarely so in T.elongata Dang.) but bearing numerous oblong to falcate, decurrent, mucronate microphylls 5-25 mm long (Figs. ld,e ; p. 2) .... Tmesipteris (Tmesipteridaceae) p. 7 l*. Leaves 15 cm to 2m long, 5-30 mm wide, ribbon-like,