Levenhookia dubia Sond., in J.G.C. Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1(3): 392. 1845, as Leeuwenhookia

Wege, Juliet A., 2020, Styleworts under the microscope: a taxonomic account of Levenhookia (Stylidiaceae), PhytoKeys 151, pp. 1-47 : 1

4. Levenhookia dubia Sond., in J.G.C. Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1(3): 392. 1845, as Leeuwenhookia Figs 2J, K , 4B

Levenhookia creberrima F.Muell., Fragm. 3(21): 121. 1862, as Leeuwenhoekia . Type. Australia. South Australia: St Vinc[ent] Gulf, 1851, F. Mueller s.n. (syntype: MEL 2257614); Gipps Land, [no date] F. Mueller s.n. (syntype: K 000060105); Victoria, [no date] F. Mueller s.n. (possible syntype: GH 00033478 image!, MEL 2254071).

Leewenhoekia dubia , orth. var.: F. von Mueller, Syst. Census Austral. Pl.: 86. 1882.

Type.

Australia. Western Australia: In sublimosis humidis prope Bassandeen [Bassendean] ad fluvium cygnorum, [1838-1842] L. Preiss 2252 (lectotype, here designated: MEL 2257601; isolectotypes: FI 006941, G 00358739 image!, G 00358740 image!, LD 1730835 image!, MEL 2412198, MEL 2257599, P 00712438 image!, S 06-3637, W); Swan River [1841], J. Drummond 516 (syntypes: BM 000948743, G 00358738 image!, K 000060096, K 000060108, OXF, MEL 2257600, MEL 2257596, W [2 sheets])

Description.

Annual herb 1.2-9 cm high. Glandular hairs 0.1-0.5 mm long. Stem dark red or pale reddish to greenish brown, simple or with porrect lateral branches, glandular-hairy. Leaves cauline, scattered, green or reddish; lamina ovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic, sometimes narrowly so, 1-10 mm long including the petiole, 0.5-3 mm wide, subacute to acute, glandular-hairy abaxially and on the margins, sometimes also adaxially near the base. Flowers in short racemes or corymbs, 1-40(-ca. 70) per plant; bracts oblanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic (sometimes narrowly so), 1.2-9 mm long, glandular-hairy like the leaves; pedicels 0.5-5(-10) mm long, glandular-hairy. Hypanthium depressed globose to globose, ellipsoid or obovoid, 0.7-2.2 mm long, 0.7-1.8 mm wide, glandular-hairy. Calyx lobes ± equal, 0.7-2.2 mm long, acute, glandular-hairy. Corolla white or more rarely pale pink, with a yellow throat, rarely with faint red-pink markings at the base the lobes; lobes ± equal and evenly arranged or with the anterior (lower) lobes scarcely longer and broader than the posterior pair, spreading to scarcely recurved, obovate or elliptic, 1.2-3 mm long, 0.8-2 mm wide, retuse or rounded, glabrous or with a few glandular hairs abaxially towards base; tube 1-3 mm long, ± equal to or up to 1.2 mm longer than the calyx lobes, white, sparsely glandular-hairy distally. Labellum ventral, 0.6-1 mm long, ± sessile; hood yellow to whitish, sometimes with pinkish red markings, sparsely glandular-hairy abaxially, without an appendage at the cleft apex; basal appendages absent or rudimentary and obtuse. Column sheath yellowish, glabrous, reduced to a scarcely lobed rim to ca. 0.2 mm high on the anterior side, connate with the posterior corolla lobes forming a smooth, thickened pad, pendulous appendages absent. Column creamy yellow, adnate to the anterior side of the corolla tube, 1.3-2.5 mm long with the top 0.5-0.8 mm free and gently forward-arched when enclosed by the labellum, glabrous; stigmatic lobes to ca. 0.3 mm long, the lower-most sharply upturned and developing while the column is hooded, the upper lobe incurved and developing later. Capsule globose, ovoid or obovoid, 1.2-2.2 mm long excluding calyx lobes. Seeds 0.25-0.4 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide.

Diagnostic features.

Levenhookia dubia has a glandular-hairy stem, acute calyx lobes, a corolla tube roughly equal to or a little longer than the calyx lobes, and a ± sessile labellum that lacks an apical appendage.

Phenology.

Flowering from August to November, with fruits recorded from mid-September to November.

Distribution.

Levenhookia dubia is widespread across southern mainland Australia, with records spanning near coastal areas to the semi-arid interior (Fig. 4A ). There are several historical collections from mainland Tasmania and Flinders Island from the 1800s (see additional information under 'Conservation status’).

Habitat.

Levenhookia dubia grows in sand, sandy loam or clay loam, often in depressions or shallow drainage areas, near creek-lines or in damp soils associated with rocky outcropping including granite monoliths. It commonly grows with other ephemeral herbs, often in open Eucalyptus forest or mallee woodland, or shrubland with Acacia , Allocasuarina , Callitris or Melaleuca .

Conservation status.

This widespread species is not currently considered to be at risk ( IUCN 2012: Least Concern); however, it is currently listed as extinct in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 ( Tasmanian Government 2019). Although historically recorded from Brighton, Flinders Island and Mount Field ( Spicer 1878; Rodway 1903), the sole collection from this State at the Tasmanian Herbarium is one by William Archer that lacks locality information; accordingly, the veracity of these early works has been questioned (e.g. Gray 2011). I have recently viewed material collected in Tasmania at the National Herbarium of Victoria, specifically, collections by William Spicer (from Pontville near Brighton: MEL 2257574, 2257575 and 2257577) and Joseph Milligan (from the Strzelecki Peaks on Flinders Island: MEL 2257576) that support a distribution that includes Tasmania and provide information for future survey efforts. Appropriately timed searches in the Strzelecki National Park that focus on herb fields, moss beds or open runoff areas associated with granite outcropping, may lead to its rediscovery. In the absence of a corresponding voucher, the Mount Field locality of Rodway (1903) cannot be confirmed and is interpreted as a likely error.

Etymology.

From the Latin dubius (doubtful), alluding to Sonder’s (1845) uncertainty with regards to its generic classification.

Vernacular name.

Hairy Stylewort ( Erickson 1958).

Typification.

Sonder examined and annotated specimens of L. dubia in his personal herbarium (now at MEL), as well as material at BM and LD, all of which conform to the protologue. The designated lectotype (MEL 2257601) is the best quality material.

Notes.

In south-eastern Australia, L. dubia may be confused with L. sonderi (refer to the comparative notes under that species).

Illustrations.

F. von Mueller, Pl. Indig. Victoria Pl. 48. 1865, as Leeuwenhoekia creberrima ; B.J. Grieve & W.E. Blackall, How to know W. Austral. wildfl. 4: 765, no. 1. 1982; H.R. Toelken in J.P. Jessop & H.R. Toelken, Fl. S. Austral. ed. 4: 1419, fig. 639A. 1986; G.R.M. Dashorst & J.P. Jessop, Plants of the Adelaide plains and hills 138, fig. 9. 1990; E.J. Raulings in N.G. Walsh & T.J. Entwisle, Fl. Victoria 4: 583, fig. 111c. 1999; J. Wheeler, N. Marchant & M. Lewington, Fl. South West 2: 902. 2002; L.C. Stanberg in G. Harden, Fl. New South Wales 3: 12. 1992.

Selected specimens examined.

Australia. Western Australia: Garden Rock 16 km along Cue and Sandstone road, 17 Aug 2003, G. Byrne 371 (PERTH); Pigeon Rocks, Sep 1973, S. James 73.9/13 (PERTH); Mt Willgonarinya, ca. 72 km S of Balladonia Motel, Eyre Highway, 15 Sep 1980, K.R. Newbey 7403 (PERTH); Location 1105, ca. 22 km N of Coast at Stokes Inlet, 27 Sep 1968, A.E. Orchard 1220 (AD, PERTH); The Humps, near Hyden, 13 Sep 1983, R. Ornduff 9309-15 (PERTH); Woody Island, 5 Oct 2003, E. Rippey 582 (PERTH); 100 m S of Gura-Beekeepers Road junction, 3 Oct 1988, D. Rose 710 (PERTH); Dingo Rock, 11 km W of Manmanning, 7 Sep 2002, B.H. Smith 2010 (MEL); Quairading Nature Reserve, 27 Sep 2007, K.R. Thiele 3360 (PERTH); granite outcrop near Phillips River crossing on Aerodrome Road, NW of Ravensthorpe, 28 Sep 1997, J.A. Wege 376, R. Butcher & C. Wilkins (PERTH); granite apron, E side of Mt Hampton, 20 Sep 2010, J.A. Wege 1773 & C. Wilkins (K, MEL, PERTH); 8.9 km S of Talbot West Road on Yarra Road, WSW of York, 25 Sep 2011, J.A. Wege 1836 & B.P. Miller (PERTH); S of Thomas River mouth, Cape Arid National Park, 10 Oct 2011, J.A. Wege 1860 & C. Wilkins (PERTH); N of Koorda - Cadoux Rd, just E of Rabbit Proof Fence Rd, Noorajin Soak Nature Reserve, 11 Sep 2018, J.A. Wege 2062 (PERTH); South Australia: ca. 15 km W of Murray Bridge, 2 Oct 1974, J. Carrick 3826 (AD); ca. 4 km NE of Weetulta, 29 Sep 1968, B. Copley 2292 (AD); Waterfall Gully, ca. 9.5 km SE of Adelaide, 14 Oct 1957, Hj. Eichler 14309 (AD); Carappee Hill Conservation Park, 24 Sep 2003, P.J. Lang & P.D. Canty BS128-2267 (AD); Rockleigh Bushland Conservation Reserve, 22 Sep 2013, D.E. Murfet 7615 (AD); Gosse-Ritchie Rd, 4.4 km N of South Coast Rd, Kangaroo Island, 8 Oct 1990, B. Overton 1302 (AD); North Wilpena Creek, Wilpena Pound, Flinder’s Ranges, 22 Sep 1973, A.J.A. Sikkes 788 (AD, CANB, PERTH); Manning Reserve near MacLaren Flat, 30 Oct 1963, D.J.E. Whibley 1297 (AD); New South Wales: E side of Cuttabri Rd, 6.7 km due SW of Cuttabri, 18 Oct 2016, D.E. Albrecht 14714 & R. Jobson (CANB); Jingellic Nature Reserve, Black Ridge Firetrail, Coppabella Creek catchment, 3.75 km N of Jingellic, 11 Nov 2003, I. Crawford 7922 (CANB); 30 m N of Walleroobie Rd, 200 m E of intersection with Ardlethan-Coolamon road, 27 Sep 2003, D. Mallison 680 (CANB); S end of Narrandera Range, W of Mt Bogolong, ca. 3 km N of Newell Hwy and 11 km ENE of Narrandera, 1 Oct 1978, T.B. Muir 6074 (MEL); Victoria: Dookie Agricultural College Reserve (hill 4 km S of Mt Major), 30 Sep 1992, I. Crawford 1910, S. Mann & D. Robinson (CANB); 1 km SW of Chewton and 4 km ESE of Castlemaine, 6 Oct 1981, T.B. Muir 6742 (CANB, MEL); ca. 1 km N of Tallarook, 12 Oct 1978, H.S. Meyer 23 (MEL); Paddles Quarry Block, 29 Sep 1988, A. Paget 469 (MEL); Grampians National Park, Golton Track, ca. 50-100 m E of Mt Zero Rd, 25 Sep 2014, R.W. Purdie 9711 (CANB, MEL); Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Junction of Woolshed Rd with Masons Track, 13 Oct 2016, N.G. Karunajeewa 1451 (MEL); Tasmania: Flinders Island, Strzeleckys [sic] Peak, [1844] J. Milligan s.n. (MEL); Pontville, [1874-1878] W.W. Spicer s.n. (MEL).

Figures

Figure 2. Labellum and column movement in Levenhookia. Black arrow = labellum hooded over column; white arrow = labellum ' triggered' to release column; yellow arrow = labellum repositioned following column release; blue arrow = column position immediately following release from labellum A L. stipitata (unvouchered, Augusta area, Western Australia) B L. aestiva (J. A. Wege 2090) C-E L. leptantha (J. A. Wege 2063), with labellum enclosing the column (C), triggered to release the column which moves to the opposite side of the flower (D) and subsequently repositioned (E) with the stigmatic lobes developed F L. aestiva (J. A. Wege 2090), labellum triggered with column momentum stopped by the sheath at the base of the corolla lobes G, H L. pauciflora (at J. A. Wege 1071 & C. Wilkins): note the unusual, distally-angled column and brush-tipped labellum I L. murfetii (J. A. Wege 2060): note the dorsal position of the labellum; J, K L. dubia, with the labellum opening (but not otherwise moving) to release the column (K). Photos by R. W. Davis (A, B) and J. A. Wege (C-K).

Figure 4. Comparative distributions and floral morphologies A, B Levenhookia dubia, with a widespread distribution across southern Australia and flowers with acute calyx lobes and a simple, sessile labellum (K. R. Thiele 3360) C, D L. leptantha, a widespread Western Australian endemic with an exserted corolla tube and fleshy bracts (J. A. Wege 1828) E, F L. pulcherrima, a poorly-known Western Australian endemic with an exserted corolla tube and distinctive corolla lobe shape and markings (J. A. Wege 1937). Photos by K. R. Thiele (B, D) and J. A. Wege (F). Scale bar on maps 1000 km.