 |
| Drosera albonotata A.S.Rob., A.T.Cross, Meisterl & A.Fleischm. in Robinson, Cross, Meisterl & Fleischmann, 2018. |
Abstract
A new species of Drosera—Drosera albonotata—from the western Wheatbelt (Western Australia) is described and illustrated. The taxon, which is largely restricted to sandy clay loam soils in Wandoo woodland and shrubland, is morphologically similar to D. miniata and D. coomallo but can be distinguished by its distinct floral features and ecology. A distribution map of the new species and its allies and a revised and updated diagnostic key to the twelve recognised orange-flowered pygmy Drosera in Western Australia are provided.
Keywords: Australia, carnivorous plants, Droseraceae, Drosera section Bryastrum, non-core Caryophyllales, Taxonomy, Eudicots
 |
| Drosera albonotata A.S.Rob., A.T.Cross, Meisterl & A.Fleischm. a—habit of a plant with two inflorescences at anthesis. b—gemma, left adaxial surface, middle lateral view, right abaxial surface. c—leaf with attached stipule as well as unifacial marginal glands, which can be relatively short-lived and not always apparent later in the season, left adaxial surface, right abaxial surface d—petiole cross-section. e—stipule, abaxial surface. f—style arm with stigma. g—gynoecium. h—petal, adaxial surface. i—sepal, abaxial surface. j—stamens, right sub-mature with intact anthers, left mature with extrorse longitudinal thecal dehiscence initiating at anther apex. k— seed. a, c, h, j from living type material prior to pressing, b from cultivated material, d–g, i from herbarium material, k from cultivated material visualised by SEM. Drawn by A. S. Robinson. |
 |
| Drosera albonotata A.S.Rob., A.T.Cross, Meisterl & A.Fleischm. Living plants photographed in situ, showing left a flowering plant, and right a mature rosette. Photographs A.S. Robinson. |
Drosera albonotata A.S.Rob., A.T.Cross, Meisterl & A.Fleischm., sp. nov.
Type:— AUSTRALIA. Western Australia: Wandoo National Park, ....
Diagnosis:— Drosera albonotata is similar to D. miniata from which it can be distinguished by (contrasting features in parentheses) 1) its petals, which are pandurate (broadly obcuneate-obovate to obovate-subpandurate) and bear white, basal patches on either side of the midvein that are apparent both on the adaxial and abaxial petal surfaces (basal petal patches uniformly maroon-black), with more prominent venation including secondary and tertiary branching (less prominent, mostly limited to secondary branching), 2) its anther filaments, which are black at the base graduating to maroon-purple towards the thecae (filaments entirely white), 3) its sepals, which are apically more obtuse (more ovate) and inflorescences, both of which are distally more densely glandular than those of D. miniata, 4) by its more elliptic laminae (sub-orbiculate) with an average of five Type II unifacial marginal glands (seven Type II unifacial marginal glands), the abaxial surface with a greater density of eglandular trichomes.
 |
| A pollinator of Drosera albonotata, identified as a Melolonthid (Scarabaeidae) possibly in the genus Liparetrus (photograph by A.S. Robinson). |
Etymology:— the specific epithet albonotata is derived from the Latin albus (white) and notatus (marked), a reference to the two basal marks of white on each petal, the overall effect of which is a collar of white around the floral centre. This feature is wholly absent from Drosera miniata.
Alastair S. Robinson, Adam T. Cross, Manfred E. Meisterl and Andreas Fleischmann. 2018. A New Pygmy Sundew, Drosera albonotata (Droseraceae), from the western Wheatbelt and An updated Diagnostic Key to the Orange-flowered Pygmy Drosera of Western Australia. Phytotaxa. 346(3); 221–236. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.346.3.2
Researchgate.net/publication/358933879_New_Australian_Drosera_taxa_published_since_Allen_Lowrie's_Magnum_Opus
