A key to Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae) in Western Australia

Abstract

Ptilotus R.Br. (Amaranthaceae) is a genus of approximately 120 species, all of which are native to continental Australia and with most of the diversity occurring in Western Australia (Hammer et al. 2015). The key presented here for 96 Western Australian taxa is a continuation of on-going work to produce an Australia-wide key for Ptilotus by the authors, which was originally presented on KeyBase (available at http://keybase.rbg.vic.gov.au/keys/show/6609, accessed 16 August 2018; previously mentioned in Hammer & Davis 2018). The Western Australian key was constructed by examining specimens lodged at the Western Australian Herbarium (PERTH) and includes all of the 93 named species now recognised (i.e. excluding P. petiolatus Farmar and including P. unguiculatus T.Hammer; see Hammer 2018). The subspecies of P. polakii F.Muell., P. sericostachyus (Nees) F.Muell. and P. stirlingii (Lindl.) F.Muell. are also included in the key. However, the infraspecific taxa of P. drummondii (Moq.) F.Muell., P. obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. and P. schwartzii (F.Muell.) Tate, currently recognised on the plant census for Western Australia, were excluded pending on-going studies into their taxonomic status. Also excluded from the key are the phrase names P. sp. Beaufort River (G.J. Keighery 16554), P. sp. Mt Narryer (A.S. George 17484) and P. sp. Porongorup (R. Davis 10805), which are in need of further study.