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Aim: Biodiversity studies typically use species, or more recently phylogenetic diversity (PD), as their analysis unit and produce a single map of observed diversity. However, observed biodiversity is not necessarily an indicator of significant biodiversity and therefore should not be used alone. By applying a small number of additional metrics to PD, with associated statistical tests, we can determine whether more or less of the phylogeny occurs in an area, whether branch lengths in an area are longer or shorter, and whether more long or short-branched endemism occurs in an area, than expected under a null model. Location: Australian continent. Methods: We used a phylogeny sampling 90% of Australia's angiosperm genera, and 3.4 million georeferenced plant specimens downloaded from Australia's Virtual Herbarium (AVH), to calculate PD, relative phylogenetic diversity (RPD) and relative phylogenetic endemism (RPE). Categorical analysis of neo- and palaeo-endemism (CANAPE) and randomization tests were performed to determine statistical significance. Results: We identify several combinations of significant PD and endemism across the continent that are not seen using observed diversity patterns alone. Joint interpretation of these combinations complements the previous interpretations of Australia's plant evolutionary history. Of conservation concern, only 42% of the significant endemism cells found here overlap with existing nature reserves. Main conclusions: These spatial phylogenetic methods are feasible to apply to a whole flora at the continental scale. Observed richness or PD is inadequate to fully understand the patterns of biodiversity. The combination of statistical tests applied here can be used to better explain biodiversity patterns and the evolutionary and ecological processes that have created them. The spatial phylogenetic methods used in this paper can be also be used to identify conservation priorities at any geographical scale or taxonomic level.

We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge. Measurement(s) plant trait Technology Type(s) digital curation Sample Characteristic - Organism Viridiplantae Sample Characteristic - Location Australia Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14545755

The diversification dynamics of the Australian temperate flora remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether differences in plant richness in the southwest Australian (SWA) biodiversity hotspot and southeast Australian (SEA) regions of the Australian continent can be attributed to higher net diversification, more time for species accumulation, or both. We assembled dated molecular phylogenies for the 21 most species-rich flowering plant families found across mesic temperate Australia, encompassing both SWA and SEA regions, and applied a series of diversification models to investigate responses across different groups and timescales. We show that the high richness in SWA can be attributed to a higher net rate of lineage diversification and more time for species accumulation. Different pulses of diversification were retrieved in each region. A decrease in diversification rate across major flowering plant lineages at the Eocene–Oligocene boundary (ca 34 Ma) was witnessed in SEA but not in SWA. Our study demonstrates the importance of historical diversification pulses and differential responses to global events as drivers of present-day diversity. More broadly, we show that diversity within the SWA biodiversity hotspot is not only the result of recent radiations, but also reflects older events over the history of this planet.

In this contribution, we treat all the names in the genus Eucalyptus published by F. Dehnhardt, including the much-discussed E. camaldulensis. Current opinion would suggest that Dehnhardt applied this name to a plant different from that to which the name has commonly been applied. Hence, E. camaldulensis was conserved with a conserved type. Despite this, we show that Dehnhardt's original description clearly applies to the modern delimitation of E. camaldulensis subsp. camaldulensis and that conservation of the name was not necessary. Two names are neotypified on the basis of material preserved in NAP and W: E. gigantea, and E. procera. These two names are confirmed to be synonyms of other currently accepted names. Eucalyptus pulchella (of which E. linearis is a synonym) is also neotypified. A second-step lectotypification is provided for E. globulus.

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) was demonstrated in four small endemic Australian terrestrial succulents from the genus Calandrinia (Montiaceae) viz. C. creethiae, C. pentavalvis, C. quadrivalvis and C. reticulata . CAM was substantiated by measurements of CO 2 gas-exchange and nocturnal acidification. In all species, the expression of CAM was overwhelmingly facultative in that nocturnal H + accumulation was greatest in droughted plants and zero, or close to zero, in plants that were well-watered, including plants that had been droughted and were subsequently rewatered, i.e. the inducible component was proven to be reversible. Gas-exchange measurements complemented the determinations of acidity. In all species, net CO 2 uptake was restricted to the light in well-watered plants, and cessation of watering was followed by a progressive reduction of CO 2 uptake in the light and a reduction in nocturnal CO 2 efflux. In C. creethiae, C. pentavalvis and C. reticulata net CO 2 assimilation was eventually observed in the dark, whereas in C. quadrivalvis nocturnal CO 2 exchange approached the compensation point but did not transition to net CO 2 gain. Following rewatering, all species returned to their original well-watered CO 2 exchange pattern of net CO 2 uptake restricted solely to the light. In addition to facultative CAM, C. quadrivalvis and C. reticulata exhibited an extremely small constitutive CAM component as demonstrated by the nocturnal accumulation in well-watered plants of small amounts of acidity and by the curved pattern of the nocturnal course of CO 2 efflux. It is suggested that low-level CAM and facultative CAM are more common within the Australian succulent flora, and perhaps the world succulent flora, than has been previously assumed.

Aim: Spring wetlands in arid regions of Australia provide habitat for many highly endemic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and plants, but these unique ecosystems have been under pressure since the arrival of Europeans about 250 years ago. Arguments over whether particular plant species are long-term spring inhabitants or recent immigrants are confounding efforts to conserve spring flora. One such example is the swamp foxtail, Cenchrus purpurascens, a grass that is variably listed in the literature as being native to Australian wetlands or as being an introduced weedy species from Asia. Location: Australia, China and Korea. Methods: We use DNA sequences of the nuclear ITS and the chloroplast DNA regions trnL-F and matK, complemented with newly designed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, to assess the native status of C. purpurascens in Australia and determine whether there is genetic differentiation among spring populations. Results: We find that, although there has been gene flow between Asia and Australia in the geological past, the populations are now strongly differentiated: C. purpurascens has probably been present in Australia through the Pleistocene. In Australia, there is also strong genetic differentiation among populations from different springs, and between springs and non-springs populations, indicating long-term occupancy of some springs sites. Main conclusions: Cenchrus purpurascens was present in Australia well before European colonization of the continent. The level of genetic differentiation among populations enhances the existing conservation values of Elizabeth Springs, Edgbaston, Doongmabulla and Carnarvon Gorge springs complexes within the Great Artesian Basin.

Sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nrDNA and rbcL cpDNA regions were used to determine relationships of genera of Brassicaceae from Australia and New Zealand (NZ) that were previously unassigned to a tribe. Maximum likelihood analysis of 71 ITS sequences identified a monophyletic clade of Australian genera, including Carinavalva and Microlepidium that had previously been assigned to the tribe Microlepidieae. Pachycladon is not supported as monophyletic, comprising a clade of the NZ species and another clade of the Tasmanian P. radicatum. These two Pachycladon clades form a polytomy with the Australian clade. Maximum likelihood analysis of the rbcL region generally supports the ITS analysis with the Australian genera forming a monophyletic clade with Pachycladon. Arabidella is polyphyletic in the rbcL phylogeny as A. eremigena is member of the Australian clade but A. trisecta is placed in a sister clade that comprises mainly genera of tribe Camelineae. As a result of these phylogenetic analyses the tribe Microlepidieae is expanded and now includes 16 genera and 56 species endemic to Australia and New Zealand. Genera included in the Microlepidieae are Arabidella, Ballantinia, Blennodia, Carinavalva, Cuphonotus, Drabastrum, Geococcus, Harmsiodoxa, Irenepharsus, Menkea, Microlepidium, Pachycladon, Pachymitus, Phlegmatospermum, Scambopus and Stenopetalum. Whole-genome duplication has previously been shown to have occurred in the ancestry of Arabidella, Ballantinia, Pachycladon and Stenopetalum and is likely to be a defining feature of the tribe Microlepidieae. Future research needs to investigate circumscription of the Australian genera as there is a predominance of closely related monotypic genera in the Microlepidieae. With resolution of the tribal placement of these Australian and New Zealand genera, ca. 94% (302) of the 321 genera in the family have been assigned to a tribe.

Rhizanthella speciosa, a new species of the remarkable Australian underground orchids, is  described as new from New South Wales. The new species, which is morphologically distinct and apparently  also genetically distinct from its congeners and strikingly beautiful with its sea-anemone-like flowerheads and  prominent attenuate sepals, grows in a different habitat than its geographically closest relative. Keywords:  Australian orchid flora, New underground orchid, Orchidoideae, Rhizanthella speciosa

Elaeocarpus hylobroma Y. Baba & Crayn, a new species endemic to mountaintops in the Wet Tropics bioregion in north-east Queensland, is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. Notes on habitat, distribution, conservation status and relationships are provided.

Field surveys in eastern North America confirm the naturalization of Glossostigma plants at 19 localities in four states: Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. DNA sequence analysis of individuals from 14 sampled populations identifies these nonindigenous plants as Glossostigma cleistanthum, a species native to Australia and New Zealand. These results correct prior misidentifications of North American plants as G. diandrum. The earliest North American record of G. cleistanthum (1992) is from a Ramsar tidal wetland in Connecticut. Morphological analyses demonstrate that G. cleistanthum differs from G. diandrum by its longer leaves and ability to produce both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers in response to ecological conditions. Glossostigma cleistanthum has a high reproductive potential and spreads rapidly within and between both artificial and natural habitats. A survey of more than 100 lakes indicated that G. cleistanthum occurs most often in waters with high clarity and low pH, alkalinity, conductivity, and phosphorous. Because of its affinity for oligotrophic conditions, this species is a particular threat to pristine natural aquatic communities, which often contain imperiled plants.