Short and Hosking, A new species of Minuria (Asteraceae: Astereae) 
411 
The above description is based on the holotype specimen from Blackfellows Knob, 
duplicates of Hosking 1578 from Woodsreef that are held at AD and DNA, and notes 
supplied by JRH to the senior author. The limited sample suggests that both 
populations can be differentiated from each other by several morphological 
characteristics. At the Woodsreef populations the ray cypselas may be shortly beaked, 
the pappus bristles of the ray florets are c. 3 mm long, there are 14-22 pappus bristles 
per disc floret and the corolla tube of the disc florets is c. 3 mm long. In the holotype 
specimen manifestly beaked cypselas are absent, the pappus bristles of the ray florets 
are 2-2.2 mm long, there may be fewer pappus bristles in the disc floret and the corolla 
tube in disc florets is c. 2-2.4 mm long. The colour of the ray corollas also differs 
between populations. At the type locality the rays are almost white or pale pink, at 
Woodsreef they are pale purple, drying to dark purple. 
Specimens examined (excluding type): New South Wales: North Western Slopes: steep slope 
above Ironbark Creek, west of Woodsreef asbestos mine, 30°24'H"S, 150°43'24"E, altitude 500 m, 
Hosking 1578 & Watts, 19 June 1998 (AD, BRI, CANB, DNA, MEL, NSW, NE); same location, Hosking 
635, 25 Nov 1992 (CBG, MEL, NE, NSW); Woodsreef, Barraba, Rupp s.n., Apr 1913 (NSW 122362); 
same location, Rupp s.n,, Aug 1913 (NSW 122361). 
Acknowledgments 
We thank Emma Short for providing the Latin diagnosis, Beth Chandler for the 
botanical illustration and Paul Munns for the map. We also thank James Fensbo for 
access to the magnesite mine area northeast of Attunga and various land managers in 
the Department of Land and Water Conservation for access to serpentinite areas east 
of Chaffey Dam and at Woodsreef. 
References 
Hosking, J.R. & James, T.A. (1998) Native and exotic flora of the North Western Slopes upstream 
of the junction of the Peel and Namoi Rivers, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5: 721-766. 
Lander, N.S. (1992) Minuria. Pp. 167-169 in Harden, G.J. (ed.). Flora of New South Wales, vol. 3. 
(New South Wales University Press: Kensington). 
Lander, N.S. & Barry, R. (1980) A review of the genus Minuria DC. (Asteraceae, Astereae). Nuytsia 
3: 221-237. 
Short, P.S. (1981) Pollen-ovule ratios, breeding systems and distribution patterns of some Australian 
Gnaphaliinae (Compositae: Inuleae). Muelleria 4: 395-417. 
Watanabe, K., Short, P.S., Kosuge, K. & Smith-White, S. (1991) The cytology of Brachyscome Cass. 
(Asteraceae: Astereae). 11. Hybridization between B. goniocarpa Sond. & F. Muell. (n = 4) and 
B. dichromosomatica C. R. Carter (n = 2). Austral. /. Bot. 39:475-485. 
Manuscript received 20 September 1999 
Manuscript accepted 16 February 2000 
Note added in proof 
After this paper had been accepted for publication an additional population (Hosking 
1846, CANB, DNA, MEL, NE, NSW) of M. scoparia, also growing on serpentinite soil, 
was found alongside Carters Road east of 'Boonara', 31°47'36"S, 151°36'33"E, altitude 
580 m. This is in the North Coast botanical region of New South Wales, approximately 
60 km southeast of the type locality at Blackfellows Knob. 
