408 
Telopea 8(4): 2000 
minutely bilobed, almost white to pale pink or purple; style branches pink. Cypselas 
laterally flattened, symmetrical or almost so, apically barely to manifestly constricted 
and sometimes forming a short beak to c. 0.3 mm long; fruit body oblanceolate in 
outline, 2-2.4 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide and more or less uniformly brown except for 
the carpopodium, with scattered hairs mainly on the margins and at and near the 
apex, the hairs eglandular, rigid, biseriate, minutely and slightly unevenly bilobed; 
carpopodium distinct, annular, white, of more or less quadrate cells and 4-6 cells 
wide; pedicel usually evident emerging from carpopodium. Pappus commonly 
appearing monomorphic, consisting of 21-31 uniseriate bristles of about equal length, 
the bristles 2-3.1 mm long and uniformly barbellate along their length, united at the 
base, sometimes with several minute, few-celled outgrowths at the bases of the main 
bristles. Disc florets male, 23-27; corolla actinomorphic, tubular, the tube 2-3.1 mm 
long, 5- or rarely 4-lobed, mainly yellow throughout but at least when dry the lobes 
pinkish. Anthers 5, 0.9-1.1 mm long, microsporangia 0.7-0.9 mm long, terminal 
appendage 0.2-0.25 mm long; pollen grains c. 1500 per floret; style barely divided, 
arms more or less oblong, dorsal surface pubescent below the point of bifurcation, the 
hairs apically obtuse. Cypselas non-functional, glabrous or with scattered hairs as in 
ray cypselas. Pappus generally appearing monomorphic, consisting of 9-22 uniseriate 
bristles uniformly barbellate along their length and c. the length of the corolla tube and 
united at their bases, sometimes minute few-celled outgrowths present between or 
perhaps at the bases of the main bristles. (Fig. 1). 
Etymology: the specific epithet reflects the distinctive broom-like habit. 
Distribution: confined to the North Western Slopes botanical region of New South 
Wales. It is known from four populations, i.e. from the type locality east of Chaffey 
Dam, from the site of an old magnesite mine north east of Attunga, from near 
Woodsreef asbestos mine and from near Upper Bingara (Fig. 2). 
Habitat: apparently restricted to serpentinite-derived, skeletal soils. The type 
collection is from an Angophora floribunda-Euccilyptus sp. aff. macrorhyncha woodland 
vvhere Acacia paradoxa is the dominant shrub and Triodia scariosa the dominant grass. 
1 he Attunga and Upper Bingara localities are similar. The Woodsreef locality is also in 
Eucalyptus sp. aff. macrorhyncha woodland and plants grow with grasses and herbs 
such as Aristida ramosa var. ramosa, Themeda trumdra, Lepidosperma lalerale, Senecio lautus 
subsp. dissectifolius and Cheilanthes distorts. More details of the vegetation of this region 
are outlined by Hosking and James (1998). 
Conservation status: the populations of M. scoparia fall within a stretch of 
approximately 160 km. The population east of Chaffey Dam is on government land 
vested in the Department of Land and Water Conservation, that at Woodsreef is on 
Crown Land, and those near Attunga and Upper Bingara are privately owned. All four 
are in areas that, due to steep slopes, are not often grazed by cattle or sheep. At the 
type locality and at Attunga and Upper Bingara the presence of Triodia scariosa also 
fnn erS t 8 w Z1 j 8 ' M f re than 50 plantS Were observed at th e type locality and more than 
I°ll!! 0 . 0dSree ' Tens ° f thousands were observed at the locality near Attunga 
g° 52 02 S ' | 50 ° 54 37 " E ' altitude 550 m). Only four plants were observed at the Upper 
Bingara locality (30°01'23"S, 150°37T7"E, altitude 590 m). The species is also likely to 
be found at other serpentinite localities between Bingara and Chaffey Dam. 
Although it is restricted in distribution the species is in no way endangered and given 
the size of the population near Attunga it should not be considered rare. 
Flowering period and breeding system: the species appears to flower for most of 
year, flowering being recorded for April, June, August and November. 
the 
