Briggs and Johnson, Hopkinsiaceae and Lyginiaceae 
487 
1. Hopkinsia anoectocolea (F. Muell.) D.F. Cutler, Kew Bull. 21: 61 (1967). 
Basionym: Lepyrodia anoectocolea F. Muell., Fragm. 8: 78 (1873). 
Type: Western Australia: W. A., /. Dr [Drummond] 6 (lecto, here selected MEL 14642; iso 
MEL 14640-1, 14643, 15097, B, BM, K, P). [Some isotypes may be $: such plants are 
difficult to distinguish from 6 when fruits have fallen.] 
Anarthria calovaginata Gilg in Engl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 35: 87 (April 1904). Hopkinsia 
calovaginata (Gilg) Gilg-Ben., Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2,15a: 17 (1930). 
Type: in distr. Avon pr. Tammin ... Dliels] 5090 5 , 25 Oct 1901 (iso PERTH). 
Hopkinsia scahrida W. Fitzg., J. Western Australia Nat. Hist. Soc. 1: 35 (May 1904). 
Type: Cunderdin, saline spots, IV. V. Fitzgerald, Nov 1903 6 9 (syn PERTH 2067137, 
1050109; isosyn B, NSW 406892, 413034). 
Caespitose, forming large tussocks, sometimes to 1 m diam. Rhizomes horizontal, up 
to 30 cm long or more, 5-9 mm diam., nodes 3-8 mm apart, bearing crowded culms 
with their bases contiguous; covered with short glossy brown scales 5-8 mm long. 
Culms 35-100 cm tall, 0.5-2 mm diam.; internodes (3-)6-ll cm long; young culms 
pink, turning blue-green; old culms grey-green, glaucous, rigid and wiry; branching 
except at the lowest nodes, with (1 —)2—4 lateral branches at each node; base with 
several erect scales 1.5-6 cm long. Culm sheaths lax, sometimes recurved, reddish 
brown, oblong, broadest near the middle, 2.5-3.5 cm long; auricles scarious; lamina 
2-15 mm long. Inflorescence branches 2-4 at each upper culm node, flowers shortly 
pedicellate, in clusters of 4—18 toward the apex of branches, subtended by broad- 
deltoid, acute, hyaline bracts; outer bract c. 3 mm long, inner bract c. 1.5 mm long. 
Male flowers: tepals ovate, concave, reddish or yellowish brown, soft, hyaline, acute; 
outer tepals 1.3-1.9 mm long; inner tepals 2-2.6 mm long. Female flowers: tepals 
similar to males, ± equal, 2.5-3 mm long. Fruit 2.2-2.7 mm long, 1.8-2.5 mm wide, red 
when young, aging to brown, on a stout pedicel; seed surface patterned with convex 
isodiametric angular cells. 
Distribution: occurs in Western Australia north of Perth, at and near the Arrowsmith 
River and eastwards at sites from the Mortlock River to Mekering and Tammin. In 
flood-beds of watercourses, on deep sands or saline and clayey sands. Regenerates 
after fire or flood by resprouting. 
Conservation status: vulnerable (CALM code P2), with widely separated small 
populations, sometimes locally abundant but occurring in habitats of limited 
occurrence in regions of much clearing of natural vegetation and salinisation (Meney, 
Pate, Dixon, Briggs, & Johnson 1999). 
Selected specimens examined: Western Australia: Irwin: Arrowsmith Lake, George 12931, 9 Dec 
1974 6, 9 (PERTH); Drummonds crossing. Brand Hwy at Arrowsmith River, Briggs 6406 6,6410 
9, 27 Sep 1976 (NSW, AD, CANB, K, MEL, PERTH), Briggs 8618, Johnson, Meney, Linder & Pate, 8 
Sep 1990 6 (NSW, BOL); 36 km NNW of Eneabba, Briggs 9366 6,9367 9 & Pate, 6 Oct 1995 (NSW, 
NBG, PERTH). Avon: 3 km E of Meckering, Wilson 6413, 11 Nov 1968 9 (PERTH, K, NSW); Waeel, 
Mortlock River, Wilson 6395, 23 Nov 1967 6 (PERTH, K, NSW); c. 18 km WNW of Cunderdin, Haegi 
1164, 3 Oct 1976 (PERTH); 6.5 miles [11 km[ E of Cunderdin, 0.5 miles [1 km] E of 103 mile peg, 
Briggs 202 6,203 9,5 Sep 1966 (NSW, CANB, K, MEL, PERTH); 86-87 mile peg, E of Meckering, 
Gardner, 14 Dec 1945 6, 9 (PERTH). 
2. Hopkinsia adscendens B.G. Briggs & L.A.S. Johnson, sp. nov. 
A H. anoectocolea combinatione characterum sequentium distinguitur: rhizomata 
angusta; culmi 15-50 cm longi, distantes vel aliquot aggregati; intemodia brevia, 1.5-7 cm 
longa; vaginae culmorum breves, 0.7-1.5 cm longae; ramuli inflorescentiorum 
singulatim in quoque nodo superiore. 
