Flora of Western Australia
The Flora of Western Australia comprises 9437 published native vascular plant species of 1543 genera within 226 families, there are also 1171 naturalised alien or invasive plant species more commonly known as weeds.[1] There is an estimated 150,000 Cryptogam species or non vascular plants which include Lichens, and Fungi though only 1786 species have been published, with 948 Algae and 672 lichen making up the majority of them.[2]
History
- note: not sure of the date splits. will see how they develop
- note: not sure of the date splits. will see how they develop
Indigenous Australians have a long history with the flora of Western Australia. They have for over 50,000 years obtained detailed information on most plants. The information includes its uses as sources for food, shelter, tools and medicine. As Indigenous Australians only passed the knowledge along orally or by example most of this information has been lost, along many of the names they gave the flora. It wasnt until Europeans started to explore Western Australia that written details of the flora was recorded.[3]
1690's to 1829
The first scientific collection of flora from Western Australia was by William Dampier near Shark Bay and in the Dampier Archipelago in 1699.[4] This collection is housed in the Fielding Druce Herbarium, of the 24 species collected 15 were published by John Ray and Leonard Plukenet. There were two species of Western Australian flora published in 1768 by Burman that are thought to have been collected by Willem de Vlamingh during his exploration of the area around the Swan River in 1697.N[3]
In September 1791 Archibald Menzies collected specimens around the King George Sound area while on the Vancouver Expedition. French botanist Jacques Labillardiere in December 1792 as part of the d'Entrecasteaux expedition collected specimens in the Esperance area before the expedition went onto explore parts of Tasmania. Between 1801-1803 Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour was the botanist on Baudins exploration of the WA coast. Labillardiere used the specimens collected to publish the two volume Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen in 1804 and 1807, 105 of the species originally name by Labillardiere are still used today.[3]
While Baudin was exploring the coast with Jean Leschenault de la Tour taking specimens, botanist Robert Brown was with Matthew Flinders in the Investigator circumnavigating Australia. During this voyage Brown collected over 600 specimens from Western Australia between December 1801 and January 1802 and from a short stopover in 1803 before returning to England. On returning to England using the specimens he collected and those of other collectors Brown went on to publish Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae in 1810. This along with further publications in 1814 and 1849 Brown created many of the now readily recognisable names of Western Australian flora like Leschenaultia which was named after Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour, Caladenia, and Dryandra, in January 2000 over 800 of the species published by Brown are still current. [3]
With increasing interest in the western third of Australia more botanist where able to collect specimens while on various voyages. Allan Cunningham was aboard the Mermiaid in King's surveys between 1817 and 1822 of the West Australian coast, Cunninghams collects include significant specimens from the northern areas of Western Australia. It was with the establishment of an outpost at King George Sound in 1827 and the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829 that opened Western Australia up to exploration by botanists.[3][5]
1829 to 1900
After settlement in 1829 Western Australia, particularly the south west was more accessible to botanist. During the 1830's-1840's among them Stephen Endlicher, John Lindley, Johann Lehmann and Ludwig Preiss. The botanist depended on local settlers James Drummond, George Maxwell and many more both during their stay as well afterward for further specimens and observations.[3] From December 1838 through to January 1842 Preiss collected approxiamately 200,000 plant specimens including specimens purchased from settlers like Drummond. Naturalist John Gilbert employed by John Gould to collect specimens in Western Australia was dismayed at the prices he was paying.[6][7]
In 1863 George Bentham published the first volume of a seven volume series called Flora Australiensis which included descriptions for 8,125 taxa. This was the first detailed account of Australian flora which included many Western Australian species as the work covered the relationship between many of the larger plant families which occurred as cross the continent. As Bentham had never been to Australia he based all his work on the material all ready collected, assisted by Ferdinand von Mueller Victoria's colonial botanist. Mueller made two visits to WA in 1867 and 1871 to collect material 1,122 of the Western Australian species describe by Mueller are still in use. In 1882 and revised in 1889 Mueller produced a census of WA flora in which he listed 3,560 individual species.[3][8]
1901 onwards
During 1900-01 Ludwig Deils and Ernst Pritzel collected around 5700 specimens, publishing an account of the speciemens in 1904-05 which included 200 new species. In 1906 Deils published the first ecological regions for Western Australia flora in which he divided the state into three biological provinces. J.J.East in 1912 as part of the Cyclopedia of Western Australia wrote an essay which noted that 4,166 plant species had been identified, and included the three biological provinces described by Diels.[3]
After Federation in 1901 many new government departments began small herbaria these were run by botanists like Alexander Morrison, Frederick Stoward and Desmond Herbert. These departments contributed to local history journals along with other collectors William Fitzgerald who in 1918 published an extensive work on the botany of the Kimberleys. In 1928 the amalgamation of the Forresty departments and the Agricultural departments herbaria formed the state herbarium.[3]
with Charles Gardner being appointed Government Botanist
References
- ^ "Current Statistics - Vascular Flora". Western Australian Flora Statistics. Flora Base. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ "Preliminary Statistics - June 2008". Western Australian Cryptogam Statistics. Flora Base. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Paczkowska, Grazyna (2000). The Western Australian Flora. Alex. Nedlands, Western Australia: Wildflower Society of Western Australia: a descriptive catalogue. ISBN 0 646 40243 9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Bach, J (1966). "Dampier, William (1651 - 1715)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ Serle, Percival (1949). "Cunningham, Allan". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
- ^ Calaby, J.H (1967). "Preiss, Johann August Ludwig (1811 - 1883)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ Orchard, A.E (1999). "Preiss, J.A. Ludwig (1811 - 1883)". A History of Systematic Botany in Australia. pp. Vol.1, 2nd ed. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ Orchard, A. E. 1999. Introduction. In A. E. Orchard, ed. Flora of Australia - Volume 1, 2nd edition pp 1-9. Australian Biological Resources Study ISBN 0-643-05965-2