Synonymy

Anthocercis sylvicola T.D. Macfarlane & Wardell-Johnson, Nuytsia 11: 71 (1996).

T: Mt Clare, WSW of Walpole, WA, 20 Nov. 1995, T.D. Macfarlane 2543, A.R. Annels & R. W. Hearn; holo: PERTH; iso: AD, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, MO, NSW, PERTH (2 sheets).

Anthocercis sp. Walpole (P.G.Wilson 6312); manuscript name used in Western Australian Herbarium.

Description

Spiny shrub to 250 cm high and 150 cm wide, with glandular and non-glandular hairs or glabrous. Spines 1-2 per axil, 8-14 mm long, simple or sometimes branched .

Leaves single or clustered at nodes, obovate, 7–11 mm long, 2–4.5 mm wide, entire, sparingly hairy; petiole 1-1.5 mm long.

Flowers solitary and axillary or in terminal groups of up to 5; pedicels 2.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx c. 3 mm long. Corolla 7–8.5 mm long, green on lobes, purple on exposed tube, green-striated or not within tube; lobes triangular, 3.2–4 mm long. Stamens c. 2 mm long, sub-didynamous.

Capsule and seeds not known.

Distribution and ecology

Restricted to two known populations, one near Mt Clare, the other near Granite Peak, in south-west WA.

Found in tingle (Eucalyptus jacksonii and E. guilfoylei) or karri (E. diversicolor) dominated forest adjacent to granite outcrops.

Notes

Phylogenetic studies by Garcia & Olmstead (2003) on the Tribe Anthocercideae using two chloroplast DNA regions included this species. The studies indicated that Anthocercis is monophyletic.

Reference: V.F.Garcia & R.G.Olmstead (2003). Phylogenetics of Tribe Anthocercideaea (Solanaceae) based on ndhF and trnL/F sequence data. Systematic Botany 28: 609-615.

Selected specimens

W.A.: Granite Peak area, A.R. Annels 4432 & R. Hearn (PERTH); near Deep River, c. 6 km W of Walpole, P.G. Wilson 6312 (PERTH)

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Derivation of epithet

From sylv- = woods with the addition of -cola meaning lover of woods.

Images and information on web

Further information for this species in WA can be found on the FloraBase site.

Pharmacology: A discussion of the tropane alkaloids which occur in Anthocercis and other Anthocercideae can be found in Griffith & Lin (2000).

Ref: W.J. Griffin & G.D. Lin (2000). Chemotaxonomy and geographical distribution of tropane alkaloids. Phytochemistry 53: 627–628.

References to the possible toxic properties of Anthocercis species can be found with a search in the FDA Poisonous Plant Database

Plant status (if any)

Declared as Priority 2 - Poorly known based on Atkins (2008). See http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/conservationtaxa

Atkins, K.J. (2008). Declared Rare and Priority Flora List for Western Australia, 26 February 2008. (Dept of Environment and Conservation: Como, W.A.).