The Ptilotus murrayi species group: synonymisation of P. petiolatus under P. murrayi and description of the new Western Australian species P. unguiculatus (Amaranthaceae)

The Ptilotus murrayi F.Muell. species group encompasses the morphologically similar P. murrayi, P. gomphrenoides F.Muell. ex Benth. and P. petiolatus Farmar. These three species overlap in distribution in Western Australia, where they are easily confused with one another. A critical examination of specimens shows that there are no consistent morphological characters to justify the separation of P. murrayi and P. petiolatus, and therefore the latter is formally synonymised under the former. Ptilotus sp. Edaggee Station (T.E.H.Aplin 3208) is found to be a distinctive new species and described as Ptilotus unguiculatus T.Hammer. Updated descriptions are given for P. murrayi and P. gomphrenoides.