Australian Journal of Botany

Australian Journal of Botany is an international journal for the publication of original research and reviews in plant science with relevance to Southern Hemisphere ecosystems including ecology and ecophysiology, conservation biology and biodiversity, forest biology and management, cell and molecular biology, palaeobotany, reproductive biology and genetics, mycology and pathology and structure and development. Read more about the journalMore

Editor-in-Chief: Dick Williams

Current Issue

Australian Journal of Botany

Volume 65 Number 4 2017

BT17014Inhibitory action of allelochemicals from Artemisia nanschanica to control Pedicularis kansuensis, an annual weed of alpine grasslands

Zhanhuan Shang, Yuan Hou, Fei Li, Cancan Guo, Tianhua Jia, A. Allan Degen, Andrew White, Luming Ding and Ruijun Long

pp. 305-314

Allelochemicals can be used for biological weed management and can minimise environmental impacts related to herbicides. The aim of the present study was to identify allelochemicals of Artemisia nanschanica, a weed with strong allelopathic effects, that could potentially control Pedicularis kansuensis, a weed that causes rapid degradation of alpine pastures. Three allelochemicals were identified that can be used to biologically control P. kansuensis.

BT16232High outcrossing rates and short-distance pollination in a species restricted to granitic inselbergs

Karina Vanessa Hmeljevski, Marina Wolowski, Rafaela Campostrini Forzza and Leandro Freitas

pp. 315-326

Encholirium horridum is a species of bromeliad – the same family of plants as the pineapple – that only occurs on some isolated granitic outcrops in Brazil. Its flowers are mainly pollinated by bats and hummingbirds. And although these animals can fly over a long distance, pollen movement among flowers was concentrated in the neighbourhood. This affects seed viability and outcrossing rates of this endangered plant.

BT16258Bark traits, decomposition and flammability of Australian forest trees

Saskia Grootemaat, Ian J. Wright, Peter M. van Bodegom, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen and Veronica Shaw

pp. 327-338

What happens to bark once it is shed from the trunk of eucalypt trees? Decomposition and flammability of bark (and leaves) of 10 common species were quantified, and considerable variation in decomposability and flammability was found both within and across species, as driven by different physical and chemical traits. Taking species-specific bark traits into consideration can lead to better estimates of carbon losses and fire risks, and could improve management decisions for Australian forests and plantations worldwide.

BT17011Long-term studies of post-fire reproduction in an Australian shrubland and woodland

J. M. Harvey, A. J. M. Hopkins, M. A. Langley, C. R. Gosper, M. R. Williams and C. J. Yates

pp. 339-347

This unique long-term fire study in the Wheatbelt region of WA examined time to first flowering in 180 species and, in 60 of these, time to peak flowering over a 30-year period so as to inform land managers as to the appropriate fire intervals for kwongan shrublands and woodland understorey. Non-resprouting species with seed store in the canopy are most vulnerable to fire, take longer to first flower but are slightly quicker to reach peak flowering than resprouting species. Consequently, kwongan communities need a minimum fire interval of between 15 and 20 years and Allocasuarina woodlands of at least 25–30 years to reduce immaturity risk.

BT16222Photosynthesis of an epiphytic resurrection fern Davallia angustata (Wall .ex Hook. & Grev.)

Rosanne Quinnell, Daniel Howell and Raymond J. Ritchie

pp. 348-356

Davallia (Pachypleuria) angustata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) is a common epiphytic fern that grows on tree trunks and palm trees in south-east Asia. Photosynthetic recovery experiments show that Davallia is a homiochlorophyllous resurrection plant. It is a sun plant (optimum irradiance is at ~45% of full sunlight). Its diurnal titratable acid cycle shows that it is not a CAM plant despite its succulent leaves.

BT16189Metal uptake and organic acid exudation of native Acacia species in mine tailings

Sebla Kabas, Felipe Saavedra-Mella, Trang Huynh, Peter M. Kopittke, Steve Carter and Longbin Huang

pp. 357-367

Metal mine tailings have emerged as a global environmental threat and require urgent rehabilitation with sustainable native plant communities. Native Acacia species as keystone species in semiarid regions of Australia exhibited different root exudation capability and associated metal uptake. As a result, those Acacia species taking up low levels of metals may be selected for the initial rapid phytostabilisation of metal mine tailings.

BT16242Floral morphology of Eucalyptus leucoxylon (Myrtaceae) facilitates pollination by lorikeet (Aves: Psittacidae) tongues

Joseph P. Zilko, Susan E. Hoebee and Trevor J. Edwards

pp. 368-374

Lorikeets feed on large numbers of Eucalyptus flowers and supposedly pollinate some species, yet floral traits that facilitate this type of pollination have never been examined. Flowers of some species release pollen before the filaments unfurl, potentially excluding insects and allowing lorikeets to lick pollen with their tongues, which is then carried in large numbers to other flowers. These morphological and developmental traits facilitate considerable pollinator specificity.

BT16121Liana and bamboo cover threaten shrub populations in Atlantic forest fragments

Magda Silva Carneiro, Caroline Cambraia Furtado Campos and Flavio Nunes Ramos

pp. 375-383

Forest fragmentation is a major threat to tropical biodiversity. We investigated how biotic and abiotic factors affect total abundance and the numbers of individuals at each life stage of Psychotria vellosiana Benth. Our results indicate that forest fragmentation has led to alterations in the structure and abundance of this species, as all of its life stages are adversely affected by liana and bamboo cover.

BT16235Designing food and habitat trees for urban koalas: identifying short ecotypes of Corymbia intermedia

Stephen J. Trueman, Tracey V. McMahon, Elektra L. Grant, David A. Walton, Brittany B. Elliott and Helen M. Wallace

pp. 384-388

Many householders and councils prefer to plant short trees because tall trees may present a danger from falling limbs. We identified short populations of the normally-tall pink bloodwood tree, Corymbia intermedia, growing on exposed coastal headlands. We raised seedlings from these short trees and found that they were shorter in cultivation than seedlings from tall trees. These shorter eucalypt trees have potential for planting in gardens, streets and parklands as food and habitat for koalas and other urban fauna.

BT16261A comparison of xylem vessel metrics between tropical and temperate Rhododendron species across elevation ranges

Tatpong Tulyananda and Erik T. Nilsen

pp. 389-399

Temperate species of Rhododendron are protected from freezing induced embolisms by narrow vessels and have low efficiency for water flow, which is maladaptive for tropical species. We discovered that tropical Rhododendron species marginally relax protection against freeze–thaw and increase water flow capability. The trade-off between safety and efficiency in plants is supported, but change is limited within this single genus.

Online Early

The peer-reviewed and edited version of record published online before inclusion in an issue

Published online 25 July 2017

BT17048Thermogenesis and developmental progression of Macrozamia macleayi pollen cones

R. B. Roemer, D. Booth, L. I. Terry and G. H. Walter

The thermal activity of Macrozamia macleayi Miq. (family Zamiaceae) pollen cones changes with developmental stage in a manner similar to Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill (family Cycadaceae) pollen cones, suggesting a conserved physiological response across cycad families. The Macrozamia macleayi cones use carbohydrates, but not lipids, to fuel their large dehiscence stage thermogenic events, during which evaporation rates increase considerably.

Just Accepted

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

BT16252, Accepted 25 July 2017

ADAPTATIVE STRATEGY OF TREE COMMUNITIES ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL HARSHNESS CONDITION IN THE HINTERLAND INSELBERG IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Felipe Araújo, Carolina Mendes, Gabriela Pires, Gisele Menino, Marco Aurélio Fontes and Rubens Santos

BT16252Abstract

BT17054, Accepted 19 July 2017

Nickel effect on root meristem cell division in Plantago lanceolata L.(Plantaginaceae) seedlings

Dolja Pavlova

BT17054Abstract

BT17089, Accepted 19 July 2017

Aeluropus littoralis maintains adequate gas exchange, pigment composition, and phenolic contents under combined effects of salinity and phosphorus deficiency.

Ons Zribi, kamel hessini, Najla trabelsi, Fethia zribi, Riadh ksouri and Chedly Abdelly

BT17089Abstract

BT17019, Accepted 06 July 2017

Going nowhere fast: a review of seed dispersal in eucalypts

Trevor Booth

BT17019Abstract

BT17036, Accepted 06 July 2017

Seed dormancy and germination of three grassy woodland forbs required for diverse restoration

Gabrielle Vening, Lydia Guja, Peter Spooner and Jodi Price

BT17036Abstract

BT17051, Accepted 06 July 2017

Reproductive size thresholds and seedling survival in Acacia harpophylla (Mimosaceae)

John Dwyer

BT17051Abstract

BT16231, Accepted 30 June 2017

Relationship between nitrogen resorption and leaf size in the aroid vine Rhodospatha oblongata (Araceae)

André Mantovani, Dulce Mantuano and Eduardo de Mattos

BT16231Abstract

BT16257, Accepted 15 June 2017

Influence of auxin and phenolics accumulation on the patterns of cell differentiation in distinct gall morphotypes on Piptadenia gonoacantha (Fabaceae)

Cibele Bedetti, Gracielle Bragança and Rosy Isaias

BT16257Abstract

Australian Journal of Botany

Current Issue

Australian Journal of Botany

Online Early

The peer-reviewed and edited version of record published online before inclusion in an issue

Just Accepted

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

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