Goodbye Velleia, Hello Goodenia
Day 8 Flora of the Lowlands Reserve
The taxonomists are as busy as ever. The name Velleia for this flower is now defunct. This species was originally named after Thomas Velley, an algologist (he studied algae), who died after he fell off a runaway stagecoach. However, following DNA evidence and the lifetime work of a botanist, Roger Carolin, the Goodenia genus has been expanded to include Velleia. https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/49604/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.12705/663.25?saml_referrer
It’s a shame this one doesn’t have a common name, and I can find no record of the Noongar name. There are other species of Goodenia in the Lowlands Reserve, but none as unusual looking as Goodenia trinervis (Velleia trinervis).
I’m a little bit sad at the name change as I liked having a distinctive name for this flower, to match its distinctive expression. It always said “Velleia” to me when I walked past , now perhaps I’ll hear it say “Trinervis”. Except there are other plant species in other genus which use “trinervis" . Snottygobbles for one, Persoonia trinervis.
In another life , I may have understood and loved taxonomy, but in this lifetime I content myself with finding names important and counting things!
So I think all the Velleia listed above will now have Goodenia as the first part of their binomial name.
Another 4 km today for #groundworkchallenge , the Bush Heritage fundraiser. You can donate to Bush Heritage and join my team here https://www.groundworkchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/sheilamurray/2020
Follow me on instagram and twitter @lowlandsbeach . https://www.instagram.com/lowlandsbeach/
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Lowlands Reserve is managed by the local community and City of Albany. Bush Heritage manage lots of other wonderful reserves.
Lowlands Reserve is on Minang Boodja — country. I celebrate the resilience, culture and capacity of the Traditional Owners, the Minang Noongar people of the Wagyl Kaip region
