Styphelia setigera (R.Br.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. ed. 17, 1: 659 (1824).

{zoologyFigureCitations}

Basionym: Leucopogon setiger R.Br., Prodr. 545 (1810). Type: Middle Harbour, [Sydney,] February 1803, R. Brown s.n. (lecto: BM 001040171, here chosen; isolecto: BM 001040172).

Leucopogon biflorus R.Br., Prodr. 545 (1810); Styphelia biflora (R.Br.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. ed. 17, 1: 659 (1824). Type: ‘perhaps from Middle Harbour’, Port Jackson, undated, W. Paterson s.n. (holo: BM 001040082).

{botanyFigureCitations}

I have examined the high-quality image of the holotype of L. biflorus at BM, and made the following observations and measurements:

Branchlets seemingly glabrous; leaves lanceolate, ± flat, strongly discolorous, 7.0--8.3 x 1.7--1.9 mm, including a pungent acumen 0.8--1.1 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, peduncle 3.9--7.3 mm long, bearing 1 terminal flower, and often with a second sub-terminal flower. Sepals acute, 2.6--3.1 mm long, glabrous; corolla lobes 1.9--2.3 mm long, bearing dense hairs 0.6--0.8 mm long on inner surface, outer surface glabrous. Style protruding from spent flower, c. 3.3 mm long, glabrous (at least on protruding part), stigma not expanded.

All of these features and measurements agree very well with herbarium specimens of L. setiger, and published descriptions of it. Particularly diagnostic is the relatively long peduncle. The glabrous outer surface of the sepals and corolla lobes exclude the similar S. exolasia F.Muell. It is clear that L. biflorus and L. setiger are conspecific, confirming the opinion of Mueller.

Distribution: Endemic to New South Wales. It extends from Wollemi National Park, NW of Sydney, to Eden on the south coast (AVH 2024).

Notes: The lectotype of L. setiger has a label handwritten by Robert Brown giving the location ‘Middle Harbour’. The type of L. biflorus similarly has a label handwritten by Robert Brown specifying the collector as Colonel Paterson, and the locality as given above.