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Australian Journal of
Taxonomy
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The correct genus spelling for the Australian foxtail palm is Wodhyethia
Kevin Thiele, Stephen Forbes, Peter Sutton & Clarence Flinders
Author details ⏷
Kevin Thiele[1*], Stephen Forbes[2], Peter Sutton[3] & Clarence Flinders[4]
[1] Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601
[2] Independent scholar, PO Box 218, Semaphore SA 5019
[3] Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia; independent scholar.
[4] Traditional Owner & Elder of the Flinders Island Group; Cape Melville, Flinders & Howick Islands Aboriginal Corporation, Cairns
Abstract
The Australian endemic, monotypic palm genus Wodyetia was described in 1983 by the botanist Anthony (Tony) Irvine based on W. bifurcata A.K.Irvine. The native range of this spectacular palm, which is now widely grown in cultivation worldwide, is a very small area on the flanks of Thundiyamo (Mount Melville), Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. The genus name honours Wodhyethi (c. 1900–1979, aka Johnny Flinders), an elder of the Aba Yalgayi and Aba Yeerrkoyi clans of the people whose language may be referred to as Oko Wurriima (‘Language of the Flinders Islands Area’). The palm is endemic to the country of the Aba Yeerrkoyi clan, which encompasses Othawa (Cape Melville). While it is welcome that Irvine chose to honour Wodhyethi, he adopted an incorrect spelling ('Wodyeti', hence 'Wodyetia'), which, under Art. 60.1 of the International Code of nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, is a correctable error. The correct spelling of the genus name is Wodhyethia.
Cite this paper as: Thiele K, Forbes S, Sutton P & Flinders C (2024). The correct genus spelling for the Australian foxtail palm is Wodhyethia. Australian Journal of Taxonomy 76: 1–4. doi: https://doi.org/10.54102/ajt.gdpnx
This paper was published on: 5/11/2024
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