Daviesia pectinata Lindl.

Crisp, Michael D., Cayzer, Lindy, Chandler, Gregory T. & Cook, Lyn G., 2017, A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae), Phytotaxa 300 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

65. Daviesia pectinata Lindl. in Mitchell (1838: 150), Crisp (1995: 1220), Jeanes (1996: 760), Craigie (2015: 31). Type: Interior of New Holland, Major Mitchell’s Expedition, no. 195, 25 June 1836. Holotype: CGE; isotypes: K (3 sheets)

Daviesia latipes Mueller (1853: 390) . Type : ‘ In fruticetis juxta Dombey-bay [Tumby Bay] reperit Wilhelmi.’ Holotype: MEL 79652 ; isotypes: K, MEL 79653 , P.

Dense, erect, intricate, sometimes bushy, rigid shrubs, 0.5–2.5 m tall, glabrous, glaucescent. Root anatomy with anomalous secondary thickening (cord type). Branchlets ascending, triquetrous, vertically compressed, rigid. Phyllodes often crowded along the branchlet, ± divaricate, triangular or narrowly so, apically acuminate to acute, robustly pungent, vertically compressed, basally inarticulate and strongly decurrent with the stem, straight or recurved, 8–70 × 2–9 mm, striate when fresh with a more prominent nerve near upper margin, very rigid and thick. Seedling phyllodes ascending, triangular, straight, crowded along the branchlets, 6–13 × 2.5–6 mm. Unit inflorescences 1 or 2 per axil, racemose, 3–10-flowered; peduncle 1–1.5 mm long; rachis terete to tetragonal, 2–10 mm long; subtending bracts spathulate, ca. 1.5 mm long, spreading at the tips. Pedicels 0.75–1.5 mm long. Calyx campanulate, 3–4 mm long including the 0.5–1.5 mm stipe-like receptacle; upper 2 lobes united into a broad, truncate lip, 0.75–1.5 mm long; lower 3 lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm long. Corolla : standard transversely elliptic, emarginate, 4.5–5 × 5–6 mm including the ca. 1 mm claw, grading inward from yellow at the margin through richer yellow or orange to a (dark) red infusion surrounding the bilobed, intensely yellow central mark; wings elliptic with a rounded apex, auriculate, ca. 5 × 1.75 mm including the 2 mm claw, orange with a reddish centre; keel half transversely elliptic, acute, auriculate, saccate, 4.25–5 × 1.75–2 mm including the 1.75–2.5 mm claw, orange-brown. Stamens strongly dimorphic: inner whorl of 5 with longer, terete filaments and shorter, round, versatile anthers with confluent thecae; outer whorl of 5 with shorter, broad, compressed filaments with longer, slender, basifixed, 2-celled anthers; filaments free; vexillary filament flattened, tapering towards the apex and with a channel running down one side. Pod obliquely shallowly obtriangular, acute, compressed, often with a persistent style, 8–10 × 5–6 mm, purplish or lead-grey at first; upper suture sigmoid to strongly so; lower suture acute to 90°. Seed ovoid with or without a pronounced radicular lobe, compressed, 3.5–4 mm long, 2–2.7 mm broad, 1.3–1.6 mm thick, orange-brown to glossy brown with black mottling; aril 1–1.9 mm long. ( Fig. 65 ).

Common name:— Thorny Bitter-pea.

Flowering period:— September and October. Fruiting period: October to December.

Distribution:— Occurs in three disjunct areas: Eyre Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula to Goolwa in South Australia, and the Wimmera–Little Desert in Victoria.

Habitat:— Grows in deep sand to sandy-loam or -clay, gravelly to clayey loam, and deep loam, on undulating to flat terrain in eucalypt open forest, woodland or mallee, with various heathland shrubs in the understorey.

Conservation status:— National: Not listed. SA: Rare. Vic.: Rare in Victoria but not considered otherwise threatened.

Selected specimens (70 examined):— Approximate locality data are given because the species is rare. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Eyre Peninsula: WSW of Koppio, 34°30’S, 135°50’E, J.D. Briggs 1263, 27 September 1983 ( AD, CBG, MEL, NSW, PERTH); ca. 20 km W of Cowell , 33°40’S, 136°40’E , K. D. Rohrlach 949, 16 September 1962 ( AD, UC); S of Edilillie , 34°30’S, 135°40’E , M. A. Clements 4260, 27 September 1986 ( CBG, NU); W of Cummins, 34°20’S, 135°40’E , J. D. Briggs 1358, 14 October 1983 ( AD, CBG, MEL); Hincks National Park , 33°S, 135°E , J. R. Wheeler 936, 9 October 1968, seedling ( AD). Lofty South : N of Goolwa, 35°30’S, 138°50’E , M. D. Crisp 1891, 31 December 1975 ( AD, CBG, PERTH); Encounter Bay , 35°40’S, 138°30’E , J. B. Cleland s.n., 25 January 1933 ( AD 96804615 ). VICTORIA. Western Highlands: Grampians , 36°40’S, 145°50’E , A. C. Beauglehole 30914, 6 September 1969 ( CANB, MEL, NSW). Western Plains: Little Desert , 36°40’S, 141°40’E , M. G. Corrick 6784 & P. S. Short, 3 October 1980 ( CANB, MEL); near Kiata National Park , 36°30’S ,

A MONOGRAPH OF DAVIESIA

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141°50’E, T . Henshall 322, 20 September 1969 ( NSW); near Diapur , 36°20’S, 141°30’E, A. C . Beauglehole 84227, 12 September 1986 ( AD, CANB, HO, MEL, NBG) .

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CRISP ET AL.

Affinity:— Daviesia pectinata resembles D. decurrens , D. dilatata and D. subulata . Daviesia decurrens differs in having a much less prominent decurrent phyllode rib, striate bracts, and a less well-developed raceme rachis (1– 2.5 mm long) compared with D. pectinata . Also, the calyx of D. decurrens is not campanulate and has 5 prominent ribs, and the upper 2 calyx-lobes are not united into a truncate lip. In the fresh state, D. pectinata may be distinguished from D. dilatata by the striations and ridges along the phyllodes and branchlets. In particular, the decurrent phyllode-bases of D. pectinata make the cross-section of the branchlets sharply triquetrous. When dry, D. dilatata is lightly striate but neither ridged or ribbed, and the cross-section of the branchlets is bluntly trigonous (immediately below the phyllodes) or terete (lower down). The phyllodes of D. dilatata are more frequently and more strongly decurved than in D. pectinata , and a well-developed raceme rachis further distinguishes D. pectinata . Daviesia subulata differs in having smaller phyllodes (4–12 mm long and 1.5–4 mm broad at the base), fewer flowers per inflorescence (2–5) and the upper 2 lobes of the calyx are not united into a truncate lip.

Figures

FIGURE 65. Daviesia pectinata. A. Flowering branchlet. B. Inflorescence with floral parts except calyces removed. C. Pod. A, B from Henshall 322; C from Crisp 1891. Drawn by B-J. Osborne.