Daviesia intricata Crisp (1995: 1204)

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

96. Daviesia intricata Crisp (1995: 1204) . Type: Western Australia, Avon, 24 km E of Pingelly , Tutanning Reserve , 32°33’S, 117°20’E, M. D. Crisp 6670, 22 July 1980. Holotype: CBG; isotypes: AD, K, L, NSW, PERTH

Dense, intricate shrubs to 2 m high, glabrous, glaucescent. Root anatomy in both subspecies with anomalous secondary thickening (cord type). Branchlets scattered, divaricate or erect, slightly to strongly flexuose, terete, striate, rigid. Phyllodes usually developed only on upper portion of branchlets, reduced to scales below, spreading at ca. 90° or retrorse, terete ( subsp. intricata ) or subulate and vertically compressed or flattened ( subsp. xiphophylla ), apex acicular or acuminate, strongly pungent, base inarticulate but scarcely decurrent, mostly 20–40 mm long, 1.5–2 mm diam. at base when terete, to 4 mm broad when compressed, striate when dry, very rigid. Unit inflorescences 1 per axil, very condensed racemes, cluster-like, 3–7-flowered; peduncle 0.5–1 mm long; rachis 1–5 mm long; barren basal bracts oblong, very small (ca. 0.5 mm long or less); subtending bracts widely spreading, spathulate, with margins incurved, 1.5–2 mm long, keeled but not striate. Pedicel 1–3 mm long. Calyx ventricose, 1.5–2.5 mm long including ca. 0.5 mm receptacle; lobes subequal, acuminate, lower 3 longer than upper 2, up to 0.5 mm long. Corolla : standard transversely elliptic, emarginate, cordate, 4.5–5.5 × 5–7 mm including the 0.75–1 mm claw, with 2 calli either side of the central channel, red-black at centre with a narrow apricot-yellow margin; wings elliptic to obovate, rounded, incurved and overlapping at apex to enclose keel, auriculate, slightly saccate, 4.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm including the 1–1.5 mm claw, dark red; keel half transversely elliptic, constricted to a beak, auriculate, saccate, 4–5 × ca. 1.75 mm including the 1–1.5 mm claw, rugose, dark red. Stamens strongly dimorphic: inner whorl of 5 with longer, terete filaments and round, versatile anthers with confluent thecae; outer whorl of 5 with shorter, compressed filaments and oblong, basifixed, 2-celled anthers; filaments free; vexillary filament channelled, embracing gynoecium, flared at apex. Pod obliquely very broadly obtriangular, constricted to a rather blunt beak, slightly turgid, 7–10 × 6–8 mm, thick-walled; upper suture sigmoid; lower suture acute. Seed not seen. ( Fig. 97 ).

Flowering period:— May to August. Fruiting period: July to October.

Distribution:— Western Australia, central and southern wheatbelt, from the Charles Gardner Reserve (near Tammin) south to Dumbleyung, south-east to Ravensthorpe, and east to the Southern Cross–Marble Rocks area. The subspecies are allopatric, with subsp. xiphophylla occurring farther inland.

Affinity:— This species is closely related to D. decurrens and D. sarissa . Daviesia decurrens subsp. decurrens can usually be distinguished by the consistent development of phyllodes at lower nodes, and by the branchlets being triquetrous with decurrent ridges from the phyllode bases. In D. decurrens subsp. hamata , the phyllodes are usually much shorter than in D. intricata (mostly <12 mm long), as well as being recurved, at least at the apex. Both subspecies of D. decurrens differ from D. intricata in having the anther thecae confluent only in the vexillary stamen. Populations of both D. decurrens subsp. hamata and D. intricata subsp. intricata occur sympatrically at some localities in the wheatbelt, e.g. around Quaiarding, and include apparent intermediates between these taxa. For details, see discussion under D. decurrens .

Daviesia sarissa is vegetatively similar to D. intricata subsp. intricata but differs in having smooth (nonstriate) phyllodes and branchlets, as well as imbricate bracts enclosing the inflorescence. Daviesia rhizomata also is vegetatively similar, but has different floral morphology, for example, the vexillary filament is terete and does not differ from the others of the inner whorl, the flowers are larger (calyx 4–5 mm long, standard 7–9 mm broad), the wings do not enclose the keel and the keel is very acute with involute margins.

Infra-specific taxa:— Two subspecies have been recognised within D. intricata on the basis of their differing vegetative morphology. Nevertheless, it is clear that these are very closely related, and the presence of the occasional compressed phyllode on the typical subspecies indicates that its terete phyllodes are not as differentiated from the dagger-like phyllodes of subsp. xiphophylla as it first appears.

218 • Phytotaxa 300 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

CRISP ET AL.

A MONOGRAPH OF DAVIESIA

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Figures

FIGURE 97. Daviesia intricata subsp. intricata. A. Flowering branchlet. B. Inflorescence. C. Pod. Daviesia intricata subsp. xiphophylla. D. Flowering branchlet. A from Crisp 6670 (type); B from Crisp 6599; C from Drummond s.n. (MEL 72497); D from Crisp 6562 (type). Drawn by A.L. Prowse. Adapted from Crisp (1995) with permission from CSIRO Publishing.