Daviesia brachyphylla Meisner (1844: 49)

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

107. Daviesia brachyphylla Meisner (1844: 49) , Crisp (1995: 1177). Daviesia incrassata Smith (1808b: 255) var. brachyphylla (Meisn.) Domin (1923: 34) . Type: ‘In planitie arenosa Quangen (Victoria) d. 20. Mart. Herb. Preiss. No. 1162. et in region. inter. Austr. merid.-occ., m. Nov. 1840. No. 1161. (Drummond n. 242.)’ Lectotype (Crisp, 1995: 1177): Drummond 242 ( BM, ex Herb. Shuttleworth) ; isolectotype: G, K, (2 sheets) . Syntype: Preiss 1162: LD, NY ; isosyntype: G . Syntype: Preiss 1161 (= D. incrassata subsp. incrassata ): LD, NY ; isosyntype: G (2 sheets)

Spreading to bushy shrubs, to 0.8 m tall, glabrous, glaucescent to glaucous. Root anatomy unknown. Branchlets arching to ascending, longitudinally wrinkled when dry, terete. Phyllodes scattered to rather crowded, diverging at 45–90°, terete with an acuminate slightly recurved tip, basally thickened and articulate, 1.5–30(–40) × 1–1.5 mm, smooth when fresh, longitudinally wrinkled when dry, sometimes reduced to scales on lower portion of branchlets or rarely ( Fig. 108E ) over the whole plant. Juvenile phyllodes and those at lower nodes of adult plants elongated up to 60 mm and flattened or compressed vertically, up to 2.5 mm broad. Unit inflorescences 1 per axil, racemose, appearing umbellate when only 1 or 2 flowers present, 1–6-flowered; peduncle from almost nil to 1.5 mm long; rachis from almost nil to 2.5 mm long; barren basal bracts numerous, clustered at base of peduncle, ca. 0.5 mm long; subtending bracts oblong, spreading at tips, ca. 1 mm long. Pedicels 1–4 mm long. Calyx 2.5–3.5 mm long including the ca. 1 mm receptacle; lobes ca. 0.5 mm long; upper 2 lobes united higher than the lower 3; lobes rounded. Corolla : standard transversely broadly elliptic to broadly ovate, emarginate, 7–8.5 × 6.5–8 mm including the 1–1.5 mm claw, strong central groove towards the base of the lamina, orange with apricot (pinkish) towards the margin, with a deep maroon centre and radiating veins, fading to yellow and grey; wings elliptic to obovate with a rounded apex, auriculate, 6–7 × 2–2.5 mm including the ca. 1.5 mm claw, dark pink; keel half very broadly to transversely very broadly ovate with a sharply incurved acicular beak, saccate, 7–7.5 × 1.75–2 mm including the 3– 4 mm claw, red with a dark tip. Stamens slightly dimorphic: inner whorl of 5 with longer, more slender, less compressed filaments and shorter, versatile anthers; outer whorl of 5 with shorter, broader, more compressed filaments and longer, basifixed anthers; filaments cohering; anthers all 2-celled. Pod obliquely shallowly obtriangular with an acute, pungent apex, very turgid, 10–12 × 7–8 mm; upper suture curved upwards or undulating; lower suture acute. Seed globose, 3.7–4.5 mm long, 2.8–3.5 mm broad, 2.4–3 mm thick, brown to olive green, sometimes mottled; aril 2.5–3 mm long. ( Fig. 108 ).

Flowering period:— July to October. Fruiting period: November to January.

Distribution:— Western Australia, widely but sparsely distributed in the Darling Range and wheatbelt from east of Moora south-east through Hyden to the Ravensthorpe area.

A MONOGRAPH OF DAVIESIA

Phytotaxa 300 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 239 240 • Phytotaxa 300 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press

CRISP ET AL.

Habitat:— Grows in deep sand, sandy clay or sandy loam in mallee-heathland, low kwongan heathland or open Eucalyptus wandoo woodland.

Selected specimens (29 examined):— WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Avon: 3 km W of Quairading , 32°01’S, 117°22’E, M . D. Crisp 6180 et al., 27 September 1979 ( CBG, MO); Yoting rubbish tip, ca. 40 km SSW of Kellerberrin, 31°58’S, 117°35’E, M . D. Crisp 5512, 27 January 1979 ( CBG, PERTH); No. 2 Rabbit Proof Fence, 4– 5 km S of York – Tammin road, c 31°45’S, 117°15’E, B. & M . Smith s.n., 7 October 1979 ( PERTH 5146828 ); 8 km E of Piawaning , 30°51’S, 116°28’E, T. E. H . Aplin s.n., 9 September 1959 ( PERTH 5475643 ); 4 km N of Alderside, Corrigin–Brookton road, 32°20’S, 117°17’E, M . D. Crisp 6185, et al., 27 September 1979 ( CBG, MEL, PERTH) .

Darling: Darling Range, 21 km SE along West Talbot Road , from Great Southern Highway turnoff 10 km E of The Lakes, 32°00’S, 116°35’E, M . D. Crisp 6719a, 26 July 1980 ( AD, CBG, PERTH); West Talbot Road , 8 km E of Helena Road and 3.2 km W of Luelfs Road (= Gunapin Ridge Road), 32°00’S, 116°36’E, M . D. Crisp 8516 & W . Keys, 27 September 1993 ( CBG, PERTH); ca. 37 km W of Beverley, Qualen Road , 5 km SW of intersection with Gunapin Ridge Road, 32°07’S, 1167°32’ E, M . D. Crisp 6724, 26 July 1980 ( CBG). Roe : 7.5 km WSW of Lake Cronin, 32°23’S, 119°46’E, T . F . Houston 203–13, 25 October 1978 ( PERTH); 20.6 km E of Newdegate , 33°05’S, 119°26’E, J . W . Green 4481, 27 September 1975 ( PERTH); 17.5 km SE of Lake King township, Reserve 29860, 33°14’S, 119°43’E, A . S . George 10495, 12 November 1970 ( CANB, PERTH). Eyre : 35 km SE of Lake King, 4 km NE along Hayes Road from Ravensthorpe to Lake King Road , 33°23’S, 119°56’E, M . D. Crisp 4990, 10 January 1979 ( CBG) .

Affinity:— Daviesia brachyphylla is similar to D. brevifolia , D. incrassata and D. physodes . Daviesia incrassata differs in having phyllodes not articulate at the base. Daviesia brevifolia differs by the adult phyllodes being ± constricted at the base (on the adaxial side) when dry but not articulate; also, the juvenile phyllodes are vertically compressed and dilated upwards, and the calyx is prominently ribbed with the upper 2 lobes united into a broad, truncate lip. Daviesia physodes differs in having all phyllodes vertically compressed or flattened and the lower phyllodes are bilobed and much broader (to 10 mm) than in D. brachyphylla .

Variation:— There is a long-leaved, often pruinose, form that grows in the Darling Range but is otherwise identical to the rest of the species (e.g. Crisp 6719A, B and 6724).

Hybrids:— D. brachyphylla × D. microphylla (Crisp 6725).

Figures

FIGURE 108. Daviesia brachyphylla. A. Flowering upper branchlet with typical adult phyllodes. B. Elongate phyllode from lower part of adult plant. C. Transverse section of phyllode in B. D. Inflorescence. E. Fruiting branchlet with most phyllodes reduced to scales. Daviesia physodes. F. Fruiting branchlet showing transition from bilobed lower phyllodes to entire upper phyllodes. G. Intermediate phyllode from lower part of plant. A, D from Crisp 6180; B, C from Crisp 5512; E from Crisp 4990; F from Chapman (89)77; G from Chapman (70)77. Drawn by B-J. Osborne.