Daviesia cardiophylla Mueller (1860: 105)

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

35. Daviesia cardiophylla Mueller (1860: 105) , Bentham (1864: 79), Crisp & Chandler (1997: 326), Crisp (1995: 1181). Type: ‘In planitiebus sabulosis prope Belgarup, Novae Hollandiae austro-occidentalis. August Oldfield.’ Holotype: MEL; isotypes: G, PERTH

Divaricate shrubs 0.5–1.5 m high, muricate to hispid on branchlets and phyllodes. Root anatomy normal (unistelar) or with anomalous secondary thickening. Branchlets divaricate to ascending, terete, prominently ribbed. Phyllodes somewhat crowded, ascending (ca. 0–45°), cordate to occasionally ovate, apically acuminate and pungent, articulate at base, (4–)6–13(–18) × 3–6(–10) mm, concave above but not or scarcely folded upwards longitudinally.

A MONOGRAPH OF DAVIESIA

Phytotaxa 300 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 89 Seedling phyllodes ovate, some cordate, 10–12 × 5–8 mm. Unit inflorescences solitary or in pairs in the axils, 1- flowered; peduncle nil; subtending bracts obovate, keeled, spreading at tips, ca. 1 mm long. Pedicels 2–8 mm long, ± viscid. Calyx with upper 2 lobes united in a truncate emarginate lip, sometimes viscid. Corolla : standard reflexing or occasionally remaining partly folded, broadly obovate to broadly elliptic, emarginate or entire, 9–10 × ca. 8 mm including the 2–3 mm claw, with 2 small raised deltoid calli, bright yellow or orange, centrally infused with dark red around a linear central yellow mark; wings obovate to elliptic with a rounded apex, deeply auriculate, 8–10 × 3–4 mm including the 2–3 mm claw, red; keel half transversely elliptic, apex obtuse to acute, auriculate to deeply so, 10–13 × 2.5–4 mm including the 4–5 mm claw, pale red. Stamens strongly dimorphic: inner whorl of 5 with longer, slender filaments and round, versatile anthers with confluent thecae; outer whorl of 5 with shorter, broader, compressed filaments and oblong, 2-celled, basifixed anthers; filaments free. Pod obliquely shallowly obtriangular, acuminate, somewhat turgid, 10–15 × 7–10 mm; upper suture sigmoid; lower suture acute. Seed ellipsoid, 3.7–4.7 mm long, 2.3–3 mm wide, 1.8–2.3 mm thick, light brown with black mottling; aril 1.9–2.2 mm long. ( Fig. 36A–F ).

Flowering period:— May and June. Fruiting period: August and September.

Distribution:— Western Australia, most frequent in the central to southern wheatbelt; also around Lake King and Hyden, north of Wongan Hills, near Geraldton and near Coolgardie.

Habitat:— Undulating or flat country, in sandy gravelly clay, sandy loam, white and yellow sand. The vegetation is woodland dominated by Eucalyptus wandoo or heathland, with diverse shrubs in genera such as Allocasuarina , Melaleuca , Gastrolobium , Grevillea , Hakea and Xylomelum Smith (1978: 214) .

Selected specimens (39 examined):— WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Avon: 19 km E of Brookton , 32°19’S, 117°12’E, J. S . Beard 3297, 24 May 1964 ( PERTH); 3 km SSW of Wedin , 33°00’S, 117°41’E, M . D. Crisp 6151, J . Taylor & R . Jackson, 26 September 1979 ( CBG); 5 km W of Corrigin , 32°20’S, 117°50’E, M . D. Crisp 6170, J . Taylor & R . Jackson, 26 September 1979 ( CBG, PERTH); 3 km WSW of Quairading , 32°01’S, 117°22’E, M . D. Crisp 6182, J . Taylor & R . Jackson, 27 September 1979 ( CBG, MEL); 28 km SE of Dalwallinu , 30°28’S, 116°51’E, M . D. Crisp 6507, 17 July 1980 ( AD, CBG, NSW, PERTH); 4 km N of Quairading along road to Tammin , 31°59’S, 117°25’E, M . D. Crisp 6604, 20 July 1980 ( CBG, MEL, NSW, PERTH); near Wagin , 33°19’S, 117°20’E, C. A . Gardner 519, 21 June 1920 ( PERTH); W of Wongan Hills , C. E . Woolcock D18, 15 July 1981 ( CBG) .

Affinity:— Daviesia cardiophylla is similar to D. cunderdin , D. euryloba and D. umbonata . It differs from all these species in having ovate to very broadly ovate, often cordate phyllodes. Daviesia cunderdin and D. umbonata have calli on the calyx below the sinuses, which D. cardiophylla lacks. The flower size is much smaller than in D. cunderdin (in which the standard is 12–15 mm long) and larger than in D. euryloba (standard 8–9 mm long). The keel is very similar to that in D. umbonata , but that of D. cunderdin lacks a sharp curve at the base, and that of D. euryloba is very acute and incurved towards the standard.

Hybrids:— Daviesia cardiophylla × D. umbonata . Specimens intermediate between D. cardiophylla and D. umbonata are known from around Wongan Hills. See discussion under D. umbonata .

Figures

FIGURE 36. Daviesia cardiophylla species group. Daviesia cardiophylla. A. Flowering branchlet. B–D. Phyllodes, showing variation. E. Inflorescence (1-flowered) with calyx representing flower. F. Keel. Daviesia umbonata. G. Branchlet tip with pod. H. Phyllode. I. Keel. J. Pod. Daviesia cunderdin. K. Keel. Daviesia euryloba. L. Keel. M. Pod. A, B, E, F from Crisp 6604; C from Crisp 6151; D from Crisp 6507; G, H & J from Crisp 6686 (type); I from Woolcock D13; K from Marchant & Seabrook s.n. (PERTH 3705153); L from Woolcock D74; M from Crisp 6030 (type). Drawing by A.L. Prowse and M.D. Crisp. Adapted from Crisp (1995) with permission from CSIRO Publishing.