Mirbelia pungens

Short description: Species of legume

Mirbelia pungens

Near Bemboka
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Rosids
Order:  | Fabales
Family:  | Fabaceae
Subfamily:  | Faboideae
Genus:  | Mirbelia
Species:  |

M. pungens

Binomial name
Mirbelia pungens

A.Cunn. ex G.Don[1]

Mirbelia pungens, commonly known as prickly mirbelia,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect or prostrate shrub with sharply-pointed linear leaves and orange-red flowers with blue or purple markings.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Taxonomy
* 3 Distribution and habitat
* 4 Conservation status
* 5 References

## Description

Mirbelia pungens is an erect or prostrate shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–0.5 m (1 ft 0 in–1 ft 8 in), and has softly-hairy stems. Its leaves are linear and sharply pointed, mostly 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long, about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide on a petiole up to 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to four in leaf axils on a peduncle up to about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The sepals are 2.5–4.0 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long, softly-hairy and joined at the base, the lobes shorter than the sepal tube. The standard petal is orange-red with blue or purple markings, the keel purplish and nearly as long as the wings. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is an oval pod about 3 mm (0.12 in) long.[2][3]

## Taxonomy

Mirbelia pungens was first formally described in 1832 by George Don in A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants from an unpublished manuscript by Allan Cunningham.[4][5] The specific epithet (pungens) means "ending in a sharp, hard point".[6]

## Distribution and habitat

This mirbelia grows in stony areas in heath and is widespread in south-eastern Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and in the far north-east of Victoria.[2]

## Conservation status

Mirbelia pungens is listed as "vulnerable in Victoria" on the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment's Advisory List of Rare Or Threatened Plants In Victoria.[7]

## References

1. ↑ "Mirbelia pungens". https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/97253.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Porteners, Marianne F.. "Mirbelia pungens". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Mirbelia~pungens.
3. ↑ Jeanes, Jeff A.. "Mirbelia pungens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/cbce5c37-44aa-4cf1-acf4-8f5c0050b9d6.
4. ↑ "Mirbelia pungens". APNI. https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/522315.
5. ↑ Don, George (1832). A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants. London: J.G and F. Rivington. p. 126. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/9907#page/134/mode/1up. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
6. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 287. ISBN 9780958034180.
7. ↑ "Advisory List of Rare Or Threatened Plants In Victoria - 2014". Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria). p. 32. https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/50448/Advisory-List-of-Rare-or-Threatened-Plants-in-Victoria-2014.pdf.

Wikidata ☰ Q15534817 entry

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