Daviesia speciosa

Species of legume

Daviesia speciosa

In the Australian National Botanic Gardens

Conservation status

Declared rare (DEC)

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

D. speciosa

Binomial name
Daviesia speciosa

Crisp[1]

Flower detail

Daviesia speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, erect, spindly, glabrous shrub with needle-shaped phyllodes almost indistinguishable from the branchlets, and red flowers.

## Description

[edit]

Daviesia speciosa is an erect, spindly, glabrous shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 30–80 cm (12–31 in) and has many erect stems. Its phyllodes are tapering needle-shaped, almost indistinguishable from the branchlets and sharply pointed, 15–80 mm (0.59–3.15 in) long and about 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. The flowers are arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils on a peduncle 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long, the rachis 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) long, each flower on a thread-like pedicel 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long with linear bracts 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long at the base. The sepals are about 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long and joined at the base, the five lobes about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The flowers are red, and apparently bird-pollinated, the standard petal egg-shaped, turned back through a small angle, about 20–23 mm (0.79–0.91 in) long and 15–17 mm (0.59–0.67 in) wide. The wings are 20–22 mm (0.79–0.87 in) long, and the keel 23–25 mm (0.91–0.98 in) long. Flowering occurs in April and May.[2][3]

## Taxonomy

[edit]

Daviesia speciosa was first formally described in 1995 by Michael Crisp in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected in 1958 by Charles Chapman near Eneabba.[2][4] The specific epithet (speciosa) means "showy".[5]

## Distribution and habitat

[edit]

This daviesia grows in heath between Eneabba and Mingenew in the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3]

## Conservation status

[edit]

Daviesia speciosa is classified as "Threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[3] meaning that it is in danger of extinction.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Daviesia speciosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
2. ^ a b c Crisp, Michael D.; Cayzer, Lindy; Chandler, Gregory T.; Cook, Lyn G. (2017). "A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae)". Phytotaxa. 300 (1): 192–194\. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.300.1.1.
3. ^ a b c "Daviesia speciosa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. ^ "Daviesia speciosa". APNI. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
5. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 310\. ISBN 9780958034180.
6. ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 29 April 2022.

Taxon identifiers

Daviesia speciosa|

* Wikidata: Q27828451
* APNI: 139377
* FloraBase: 13632
* GBIF: 3910892
* IPNI: 986545-1
* NCBI: 233838
* Open Tree of Life: 739667
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:986545-1
* SPRAT: 56698
* Tropicos: 50200484
* WFO: wfo-0000638765