Bossiaea prostrata

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Creeping bossiaea
Bossiaea prostrata.jpg
Bossiaea prostrata near Taralga
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Bossiaea
Species:
B. prostrata
Binomial name
Bossiaea prostrata
BossiaeaprostrataDistMap57.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms
  • Bossiaea humilis Meisn.
  • Bossiaea linnaeoidesG.Don
  • Bossiaea nummulariaEndl.

Bossiaea prostrata, commonly known as creeping bossiaea, [2] is a prostrate understory shrub in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is a widespread species with orange-yellow flowers, purple-brown keels and trailing branches.

Contents

Description

Bossiaea prostrata is a shrub with a prostrate spreading, scrambling habit to 0.2 m (7.9 in) wide. The leaves are dark green on the upper side and paler on the underside, ovate to rounded or oblong, 3–15 mm (0.12–0.59 in) long, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) wide and have a petiole about 5 mm (0.20 in) long. The leaves are arranged alternately, simple, smooth or with sparse hairs, stipules narrow to egg-shaped, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The stems are flattened toward the apex and either smooth or with short flattened or spreading hairs. The flowers are single or in pairs, 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) long, have orange-yellow standards, that are pinkish brown on the back, and purple-brown keels. The pedicels 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long, bracts 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. The seed pods are oblong in shape and between 1.5–3.2 cm (0.59–1.26 in) long. Flowering occurs between September and November in its native range. It is similar to the species Bossiaea buxifolia , but may be distinguished by its longer leaves, petioles and pedicels and more distant leaf spacing. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Bossiaea prostrata was first formally described in 1812 by botanist Robert Brown and the description was published in Hortus Kewensis . [6] [7] The specific epithet (prostrata) is a Latin word meaning "down flat", "overthrown" or "laid low", [8]

Distribution and habitat

Creeping bossiaea occurs in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It grows in coastal heath, grassland and open-forest on a variety of soils including clay-shale, preferring wetter locations. [2] [9]

Related Research Articles

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Swainsona galegifolia commonly known as smooth Darling pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small shrub with greyish-green leaves and flowers in white, red, pink, purple, yellow or orange.

<i>Bossiaea walkeri</i> Species of legume

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<i>Kennedia prostrata</i> Species of plant

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<i>Bossiaea buxifolia</i> Species of legume

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<i>Bossiaea ensata</i> Species of legume

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Bossiaea nummularia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a prostrate to low-lying sub-shrub with moderately hairy foliage, mostly broadly elliptic leaves, and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Bossiaea cinerea</i> Species of plant

Bossiaea cinerea, commonly known as showy bossiaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with trowel-shaped, triangular, egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves with a sharply-pointed tip and golden yellow and red to purplish-brown flowers.

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<i>Bossiaea obcordata</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea obcordata, commonly known as spiny bossiaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, rigid shrub with spiny branches, heart-shaped to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow and purplish-brown flowers.

<i>Bossiaea linophylla</i> Species of legume

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<i>Hovea longifolia</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Bossiaea decumbens</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea decumbens is a spreading, prostrate shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), and is endemic to Victoria. It has alternate, variable shaped leaves and yellow pea flowers with red splotches from spring to late summer.

<i>Dillwynia prostrata</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Bossiaea dentata</i> Species of flowering plant

Bossiaea dentata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, sometimes prostrate shrub with variably-shaped leaves and greenish-yellow or pink to burgundy-coloured flowers.

<i>Bossiaea kiamensis</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea kiamensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south coast of New South Wales. It is an erect or prostrate shrub with narrow elliptic or narrow oblong leaves and yellow and red to brown flowers.

<i>Bossiaea neoanglica</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea neoanglica is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying shrub with sparsely hairy foliage, egg-shaped to more or less round leaves, and yellow and red flowers.

Bossiaea obovata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small, low-lying or prostrate shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and pea-shaped, yellow and red flowers.

<i>Bossiaea riparia</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea riparia, commonly known as river leafless bossiaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or low-lying shrub with flattened branches, linear young cladodes, leaves mostly reduced to small scales, and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Bossiaea rufa</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea rufa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a loose, many-branched shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and deep yellow and red flowers.

<i>Bossiaea scortechinii</i> Species of legume

Bossiaea scortechinii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying shrub with simple, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and orange-yellow flowers with red to pinkish markings.

References

  1. "Bossiaea prostrata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bossiaea prostrata". VicFLORA. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. Wild Plants of Victoria (database). Viridans Biological Databases & Department of Sustainability and Environment. 2009.
  4. "Bossiaea prostrata". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  5. "Bossiaea". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  6. "Bossiaea prostrata". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  7. "Hortus Kewensis". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 481.
  9. Sharp, Sarah; Rehwinkel, Rainer; Mallinson, Dave; Eddy, David (2015). Woodland Flora a Field Guide for the Southern Tableland (NSW & ACT). Canberra: Horizons Print Management. ISBN   9780994495808.