Jacksonia debilis

Jacksonia debilis
Conservation status
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Jacksonia
Species:	J. debilis
Binomial name
Jacksonia debilis Chappill [1]

Jacksonia debilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a spreading to prostrate shrub with curved phylloclades, yellow-orange flowers with red markings, and woody, hairy pods.

Description

Jacksonia debilis is a spreading to prostrate shrub that typically grows up to 0.1–0.2 m (3.9 in – 7.9 in) high and 0.4–2 m (1 ft 4 in – 6 ft 7 in) wide, its branches greyish-green. Its phylloclades are curved with the leaves reduced to pale brown to dark brown egg-shaped scales, 0.7–2.1 mm (0.028–0.083 in) long and 0.75–1.4 mm (0.030–0.055 in) wide with toothed edges. The flowers are scattered along branches each flower on a pedicel 1.5–4.5 mm (0.059–0.177 in) long. There are egg-shaped bracteoles 0.75–2.3 mm (0.030–0.091 in) long and 0.5–0.8 mm (0.020–0.031 in) wide on the pedicels. The floral tube is 0.3–0.6 mm (0.012–0.024 in) long and the sepals are membranous, the lobes 5.3–6.8 mm (0.21–0.27 in) long, 0.8–1.3 mm (0.031–0.051 in) wide and fused at the base. The standard petal is yellow-orange to orange with a red "eye", 3.5–7.7 mm (0.14–0.30 in) long and 5.5–8.2 mm (0.22–0.32 in) deep, the wings yellow-orange, 4.7–6.6 mm (0.19–0.26 in) long, and the keel deep red around the edges, 3.7–5.3 mm (0.15–0.21 in) long. The stamens have white filaments 2.2–4.8 mm (0.087–0.189 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to November, and the fruit is a woody, densely hairy, elliptic pod, 8.0–8.5 mm (0.31–0.33 in) long and about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) wide. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

Jacksonia debilis was first formally described in 2007 by Jennifer Anne Chappill in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Newdegate in 1991. ^{[2] [4]} The specific epithet (debilis) means 'feeble' or 'weak', referring to the lowly habit of this species. ^[5]

Distribution and habitat

This species of Jacksonia grows in mallee woodland in scattered locations between Coorow, Bruce Rock, Kukerin and Newdegate in the Avon Wheatbelt and Mallee bioregions of inland south-western Western Australia. ^{[2] [3]}

Conservation status

Jacksonia debilis is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[3] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations where it is potentially at risk. ^[6]

References

1. "Jacksonia debilis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
2. Chappill, Jennifer A.; Wilkins, Carolyn F.; Crisp, Michael D. (2007). "Taxonomic revision of Jacksonia (Leguminosae: Mirbelieae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 20 (6): 557–559.
3. "Jacksonia debilis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Jacksonia debilis". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
5. George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 179. ISBN   9780958034180.
6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 September 2025.