Pultenaea elusa

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Elusive bush-pea
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Pultenaea
Species:
P. elusa
Binomial name
Pultenaea elusa

Pultenaea elusa, commonly known as elusive bush-pea, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a low shrub with sharply-pointed linear leaves, and dense clusters of yellow to orange and red to purple flowers. It has not been seen since 1938.

Contents

Description

Pultenaea elusa is a low, straggling shrub with branches up to 50 cm (20 in) long and hairy branchlets. The leaves are arranged alternately, linear with a sharply-pointed tip, 5–16 mm (0.20–0.63 in) long and 0.6–2.0 mm (0.024–0.079 in) wide. The upper surface of the leaves is glabrous, the lower surface is hairy and there are stipules 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long at the base. The flowers are arranged in dense clusters with a few bracts at the base, each flower on a pedicel 1.0–1.2 mm (0.039–0.047 in) long.The sepals are 4–4.5 mm (0.16–0.18 in) long, with linear to boat-shaped bracteoles 3.0–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) long attached at the base. The standard petal is yellow to orange, 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long, the wings 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and the keel is red to purple and 5.0–5.5 mm (0.20–0.22 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is a pod 4.0–4.5 mm (0.16–0.18 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Elusive bush-pea was first formally described in 1994 by John D. Briggs and Michael Crisp and was given the name Pultenaea parrisiae subsp. elusa in the journal Telopea from specimens collected in 1938 by William Blakely from swamps near Wingello. [5] In 2004, Rogier Petrus Johannes de Kok raised the subspecies to species status as Pultenaea elusa. [6] The specific epithet (elusa) is from a Latin word meaning "to avoid, evade or frustrate", referring to the lack of success in relocating populations of this species. [7]

Distribution and habitat

This pultenaea grows in swamps at an altitude of about 600 m (2,000 ft), but is only known from the two collections made by William Blakely in 1938. [2] [3] [4]

Conservation status

Pultenaea elusa is classified as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "critically endangered" under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 . [2] [4]

Related Research Articles

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Pultenaea daphnoides, commonly known as large-leaf bush-pea or large-leaf bitter-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, and dense clusters of bright yellow and red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea gunnii</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea gunnii, commonly known as golden bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender, erect to spreading shrub with hairy young stems, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with lance-shaped stipules at the base, and bright yellow and dark red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea juniperina</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea juniperina, commonly known as prickly bush-pea or prickly beauty is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect, spiky shrub with hairy stems, linear to narrow elliptic leaves with stipules at the base, and yellow-orange and red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea pedunculata</i> Species of plant

Pultenaea pedunculata, commonly known as matted bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a prostrate, densely matted shrub with softly-hairy branches that often form roots, narrow elliptic leaves, and bright yellow and brick-red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea villosa</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea villosa, commonly known as hairy bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with softly-hairy foliage, narrow elliptic to linear, oblong to club-shaped leaves, and yellow-orange and reddish-brown, pea-like flowers.

<i>Pultenaea mollis</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea mollis, commonly known as soft bush-pea or guinea flower bush pea, 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 narrow linear to elliptic or needle-shaped leaves and clusters of up to ten yellow to orange flowers with red markings.

<i>Pultenaea aristata</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea aristata, commonly known as bearded bush-pea or prickly bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a small, erect shrub with linear to narrow elliptic, sharp-tipped leaves, and yellow and red flowers.

Pultenaea canescens, commonly known as plumed bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area in eastern New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with narrow elliptic to narrow egg-shaped leaves, and yellow to orange flowers with reddish-brown markings.

Pultenaea lapidosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with linear to narrow elliptic leaves and deep orange and dark red flowers.

<i>Pultenaea laxiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea laxiflora, commonly known as loose-flower bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a low-lying to prostrate, spreading shrub with linear to narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow and red to brown or purple flowers.

<i>Pultenaea maritima</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea maritima, commonly known as coastal bush-pea or coastal headland pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate, mat-forming shrub with elliptic, or oblong to spatula-shaped leaves and pea-like flowers.

<i>Pultenaea parrisiae</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea parrisiae, commonly known as bantam bush-pea, or Parris's bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south eastern continental Australia. It is a low-lying sub-shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow to purple flowers with red markings.

<i>Pultenaea petiolaris</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea petiolaris, commonly known as woolly bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a low-lying shrub with linear leaves, pea-like flowers and flattened fruit.

<i>Pultenaea polifolia</i> Species of legume

Pultenaea polifolia, commonly known as dusky bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect to prostrate shrub with linear or elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow to orange and red to purple flowers.

Pultenaea sericea, commonly known as chaffy bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, straggling shrub with hairy branches, elliptic to linear leaves, and yellow and red to purple, pea-like flowers.

<i>Pultenaea subalpina</i> Species of plant


Pultenaea subalpina, commonly known as rosy bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Victoria. It is a rigid, prostrate to erect or spreading shrub with linear leaves and pink, pea-like flowers.

<i>Pultenaea subspicata</i> Species of plant


Pultenaea subspicata, commonly known as low bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a low-lying, prostrate or mat-forming shrub with elliptic leaves and yellow to pink and orange-red, pea-like flowers.

Pultenaea tenella, commonly known as delicate bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the high country near the border between New South Wales and Victoria in south-eastern continental Australia. It is a small, prostrate, mat-forming shrub with elliptic to linear leaves and yellow to orange and red, pea-like flowers.

<i>Pultenaea viscidula</i> Species of flowering plant

Pultenaea viscidula, commonly known as dark bush-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is an erect shrub with branches that are sticky when young, linear to cylindrical, channelled leaves with stipules at the base, and yellow to orange and yellow-red to green flowers.

Pultenaea indira is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or low-lying shrub with plate-like or fissured bark near the base, densely hairy stems above, linear to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow, red and maroon flowers.

References

  1. "Pultenaea elusa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Elusive Bush-pea - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Pultenaea elusa". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Pultenaea elusa - critically endangered species listing". New South Wales Government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  5. "Pultenaea parrisiae subsp. elusa". APNI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. "Pultenaea elusa". APNI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. Briggs, John D.; Crisp, Michael D. (1994). "Pultenaea parrisiae (Fabaceae: Mirbelieae), a new species from south-eastern Australia". Telopea. 5 (4): 652. Retrieved 7 July 2021.