Templetonia egena

Desert broom bush
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Templetonia
Species:	T. egena
Binomial name
Templetonia egena (F.Muell.) Benth. [1]
Synonyms [1]
List Bossiaea egena(F.Muell.) Hook. Daviesia egenaF.Muell. nom. inval., nom. nud. Daviesia egenaF.Muell. Daviesia egenaF.Muell. isonym

Habit in the Gawler Ranges

Templetonia egena commonly known as desert broom bush, ^[2] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is an upright, leafless shrub with yellowish-brown pea-like flowers and grows in all mainland states and the Northern Territory in Australia.

Description

Templetonia egena is a multi-branched shrub 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) high with ridged, upright, yellow-green stems 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide, rounded at the apex, leaves small, triangular scales. Flowers are borne in pairs or singly in leaf axils, 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long, pea-like, thickly racemose, pedicel less than 1 mm (0.039 in) long and petals yellow or reddish brown. Flowering occurs mostly in spring and the fruit is a flattened, oval to oblong pod 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and usually one-seeded. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy and naming

In 1855 Ferdinand von Mueller named the species Daviesia egena. ^[4] In 1864 George Bentham changed the name to Templetonia egena and the description was published in Flora Australiensis . ^{[5] [6]} The specific epithet (egena) means "small scales" in reference to the leaves. ^[7]

Distribution and habitat

Desert broom bush grows on deep sandy soils in drier locations on mainland Australia. ^{[2] [8]}

References

1. "Templetonia egena". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
2. James, T.A. "Templetonia egena". PlantNET-NSW Flora online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
3. Kutsche, Frank; Lay, Brendan; Croft, Tim; Kellermann, Jurgen (2013). Plants of Outback South Australia. Adelaide: State Herbarium of South Australia. p. 138. ISBN   9781922027603.
4. "Daviesia egena". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
5. Bentham, George (1864). Flora Australiensis (2 ed.). London: Lovell Reeves & Co. p. 170.
6. "Templetonia egena". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
7. George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 195. ISBN   9780958034197.
8. "Templetonia egena". Florabase-the Western Australian flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 22 May 2025.