Daviesia acicularis, commonly known as sharp bitter-pea,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small, wiry shrub with tapering, linear phyllodes, and single yellow to orange and dark red flowers.

Sharp bitter-pea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Daviesia
Species:
D. acicularis
Binomial name
Daviesia acicularis
Synonyms[1]

Daviesia pungens Benth.

Description edit

Daviesia acicularis is a wiry shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and has hairy foliage. The phyllodes are tapering linear to narrow elliptic, 10–65 mm (0.39–2.56 in) long and 0.5–10 mm (0.020–0.394 in) wide with the edges curved downwards or rolled under and a prominent mid-vein on the upper surface. The flowers are 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and arranged singly on a peduncle 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The sepals are 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long and joined at the base. The standard petal is yellow to orange with dark red markings and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and the keel is dark red grading to pink near the base. Flowering occurs from August in the north to October in the south and the fruit is a triangular pod 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming edit

Daviesia acicularis was first formally described in 1805 by James Edward Smith in his book Annals of Botany from specimens collected at Port Jackson.[5][6]

Distribution edit

This species of pea grows in forest and hummock grassland from Tambo and Charleville in central Queensland to Eden and inland as far as Cowra, West Wyalong and Enngonia in New South Wales.[2][3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Daviesia acicularis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Wood, Betty. "Daviesia acicularis". Lucid Keys. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b Crisp, Michael D. "Daviesia acicularis". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  4. ^ Crisp, Michael D.; Cayzer, Lindy; Chandler, Gregory T.; Cook, Lyn G. (2017). "A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae)". Phytotaxa. 300 (1): 27–29. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.300.1.1.
  5. ^ "Daviesia acicularis". APNI. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  6. ^ Smith, James Edward (1805). Annals of Botany. London. p. 506. Retrieved 23 September 2021.