Daviesia sarissa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland areas of south-western Western Australia. It is a spreading or sprawling, glaucous shrub with scattered, long, rigid, cylindrical, sharply-pointed phyllodes, and orange-yellow and red flowers.
| Daviesia sarissa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Subspecies redacta near Yellowdine | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Daviesia |
| Species: | D. sarissa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Daviesia sarissa | |
Description
editDaviesia sarissa is a spreading or sprawling, glabrous, glaucous shrub that typically grows up to 50 cm (20 in) high and 80 cm (31 in) wide. Its phyllodes are scattered, rigid, cylindrical, 10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and fiercely pointed. The flowers are arranged in a group of three to six in leaf axils on a peduncle about 1 mm (0.039 in) long, the rachis 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 0.5–3 mm (0.020–0.118 in) long. The sepals are 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) long and joined at the base, the two upper lobes joined for most of their length, the lower three with lobes about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The standard petal is broadly elliptic, 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long, 5.5–6.5 mm (0.22–0.26 in) wide, and orange-yellow with a dark red base. The wings are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and red, the keel 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long and red. Flowering occurs from July to September and the fruit is a triangular pod 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editDaviesia sarissa was first formally described in 1995 by Michael Crisp in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens he collected near Lake Chidnup, north-west of Ravensthorpe in 1975.[2][4] The specific epithet (sarissa) is a word meaning a long Macedonian lance, referring to the leaves.[5]
In the same paper, Crisp described two subspecies of D. sarissa and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Distribution and habitat
editThis daviesia grows in heath. Subspecies redacta occurs between Southern Cross and Coolgardie in the Coolgardie biogeographic region, and subp. sarissa between Pingaring, Newdegate and near Lake King in the Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3][7][9]
Conservation status
editDaviesia sarissa is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[3] but subspecies redacta is classified as "Priority Two",[7] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Daviesia sarissa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Crisp, Michael D.; Cayzer, Lindy; Chandler, Gregory T.; Cook, Lyn G. (2017). "A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae)". Phytotaxa. 300 (1): 211–213. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.300.1.1.
- ^ a b c "Daviesia sarissa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Daviesia sarissa". APNI. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780958034180.
- ^ "Daviesia sarissa subsp. redacta". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Daviesia sarissa subsp. redacta". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Daviesia sarissa subsp. sarissa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Daviesia sarissa subsp. sarissa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 22 April 2022.