''Bossiaea decumbens'' is a spreading, prostrate shrub in the pea family (
), and is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. It has alternate, variable shaped leaves and yellow pea flowers with red splotches from spring to late summer.
Description
''Bossiaea decumbens'' is a prostrate shrub growing to about high, occasionally forming a mat-like appearance. The stems are needle-shaped with scant, flattened or spreading hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, elliptic to egg-shaped or broad, long, wide, sometimes heart-shaped at base, upper and lower leaf surface a different shade of green. The leaf lower surface is smooth with mostly obvious venation and the edges curved, on a short
petiole. The
stipule
In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...
s are triangular, thin and much longer than the petiole. The single flowers are long, usually in clusters at the end of short, side branches. The
pedicel
Pedicle or pedicel may refer to:
Human anatomy
*Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures
...
s are long,
bracts
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
up to long, bracteoles long and inserted near the apex of the pedicel and remain at maturity. The yellow pea flowers have a splotch of red, the lower petals smaller than the upper lobes that are long and marginally longer than the long keel or wings of the flower. The seed pods are narrow, oblong shaped and long. Flowering occurs from September to February.
Taxonomy and naming
''Bossiaea decumbens'' was first formally described by
Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...
in 1858 and the description was published in ''
Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae''.
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''(decumbens)'' is derived from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
meaning "prostrate".
Distribution and habitat
This species is found at higher altitudes in Victoria in a variety of growing conditions in woodlands, heath, sclerophyll forests and grassland locations.
References
{{Taxonbar , from =Q65931873
decumbens
Flora of Victoria (state)
Plants described in 1858
Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller