''Gompholobium laxum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family
and is
endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with needle-shaped leaves and uniformly yellow, pea-like flowers.
Description
''Gompholobium laxum'' is an erect, open shrub that typically grows to a height of up to . Its leaves are needle-shaped, long and long but with one or two longitudinal grooves on the lower surface. The flowers are uniformly yellow, borne on
pedicels
In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''.
Description
Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...
long with
bracteoles long. The
sepals are hairy, about long, the
standard petal long,
wings long and the
keel long. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is a
pod
Pod or POD may refer to:
Biology
* Pod (fruit), a type of fruit of a flowering plant
* Husk or pod of a legume
* Pod of whales or other marine mammals
* "-pod", a suffix meaning "foot" used in taxonomy
Electronics and computing
* Proper ort ...
about long.
Taxonomy
This species was first formally described in 1864 by
George Bentham, who gave it the name ''Gompholobium aristatum'' var. ''laxum'' in ''
Flora Australiensis''.
In 2008,
Jennifer Anne Chappill
Jennifer Anne Chappill (born 1959 in Melbourne – died 8 August 2006 in Perth) was an Australians, Australian botanist. Chappill studied botany at the University of Melbourne and was awarded a Master of Science degree in 1983, and a Doctor of Phi ...
raised the variety to species status as ''Gompholobium laxum'' in ''
Australian Systematic Botany''.
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 ...
(''laxum'') means "open", referring to the long pedicels.
Distribution and habitat
''Gompholobium laxum'' grows in woodland in the
Avon Wheatbelt,
Esperance Plains,
Jarrah Forest and
Mallee biogeographic regions
A biogeographic realm or ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions.
De ...
of south-western Western Australia.
Conservation status
''Gompholobium laxum'' is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government
Department of Parks and Wildlife
The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q51044565
laxum
Eudicots of Western Australia
Plants described in 1864
Taxa named by George Bentham