''Sphaerolobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the 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 Australia, occurring in all states and territories except the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
. Species of ''Sphaerolobium'' are erect shrubs, usually with
rush
Rush(es) may refer to:
Places
United States
* Rush, Colorado
* Rush, Kentucky
* Rush, New York
* Rush City, Minnesota
* Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois
* Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream
* Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
-like stems and yellow or red flowers similar to others in the family.
Description
Plants in the genus ''Sphaerolobium'' are
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
shrubs, the stems often rush-like, leafless and winged or ridged. The leaves, when present are
simple
Simple or SIMPLE may refer to:
*Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple
Arts and entertainment
* ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track
* "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018
* "Simple", a song by Johnn ...
, linear and lack
stipules. The sepals are joined forming a bell-shaped tube with five overlapping teeth, the upper two forming a curved "lip". The petals are yellow or red and
pea
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
-like, the
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
shorter than the other petals. The fruit is a spherical or flattened
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 ...
containing one or two seeds.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Sphaerolobium'' was first formally described in 1805 by
James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to:
* James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society
* James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer
* James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto
* ...
in ''Annals of Botany''.
The name ''Sphaerolobium'' means "ball-pod".
Species list
The following is a list of species of ''Spaerolobium'' accepted by the Australian Plant Census as of June 2022:
* ''
Sphaerolobium acanthos''
Crisp CRISP may refer to:
* Center for Research in Security and Privacy, largest research center for IT security in Europe
* C-language Reduced Instruction Set Processor, an AT&T microprocessor design
* Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Pat ...
— Grampians globe-pea (Vic.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium alatum''
Benth.
George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...
(W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium benetectum''
R.Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium calcicola''
R.Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium daviesioides''
Turcz.
Nikolai Stepanovich Turczaninow ( ru , Николай Степанович Турчанинов, 1796 in Nikitovka, now in Krasnogvardeysky District, Belgorod Oblast, Russia – 1863 in Kharkov) was a Russian botanist and plant collector who ...
– prickly globe-pea (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium drummondii''
Turcz. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium fornicatum''
Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium gracile''
Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium grandiflorum''
Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium hygrophilum''
R.Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium linophyllum''
( Hügel ex Benth.) Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium macranthum''
Meisn. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium medium''
R.Br. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium minus''
Labill. (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium nudiflorum''
(Meisn.) Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium pubescens''
R.Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium pulchellum''
Meisn. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium racemulosum''
Benth. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium rostratum''
Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium scabriusculum''
Meisn. (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium validum''
R.Butcher (W.A.)
* ''
Sphaerolobium vimineum''
Sm. — leafless globe-pea (W.A., S.A., Qld., N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)
References
{{Reflist
Fabales of Australia
Fabaceae genera