''Velleia paradoxa'', or spur velleia, is a small, softly

pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a ...

perennial herb in the family Goodeniaceae, endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is found in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland. It grows in

sclerophyll forest Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

and grassland. It has oval to elliptical leaves which are from long and it flowers mainly from August to February. The species was first described as ''Velleia paradoxa'' by the

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Robert Brown in 1810 and the name has never been revised. It has two varieties: ''V. paradoxa'' var. ''humilis''

DC. Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...

, Prodr. 7(2): 518 (1839), and ''V. paradoxa'' var. ''stenoptera''

F.Muell. 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 Victo ...

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 ...

, Fl. Austral. 4: 48 (1868).

References

External links

The Australasian Virtual Herbarium – Distribution

PlantNET – Description
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17480531 paradoxa Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Flora of Tasmania Flora of South Australia Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773) Flora of Victoria (Australia) Plants described in 1810