''Kennedia rubicunda'', commonly known as the dusky coral pea,
is a species of flowering plant 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 eastern continental Australia. It is a twining or prostrate herb with
trifoliate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
leaves and dark red or purple flowers.
Description
''Kennedia rubicunda'' is a twining or prostrate herb with stems up to long and covered with rusty-brown hairs. The leaves are trifoliate on a
petiole long, the leaflets egg-shaped to lance-shaped, long and wide with lance-shaped
stipules long at the base of the petiole. Dark red pea flowers are arranged in
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
s of up to twelve on a
peduncle long, each flower on a
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
...
long. The
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
s are long and densely covered with rusty-brown hairs and the petals are long. Flowering mostly occurs from September to December and the fruit is a rusty-hairy, 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 ...
long containing ten to fifteen seeds.
Taxonomy
Dusky coral pea was first formally described in 1793 by Dutch botanist
George Voorhelm Schneevoogt
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
, who gave it the name ''Glycine rubicunda'' in his book ''Icones Plantarum rariorum''.
In 1804 it was published under its current name by French botanist
Étienne Pierre Ventenat
Étienne Pierre Ventenat (1 March 1757 – 13 August 1808) was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat (1765–1794).
While employed as director of the ecclesiastic library Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, V ...
in his book, ''
Jardin de la Malmaison''.
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 ...
(''rubicunda'') refers to the species' red flowers.
Distribution and habitat
''Kennedia rubicunda'' is widespread in a variety of habitats, including in forests and rainforest margins, on the coast and nearby tablelands of Queensland, New South Wales and far eastern Victoria.
It is an introduced species in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
and the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
[Govaerts, R. ''et al.'' 2018. ] (where it is considered a weed).
[NZ Flora ''Kennedia rubicunda'' (Schneev.) Vent.]
Retrieved 2 July 2018
Ecology
Flowers of ''K. rubicunda'' are pollinated by birds. Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) has been reported, in which ants are attracted to fatty acid-rich elaiosomes attached to the outside of the seeds. The plant is killed by bushfire but regenerates from seed dormant in the soil and is often abundant after fire.
''K. rubicunda'' forms a symbiosis with soil nitrogen fixing bacteria (
rhizobia
Rhizobia are diazotrophic bacteria that fix nitrogen after becoming established inside the root nodules of legumes (Fabaceae). To express genes for nitrogen fixation, rhizobia require a plant host; they cannot independently fix nitrogen. In gene ...
) resulting in the formation of nodules on the roots that fix atmospheric nitrogen which is used for plant growth.
Use in horticulture
This plant is noted for its vigour and can be used to cover embankments or structures.
The species is adapted to a range of well-drained soils and adapts to positions with sun or partial shade.
[ It is resistant to drought and has some frost tolerance.][ The species can be propagated by scarified seed or cuttings of semi-mature growth.]
References
rubicunda
Fabales of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Flora of Victoria (state)
Garden plants
Plants described in 1804
{{Phaseoleae-stub