Bossiaea fragrans explained

Pultenaea fragrans is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with flattened cladodes, small, scale-like leaves, and pea-like, yellow and red flowers.

Description

Bossiaea fragrans is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of with flattened, winged cladodes wide. The leaves are reduced to dark brown scales, long. The flowers are borne singly or in groups of up to six, each flower on a pedicel long with overlapping, narrow egg-shaped bracts up to long at the base. The five sepals are long and joined at the base forming a tube, the two upper lobes about wide and the lower three lobes about wide. There are also bracteoles but that fall off before the flower opens. The standard petal is yellow with a red base and long, the wings yellow with a red base and about long and the keel is dark red and wide. Flowering occurs in September and October and the fruit is an oblong pod long.[1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Bossiaea fragrans was first formally described in 2009 by Keith Leonard McDougall in the journal Telopea from specimens he collected in the Abercrombie Karst Conservation Area.[4]

Distribution and habitat

This bossiaea is only known from two populations near Abercrombie Caves on the southern tablelands of New South Wales where it grows in woodland.[5]

Conservation status

Bossiaea fragrans is listed as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Notes and References

  1. McDougall . Keith L. . Four new species related to Bossiaea bracteosa F.Muell. ex Benth. in south-eastern Australia . Telopea . 2009 . 12 . 3 . 356–358.
  2. Web site: Major . Richard . Bossiaea fragrans - critically endangered species listing . New South Wales Government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment . 29 July 2021.
  3. Web site: Wood . Betty . Bossiaea fragrans . Lucid Keys . 29 July 2021.
  4. Web site: Bossiaea fragrans. APNI. 29 July 2021.
  5. Web site: Bossiaea fragrans . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 29 July 2021.