Hovea apiculata explained

Hovea apiculata, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with white to greyish or light brown hairs, narrowly oblong leaves with stipules at the base, and purplish and deep mauve, pea-like flowers.

Description

Hovea apiculata is a shrub that typically grows to a height of up to, its foliage covered with white to grey, sometimes brown hairs. The leaves are narrowly oblong to lorate, long, wide on a petiole long with narrowly egg-shaped stipules long at the base. The flowers are usually arranged in racemes of four to twelve on a rachis up to long with bracts long at the base, and slightly shorter bracteoles. The sepals are long, joined at the base forming a tube long. The standard petal is pinkish-mauve and deep mauve with a greenish yellow centre and long, wide. The wings are long and the keel long. Flowering occurs from July to September and the fruit is a pod long.[1]

Taxonomy and naming

Hovea apiculata was first formally described in 1832 by George Don in his book, A General History of Dichlamydeous, from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham.[2] [3] The specific epithet (apiculata) means "apiculate".[4]

Distribution and habitat

This species of pea grows in forest and woodland on sandy soils in south-eastern Queensland including in the Expedition National Park, and west of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales as far south as Dubbo.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hovea apiculata . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 25 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Hovea apiculata . Australian Plant Name Index . 25 December 2021.
  3. Book: Don . George . A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants . 1832 . London . 126 . 2 . 25 December 2021.
  4. Book: Sharr . Francis Aubi . George . Alex . Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings . 2019 . Four Gables Press . Kardinya, WA . 9780958034180 . 135 . 3rd.