Daviesia discolor Pedley (1977: 34)

Crisp, Michael D., Cayzer, Lindy, Chandler, Gregory T. & Cook, Lyn G., 2017, A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae), Phytotaxa 300 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

55. Daviesia discolor Pedley (1977: 34) , Crisp (1991a: 250), Crisp (1995: 1188). Type: Queensland, Blackdown Tableland, R.J. Henderson H1026, L. Durrington & P. Sharpe, 6 September 1971. Holotype: BRI; isotypes: A, CANB, K, L, MO, NSW, PR

Multi-stemmed shrubs to 2 m high, glabrous. Root anatomy normal (unistelar). Branchlets ascending, angular, ribbed. Phyllodes ascending to widely spreading, linear-elliptic, ± falcate, tapered to both ends, articulate at base, 40–160 × 4–11 mm, striate with fine but raised, longitudinal, anastomosing venation, thin, green, discolorous. Unit inflorescences 1 or 2 per axil, racemose, 3–8-flowered; peduncle 1.5–6 mm long; rachis 1–4 mm long; subtending bracts ± appressed to pedicels, narrowly oblong or ovate, with margins strongly incurved, 0.8–1.1 mm long. Pedicels 1.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx 3.5–4.0 mm long including the 1.25–1.5 mm receptacle, lacking dark markings; lobes 0.5–1 mm long; upper 2 united higher than the lower 3 but scarcely forming a lip, very broadly triangular; lower 3 triangular, acute. Corolla : standard very broadly ovate, emarginate, cordate, 5.5–6 × 6.5–7.25 mm including the 1.5–1.75 mm claw, yellow with dull red infusion surrounding an intensely yellow bilobed spot at the centre; wings obovate-oblong, rounded at apex, auriculate, 5.5–6 × 2–2.5 mm including the 1.75–2 mm claw, yellow towards apex, dull red towards base; keel half very broadly obovate, scarcely acute, saccate, auriculate, ca. 4.5 × 2 mm including the 2.75 mm claw, pale green with a dull red tip. Stamens strongly dimorphic: inner whorl of 5 with longer, subterete filaments and compressed globose, subversatile anthers with confluent thecae; outer whorl of 5 with shorter, compressed filaments and compressed, broadly ovoid-oblong, subbasifixed, 2-celled anthers; filaments free. Pod obliquely shallowly obtriangular, acute, compressed, 7–8.5 × 5.5–6 mm, thin-walled, lead-grey or purple (weathered); upper suture nearly straight; lower suture acute. Seed not seen. ( Fig. 55 ).

A MONOGRAPH OF DAVIESIA

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Flowering period:— August to October. Fruiting period: Unknown.

Distribution:— Endemic in Queensland, where it is known from three widely disjunct areas: on the Blackdown Tableland near Blackwater, in the Mt Walsh area near Biggenden, and north of Mt Playfair within Carnarvon National Park.

Habitat:— Daviesia discolor occurs on ridges, slopes and creek banks at elevations of 500 to 900 m, in sandy soil derived from sandstone and on lateritic clay soil. The associated vegetation is (often tall) open eucalypt forest,

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CRISP ET AL.

dominated by species such as Eucalyptus sphaerocarpa Johnson & Blaxell (1972: 284) , E. acmenoides Schauer (1843: 924) , Corymbia trachyphloia ( Mueller 1859a: 90) K.D. Hill & Johnson (1995: 227) and stringybarks, with an understorey of shrubs and sometimes hummock grass ( Triodia ).

Conservation status:— National: Vulnerable. Qld: Vulnerable.

Selected specimens (15 examined):— Approximate locality data given because the species is rare. QUEENSLAND. Leichhardt: Blackdown Tableland, 23°50’S, 149°10’E, M . D. Crisp 2941, 11 June 1977 ( CBG); ibid., C. H . Gittins 926, August 1964 ( BRI, CANB, NSW); ibid., H. G . Simmons 52, September 1937 ( BRI); ibid., R. J . Henderson H860 , S. B . Andrews & P . Sharpe, 26 April 1971 ( BRI); ibid., I. R . Telford 9151 & G . Butler, 27 January 1983 ( CBG); alternate road to Tambo , 24°50’S, 146°50’E, R. W . Purdie 4390, 8 September 1993 ( BRI, CBG); Carnarvon National Park , N of Mt Playfair Road, 24°50’ S, 147°E, M . D. Crisp 11732, 31 August 2016 ( BRI, CANB). Wide Bay : S of Mt Walsh, 25°50’S, 152°10’E, J . Randall 420, 2 October 1985 ( BRI, CANB). CULTIVATED. Australian National Botanic Gardens , M . D. Crisp 7251, 16 August 1984 ( CBG) .

Affinity:— Daviesia discolor is the sister taxon of D. arborea and resembles it closely in most respects. The latter may be distinguished by its arborescent habit, corky bark, longer inflorescences (rachis 10–27 mm) with more flowers (8–15) and truncate upper calyx-lip. For a fuller discussion of this relationship, see under D. arborea .

Figures

FIGURE 55. Daviesia discolor. A. Flowering branchlet. B. Inflorescence. C. Flower. D. Calyx opened out, upper lobes at left. E. Standard. F. Wings. G. Keel. H. Same, opened out. I. Pod. A, B from Gittins 926; C–H from Crisp 7251; I from Crisp 2941. Drawn by A.L. Prowse and D. Fortescue. Adapted from Crisp (1991a) with permission from CSIRO Publishing.