Oxylobium ellipticum, commonly known as the common shaggy-pea,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It has dense clusters of yellow pea flowers and elliptic-shaped leaves. It grows in south-eastern Australia.

Common shaggy-pea
Oxylobium ellipticum in Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Oxylobium
Species:
O. ellipticum
Binomial name
Oxylobium ellipticum
Pods with flowers.pods are usually grey brown , rounded ,covered with long silk hairs.

Description edit

Oxylobium ellipticum is a spreading much branched shrub up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. The leaves are in irregular whorls of three or four, elliptic, sometimes lance-shaped, rarely heart-shaped, 0.5–3 cm (0.20–1.18 in) long, 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) wide, leathery, brown tomentose beneath, dark green, reticulate veins and margins recurved, apex blunt, often with an abrupt point. It has golden yellow pea flowers in dense terminal clusters. Pods 7–8 mm long, rounded, grey-brown, covered with the long silky hairs. Flowering occurs between spring and summer and the fruit is an oval-shaped pod about 8 mm (0.31 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming edit

Oxylobium ellipticum was first formally described in 1811 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Hortus Kewensis.[4][5] The specific epithet (ellipticum) refers to the shape of the leaves.[6]

Distribution and habitat edit

Oxylobium ellipticum is endemic to Australia, mostly widespread in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This species widespread in montane ecosystems and grows frequently on the skeletal soils and organic brown peat on quartzite sand.[3]

Research Article edit

This research is about the molecular phylogeny study between the species like Oxylobium, Gastrolobium, Brachysema, Jansonia, Nemica and Podolobium is presented. The study was conducted using the chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA. Oxylobium is shown to be polyphyletic, while Gastrobium is paraphyletic containing within it the genera Branchysema, Jansonia and Nemcia, as well as Oxylobium lineare. Molecular traits such as ovule number, fluroacetate content and different morphological was studied. The molecular analysis were compared to each other. The results support the recent monograph that expands Gastrolobium to include Jansonia, Nemica, Brachysema and Oxylobium. The revision of the leaves Oxylobium and Podolobium occurring exclusively in eastern Australia, while Gastrolobium occurs almost exclusively in south western Australia, with only two species, G. brevipes and G. grandiflorum, occurring outside the Australia.[7]

 
Golden yellow pea flower in the dense terminal cluster.

References edit

  1. ^ "Oxylobium ellipticum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b Wiecek, B. "Oxylobium ellipticum". PlantNET-NSW flora online. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b Wapstra,Simmons, Annie,Marion,Hans (2016). A GUIDE TO FLOWERS AND PLANTS OF TASMANIA. Sydney: Martin Ford. p. 64. ISBN 9781877069475.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Oxylobium ellipticum". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  5. ^ Brown, Robert (1811). Hortus Kewensis (3 ed.). London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown. p. 10.
  6. ^ George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 196. ISBN 9780958034197.
  7. ^ CHANDLER, BAYER, GILMO, GREGORY T.,RANDALL J.,SIMON R. (December 2003). "Oxylobium/Gastrolobium (Fabaceae : Mirbelieae) conundrum: further studies using molecular data and a reappraisal of morphological characters". Plant Species Biology. 18 (2–3): 91–101. doi:10.1111/j.1442-1984.2003.00094.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)