Hovea acanthoclada

Hovea acanthoclada, commonly known as thorny hovea,^[2] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is an upright, prickly shrub with small dark green leaves and purple-blue pea flowers in winter and spring. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

Hovea acanthoclada
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Hovea
Species:	H. acanthoclada
Binomial name
Hovea acanthoclada (Turcz.) F.Muell.[1]
Synonyms
Daviesia acanthoclada Turcz.

Description

Hovea acanthoclada is an upright or prostrate scrambling, stiff shrub to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high, and needle-shaped, hairy stems, mostly spiny. The leaves are oblong, whorled, flat, hairy, 2–5.5 mm (0.079–0.217 in) long and 2–2.6 mm (0.079–0.102 in) wide, margins toothed or lobed, pedicel 2–2.6 mm (0.079–0.102 in) long and hairy. The bracteoles 0.7–1.2 mm (0.028–0.047 in) long and hairy, calyx 4–5.6 mm (0.16–0.22 in) long with simple hairs. The corolla colours vary, mostly blue or violet with occasional markings, standard petal 8–9.5 mm (0.31–0.37 in) long and smooth, wings 7.5–8 mm (0.30–0.31 in) long, keel 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long. Flowering occurs from July to October and the fruit is a dry, smooth pod, 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) wide.^[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Hovea acanthoclada was first formally described in 1863 by Ferdinand von Mueller and the description was published in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.^[4][5] The specific epithet (acanthoclada) means "spiny" and "branch".^[6]

Distribution and habitat

Thorny hovea grows in lateritic soils in the south-west near Ravensthorpe and gravelly locations near Kalgoorlie.^[3]

References

1. "Hovea acanthoclada". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
2. Hollister, C.; Thiele, K.R. "Hovea acanthoclada". FloraBase-the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
3. Erickson, Rica; George, Alex; Marchant, N.G; Morcombe, M.K (1986). Flowers & Plants of Western Australia (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest: Reed Books. p. 95. ISBN 0730101703.
4. "Hovea acanthoclada". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
5. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1863). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae 4(24). Melbourne. p. 15.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 125. ISBN 9780958034180.