Jacksonia alata Benth.

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, spiny at least in part, glabrous; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades absent or apparently so (reduced to scales), alternate, not continuous with stem, flat with flat margins; margins entire, 1-2. Stipules apparently absent even from the youngest leaves. Pedicel present, 1.2-1.5 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 1.3 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 5.5-6.3 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 6-7 mm long, multicoloured, mostly yellow or orange, with some yellow or orange spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 5.5-6.5 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 5-5.5 mm long, not auriculate, keel 4.5 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base) or united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 2.2-3.2 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 3-3.5 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 4.5-5 mm long, 3.52-3.8 mm wide, stipitate or sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in August, September, October and November. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Warren, Esperance and Swan Coastal Plain IBRA regions.