Diario de boobook99

Sphaerolobium from the greek sphaera, ball and lobion, pod.

The following table lists the Sphaerolobium species which are shown by Florabase to have been collected in Denmark Shire. The second column shows whether the species was included in the book Flora of the South West and under what name if different. If the species was described after Flora of the South West was published, the paper describing the species is noted. Where a species is not included in Flora of the South West I have endeavored to provide some sort of description after the table.

S. benetectum

This species is thought to be extremely rare and is known from only three populations, one of which may be extinct. In Denmark Shire collections have only been made from one location in the Mount Lindesay area. There do not appear to be any photos of the species publicly available.

Apparently leafless shrub (leaves are shed before flowering). Inflorescence of paired, axillary flowers,
Calyx mid to dark green with irregular black spots over surface, the spots may aggregate at margins of lobe. The tube about half as long as the upper lip.

Corolla yellow-orange and pink to red; standard yellow-orange with a red eye which is oblong with a flared apex. Wings pink-red. Keel yellow and red, longer than the wings,

S. drummondii is similar but can be distinguished from S. benetectum as its flowers are, in the Denmark area, pink-purple and cream and the standard eye is domed to heart shaped rather than oblong.

S. calcicola

One collection has been made on the southern side of the Wilson Inlet (Nullaki). Apart from this all collections have been made considerably north of Denmark - between 25km north of Bunbury and 55km north of Perth. It is therefore possible the species may be found in Denmark Shire but is likely to be rare. It grows in limestone based soils which would restrict the locations it might be found.

Calyx green with irregular black spots over surface, the spots may aggregate at margins of lobe. The tube half to three quarters as long as the upper lip.

Corolla mostly yellow and red, some cream. The standard petal is yellow with broad red region in centre surrounding a triangular yellow eye. A red region in the centre of the back of the standard petal fades to yellow on the edges. The wings are mainly red, dark orange at the tips and yellow just at base. The keel is usually shorter than the wings and is cream to pale yellow sometimes with pink red spots or areas.

S. drummondii

When the book was written it was recognised that there had been confusion between S. drummondii and S. macranthum. What was not clear until a little later was that both species occur in the area covered by the book but are quite distinct. In particular the calyx of S. drummondii is green with irregular black spots whereas that of S. macranthum is pale green to brown with fine brown spots over the lobes but not the tube.

In addition, collections of S. drummondii from jarrah woodland and southern heath communities (including Denmark Shire) are typically thinner-stemmed with smaller pink-purple and cream flowers (the species exhibits different colours in other locations). The flowers of S. macranthum on the other hand are yellow or yellow and red.

S. hygrophilum

This species has been widely collected across Denmark Shire.

Calyx green with irregular black spots over surface, the spots aggregate at margins of lobe to form black lines along lower edges of upper lip and lower edges of upper 2 lower lobes. The tube about equal to or slightly longer than the upper lip.

Corolla orange-red to pink-red and cream; standard pink-red or dark orange with broad red region in centre and with a yellow eye, wings deep pink-red, keel cream with pink red spots or infused areas or all pink-red, usually longer than the wings.

S. hygrophilum is distinct from similar species S. fornicatum and S. calcicola in floral colour, being predominantly deep pink-red compared with yellow and red; in the shape of the standard petal eye, which is elongate and flared at apex (but not extending to the apex of the blade as in S. fornicatum) such that it is inversely triangular in appearance.

S. macranthum

As explained above, this species was not included in the book. It is a yellow or yellow and red flowered species similar to S. drummondii.

What makes this species quite distinct from S. drummondii is that the calyx lacks distict dark spots on surface (which are present on S. drummondii). The calyx is pale green to brown with fine brown spots on the lobes but not the tube. Tube shorter or equal in length to upper lip.

The corolla is mainly yellow sometimes with some red. In the Denmark area the basal half to the entirety of the wing petals is red.