Contributions Towards a Revision of Daviesia (Fabaceae: Mirbelieae). IV.* D. ulicifolia sens. lat.

Abstract

Following a morphometric and cladistic analysis of the Daviesia ulicifolia Andrews group (Chandler and Crisp 1997), a new species, D. sejugata, is described. It occurs disjunctly in eastern Tasmania and southern Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, and is closely related to D. arthropoda F.Muell., differing in a generally more robust habit, thicker fleshy phyllodes, and larger flowers. Even with this species removed from D. ulicifolia, the latter varies considerably over a wide geographic, edaphic and altitudinal range. Daviesia ulicifolia is divided into six subspecies based on distinct phenetic and phylogenetic groups delimited in the earlier study. These are subsp. aridicola (glaucous plants in arid regions), subsp. incarnata (reddish-flowered plants in the Mt Lofty Range, South Australia), subsp. ruscifolia (plants with ovate-acuminate leaves and orange flowers in Victoria and southern New South Wales (NSW), often at high altitude), subsp. stenophylla (a narrow-leaved form in northern NSW and Queensland), subsp. pilligensis (ovate-leaved plants on sandy soil in western NSW), and subsp. ulicifolia (a paraphyletic residual from south-eastern states).