Jacksonia alata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tufted, semi-prostrate to erect shrub with flattened branches, sharply-pointed side branches or phylloclades, leaves reduced to narrowly lance-shaped scales, yellow-orange flowers with a red "eye", and woody, densely hairy pods.
Description
Jacksonia alata is a tufted, semi-prostrate to erect shrub that typically grows up to 5–40 cm (2.0–15.7 in) high and 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) wide. It has ribbed, flattened branches, the side branches sharply-pointed phylloclades 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) wide. Its leaves are reduced to narrowly lance-shaped, dark brown scales, 0.8–2 mm (0.031–0.079 in) long and 0.6–0.9 mm (0.024–0.035 in) wide. The flowers are arranged at the ends of branches in raceme-like clusters on a pedicel 1.3–1.6 mm (0.051–0.063 in) long, with narrowly lance-shaped bracteoles 0.5–1.5 mm (0.020–0.059 in) long and 0.4–0.5 mm (0.016–0.020 in) wide near the top of the pedicels. The floral tube is 0.3–0.6 mm (0.012–0.024 in) long and the sepals are membranous, with lobes 3.0–5.7 mm (0.12–0.22 in) long and 0.8–2.0 mm (0.031–0.079 in) wide. The standard petal is yellow-orange with a red "eye", 3.2–4.7 mm (0.13–0.19 in) long, the wings yellow-orange with a red base, 3.3–4.2 mm (0.13–0.17 in) long, and the keel is yellow-orange or red, 2.1–3.6 mm (0.083–0.142 in) long. The stamens have white filaments with pink ends and are 1.3–3.5 mm (0.051–0.138 in) long. Flowering occurs from July to December, and the fruit is a woody, densely hairy pod 3.5–3.7 mm (0.14–0.15 in) long and 2.5–3.3 mm (0.098–0.130 in) wide.[2][3]
^ abChappill, Jennifer A.; Wilkins, Carolyn F.; Crisp, Michael D. (2007). "Taxonomic revision of Jacksonia (Leguminosae: Mirbelieae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 20 (6): 552–555.
^George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 129. ISBN9780958034180.
