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The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s flora taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not currently being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or the census. Due to the rapidly approaching holiday season and associated agency and facility soft closures, along with the substantial work involved in data mapping, cleaning, and verification, the migration to the new collection management software is not expected to occur before 1 March 2026, when a further update will be provided. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

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Cullen leucochaites J.W.Grimes

Reference
Austral.Syst.Bot. 10:616-618,Fig.10 (1997)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Erect shrub, 0.3-4 m high. Fl. blue-purple/cream-green, Aug to Oct. Red sandy soils. Stony gravelly flats & slopes.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 1 October 1997
Image

Scientific Description

Genus Cullen. Form erect. Habit shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems Indumentum hairy, Pustules or glands present, Striation (stems ribbed) not striate, Cross section terete, Spiny on any part of plant not spiny. Leaves or phylloclades Presence clearly present, Position alternate, Leaves compound, Leaves or phylloclade continuous with stem not continuous with stem, Cross section of leaf or leaflet flat with flat margins, Margins of leaf or leaflet entire, Tuberculate tubercles absent, Pustules or glands present. Length Leaf length 40-70. Width (entire leaves only) Leaf width NaN (?). Scale leaves length mm long NaN (?). Leaflets Number three, Arrangement pinnately arranged. Terminal leaflet Presence present, Stalk stalked. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type simple. Stipules Presence present and persistent to older leaves, Glands with glands (?) or without glands (?), Ribs ribbed (?) or ribless (?). Length Stipule length NaN (?). Bracteoles Presence absent, Indumentum hairy (?) or glabrous (?), Striation striate (?) or not striate (?). Length Bracteole length NaN (?). Pedicel Presence present, Indumentum hairy. Length Pedicel length 5-6. Calyx Pustules or glands present, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 12-15. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type with simple hairs. Corolla Colour patterning uniformly coloured, Colour (when uniformly coloured) green, Petal claws ( the narrow base of the petals absent. Length Corolla length 13-16. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 9-10.5. Wings Auricles not auriculate. Length Wing length 8-9.5. Keel Auricles not auriculate, Indumentum glabrous, Beak not beaked. Length Keel length 9-10. Stamens Number ten. Anthers anther length NaN (?), Position at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short). Filaments Fusion united in an open sheath with one free stamen. Length Filament length 10-11. Ovary Placement stipitate. Indumentum Presence hairy or glandular. Style Indumentum hairy or glandular towards the base, Bearded ( with a tuft of hairs at apex ) not bearded, Apex terete. Length Style length 12. Fruit Type indehiscent and splitting into sections (schizocarps), Constriction not constricted between the seeds, Compression round in cross-section, Placement stipitate, Beak not beaked. Length Fruit length NaN (?). Width Fruit width NaN (?). Indumentum Presence hairy (?) or glabrous (?), Indumentum type with simple hairs (?) or with glandular hairs (?). Flowering time August, September or October. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean, IBRA Bioregion Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara, Carnarvon or Gascoyne.

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 17 April 2024

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Cape Range, Chichester, Fortescue, Hamersley, Mackay, Roebourne.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Carnarvon, East Pilbara, Exmouth, Karratha, Port Hedland.