Erichsenia Hemsl.

Scientific Description

Family Papilionaceae. Mirbelieae.

Sometimes included in Leguminosae.

Habit and leaf form. Shrubs (or ‘shrublets’). ‘Normal’ plants to switch-plants (? — see Crisp and Weston, 1995); sometimes at least partially phyllodineous. Leaves well developed (rigid, hooked at the apex). Leaves cauline. Plants with neither basal nor terminal concentrations of leaves. Leaves alternate; spiral; non-sheathing; compound; unifoliolate (according to Crisp and Weston, 1995). Leaf blades dorsiventral. Leaves with stipules. Stipules intrapetiolar; free of one another; ‘bractlike’. Leaf anatomy. Complex hairs present, or absent (? — peltate hairs absent).

Reproductive type, pollination. Fertile flowers hermaphrodite. Unisexual flowers absent. Plants hermaphrodite. Entomophilous.

Inflorescence and flower features. Flowers ebracteolate; very irregular; zygomorphic; papilionaceous; tetracyclic. Floral receptacle with neither androphore nor gynophore. Free hypanthium present, or absent. Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla; 10; 2 -whorled; isomerous. Calyx present; 5; 1 -whorled; gamosepalous; lobed; blunt-lobed. Calyx lobes markedly shorter than the tube (about half as long). Calyx hairy; imbricate (‘middle lobe of lower lip outermost’); exceeded by the corolla; (sub-) bilabiate; non-fleshy; persistent; non-accrescent. Corolla present; 5; 1 -whorled; appendiculate, or not appendiculate. Standard not appendaged. Corolla polypetalous, or partially gamopetalous. 2 of the petals joined. The joined petals anterior (the keel members). The wings of the corolla free from the keel; not laterally spurred. Standard ‘normally’ developed; emarginate (reniform). Keel not long-acuminate/beaked; neither coiled nor spiralled; not bent and beaked. Corolla imbricate; deciduous; non-accrescent. Petals all clawed. Androecial members definite in number. Androecium 10. Androecial sequence determinable, or not determinable. Androecial members free of the perianth; markedly unequal (alternately longer and shorter); free of one another; 1 -whorled. Androecium exclusively of fertile stamens. Stamens 10; all more or less similar in shape; diplostemonous; both opposite and alternating with the corolla members; filantherous. Anthers separate from one another to connivent; all alike; dehiscing via longitudinal slits; latrorse, or introrse. Gynoecium 1 carpelled. The pistil 1 celled. Carpels reduced in number relative to the perianth. Gynoecium monomerous; of one carpel; superior. Carpel stylate; 2 ovuled. Placentation marginal. Ovary sessile. Ovary summit glabrous. Ovules biseriate; non-arillate.

Fruit and seed features. The fruiting carpel dehiscent (? — ‘fruit and seed not seen’); a legume. Fruit 1 celled; 1 seeded, or 2 seeded. Seeds not mucous; non-arillate (the ovules being ‘non-strophiolate’). Testa non-operculate.

Geography, cytology, number of species. Native of Australia. A genus of 1 species; 1 species in Western Australia.

Additional comments. Encoded mainly from Hutchinson's description, which is very cursory and perhaps garbled.