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Kennedia prorepens

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Kennedia prorepens
In the Collier Range National Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Kennedia
Species:
K. prorepens
Binomial name
Kennedia prorepens
(F.Muell.) F.Muell.[1]
Flower detail

Kennedia prorepens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a prostrate, multi-stemmed shrub with trifoliate leaves and pale blue, violet or maroon flowers.

Description

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Kennedia prorepens is a prostrate, multi-stemmed herb, the stems up to 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The leaves are trifoliate on a petiole 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long with broadly egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaflets 7–30 mm (0.28–1.18 in) long and 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide on petiolules 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long. The flower are pale red, violet or maroon, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and arranged in clusters of up to four 50–200 mm (2.0–7.9 in) long, each cluster with two to twelve or more flowers and each flower on a hairy pedicel 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long. The sepals are 5.5–7.0 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long, joined at the base forming a bell-shaped tube. The standard petal is 9.5–15 mm (0.37–0.59 in) long, the wings 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and the keel 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long. Flowering occurs from April to November and the fruit is a glabrous flattened pod 28–33 mm (1.1–1.3 in) long.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

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This species was first formally described in 1874 by Ferdinand von Mueller, who gave it the name Caulinia prorepens in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[5] In 1882, von Mueller changed the name to Kennedia prorepens.[6] The specific epithet (prorepens) means "forwards-creeping".[7]

Distribution and habitat

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Kennedia prorepens is widespread in Western Australia, its range extending to the south of the Northern Territory, north-western South Australia and western Queensland.[2][3][4][8]

References

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  1. ^ "Kennedia prorepens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Kennedia prorepens". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ a b "Kennedia prorepens". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Kennedia prorepens". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Caulinia prorepens". APNI. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Kennedia prorepens". APNI. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  7. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 284. ISBN 9780958034180.
  8. ^ "Kennedia prorepens". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 23 October 2021.