Bossiaea leptacantha



Bossiaea leptacantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southern Western Australia. It is a low, compact, spreading, many-branched shrub, the branches ending in cladodes, the leaves reduced to small scales, and with deep yellow, red and greenish yellow flowers.

Description
Bossiaea leptacantha is a low, compact, spreading, many-branched shrub that typically grows up to 50 cm high, 1 m wide and is glabrous except for the youngest growth. The branches end in cladodes 1.0–1.5 mm wide, the leaves reduced to dark brown scales 0.7–1.0 mm long. The flowers are usually arranged singly, each flower on a pedicel up to 7.5 mm long with up to thirteen overlapping bracts up to 1 mm long. The five sepals are joined at the base forming a tube 3–3.5 mm long, the two upper lobes 10.5–14.4 mm long and the three lower lobes 1.8–3.5 mm long, with egg-shaped bracteoles 0.8–1.5 mm long on the pedicel. The standard petal is deep yellow with a red base and 7.7–9.4 mm long, the wings deep yellow and 6.5–8.5 mm long, and the keel is greenish yellow and 6.5–8.2 mm long. Flowering occurs from July to December and the fruit is an oblong pod 15–24 mm long.

Taxonomy and naming
Bossiaea leptacantha was first formally described in 1904 by Ernst Georg Pritzel in the Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. The specific epithet (leptacantha) means "thin and prickly", referring to the branchlets.

Distribution and habitat
This bossiaea grows in sand on dunes and undulating plains from near Peak Charles to Madura in the Coolgardie, Hampton and Mallee biogeographic regions of southern Western Australia.

Conservation status
Bossiaea leptacantha is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.