Goodenia pusilla

Goodenia pusilla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Goodeniaceae
Genus:	Goodenia
Species:	G. pusilla
Binomial name
Goodenia pusilla (de Vriese) de Vriese[1]
Synonyms[1]
Goodenia tenella R.Br. nom. illeg. Goodenia tenella var. major Benth. Goodenia tenella Andrews var. tenella Scaevola pusilla de Vriese

Goodenia pusilla is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an ascending herb with lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves at the base of the plant and single yellow flowers with brownish markings.

Description

Goodenia pusilla is an ascending herb that typically grows to a height of up to 25 cm (9.8 in), sometimes forming stolons along the stems. The leaves at the base of the plant are lance-shaped to broadly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) long and 4–14 mm (0.16–0.55 in) wide on a short petiole. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils on a pedicel about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long. The sepals are lance-shaped, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the corolla yellow with brownish markings and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long. The lower lobes of the corolla are about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long with wings up to 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. Flowering mainly occurs from October to December and the fruit is an elliptical to oval capsule 3.5–4 mm (0.14–0.16 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1845 by Willem Hendrik de Vriese in Lehmann's Plantae Preissianae and was given the name Scaevola pusilla.[4][5] In 1854, de Vriese changed the name to Goodenia pusilla.[6][7] The specific epithet (pusilla) means "very small".[8]

Distribution and habitat

This goodenia grows in moist places in forest, woodland and swamp between Gingin and Albany in the south-west of Western Australia.[2][3]

Conservation status

Goodenia pusilla is classified as "not threatened" by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[3]

References

1. "Goodenia pusilla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
2. Carolin, Roger C. "Goodenia pusilla". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
3. "Goodenia pusilla". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Scaevola pusilla". APNI. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
5. de Vriese, Willem H.; Lehmann, Johann G.C. (ed.) (1845). Plantae Preissianae. Hamburg. p. 412. Retrieved 7 April 2021. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
6. "Goodenia pusilla". APNI. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
7. de Vriese, Willem H. (1854). "Goodenovieae". Natuurkundige Verhandelingen van de Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen te Haarlem. 10: 131. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
8. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 287. ISBN 9780958034180.