Eutaxia

  • Authority

    Isely, Duane. 1981. Leguminosae of the United States. III. Subfamily Papilionoideae: tribes Sophoreae, Podalyrieae, Loteae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (3): 1-264.

  • Family

    Fabaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Eutaxia

  • Description

    Genus Description - Glabrate, unarmed or spiny shrubs. Leaves opposite, decussate, simple, small, sometimes prickly-tipped. Stipules obsolescent. Flowers 1-4 in leaf axils, and often terminally congested in foliose, compound racemes; bracts evident or not; bracteoles present, contiguous to hypanthial base of flower. Calyx-hypanthium proximally tapering-stipitate; calyx lobes subequal, ± tube, the upper fused most of length. Corolla regularly graduated, with clawed petals; standard suborbicular; wings obliquely oblong; keel nearly straight, acute or obtuse. Stamens separate. Pistil substipitate, villous; ovules 2; style subulate and hooked or incurved-filiform. Legume ovoid, plump or compressed, dehiscent. Seeds l(-2), strophiolate.

  • Discussion

    Eutaxia can usually be recognized by its decussate leaves, but members of the genus otherwise combine the characters of others. The bracteoles, in species examined, contrary to statements of Bentham (1864) and Hutchinson (1964), subtend the hypanthial base of the flower. Most of the species have the short style of Dillwynia that becomes hooked in fruit, but that of E. microphylla is filiform-elongate.

  • Distribution

    Australia, ca. 8 species. Two introductions attributed to the United States.

    Australia Oceania| United States of America North America|