Jacksonia is a genus of about 73 species of mostly leafless, broom-like shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Fabaceae. The genus is endemic to Australia and species occur in a range of habitats in all Australian states except Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Jacksonia
Jacksonia furcellata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Clade: Mirbelioids
Genus: Jacksonia
R.Br. ex Sm.[1]
Species

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Synonyms[1]

Description

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Plants in the genus Jacksonia are mostly leafless shrubs or small trees with rigid branches, and leaves reduced to small scales. The flowers are arranged in spikes or racemes with small bracts or bracteoles. The sepals are joined to form a short tube and the petals are usually shorter than the sepals. The standard or banner petal is circular or kidney-shaped, the wing petals are oblong and the keel petal is more or less straight and wider than the wings.[2]

Taxonomy

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The genus Jacksonia was first formally described by James Edward Smith from an unpublished manuscript by Robert Brown. Smith's description was published in 1811 in Rees's Cyclopædia along with a description of J. scoparia and J. spinosa. Smith noted that Brown had named the species "in memory of the late Mr. George Jackson, F.L.S., a man of the most excellent and amiable character, devoted to the science of botany". Jackson had died suddenly at the age of 31, in January of the same year.[3][4]

Accepted species

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The following is a list of Jacksonia species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at December 2023:

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jacksonia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  2. ^ Wiecek, Barbara. "Jacksonia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Jacksonia". APNI. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. ^ Rees, Abraham, ed. (1811). The Cyclopaedia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature (Volume 18). Vol. v.18. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees Orme & Brown. pp. 530–531. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.