Bossiaea

Abstract: A survey of the female gametophyte development in 62 Australian species of subfamily Papilionoideae showed that giant antipodal cells were found in all species of Bossiaea, Goodia and Platylobium of the tribe Bossiaeeae; in all species of Burtonia, Daviesia, Gompholobium, Sphaerolobium and Viminaria of the tribe Mirbelieae; and in Indigofera australis of the tribe Indigofereae. The giant antipodals were deeply staining, usually had large nuclei with prominent nucleoli and persisted well after fertilisation. The giant antipodals appeared to have a nutritive function in the female gametophyte as they develop at the expense of the nucellus. The occurrence of giant antipodals is of taxonomic significance in the tribes Mirbelieae and Bossiaeeae. This evidence supports the separation of the 'Templetonia group' (Templetonia, Hovea, Lamprolobium) from the other genera in the Bossiaeeae (Bossiaea, Goodia and Platylobiurn or the 'Bossiaea group'). The suggestion is also made to reassess the relationships and composition of the tribes Mirbelieae and Bossiaeeae based on the presence of giant antipodal cells. This would result in the tribe Bossiaeeae consisting of the genera Burtonia, Daviesia, Gompholobium, Sphaerolobium and Viminaria and the members of the 'Bossiaea group', Bossiaea, Goodia and Platylobium.

Abstract: Plant species capable of clonal reproduction range from rare, sterile species that have a high extinction risk to invasive plants that influence the structure of ecosystems. There is increasing evidence that clonality in combination with reduced fecundity and limited dispersal capacity increases extinction risk. As many conservation targets are not well-characterised genetically, our objective was to determine the utility of sequencing a reduced representation of the genome to inform the conservation of a non-model plant species. We sequenced a single DNA library from a recently described, rare, clonal species; Bossiaea vombata. Multiple assemblies of that library were used to evaluate our ability to assess genetic variation and clonal assignment, to identify chloroplast haplotypes and to obtain phylogenetic information. Next generation sequencing (ddRADseq) provided a cost and time effective method for identifying clones and assigning clonemates despite increased levels of missing data in comparison to more traditional methods (e.g. microsatellites). We applied a threshold of genetic difference to determine whether individual samples belonged to the same or different clones. Bossiaea vombata, was found to comprise only five clones with all but one site being monoclonal - indicating that the genotypic diversity of the species cannot be determined from a census of stems. The ddRADseq method showed utility for phylogenetic analysis but we identified possible shortcomings in chloroplast haplotyping using loci from the same library.

Abstract: An overview is provided of the We stern Australian species of Bossiaea. Thirty-eight species are recognised of which the following are described here as new: B. arcuata, B. atrata, B. aurantiaca, B. barbarae, B. barrettiorum, B. calcicola, B. celata, B. eremaea, B. flexuosa, B. inundata, B. laxa, B. saxosa, B. simulata and B. smithiorum. Descriptions, distribution maps, and a key to identification are provided and most species are illustrated. Attention is drawn to a number of entities whose taxonomic status awaits clarification. The genus Bossiaea, as pre sently understood, is represented in Western Australia by thirty-eight species, more species than occur in the remainder of Australia. Of the species found in Western Australia, only B. bossiaeoides (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Court and B. walkeri F.Muell. occur in an adjacent state or territory or beyond. The majority of Western Australian species occur in the south-west where they occupy a diversity of habitats. Many species are conspicuous, and sometimes locally dominant, members of heathland and eucalypt-dominated woodland and forest, but some occupy fairly hostile environments. Several species are associated only with salt lake systems where they typically occur on t he perimeter of lakes above the samphire zone, or on islands or spits of land that protrude into the salt-affected areas. In years of severe drought some of these species associated with hostile environments produce no flowers, and the outer stems die back from the perimeter of the plant towards the centre. When favourable conditions return, new stems are produced from the centre of the plant. Bossiaea Ve nt. is the largest genus in the endemic papilionoid tribe Bossiaeeae (Benth.) Hutch. which comprises also Platylobium Sm., Goodia Salisb., Ptychosema Benth., Muelleranthus Hutch. and Aenictophyton A.T.Lee (Ross & Crisp, 2005). Bossiaea and Platylobium, which until now have been maintained as separate genera, are differentiated from other members of the tribe Bossiaeeae by having the flowers 1- several from the axils or occasionally pseudoracemose and subtended by papery or scarious bracts, and the leaves simple, unifoliolate (i.e. with 2 pulvini, one at the base of the petiole and one at the top below the leaflet) or reduced to exstipulate scales. Bossiaea and Platylobium both have distichous phyllotaxis. Platylobium has been

Abstract: A revision of eastern Australian Bossiaea (Fabaceae: Bossiaeeae) is presented. Five new species, Bossiaea alpina, B. dasycarpa, B. obovata, B. peninsularis, and B. sericea, are described, B. rhombifolia subsp. concolor is raised to the rank of species as B. concolor, and B. cinerea var. rigida is resurrected and raised to the rank of species as B. tasmanica. Bossiaea cordifolia, B. decumbens, B. distichoclada, and B. nummularia are resurrected as species. An informal infrageneric classification and keys to groups and species are presented, as well as illustrations, images, and distribution maps.