Bossiaea buxifolia
Matted Bossiaea at Aranda, ACT
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| Bossiaea buxifolia | natureguy | 23 Sep 2023 | |
| Bossiaea prostrata | lbradley | 23 Sep 2023 |
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2 comments
23 Sep 2023
Hey Luke - are you sure this isn’t B. prostrata?
From ChatGPT:
Differentiating between Bossiaea buxifolia and Bossiaea prostrata can be challenging, as they are both species of plants within the Bossiaea genus and share some similarities. However, there are a few key characteristics that can help you tell them apart:
Growth Habit:
Bossiaea buxifolia: This species typically has an upright or erect growth habit. It may grow as a small shrub or subshrub, reaching a height of up to 1 meter.
Bossiaea prostrata: As the name suggests, this species has a prostrate or low-growing habit. It forms a dense mat on the ground and doesn't typically grow upright.
Leaf Shape:
Bossiaea buxifolia: The leaves of B. buxifolia are usually narrow and elliptical, with a leathery texture. They may appear somewhat clustered along the stems.
Bossiaea prostrata: B. prostrata has broader, more rounded leaves compared to B. buxifolia. These leaves are often arranged alternately along the stems.
Flower Characteristics:
Bossiaea buxifolia: The flowers of B. buxifolia are usually yellow and can be solitary or in small clusters at the tips of the branches.
Bossiaea prostrata: The flowers of B. prostrata are also yellow and tend to be solitary or in small clusters. However, they are often larger than those of B. buxifolia.
My plant was not upright and the leaves were arranged alternately. P. prostrata has been recorded on BM and AB is right across the street. If you want more photos, I can return another day.
Cheers
From ChatGPT:
Differentiating between Bossiaea buxifolia and Bossiaea prostrata can be challenging, as they are both species of plants within the Bossiaea genus and share some similarities. However, there are a few key characteristics that can help you tell them apart:
Growth Habit:
Bossiaea buxifolia: This species typically has an upright or erect growth habit. It may grow as a small shrub or subshrub, reaching a height of up to 1 meter.
Bossiaea prostrata: As the name suggests, this species has a prostrate or low-growing habit. It forms a dense mat on the ground and doesn't typically grow upright.
Leaf Shape:
Bossiaea buxifolia: The leaves of B. buxifolia are usually narrow and elliptical, with a leathery texture. They may appear somewhat clustered along the stems.
Bossiaea prostrata: B. prostrata has broader, more rounded leaves compared to B. buxifolia. These leaves are often arranged alternately along the stems.
Flower Characteristics:
Bossiaea buxifolia: The flowers of B. buxifolia are usually yellow and can be solitary or in small clusters at the tips of the branches.
Bossiaea prostrata: The flowers of B. prostrata are also yellow and tend to be solitary or in small clusters. However, they are often larger than those of B. buxifolia.
My plant was not upright and the leaves were arranged alternately. P. prostrata has been recorded on BM and AB is right across the street. If you want more photos, I can return another day.
Cheers
23 Sep 2023
Not sure how accurate most of that is, B. buxifolia is usually a ground cover to occasional small shrub (I think 1m would be very exceptional) but most times I find it, it's usually a low, sprawling plant. The leaves in buxifolia are usually more round and even in width and length, in prostrata they tend to be more longer and elliptical, tapering to a pointed end. They are often arranged alternately in both species. To me this seems pretty typical for B. buxifolia, so standing by that ID - it is also typically more frequent throughout suburban Canberra than B. prostrata.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.083454-35.271650
- Altitude 601.0m
- Maps Aranda Bushland
- Places Aranda, ACT
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 23 Sep 2023 12:41 PM Recorded on
- lbradley Recorded by
- Yes In flower
Collections
Species information
- Bossiaea buxifolia Scientific name
- Matted Bossiaea Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1311.38m Recorded at altitude
Seasonal activity
-
In flower
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Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description