Synonymy

Anthocercis viscosa R. Br., Prodr. 448 (1810) subsp. viscosa

T: King George Sound, W.A., R. Brown s.n.; syn: BM.

A. viscosa var. baueriana Benth. in DC., Prodr. 10: 191 (1846).

T: based on Endl., Iconogr. Gen. Pl. t. 68 (1839).

Description

Erect, sometimes spreading or straggling shrub to 3 m, pubescent with glandular hairs; branches viscid.

Leaves obovate to ovate, almost sessile, 20–60 mm long, usually 10–30 mm wide, minutely serrulate-crenulate, viscid.

Inflorescence cyme-like, 1–3–flowered, pedunculate; pedicels 5–15 mm long. Calyx 8-13 mm long. Corolla 30–40 mm long, white to creamy-white, the striations green or purplish; tube about half length of corolla; lobes ovate-triangular to linear, 12–25 mm long, 7–15 mm wide, sometimes with pale purple streaks. Stamens 8–13 mm long.

Capsule ovoid to ellipsoid, acute or apiculate, 8–19 mm long. Seeds 1.8–3 mm long.

Distribution and ecology

Occurs from Bremer Bay to Albany, and near Denmark, W.A.

Always associated with granite outcrops.

Notes

Distinct from subsp. caudata by its broader corolla lobes, longer corolla and corolla tube, calyx and stamens and by its more westerly distribution.

Phylogenetic studies by Garcia & Olmstead (2003) on the Tribe Anthocercideae using two chloroplast DNA regions included this species. The studies indicated that Anthocercis is monophyletic.

Reference: V.F.Garcia & R.G.Olmstead (2003). Phylogenetics of Tribe Anthocercideaea (Solanaceae) based on ndhF and trnL/F sequence data. Systematic Botany 28: 609-615.

Derivation of epithet

From viscosus, Latin for sticky, a reference to the glandular hairs of this species.

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Images and information on web

Images of A. viscosa ssp. viscosa can be seen on the Western Australian Herbarium Florabase site at http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/browse/photo?f=315&level=s&id=11505

Ellis Rowan's painting of this species can be seen on the National Library of Australia site at nla.gov.au/nla. pic-an7696322

Pharmacology: A discussion of the tropane alkaloids which occur in Anthocercis and other Anthocercideae can be found in Griffith & Lin (2000).

Ref: W.J. Griffin & G.D. Lin (2000). Chemotaxonomy and geographical distribution of tropane alkaloids. Phytochemistry 53: 627–628.

References to the possible toxic properties of Anthocercis species can be found with a search in the FDA Poisonous Plant Database

Plant status (if any)

Without any declared rating in W.A. – see http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/conservationtaxa