Glycine tabacina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Glycine tabacina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At Eastwood, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Glycine |
| Subgenus: | Glycine subg. Glycine |
| Species: | G. tabacina |
| Binomial name | |
| Glycine tabacina | |
| Synonyms | |
Glycine tabacina, commonly known as variable glycine, is a scrambling plant in the bean family found in Australia.[1] It grows in areas of high rainfall, ranging to semi-arid areas. The leaves are in threes, 7 cm long by 2 cm wide. Bluish to purple flowers form on racemes in the warmer months. The bean pod is up to 3 cm long. The habitat is among grasses, often in open country.
There are twenty-six perennial species found of Glycine. The length of the leaflet stalks identifies it, since it has a lengthy stalk.[2] The pea-shaped flower varies in colour from purple to mauve which blossoms throughout Spring to Autumn seasons.[2] Once mature, their pods become black in colour, with the seeds [usually 4 – 8] inside are red to brown.[3] The stems are typically slender and can reach to 1m in length, either trailing or creeping and often twining.[4][2] The stems are often covered in stiff, straight hairs, emerging from a thickened root system.[3] The leaves are usually tri-foliolate pinnate, and the rachis may vary in length between 5 and 45 mm, with pubescence comparable to the stem.[3]
The leaflets appear generally narrow with straight, stiff hairs [strigose] beneath the leaves, although they can also be sparsely strigose or glabrous [without straight stiff hairs] above.[2] The apical portion of this species is generally broader or longer than that of the lateral portion of this species.[2] Lower leaves are typically broad, oval to elliptic shape (10-15 x 8–14 mm), obtuse to truncate, acute, tapering at the base, and often noticeably net-veined underneath.[4] Upper leaflets are normally elliptic-lanceolate to slightly linear (7-50 x 3–7 mm), sharp to blunt and apiculate, abruptly sharp to curved at the base, and on the petiolules, they are covered in coarse, long hairs. Many of the leaves are commonly elliptical to widely oblong (20-40 x 10–20 mm).[2] The stipels have an acicular shape (1-1.5 mm in length).[4] The stipules range in shape, from deltoid to oblong-lanceolate (1.5–3 mm in length).[4]
Flowers can reach 6 to 8 mm in length and can grow on strigose pedicels, which can reach 0.5 to 2 mm long.[3] On the distal portion of this species, racemoids [flowers grow on a singular angle and are intermediate inflorescence] on the stalk of the flower can measure from 2 to 12 cm in length and generally consists of 4 to 12 flowers.[2] Bracts, are reduced leaf sizes located on the base of flower bases grow 1 to 2 mm long and are slender.[3] The sepals within the flower [calyx] grow 3 to 4 mm long and can vary from strigose or glabrous.[3]
Insects pollinate this plant, and is a hermaphrodite, consisting of male and female cells.[2] It is known that this plant has the ability to undergo nitrogen fixation.[5] Biological nitrogen fixation is mostly accomplished via a symbiotic relationship between legumes (Glycine tabacina) and specific nitrogen-fixing microbes which turn elemental nitrogen to ammonia.[5] This plant maintains a mutual relationship to specific soil microorganisms, in which the specific soil microorganisms create nodules upon roots and repair atmospheric nitrogen.[5][2]
Distribution and habitat
Glycine tabacina is native in Australia. However, can also be located in China, Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan.[2] In Australia, Glycine tabacina are mostly located in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Within Eastern Australia, Glycine tabacina are frequently and largely scattered and found in cosmopolitan areas.[2] Typically, Glycine tabacina grow within grasses in wide forest lands and woodland areas.[2] It can also be found in dense forests and rainforest riverbeds, though it is uncommon near ocean shores. Glycine tabacina thrives in moist soils, loamy clay soils, and does not require shade.[3] The pH level that is best for Glycine tabacina growth can vary from acidic to alkaline.[4] After a fire, this plant has the ability to re-sprout from the root and regenerates extensively from seed.[2] There have been no toxic elements that have been discovered yet.[2] This is a nectar plant for butterflies as well as a food plant for certain caterpillar groups.[2]