Flora of Australia Online

SCAEVOLA

R.C.Carolin

Scaevola L., Mant. Pl. 2: 145 (1771); from scaevola, the Latin for little hand. The (dried) flowers are supposed to resemble a withered hand
Fan-flowers.

Hierarchical Names List Entry

Type: Scaevola plumieri (L.) Vahl

Cebera Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 136 (1790). T: C. salutaris Lour.

Roemeria Dennst., Schluss. Hort. Malab. 24 (1818), nom. illeg. non Medikus (1792) T: R. lobelia Dennst. = Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb., (see D.H.Nicolson, C.R.Suresh, and K.S.Manital, Interpr. van Rheede's Hort. Malabari. Koeltz, Konigstein, B.D.R., 1988). 

Crossotoma (G.Don) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 583 (1838); Scaevola sect. Crossotoma G.Don, Gen. Hist. 3: 730 (1834). T: S. spinescens R.Br.

Xerocarpa (G.Don) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 583 (1838). T: S. crassifolia Labill.

Pogonanthera (G.Don) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 583 (1838); Scaevola sect. Pogonanthera G.Don, Gen. Hist. 3: 729 (1834). T: S. striata R.Br.

Temminckia de Vriese, Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 2: 140 (1851). T: T. mollis de Vriese

Camphusia de Vriese, Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 2: 148 (1851). T: C. glabra (Hook. & Arn.) de Vriese

Merkusia de Vriese, Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 2: 150 (1851). T: M. crassifolia (Labill.) de Vriese

Molkenboeria de Vriese, Natuurk. Verh. Holl. Maatsch. Wetensch. Haarlem ser. 2, 10: 38 (1854). T: M. pilosa (Benth.) de Vriese

Nigromnia Carolin, Nuytsia 1: 292 (1974). T: N. globosa Carolin

Perennial herbs, scramblers, shrubs or small trees to 3 m tall, variously hairy. Leaves alternate (rarely opposite), sessile or petiolate, usually with axillary hair tufts. Inflorescence with flowers in terminal and axillary thyrses, racemes, spikes, or apparent cymes, bracteolate; pedicels articulate. Sepals adnate to full length of ovary. Corolla tubular, completely slit adaxially, opening along slit, white, blue, mauve, rarely yellow; throat often with hairs inside, the hairs simple and/or long multicellular (barbulae), the barbulae simple or branched; lobes usually equal, winged, not auriculate; corolla pouch absent. Stamens free, epigynous. Ovary 1–4-locular; style unbranched; indusium ±horizontal, usually pubescent; ovules 2–4. Fruit indehiscent; mesocarp fleshy, corky or ±dry; endocarp hard. Seeds ovoid, not strophiolate, wingless; embryo terete. x = 8, W.J.Peacock, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 88: 22–27 (1962). 

The genus contains c. 96 species occurring in Australia and tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific region; 71 in Australia, 70 of which are endemic. 

Two types of tactile pollinator guides occur in this genus. In sect. Scaevola, flat hairs are attached to the tops of laciniae on the wings (Fig. 40C). In other sections, the laciniae are narrow and referred to as barbulae; their apices may be hairy, papillate (Fig. 26C) or simple (Fig. 26D).

G.Bentham, Scaevola, Fl. Austral. 4: 83–104 (1868); K.Krause, Pflanzenr. 54: 117–168 (1912); R.C.Carolin, Nomenclatural notes, new taxa and the systematic arrangement in the genus Scaevola and its synonyms, Telopea 3: 477–515 (1990).

KEY TO SECTIONS, SUBSECTIONS AND SERIES

1	Fruit with fleshy or corky mesocarp; growth of inflorescence axis continuing after flowering	2
1:	Fruit usually with dry mesocarp; growth of inflorescence axis terminating with flowering	sect. XEROCARPA
2	Leaves alternate	sect. SCAEVOLA
2:	Leaves opposite	sect. ENANTIOPHYLLUM
3	Flowers usually sessile	subsect. BILOCULATAE
3:	Flowers usually pedunculate, or if sessile in the bract, then cauline leaves reduced	5
4	Indusium glabrous or with scattered weak hairs	ser. MACROSTACHYAE
4:	Indusium with a stiff basal beard on adaxial surface which may be reduced to short bristles	ser. POGOGYNAE
5	Anthers with hairs at tip (except S. hookeri); cauline leaves well developed	subsect. POGONANTHERA
5:	Anthers glabrous at tip (except sometimes S. depauperata); cauline leaves usually reduced	subsect. PARVIFOLIAE

KEY TO SPECIES

1	At least the lower flowers with stalk below bracteoles more than 5 mm long	Group 1
1:	All flowers with stalk below bracteoles obsolete or to 5 mm long	2
2	Adaxial surface of indusium with basal tuft of prominent bristles exceeding lips	Group 2
2:	Adaxial surface of indusium glabrous, or with short basal bristles which do not exceed lips	3
3	Plant glabrous or glabrescent (except flowers), or with very few scattered hairs, or viscid and varnished	Group 3
3:	Plant variously hairy or scabrous	Group 4

Group 1

1	Flowers in axillary cymes	2
1:	Flowers solitary in bract axils or sometimes paired on stalk	5
2	Leaves opposite; scrambler or vine; corolla yellow	enantophylla
2:	Leaves alternate; shrub, subshrub or small tree; corolla white to blue	3
3	Leaves usually 2–9 cm wide	taccada
3:	Leaves less than 6 mm wide	4
4	Fruit dry, green, grooved	cunninghamii
4:	Fruit fleshy, black, smooth	acacioides
5	Bracteoles connate along one margin	tomentosa
5:	Bracteoles free from each other	6
6	Branchlets on main stem bearing flowers and often spinescent	spinescens
6:	Flowers borne on main stem; stems not spinescent	7
7	Leaves auriculate, at least the larger ones ±stem-clasping	8
7:	Leaves not stem-clasping	11
8	Hairs on stem appressed	microphylla
8:	Hairs on stem loose or at 90 °	9
9	Peduncles more than 10 mm long	pilosa
9:	Peduncles less than 10 mm long	10
10	Racemes loose; bracts not overlapping at flowering; plant ascending or decumbent; leaves 15–35 mm wide	auriculata
10:	Racemes compact; bracts overlapping at flowering; plant erect; leaves to 20 mm but mostly to 15 mm wide	macrophylla
11	Sepals free or connate only at base	12
11:	Sepals connate at least in lower third, or reduced to rim, or obsolete	19
12	Stems with conspicuous ridges (except S. parvifolia); at least upper, cauline leaves reduced	13
12:	Stems without conspicuous ridges; cauline leaves well developed	15
13	Stems glabrous or nearly so	depauperata
13:	Stems variously hairy	14
14	Stems tortuous	tortuosa
14:	Stems straight	parvifolia
15	Bracteoles dentate	calliptera
15:	Bracteoles entire	16
16	Leaves with revolute margins; sepals to 3 mm long	tenuifolia
16:	Leaves with recurved margins or flat; sepals usually more than 3 mm long	17
17	Petal wings not striate (eastern Australia)	ramosissima
17:	Petal wings striate (W.A.)	18
18	Bracteoles linear; petals deep purple	phlebopetala
18:	Bracteoles elliptic to obovate; petals blue to purplish	striata
19	Plant prostrate	hookeri
19:	Plant erect or ascending	20
20	Cauline leaves 25–90 mm long, to 6 mm wide; shrub or subshrub (Pilbara region, W.A.)	21
20:	At least upper cauline leaves reduced to c. 4 mm long; many-stemmed perennial (central arid regions)	22
21	Plant scurfy with substellate hairs; corolla with substellate hairs outside	acacioides
21:	Plant ±viscid, glabrous or with simple, antrorse hairs; corolla with simple hairs outside	cunninghamii
22	Stems mostly glabrous; corolla densely puberulous outside	depauperata
22:	Stems mostly puberulous and with scattered, long, simple hairs; corolla with short and long, stiff, arcuate to appressed hairs outside	basedowii

Group 2

1	Leaves ±stem-clasping	2
1:	Leaves not stem-clasping	5
2	Outside of corolla with dense, silvery, closely appressed hairs hiding surface	platyphylla
2:	Outside of corolla, at least at base, with hairs loose, surface clearly visible between hairs; or glabrous	3
3	Hairs on stem ±appressed	microphylla
3:	Hairs on stem not appressed	4
4	Inflorescence loose, the bracts not overlapping at flowering; plant ascending or decumbent; leaves 15–35 mm wide	auriculata
4:	Inflorescence compact, the bracts overlapping at flowering; plant erect; leaves to 20 mm but mostly to 15 mm wide	macrophylla
5	Corolla glabrous outside	6
5:	Corolla hairy outside	7
6	Leaves linear to narrowly oblong, less than 2 mm wide, usually entire	graminea
6:	Leaves elliptic to cuneate, 3–23 mm wide, mostly dentate	laciniata
7	Flowers mostly in dense thyrses, i.e. several flowers present in axils of at least lower bracts	8
7:	Flowers in spikes or spike-like thyrses	9
8	Leaves with scattered fine white hairs, the surface clearly visible	cuneiformis
8:	Leaves with surface hidden beneath dense, silvery hairs	argentea
9	Stems ridged or lateral stems often spinescent; cauline leaves usually reduced	10
9:	Stems not ridged; not spinescent; leaves well developed	12
10	Indusium with basal tuft of brown bristles on adaxial surface	chrysopogon
10:	Indusium with basal tuft of white or purple bristles on adaxial surface	11
11	Hairs on ovary and fruit golden	restiacea
11:	Hairs on ovary and fruit white	oxyclona
12	Hairs on stem coarse, mostly yellowish	aemula
12:	Hairs on stem fine and white, or stems glabrous	13
13	Stems with mostly simple, antrorse, often appressed hairs	14
13:	Stems glabrous or with loose, simple hairs and/or glandular hairs	16
14	Prostrate plant with ±recurved leaves (south-western W.A.)	argentea
14:	Plant ascending or erect; leaves flat (not in W.A.)	15
15	Hairs on stem mostly arcuate, sometimes present only on young stems	humilis
15:	Hairs on stem straight, loosely appressed	ovalifolia
16	Leaves glabrous or almost so	collina
16:	Leaves densely hairy	17
17	Leaves obovate, narrowing abruptly toward base	obovata
17:	Leaves narrowly elliptic to obovate, tapering gradually toward base	amblyanthera

Group 3

1	Fruit beaked, sometimes shortly so; endocarp like a woody sponge or with woody plates or spines surrounded by a membranous skin	collaris
1:	Fruit not beaked; endocarp solid except for fertile locules, and (in some species) 2 sterile cavities	2
2	Leaves glaucous; upper leaves stem-clasping	brookeana
2:	Leaves not both glaucous and stem-clasping	3
3	Plant prostrate	4
3:	Plant erect or ascending	5
4	Leaves to 2 mm wide; corolla with white hairs outside	pulvinaris
4:	Leaves 2–15 mm wide; corolla with golden hairs outside	repens
5	Fruit with coarse, arcuate, simple, golden hairs	restiacea
5:	Fruit with soft, white, simple hairs, or glabrous	6
6	Leaves basal or towards base of stems, linear to oblanceolate, 6–20 cm long, tapering gradually to a broadened base	lanceolata
6:	Leaves scattered along stem	7
7	Sepals free, acute	8
7:	Sepals an undulate rim or obtuse and connate	9
8	Divaricate shrub; indusium with scattered hairs (northern Australia)	angulata
8:	Herb, not divaricate; indusium with stiff basal hairs or glabrous (south-eastern Australia)	albida
9	Fruit smooth or grooved	10
9:	Fruit rugose or tuberculate	14
10	Fruit with swollen ribs, often gibbous	thesioides
10:	Fruit without swollen ribs, not gibbous	11
11	Plant not viscid	porocarya
11:	Plant viscid on young parts	12
12	Fruit dry; leaves sessile	nitida
12:	Fruit fleshy; leaves shortly petiolate	13
13	Leaves elliptic to oblong, 17–40 mm long	myrtifolia
13:	Leaves obovate-elliptic to spathulate, 10–14 mm long	bursariifolia
14	Flowers in lateral spikes mostly shorter than leaves	oldfieldii
14:	Flowers in terminal spikes mostly longer than leaves	15
15	Indusium with short, stiff hairs towards base on upper surface	glabrata
15:	Indusium glabrous or with a few long hairs on upper surface	16
16	Leaves distinctly petiolate, ovate to orbicular	crassifolia
16:	Leaves sessile	17
17	Bracts distinctly different from foliage leaves	angustata
17:	Bracts intergrading with leaves	18
18	Leaves elliptic to obovate or narrowly oblong, 9–34 mm long	macrostachya
18:	Leaves linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 15–120 mm long	globulifera

Group 4

1	Plant with conspicuous, glandular hairs	2
1:	Plant without conspicuous glandular hairs, sometimes with minute ones scarcely visible to naked eye	6
2	Plant brownish from glandular hairs with brown heads, and long, simple, yellowish hairs	glandulifera
2:	Plant not brownish; glandular hairs yellowish and simple hairs white	3
3	Leaves linear to narrowly elliptic, recurved	linearis
3:	Leaves oblanceolate to obovate, flat	4
4	Bracts similar to foliage leaves but smaller	5
4:	Bracts very different from foliage leaves, much shorter	revoluta
5	Petal wings 1–2 mm wide; hairs on back of indusium few, long, not appressed (south-western W.A.)	oldfieldii
5:	Petal wings to 10 mm wide; hairs on back of indusium many, short, appressed (Qld)	glutinosa
6	Ovary and fruit glabrous or nearly so (sometimes ovary and fruit hidden by long hairs from below base)	7
6:	Ovary and fruit hairy	22
7	Bracteoles connate along one margin	tomentosa
7:	Bracteoles free	8
8	Leaves basal or toward base of stems, 6–20 cm long, tapering gradually to a broadened base	lanceolata
8:	Leaves scattered along stems	9
9	Lateral inflorescences shorter than or equal to leaves	10
9:	Inflorescences much longer than leaves	14
10	Flowers in woolly heads, to 3 mm long	globosa
10:	Flowers in spikes, more than 6 mm long	11
11	Plant prostrate or decumbent	12
11:	Plant erect or ascending	13
12	Fruit dry (W.A.)	repens
12:	Fruit fleshy (S.A., Qld, N.S.W., Vic.)	calendulacea
13	Leaves glabrescent or with scattered hairs	oldfieldii
13:	Leaves with dense silky hairs	sericophylla
14	Prostrate or decumbent plant of coastal dunes	15
14:	Erect or ascending shrubs, rarely on coastal dunes	16
15	Fruit fleshy, purple	calendulacea
15:	Fruit dry, greenish	albida
16	Bracteoles mostly to 4 mm long	17
16:	Bracteoles mostly more than 4 mm long	18
17	Upper flowers at least twice as long as their subtending bracts	revoluta
17:	Upper flowers equalling or slightly longer than their subtending bracts	virgata
18	Upper bracts ovate, very different in size and shape from foliage leaves	virgata
18:	Upper bracts either linear to narrowly elliptic, different in size and shape from foliage leaves, or broader and similar to foliage leaves	19
19	Leaves linear to oblanceolate, mostly more than 6 cm long	20
19:	Leaves obovate to oblong, to 5.5 cm long	21
20	Fruit rugose, to 4 mm long, with 2 fertile locules	anchusifolia
20:	Fruit grooved, otherwise smooth, to 11 mm diam., with 4 fertile locules	porocarya
21	Plant softly, densely hairy	browniana
21:	Plant loosely hairy with stiff, coarse hairs	macrostachya
22	Flowers in lateral spikes mostly shorter than leaves	23
22:	Flowers in terminal spikes or thyrses usually longer than leaves	26
23	Sepals free; leaves ±hispid, hairs both simple and minute glandular	paludosa
23:	Sepals reduced to rim; leaves tomentose with dense, simple or felted hairs	24
24	Axillary hairs silky, not felted, scarcely distinguishable from other hairs	25
24:	Axils woolly, hairs felted, tangled, clearly different from other hairs	canescens
25	Inflorescence elongate to 20 cm long (W.A.)	spicigera
25:	Inflorescence condensed to 6 cm long (S.A.)	linearis
26	Fruit and ovary with two lateral protuberances and vertical rows of tubercles	densifolia
26:	Fruit and ovary irregularly rugose or tuberculate or smooth	27
27	Plant prostrate forming mats	28
27:	Plant erect, ascending, or decumbent, not forming mats	31
28	Axils conspicuously woolly	humifusa
28:	Axillary hairs ±inconspicuous	29
29	Leaves linear, entire (south-western Australia)	pulvinaris
29:	Leaves broader than linear (south-eastern Australia)	30
30	Flowers sessile	albida
30:	Flowers with stalks below bracteoles	hookeri
31	Barbulae clavate, with swollen papillate head on short stalk	pulchella
31:	Barbulae simple or with papillate head on long stalk	32
32	Hairs on outside of corolla stiff and brownish yellow towards top	33
32:	Hairs on outside of corolla white	34
33	Leaves mostly more than 2 mm wide; barbulae simple	hamiltonii
33:	Leaves less than 2 mm wide; barbulae papillate apically	eneabba
34	Fruit covered with arcuate, simple, golden hairs; leaves mostly reduced	restiacea
34:	Fruit with whitish hairs; leaves well developed	35
35	Leaves with recurved to revolute margins	linearis
35:	Leaves flat	36
36	Sepals acute (northern Australia)	angulata
36:	Sepals obtuse or forming a rim (mostly western, southern and central arid regions)	37
37	Hairs on back of indusium sparse, usually neither stiff nor straight, sometimes absent	38
37:	Hairs on back of indusium numerous, straight, stiff	39
38	Leaves basal or towards base of scapose stems, more than 60 mm long	lanceolata
38:	Leaves scattered along stems, to 60 mm long	virgata
39	Beard in corolla throat sparse; ovary 1-locular except at base (mostly E of Great Dividing Ra. and along S coast)	albida
39:	Beard in corolla throat dense; ovary 2-locular except near top (mostly drier areas W of Great Dividing Ra.)	40
40	Hairs soft, short, usually very dense; leaves with small teeth or entire	ovalifolia
40:	Hairs coarse, long, not appressed; leaves usually prominently triangular-toothed	parvibarbata

Data derived from Flora of Australia Volume 35 (1992), a product of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia