Aspalathus quinquefolia, Linnaeus, 1760

Stirton, Charles H., Preez, Brian Du, Helme, Nick & Muasya, A. Muthama, 2024, A new species of Aspalathus (Fabaceae, Crotalarieae) from the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, Phytotaxa 665 (1), pp. 69-74 : 70

Key to the Aspalathus quinquefolia species complex

1a. Flowers white, calyx more than two-thirds the length of flower, lobes filiform-subulate, hairs long, silky-plumose ........................ ..................................................................................................................................................................................... A. albicephala

1b. Flowers yellow, calyx half or less of flower length, lobes narrowly triangular to triangular, hairs shortish, sericeous .................. 2

2a. Plants decumbent with branches largely underground with perpendicular side shoots that emerge with leaves and flowers; inflorescence a terminal cluster of 3–4 flowers; calyx lobes 1.0– 1.5 mm long ................................................................ A. jardinii

2b. Plants usually erect, virgate or rarely decumbent, but branches always above ground and side shoots not perpendicular to main branches; inflorescence spicate or sub-globose, 5–30 or more flowered; calyx lobes 2–4 mm long, only 1 mm long if inflorescence densely spicate .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

3a. Large densely compact shrub to 2 m tall, single stemmed but branching from near the base. Leaf arrangement on long stems dense and overlapping. Leaflets obovate-ovate, silvery, densely sericeous; presence of prominent persistent swollen hairy leaf bases. Inflorescences a terminal imbricate obovate-ovate densely hairy spike. Flowers pale yellow, with buff orange nectar patch; bracts spathulate with attenuate apex. Standard blade 4.5–5.0 × 3.0– 3.5 mm. Wing petals same length as keel .............. A. praetermissa

3b. Erect open or virgate shrubs to 1.5 m tall or low spreading decumbent shrublets 100–200 mm tall. Leaf arrangement on long stems mostly not overlapping, except in young plants. Leaflets oblong or narrowly elliptic, glabrous, puberulous to sparsely sericeous; with relatively prominent leaf base tubercles or tubercules absent. Inflorescences variable either a short compact sub-globose or ovate terminal head or an elongate spike up to 100 mm long. Flowers golden yellow, with either a dark orange nectar patch or absent; bracts lanceolate or ovate with acute apex. Standard blade 5.5–8.5 × 4.5–7.5 mm. Wing petals longer than the keel .......... .............................................................................................................................................................................. A. quinquefolia (4)

4a. Plants erect to virgate shrubs, 0.35–1.5 m tall, vestiture of young long shoots shortly sericeous or shortly tomentose. Inflorescence (8–)15–35-flowered; bracts 5–8 × 4.5–7.5 mm, broadly ovate to orbicular ..................................... A. quinquefolia subsp. virgata

4b. Plants low-growing, decumbent or ascending, up to 0.25 m tall, vestiture of young shoots pubescent. Inflorescence 5–20-flowered; bracts 2–5 × 1.5–3.0 mm, narrowly ovate ........................................................................................................................................ 5

5a. Plants decumbent, leaves puberulous, glabrescent, green. Inflorescence sub-globose, 5–13-flowered ............................................. .................................................................................................................................................... A. quinquefolia subsp. quinquefolia

5b. Plants ascending, leaves pubescent, silvery. Inflorescence ovate to elongate spike, 10–20-flowered ................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ A. quinquefolia subsp. compacta