Leptosema
genus of plants
Leptosema is a genus of thirteen species of flowering plants from the legume family Fabaceae, all endemic to Australia. They are shrubs with photosynthetic stems, the leaves reduced to scales, mostly red or green flowers arranged singly or in small groups, each with a reduced standard petal and usually ten stamens.
Description
Plants in the genus Leptosema are low shrubs, with flattened to terete, sometimes spiny, hairy branchlets. The stems are photosynthetic, the adult leaves reduced to scales. The flowers are arranged singly in the axils of upper scale-leaves, or in elongated racemes or in small panicles, sometimes in small racemes along the branchlets. The flowers are shades of red or green, but not pea-like, because the standard is equal to or shorter than the other petals and the keel is usually larger and more conspicuous than the other petals. There are usually ten stamens, roughly equal in length and free from each other. The ovary has up to 60 or more ovules and the pod is oval or elliptic to linear or cylindrical containing kidney shaped seeds lacking an aril.
Leptosema is most closely related to Jacksonia except that the flowers are adapted for bird pollination, whereas Jacksonia species are mostly bee-pollinated.
Taxonomy
The genus Leptosema was first formally described in 1837 by George Bentham in his Commentationes de Leguminosarum Generibus.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Leptosema” as genus of plants. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of plants. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 28, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q595652. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1837.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Leptosema”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Leptosema primary sources, Leptosema archive and Leptosema research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Leptosema”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Leptosema” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.