Pultenaea benthamii explained

Pultenaea benthamii, commonly known as Bentham's bush-pea,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with sharply-pointed, narrow elliptic to linear leaves and yellow to orange and red flowers in clusters at the ends of branches.

Description

Pultenaea benthamii is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to with stems that are hairy when young. The leaves are narrow elliptic to linear, long and wide with stipules long at the base and a sharply pointed tip. The flowers are about long and borne in clusters in leaf axils at the ends of side shoots on pedicels long. There are dark brown bracteoles long at the base of the sepals and bracts long that fall off as the flower opens. The sepals are long and covered with pale hairs. The standard petal is yellow and orange, long, the wings yellow to orange and the keel is red to purple. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is a flattened oval pod long.[2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Pultenaea benthamii was first formally described in 1864 by Ferdinand von Mueller in Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants.[4] [5] The specific epithet (benthamii) honours George Bentham.

Distribution and habitat

This pultenaea grows in forest, woodland and heath with scattered populations in the Grampians National Park, in eastern Victoria and in the far south-east of New South Wales.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pultenaea benthamii . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 21 June 2021.
  2. Web site: Corrick . Margaret G. . Pultenaea benthamii . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 21 June 2021.
  3. Web site: Wood . Betty . Pultanaea benthamii . Lucid Keys . 21 June 2021.
  4. Web site: Pultenaea benthamii. APNI. 21 June 2021.
  5. Book: von Mueller . Ferdinand . Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian plants . 1855 . Goodhugh & Trembath . Melbourne . 5 . 21 June 2021.