Pultenaea pedunculata explained

Pultenaea pedunculata, commonly known as matted bush-pea,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a prostrate, densely matted shrub with softly-hairy branches that often form roots, narrow elliptic leaves, and bright yellow and brick-red flowers.

Description

Pultenaea peduncluata is a prostrate, densely-matted shrub that forms carpets of or more in diameter, and has softy-hairy branches. The branches are up to several metres long but rarely more than off the ground, and often from roots to it. The leaves are arranged alternately, narrow elliptic, long, wide and sparsely hairy with stipules long at the base. The flowers are usually arranged singly in leaf axils near the ends of branches. They are long on a peduncle up to long with narrow lance-shaped bracteoles long attached near the base of the sepal tube. The sepals are long, the standard petal bright yellow, sometimes with a brick-red base, the wings yellow to orange and the keel red to purple, although the colour of the flowers is very variable. Flowering occurs in most months but mainly from September to December and the fruit is a spherical to egg-shaped pod long.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Pultenaea pedunculata was formally described in 1828 by English botanist William Jackson Hooker in the Botanical Magazine from specimens grown from seed collected by Charles Fraser.[6] [7] The specific epithet (pedunculata) means "pedunculate".[8]

Distribution and habitat

Matted bush-pea grows in forest, woodland, heathland and grassland from near Sydney in New South Wales through Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, to Tasmania where it is common and widespread in dry, rocky places.[9]

Conservation status

This species of pea is relatively common in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania but is listed as "endangered" in New South Wales under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act. It is only known from three disjunct populations in that state.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pultenaea pedunculata . 30 July 2012 . PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online . Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia.
  2. Web site: Wood . Betty . Pultenaea pedinculata . Lucid Keys . 10 August 2021.
  3. Book: Corrick, M.G. . Fuhrer, B.A. . amp . Wildflowers of Victoria and adjoining areas. Bloomings Books. Australia . 2001 . 978-1876473143.
  4. Web site: Pultenaea pedunculata . State Herbarium of South Australia . 10 August 2021.
  5. Web site: Corrick . Margaret G. . Pultenaea pedunculata . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 10 August 2021.
  6. Web site: Pultenaea pedunculata. APNI. 10 August 2021.
  7. Hooker . William J. . Pultenaea pedunculata . Curtis's Botanical Magazine . 1828 . 55 . 2859 . 10 August 2021.
  8. Book: Sharr . Francis Aubi . George . Alex . Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings . 2019 . Four Gables Press . Kardinya, WA . 9780958034180 . 273 . 3rd.
  9. Web site: Jordan . Greg . Pultenaea pedunculata . University of Tasmania . 10 August 2021.
  10. Web site: Matted Bush-pea - profile . New South Wales Government Office of Heritage and Environment . 10 August 2021.