''Chorizema parviflorum'', commonly known as eastern flame pea,
is a species of flowering plant in the family
and is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and yellow and reddish flowers arranged in
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
s on the ends of branches.
Description
''Chorizema parviflorum'' is an erect or ascending shrub that typically grows to a height of , its branches more or less
glabrous. The leaves are linear to narrowly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide but often variable in size. The edges of the leaves curve downwards, the tip of the leaves is sharply pointed, and the lower surface is softly-hairy. The flowers are arranged in racemes on the ends of branches with narrowly lance-shaped
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s and
bracteoles at the base. The
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
s are long and the petals long and yellow with a reddish centre. Flowering occurs in spring and the fruit is a broadly oval
pod
Pod or POD may refer to:
Biology
* Pod (fruit), a type of fruit of a flowering plant
* Husk or pod of a legume
* Pod of whales or other marine mammals
* "-pod", a suffix meaning "foot" used in taxonomy
Electronics and computing
* Proper ort ...
long.
Taxonomy
This chorizema was first formally described in 1837 by
George Bentham in ''Commentationes de Leguminosarum Generibus'' from specimens collected by
Ferdinand Bauer .
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''parviflorum'') means "small-leaved".
Distribution and habitat
''Chorizema parviflorum'' mostly grows in woodland, heath or forest and is widespread but not common from south-east Queensland to the coast of New South Wales as far south as the
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
region.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15528759
parvifolium
Plants described in 1837
Fabales of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Taxa named by George Bentham