''Podolobium alpestre'', commonly known as alpine shaggy-pea,
[ is a 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 south-eastern Australia. It has oblong to egg-shaped leaves and yellow to orange pea-like flowers with red markings.
Description
''Podolobium alpestre'' is an ascending or low spreading shrub to high with young stems covered in soft, short hairs. The leaves are arranged in whorls of three or opposite, egg-shaped to broad-oblong, long and wide.racemes
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 ...
are yellow-orange, pea-shaped, occasionally with red markings on a silky pedicel
Pedicle or pedicel may refer to:
Human anatomy
*Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures
...
long. The 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 are lance shaped or narrow, tapering to a point and long. Flowering occurs from November to February and the fruit is an oval shaped pod long with numerous warty creases, tapering to a point and covered with long, soft straight hairs.
Taxonomy and naming
''Podolobium alpestre'' was first formally described 1855 by Ferdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...
and the description was published in ''Definitions of rare or hitherto undescribed Australian Plants, chiefly collected within the boundaries of the colony of Victoria''. Mueller gave it the name ''Oxylobium alpestre''. The species was transferred to the genus '' Podolobium'' in 1995.
Distribution and habitat
Alpine shaggy-pea occurs in alpine heaths and high-altitude woodland in Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and the Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
.
References
External links
Herbarium specimen at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7207034
Fabales of Australia
Flora of the Australian Capital Territory
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Victoria (state)
alpestre
Plants described in 1855
Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller