Rough bush-pea

Appearance

''Pultenaea scabra'' is an erect or spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–3 m and has densely hairy stems. The leaves are arranged alternately, wedge-shaped to heart-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 3–16 mm long, 2–13 mm wide with triangular to lance-shaped stipules 1–4 mm long at the base.

The edges of the leaves curve down or are rolled under and there is a small point on the end. The flowers are arranged in usually dense clusters of more than three, each flower on a pedicel 0.5–1 mm long with more or less round bracts 1–3 mm long at the base and hairy bracteoles 3–5 mm long attached at the base of the sepal tube.

The sepals are 4–6 mm long, the standard petal is yellow with a red base and 7–12 mm long, the wings are yellow and red and shorter than the standard, and the keel is dark red to crimson, and about the same length as the wings. Flowering occurs from September to November and the fruit is a flattened, egg-shaped pod 5–7 mm long.

Distribution

Rough bush-pea grows in heathland and forest south of Rylstone in New South Wales, in southern Victoria, mainly south and east of the Great Dividing Range, and in the far south-east of South Australia.