Gastrolobium racemosum (Turcz.) Crisp

Scientific Description

Erect, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems angular, not spiny, glabrous; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, opposite, continuous with stem, 4-60 mm long, 8-20 mm wide, glabrous, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 4 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 3.2-6.2 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 4.4-6 mm long, not accrescent, glabrous, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 13-15 mm long, multicoloured, pink, mostly red or orange, with some red or orange spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 12-15 mm long, glabrous, auriculate, wings 7.5-9.5 mm long, auriculate, keel 6-8 mm long, not beaked, auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.7-0.8 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 5-6 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 6-6.5 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 11-15 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in August, September, October and November. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Mallee and Esperance IBRA regions.