Gastrolobium bracteolosum (F.Muell.) G.Chandler & Crisp

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, not spiny, glabrous; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, alternate, not continuous with stem, 50-120 mm long, 7-15 mm wide, glabrous, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves. Pedicel present, 7-16 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles present but early deciduous, 6-7.5 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 15-18 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 25-28 mm long, multicoloured, mostly red, orange or brown, with some red, orange or brown spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent; standard 23-25 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 20-22 mm long, not auriculate, keel 22-26 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 1.1-1.5 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 18-24 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, hairy or glandular; style 21-24 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in July, August, September, October and November. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest and Esperance IBRA regions.