Gastrolobium heterophyllum (Turcz.) Crisp

Scientific Description

Twining or climbing plants. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, opposite, continuous with stem, 10-40 mm long, 3-10 mm wide, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 4-4.5 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 2-2.3 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 4.5-5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 8-8.2 mm long, multicoloured, yellow, mostly brown or purple, with some brown or purple spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 7-8 mm long, glabrous, auriculate, wings 5.5-6.5 mm long, auriculate, keel 7.3-8 mm long, not beaked, auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.6-0.7 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 4.3-5.2 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 6.2-7.5 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 10-12 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in August, September and October. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Esperance IBRA regions.