Bossiaea modesta J.H.Ross

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, 11-15 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, glabrous, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 1.8-2 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 12-15 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles 1.2-1.4 mm long, glabrous, not striate. Calyx 3.5-6 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 8-11 mm long, multicoloured, mostly yellow or red, with some yellow or red spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 8-9 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 5-8 mm long, not auriculate, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath, 6.5-8.8 mm long. Ovary stipitate, glabrous; style 6-67 mm long, glabrous, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 15-22 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, flat or compressed, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in October, November and December. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain IBRA regions. Conservation Code Priority Two (P2).