Gastrolobium musaceum G.Chandler & Crisp

Scientific Description

Erect, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, opposite, not continuous with stem, 16-48 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with recurved margins or revolute; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 2-2.2 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 1.5-3 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 5.5-6 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 8-15 mm long, multicoloured, mostly red or orange, with some red or orange spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent; standard 7-14 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 7-11.2 mm long, not auriculate, keel 7-9.5 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.8-1.1 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 5-10.2 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, hairy or glandular; style 7.5-11.5 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 12-15 mm long, 3-5 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 Eremaean and South-West Botanical Province, in the Coolgardie, Mallee and Esperance IBRA regions.