Gastrolobium stowardii S.Moore

Scientific Description

Erect, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete or angular, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, opposite, continuous with stem, 8-20 mm long, 3-9 mm wide, glabrous, flat with flat margins or revolute; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 5-5.5 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 1.5-3 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 4.2-5.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 9-13 mm long, multicoloured, mostly yellow, red, orange or purple, with some yellow, red, orange or purple spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 10.9-12.2 mm long, glabrous, auriculate, wings 7-9.7 mm long, auriculate, keel 8-10 mm long, not beaked, auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3-0.7 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 6.5-8 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 7-9 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 9-10 mm long, 5-5.5 mm wide, stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in September and October. Occurs in the South-West Botanical Province, in the Geraldton Sandplains, Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Esperance IBRA regions.