Aotus ericoides
| Common aotus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Aotus |
| Species: | A. ericoides
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aotus ericoides | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Aotus ericoides, also known as common aotus or golden pea, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. It flowers in leaf axils in spring and has yellow pea flowers with splotches of red. It is endemic to eastern Australia.
Description
[edit]Aotus ericoides is a variable shrub that may grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. The stems are often covered in short, matted, rusty or greyish coloured hairs. The leaves are whorls of 3 or more either growing alternate or opposite. The leaves vary in shape, they may be egg-shaped, broad at the base narrowing to the apex or long and narrow and about 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide on a stalk 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The leaf edge may be curved backwards or rolled under. The leaf upper surface has either small wart-like protuberances or smooth with occasional long hairs. The single yellow pea flower has a red-orange band around a yellow centre and bright yellow wings and keel. The flower bracts are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the pedicels 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The calyx edge has pointed teeth and is covered with long, soft hairs about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The seed capsule is a swollen firm, egg-shaped pod and covered with long soft hairs. Flowering occurs late winter to spring in upper leaf axils.[2][3]
Taxonomy and naming
[edit]Common aotus was first formally described in 1803 by Étienne Pierre Ventenat who gave it the name Pultanaea ericoides and the description was published in Jardin de la Malmaison.[4] In 1832 the Scottish botanist George Don changed the name to Aotus ericoides and the description was published in A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants.[5][6] The specific epithet (ericoides) refers to the similarity to a species of Erica. The suffix - oides is a Latin ending meaning "likeness".[7]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]It occurs in heathland and dry sclerophyll forests on sandstone in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. In New South Wales it is found on the coast and Southern Highlands.[2][8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Aotus ericoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ a b Wiecek, Barbara. "Aotus ericoides". NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Robinson, Les (2003). Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney. Kangaroo Press. ISBN 0-7318-1211-5.
- ^ "Jardin de la Malmaison". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Aotus ericoides". Australian Plant Name Index. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Brown, Roland W. (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 45.
- ^ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region. Jacana Books. ISBN 978-1-74175-571-8.