Pea species

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Overview

There are over 12,000 pea species across the globe including herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees. They are good colonisers of bare areas assisted by their ability to trap nitrogen from the air and increase soil fertility. Many of the native species are dispersed by ants and will flourish after fire.

The native herbs and smaller shrubs are vulnerable to live-stock grazing and mainly occur in areas where grazing has been excluded or intermittent, such as within some Travelling Stock Reserves.

Although relatively few in number woody introduced peas, such as brooms, Gorse or Tree Lucerne are significant weeds. Exotic woody peas are a poor planting choice, as they are likely to stray far beyond the garden path.

All flowers of this family have the “sweet pea” butterfly shape, comprised of five often brightly coloured petals: the large upright standard at the back, two small lateral wings and the lower keel of two petals that are mostly fused.

Pea plants are generally distinguished from each other by their form (herb, shrub etc), their leaf characteristics, the colour of their flowers and the size and shape of their seed pods. Ideally postings of pea plants will include photographs that encapsulate all these features.

Photographs should show whether leaves are a single blade, or if not the number of leaflets of which they are composed. Photographs should also try and capture the pair of stipules or appendages that may occur at the base of the leaf stem. They can be leaf-like, membranous or spine like.

16 species

Aotus ericoides (Common Aotus)

Aotus ericoides
Aotus ericoides
Aotus ericoides

Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius (Scotch Broom, Broom, English Broom)

Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius
Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius
Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius

Dillwynia retorta (Heathy Parrot-Pea)

Dillwynia retorta
Dillwynia retorta
Dillwynia retorta

Glycine clandestina (Twining Glycine)

Glycine clandestina
Glycine clandestina
Glycine clandestina

Hardenbergia violacea (False Sarsaparilla)

Hardenbergia violacea
Hardenbergia violacea
Hardenbergia violacea

Kennedia rubicunda (Dusky Coral Pea)

Kennedia rubicunda
Kennedia rubicunda
Kennedia rubicunda

Phyllota phylicoides (Heath Phyllota)

Phyllota phylicoides
Phyllota phylicoides
Phyllota phylicoides

Platylobium formosum (Handsome Flat Pea)

Platylobium formosum
Platylobium formosum
Platylobium formosum

Pullenia gunnii (A Tick-Trefoil)

Pullenia gunnii
Pullenia gunnii
Pullenia gunnii

Pultenaea fasciculata (Bundled Bush-pea)

Pultenaea fasciculata
Pultenaea fasciculata
Pultenaea fasciculata

Conservation level

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Invasiveness

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2,148,794 sightings of 19,882 species in 6,407 locations from 11,276 contributors
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