Daviesia alata

Generally, a low-lying or prostrate almost herbaceous-shrub to 1 metre tall and spreads to 1 metre wide in a clump-formation, consisting of winged stems with small scale leaves.

It is endemic to NSW, growing with a patchy distribution, mostly on the coast and coastal ranges. It is found in a disjunct patch north and south of Eden and west to near Bombale, then found again further north to the south-west and west of Ulladulla (south of Nerriga). From here, it is found commonly northwards to northern Sydney and out to Blackheath and Mount Wilson. There are scattered records further north in Howes Valley (Putty Road) and Port Stephens with Nelson Bay the most northern record.  

It is found in heath as well as dry sclerophyll woodland and forest, on sandy soils to sandy-clay soils over sandstone as well as near or on lateritic outcrops.

Daviesia spp. have simple leaves modified to phyllodes or rigid scales, arranged alternately. In this species, the phyllodes are reduced to scale leaves on mature winged-stems. On young plants and stems, phyllodes are ovate to linear, to 60 mm long and to 12 mm wide, mid to dark green in colour. The winged stems are also mid to dark green.

Daviesia spp. have pea-flowers (papilionate) which are 5-merous but with the typical pea setup where there is one large rear petal called the “standard”, two fused bottom petals called the “keel” and two lateral petals called “wings”. In this species, the flowers are arranged in condensed racemes of 2 to 5, in leaf axils, on peduncles to 4 mm long; orange-red in colour with yellow hues; the wings and keel are a rich maroon colour; overall flowers are to 7 mm long and about 10 mm wide,  occurring from October to December.

Flowers are followed by distinctive triangular pods in Daviesia spp. In this species, the pod is to 10 mm long and to 7 mm wide, brown in colour when ripe.