Dillwynia phylicoides

An erect to open shrub, to 2 metres tall with stiff, spreading hairs on the stems.

In NSW, it grows predominantly on the tablelands, extending into the western slopes and slightly into the coastal areas. It extends as far north as west of Rockhampton in Queensland, coming south through the inland, through Toowoomba and Warwick and down to the Tamworth-Armidale area of NSW and further east.

From around Nundle, plants are only found to the west, to as far as Coonabarabran, then flowing south-eastwards to Sydney, as well as Cowra-Orange and Bathurst, with occurrences then mostly on the southern tablelands to the Victorian border.

The species also grows extensively in mostly the eastern half of Victoria.

Grows in dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, usually on acidic sandy soils.

Dillwynia is a member of the “pea” family. This generally means that leaves are alternate with stipules at the base of the petioles. Dillwynia have simple and alternate leaves, with stipules present and minute, or absent.

Leaves can be flat, terete or triangular in cross-section and often twisted.

In this species the leaves are moderately clustered on the stems, spirally-twisted, linear to narrow oblong, to about 10 mm long and only 0.5 mm, bright to mid green in colour. Leaves usually have stiff short hairs and may have tubercules (glands).

Flowers are, of course, pea-shaped (a term sometimes used is papilionate), with 5 petals in a fixed arrangement; the main back petal is called the “standard”, two lateral petals called “wings” and two fused petals at the bottom called the “keel” (in which the anthers and one carpel tend to be hidden).

In Dillwynia, flowers are yellow, or red and yellow (or orange/yellow) and are usually arranged singly or in small groups in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets. The upper two of five sepal lobes are joined in a single “lip”. The standard petal is typically wider than high (a useful identification feature), and the keel is the same length as the wings. There are very small leafy bracts present on the common peduncle (which can fall early or be persistent) and bracteoles on flower pedicels (below the calyx).

In this species, inflorescences are usually in terminal heads (capitate), consisting of up to 8 flowers, yellow in colour but with other hues as well. The standard is up to 12 mm long, with red to purple markings. The keel can also be red to purple-red; flowering mainly from September to December.

The fruit of all peas is a pod. In this species, they are oval, approximately 7 mm long and with hairs.