Pultenaea rosmarinifolia

An erect shrub to a height of 3 metres, with stems having appressed hairs.

It is confined to NSW, growing in two general and disjunct locations, from Doyalson-area to North Sydney (with a few records at Wedderburn); then from Jervis Bay (and further west), south to Ulladulla.

It typically grows in heath as well as dry sclerophyll woodland and forest on sandstone.

Pultenaea is a member of the “pea” family. This generally means that leaves are alternate with stipules (leaf-like appendages) at the base of the petioles. Pultenaea spp. however, can sometimes have opposite leaves or leaves in whorls of 3. One of the key features of Pultenaea is that the stipules are fused behind the axillary bud.

In this species, leaves are alternate, linear to elliptic with the narrower end towards the base (obovate), to 45 mm long and to 4 mm wide; dark green in colour, with stipules to 8 mm long at the base.

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). Pultenaea spp. sometimes have bracts surrounding the inflorescences, and bracteoles attached to the calyx tube or just below on the pedicels (at different locations in different species). These bracteoles can also have accompanying stipules.

In this species, the flowers are to 10 mm long, arranged in dense clusters at the branch terminals, yellow-orange in colour; with the standard petal having a red base and up to 12 mm wide; the wings yellow with red or brownish marks and the keel red; occurring from September to October.

The fruit of all peas is a pod. In this species, it is elliptic, to 10 mm long and flattened.