Aotus ericoides
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Common aotus | |
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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 | |
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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.
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]