Aotus ericoides
Common Aotus
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Plant information
Plant information
Overview:
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
Common name: Common Aotus
Conservation status: . . .
Etymology:
The specific epithet (ericoides) refers to the similarity to a species of Erica
The suffix - oides is a Latin ending meaning "likeness"
Flowers:
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 long, the pedicels 2 mm long
The calyx edge has pointed teeth and is covered with long, soft hairs about 3 mm 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
Fruit:
Leaves:
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
They are about 6–20 mm long and 1–5 mm wide on a stalk 1–2 mm 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
Stem & branches:
The stems are often covered in short, matted, rusty or greyish coloured hairs
Roots:
Habit:
A variable shrub that may grow up to 2 m high
Habitat:
It occurs in heathland and dry sclerophyll forests on sandstone
Distribution:
It is endemic to eastern Australia
It occurs in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania
In NSW it is found on the coast and Southern Highlands
Additional notes:
Taxonomy
Common aotus was first formally described in 1803 by Étienne Pierre Ventenat who gave it the name Pultanaea ericoides and the description was published in Jardin de la Malmaison
In 1832 the Scottish botanist George Don changed the name to Aotus ericoides and the description was published in A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants
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