Daviesia arborea

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Golden Pea

Conservation status: ...

Etymology:   

• The genus is named in honour of Hugh Davies, a Welsh botanist

• The specific epithet (arborea) means "tree" or "tree-like"

Flowers

• The flowers are arranged in racemes of eight to fifteen flowers on a flowering stem 10–27 mm long, including the peduncle 2–4 mm long, each flower on a pedicel 2–8 mm long

• The five sepals are 4.0–5.5 mm long and joined at the base, the upper two sepals joined in a shortened "lip", the lower three shorter and triangular

• The standard petal is yellow with red markings around a yellow centre and 7–8 mm long and wide, the wings about 7.5 mm long and the keel is yellow and dark red and about 5 mm long

• Flowering occurs from September to October 

Fruit:                            

• The fruit is a triangular pod 7–9 mm long

Leaves:         

• The phyllodes are linear to elliptic, 40–200 mm long and 4–12 mm wide with fine, parallel veins and the lower surface is paler than the upper

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Daviesia arborea is a shrub or small that typically grows to a height of up to 14 m and has weeping branches and corky bark

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

•  Golden pea mostly grows in moist forest on coastal hills and mountains slopes from the Bunya Mountains in south-east Queensland to near Comboyne in NSW

Additional notes:  

• Taxonomy 

  • Daviesia arborea was first formally described in 1805 by W.Hill in his book Collection of Queensland Timbers - Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880

• Use in horticulture

  • This large shrub is an attractive plant with it drooping branches and clusters of sweet-smelling flowers in spring

  • It can be grown from scarified seed and grows best in semi-shaded, moist situation in well-drained soil

Sources of information:

•  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daviesia_arborea (2024)