Gompholobium

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Glory Peas

Conservation status: ...

Etymology:   

• The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek words gomphos, meaning "bolt", "peg", or "nail"  and lobos meaning a "capsule" or "pod"   referring to "the inflated shape of the seed pods"

Flowers:                  

• The flowers are usually arranged in groups on the ends of the branches, sometimes singly or in pairs

• The sepals form a short tube with five lobes longer than the tube

• The large "standard" petal at the back of the flower is circular to kidney-shaped and is larger than the other petals

• There are ten free stamens and the ovary is glabrous

Fruit:                         

• An oblong to almost spherical legume containing two to many ovules

Leaves:         

• Mostly have leaves composed of three separate leaflets but some species have simple leaves and others have pinnate leaves

• The leaflets are arranged alternately along the stems and are usually narrow and have smooth edges

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

• Endemic to Australia

• Are found in all states of Australia

Species:                     

• World:           

• Australia:     

Additional notes:    

• • Taxonomy The genus Gompholobium was first formally described in 1798 by James Edward Smith and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London

  • In 2008, Gompholobium grandiflorum was designated the lectotype

• Species

  • The following is a list of species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at July 2021:

    • Gompholobium aristatum Benth. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium aspalathoides A.Cunn. ex Benth. (N.S.W., Qld.)

    • Gompholobium baxteri Benth. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium burtonioides Meisn. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium capitatum A.Cunn. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium cinereum Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium confertum (DC.) Crisp (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium cyaninum Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium ecostatum Kuchel - dwarf wedge-pea (Vic., S.A., Tas.)

    • Gompholobium foliolosum Benth. (Qld., N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium gairdnerianum Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium glabratum DC. – dainty wedge-pea (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium glutinosum Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium gompholobioides (F.Muell.) Crisp (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium grandiflorum Sm. (N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium hendersonii Paxton (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium huegelii Benth. – common wedge-pea (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)

    • Gompholobium inconspicuum Crisp – creeping wedge-pea (N.S.W., Vic.)

    • Gompholobium karijini Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium knightianum Lindl. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium latifolium Sm. – giant wedge-pea (N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium laxum (Benth.) Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium marginatum R.Br. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium minus Sm. – dwarf wedge-pea (N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium muticum (Benth.) Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium nitidum Sol. ex Benth. (Qld.)

    • Gompholobium obcordatum Turcz. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium oreophilum C.F.Wilkins & Trudgen (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium ovatum Meisn. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium pinnatum Sm. – pinnate wedge-pea (Qld., N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium polymorphum R.Br. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium polyzygum F.Muell. (W.A., N.T.)

    • Gompholobium preissii Meisn. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium pungens Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium roseum Chappill (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium scabrum Sm. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium shuttleworthii Meisn. (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium simplicifolium (F.Muell. & Tate) Crisp (W.A., N.T.)

    • Gompholobium subulatum Benth. (W.A., N.T.)

    • Gompholobium tomentosum Labill. – hairy yellow pea (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium uncinatum A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Qld., N.S.W.)

    • Gompholobium venustum R.Br. – handsome wedge-pea (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium villosum (Meisn.) Crisp (W.A.)

    • Gompholobium virgatum Sieber ex DC. – leafy wedge pea (N.S.W., Qld.)

    • Gompholobium viscidulum Meisn.

    • Gompholobium wonganense Chappill

• Ecology

  • Toxicity of plants of the genus was suspected and proven to be fatal to sheep, goats and other livestock introduced by the pastoralists at the Swan River Colony

  • This was reported by James Drummond in Hooker's London journal of botany 1842

Sources of information:

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