Platylobium Sm.

Flat Peas

Greek platys — flat, lobos — pod, referring to the shape of the pods.

Shrubs or subshrubs, sometime prostrate or scrambling, with slender thornless branches. Leaves opposite, simple, often lobed or angled; stipules persistent, striped. Flowers 1-4 per axil and with papery basal scales. Calyx with the 2 upper lobes extremely enlarged, persisting in fruit. Stamens forming a sheath that is split on one side. Fruit pods oblong, flat, winged on the upper side and containing several seeds.

Grown for the attractive flowers and leaves.

4 species from E Australia.

Seed (pretreated), cuttings or layers.

Leaves simple, distichous; upper calyx teeth expanded; pod keel thin and conspicuous, cf. Bossiaea.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Fabaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Fabales
family       Fabaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Platylobium formosum Sm.
species         Platylobium obtusangulum Hook.