Peas


There are over 12,000 pea species across the globe including herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees. They are good colonisers of bare areas assisted by their ability to trap nitrogen from the air and increase soil fertility. Many of the native species are dispersed by ants and will flourish after fire.

The native herbs and smaller shrubs are vulnerable to live-stock grazing and mainly occur in areas where grazing has been excluded or intermittent, such as within some Travelling Stock Reserves.

Although relatively few in number woody introduced peas, such as brooms, Gorse or Tree Lucerne are significant weeds. Exotic woody peas are a poor planting choice, as they are likely to stray far beyond the garden path.

All flowers of this family have the “sweet pea” butterfly shape, comprised of five often brightly coloured petals: the large upright standard at the back, two small lateral wings and the lower keel of two petals that are mostly fused.

Pea plants are generally distinguished from each other by their form (herb, shrub etc), their leaf characteristics, the colour of their flowers and the size and shape of their seed pods. Ideally postings of pea plants will include photographs that encapsulate all these features.

Photographs should show whether leaves are a single blade, or if not the number of leaflets of which they are composed. Photographs should also try and capture the pair of stipules or appendages that may occur at the base of the leaf stem. They can be leaf-like, membranous or spine like.


Peas

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Yesterday

It's relatively common for people to upload sightings which may actually contain multiple species.E.g. photos of a plant that may also have captured an insect on one of the leaves OR a photo containin...


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Discussion

Yesterday
Not a Pea - I was thinking Phyllanthus but couldn't get a match

Bossiaea buxifolia
Yesterday
Love your work Mike

Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius
Frecko wrote:
Yesterday
I do not know what this plant is. However, when I look at other examples of Matted Bossiaea logged in NatureMapr, it looks different to those examples. I am not seeing the woody stem and the leaves are not laying opposite each other (as in those examples). Not being in full flower doesn't help. Should have done botany. The species in this sighting (4675954) has also been logged in sightings 4675775, 4673195 and 4661627, as far as I can tell.

Bossiaea buxifolia
SilkeSma wrote:
13 Jun 2025
The plant has now been removed.

Cytisus scoparius subsp. scoparius
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