Dillwynia prostrata

Matted parrot-pea
Dillwynia prostrata in Kosciuszko National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Dillwynia
Species:	D. prostrata
Binomial name
Dillwynia prostrata Blakely [1]

Dillwynia prostrata, commonly known as matted parrot-pea, ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with hairy stems, linear to narrow oblong or spatula-shaped leaves and yellow and dark red flowers.

Description

Dillwynia prostrata is a prostrate shrub that forms roots along the stems and has hairy stems. The leaves are linear to narrow oblong or spatula-shaped, 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long and about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) wide. The flowers are arranged on the ends of branchlets and in leaf axils near the ends of branchlets, singly or in groups of up to four, each flower on a pedicel 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The sepals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, the standard petal 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and yellow with red veins near the base. The wings are oblong to egg-shaped, shorter than the standard, and the keel is the shortest and dark red. Flowering occurs from October to December and the fruit is an oval pod 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy and naming

Dillwynia prostrata was first formally described in 1939 by William Blakely in The Australian Naturalist. ^{[4] [5]} The specific epithet (prostrata) means 'prostrate' or 'lying along the ground'. ^[6]

Distribution and habitat

Matted parrot-pea grows in heath and woodland on the Southern Tablelands south from Braidwood in New South Wales and in East Gippsland in the far north east of Victoria. ^{[2] [3]}

References

1. "Dillwynia prostrata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
2. Jeanes, Jeff A. "Dillwynia prostrata". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
3. "Dillwynia prostrata". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
4. "Dillwynia prostrata". APNI. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
5. Blakely, William F. (1939). "A key to the New South Wales species of Dillwynia". The Australian Naturalist. 10 (5): 167–168. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
6. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 295. ISBN   9780645629538.