Dusky coral pea | |
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Kennedia rubicunda | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
Genus: | Kennedia |
Species: | K. rubicunda |
Binomial name | |
Kennedia rubicunda | |
Australian occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Kennedia rubicunda, commonly known as the dusky coral pea, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern continental Australia. It is a twining or prostrate herb with trifoliate leaves and dark red or purple flowers.
Kennedia rubicunda is a twining or prostrate herb with stems up to 4 metres (13 ft) long and covered with rusty-brown hairs. The leaves are trifoliate on a petiole 10–50 mm (0.39–1.97 in) long, the leaflets egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 30–120 mm (1.2–4.7 in) long and 20–80 mm (0.79–3.15 in) wide with lance-shaped stipules 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long at the base of the petiole. Dark red pea flowers are arranged in racemes of up to twelve on a peduncle 20–70 mm (0.79–2.76 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long. The sepals are 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and densely covered with rusty-brown hairs and the petals are 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) long. Flowering mostly occurs from September to December and the fruit is a rusty-hairy, flattened pod 50–100 mm (2.0–3.9 in) long containing ten to fifteen seeds. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Dusky coral pea was first formally described in 1793 by Dutch botanist George Voorhelm Schneevoogt, who gave it the name Glycine rubicunda in his book Icones Plantarum rariorum. [6] [7] In 1804 it was published under its current name by French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat in his book, Jardin de la Malmaison . [8] [9] The specific epithet (rubicunda) refers to the species' red flowers. [10]
Kennedia rubicunda is widespread in a variety of habitats, including in forests and rainforest margins, on the coast and nearby tablelands of Queensland, New South Wales and far eastern Victoria. [2] [3] [11] It is an introduced species in India, Tasmania and the North Island of New Zealand [12] (where it is considered a weed). [13]
Flowers of K. rubicunda are pollinated by birds. [14] Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) has been reported, [15] in which ants are attracted to fatty acid-rich elaiosomes attached to the outside of the seeds. [16] The plant is killed by bushfire but regenerates from seed dormant in the soil and is often abundant after fire. [3] [17] K. rubicunda forms a symbiosis with soil nitrogen fixing bacteria (rhizobia) resulting in the formation of nodules on the roots that fix atmospheric nitrogen which is used for plant growth. [18]
This plant is noted for its vigour and can be used to cover embankments or structures. [19] The species is adapted to a range of well-drained soils and adapts to positions with sun or partial shade. [20] It is resistant to drought and has some frost tolerance. [20] The species can be propagated by scarified seed or cuttings of semi-mature growth. [20]
Swainsona formosa, commonly known as Sturt's desert pea or Sturt pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is native to all continental states and the Northern Territory of Australia, with the exception of Victoria. It is a prostrate annual or short lived perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with about 15 elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of usually red flowers in racemes of 2 to 6.
Kennedia is a genus of thirteen species of flowering plants in the pea family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus are prostrate or climbing perennials with trifoliate leaves and large, showy, pea-like flowers. There are species in all Australian states.
Hibiscus heterophyllus, commonly known as native rosella or toilet paper bush, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It a shrub or small tree with white, pale pink or yellow flowers with a dark red centre and grows in New South Wales and Queensland.
Aotus ericoides, also known as common aotus or golden pea, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. It flowers in leaf axils in spring and has yellow pea flowers with splotches of red. It is endemic to eastern Australia.
Hardenbergia violacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is known in Australia by the common names false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea, and waraburra. Elsewhere it is also called purple twining-pea, vine-lilac, and wild sarsaparilla. It is a prostrate or climbing subshrub with egg-shaped to narrow lance-shaped leaves and racemes of mostly purple flowers.
Callistachys lanceolata, commonly known as the wonnich, native willow, or greenbush is the sole species in the genus Callistachys. It is a species of erect shrub or small tree that is native to the south-west of Western Australia and is naturalised in some other Australian states.
Kennedia nigricans, commonly known as black kennedia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a trailing or twining shrub or climber with trifoliate leaves and black and yellow-orange flowers.
Kennedia coccinea, commonly known as coral vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a twining, climbing or prostrate shrub with trifoliate leaves and orange-pink, red and pink, pea-like flowers.
Kennedia prostrata, commonly known as running postman, scarlet coral pea or scarlet runner, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a prostrate or twining shrub with trifoliate leaves and, usually, red flowers.
Elaeodendron australe, commonly known as red olive-berry, red-fruited olive plum, or blush boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with egg-shaped to oblong leaves with a wavy margin, yellowish green male and female flowers on separate plants and fleshy orange-red fruit.
Bossiaea obcordata, commonly known as spiny bossiaea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, rigid shrub with spiny branches, heart-shaped to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow and purplish-brown flowers.
Kennedia retrorsa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a climbing herb with trifoliate leaves and pinkish-purple or scarlet flowers.
Kennedia procurrens, commonly known as the purple running pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate or climbing herb with trifoliate leaves and pale red to mauve or violet flowers.
Kennedia lateritia, commonly known as Augusta kennedia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody climber with twining stems, trifoliate leaves and orange-red and yellow flowers arranged in groups of up to twenty-four.
Gompholobium inconspicuum, commonly known as creeping wedge-pea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a prostrate or low-lying shrub with trifoliate leaves and pale lemon yellow to yellowish green, pea-like flowers.
Kennedia beckxiana, commonly known as Cape Arid kennedia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or twining shrub or a climber with trifoliate leaves and red and yellow, pea-like flowers.
Kennedia carinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with trifoliate leaves and reddish-purple, pea-like flowers.
Kennedia microphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate, mat-forming creeper with relatively small, trifoliate leaves and red flowers.
Kennedia prorepens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a prostrate, multi-stemmed shrub with trifoliate leaves and pale blue, violet or maroon flowers.
Kennedia stirlingii, commonly known as bushy kennedia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a trailing or twining shrub with trifoliate leaves and orange-red flowers.