Aotus ericoides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Common aotus
Aotus ericoides.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Aotus
Species:
A. ericoides
Binomial name
Aotus ericoides
Synonyms
  • Aotus ferruginea Labill.
  • Aotus villosa Sm.
  • Aotus villosa var. ericoides (Vent.) DC.
  • Aotus villosa var. ferruginea (Labill.) DC.
  • Aotus virgata Sieber ex DC.
  • Daviesia ericoides (Vent.) Pers.
  • Pultenaea ericoides Vent.

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.

Description[]

Aotus ericoides is a variable shrub that may grow up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. The stems are often covered in short, matted, rusty or greyish coloured hairs. The leaves are whorls of 3 or more either growing alternate or opposite. The leaves vary in shape, they may be egg-shaped, broad at the base narrowing to the apex or long and narrow and about 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide on a stalk 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The leaf edge may be curved backwards or rolled under. The leaf upper surface has either small wart-like protuberances or smooth with occasional long hairs. The single yellow pea flower has a red-orange band around a yellow centre and bright yellow wings and keel. The flower bracts are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the pedicels 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The calyx edge has pointed teeth and is covered with long, soft hairs about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The seed capsule is a swollen firm, egg-shaped pod and covered with long soft hairs. Flowering occurs late winter to spring in upper leaf axils.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming[]

Common aotus was first formally described in 1803 by Étienne Pierre Ventenat who gave it the name Pultanaea ericoides and the description was published in Jardin de la Malmaison.[4] In 1832 the Scottish botanist George Don changed the name to Aotus ericoides and the description was published in A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants.[5][6] The specific epithet (ericoides) refers to the similarity to a species of Erica. The suffix - oides is a Latin ending meaning "likeness".[7]

Distribution and habitat[]

It occurs in heathland and dry sclerophyll forests on sandstone in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. In New South Wales it is found on the coast and Southern Highlands.[2][8]

References[]

  1. ^ "Aotus ericoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Wiecek, Barbara. "Aotus ericoides". NSW Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ^ Robinson, Les (2003). Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney. Kangaroo Press. ISBN 0-7318-1211-5.
  4. ^ "Jardin de la Malmaison". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Aotus ericoides". Australian Plant Name Index. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  6. ^ "A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants". Biodiversity Heritage Library. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  7. ^ Brown, Roland W. (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 45.
  8. ^ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region. Jacana Books. ISBN 978-1-74175-571-8.
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