Common Name: Shaggy Peas
Description: Prostrate or erect shrubs; stems usually hairy, at least when young, hairs simple.
Leaves mostly opposite or whorled, sometimes alternate, simple, margins entire, upper surface ± reticulate, margins, often warty, margins recurved; stipules bristly or absent.
Inflorescence of terminal or axillary racemes, clusters or corymbs; bracts simple and often caducous; bracteoles often caducous. Calyx 5-toothed, teeth ± equal, the upper 2 broader and united higher up. Petals clawed, standard broad, ± emarginate, longer than wings and keel; wings oblong or obovate; keel straight or slightly curved, broad and obtuse. Stamens free; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile or stipitate; ovules 2 or more; style filiform or thickened towards base; stigma small, terminal.
Pods ovoid or oblong, turgid, valves usually leathery; seeds with or without an aril.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c.30 spp., endemic Aust., Qld, N.S.W., Vic., Tas., W.A.
Text by B. Wiecek
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Ovary partly divided by a longitudinal partition inside and/or pods longitudinally grooved above | Oxylobium oxylobioides |
| Overy not partly divided | 2 |
| 2 | Leaves usually <10 mm long and/or <3 mm wide, apex recurved; inflorescence terminal | 3 |
| Leaves mostly >10 mm long and >3 mm wide, apex not recurved; inflorescence terminal or axillary
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Leaves linear or triangular to elliptic, 5–15 mm long, 1–3 mm wide; stipules minute | Oxylobium pulteneae |
| Leaves cordate, 3–8 mm long, 2–5 mm wide; stipules absent
Back to 2 | Oxylobium cordifolium |
| 4 | Leaves elliptic, occasionally ovate or lanceolate, rarely cordate, mostly 0.8–3 cm long, ≤6 times as long as wide; stipules present or absent | 5 |
| Leaves narrow-elliptic to narrow-lanceolate or linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–8 cm long, >7 times as long as wide; stipules absent
Back to 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Flowers in a spicate raceme; floral bracts 9–11.5 mm long; bracteoles 9–10 mm long | Oxylobium bracteosum |
| Flowers in a corymb; floral bracts 4–8 mm long; bracteoles 2.5–5 mm long
Back to 4 | Oxylobium ellipticum |
| 6 | Leaves linear to narrow-lanceolate; stems and lower surface of leaves tomentose; pods oblong, obliquely beaked | Oxylobium robustum |
| Leaves narrow-elliptic or linear to linear-oblong; stems and lower surface of leaves appressed-pubescent; pods ovoid, acuminate
Back to 4 | Oxylobium arborescens |
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