- Pultenaea
Key to the species of Pultenaea
1Leaf-blade with margin recurved or revolute (leaves occasionally concave or V-shaped in section), if margin flat then leaf darker on upper surface2 1Leaf-blade with margin incurved or involute, if margin flat then leaf darker on lower surface19 2Flowers terminal, forming a condensed raceme or head-like cluster (occasionally solitary), sessile or shortly pedicellate; shrubs not mat-forming, mostly more or less erect3 2Flowers 1 per leaf axil (rarely 2) on pedicels usually much longer than leaves; shrubs mat-forming to decumbent18 3Flowers clustered towards tips of branches or in terminal heads of 3 or more4 4Inflorescence lacking bracts, but persistent, slightly enlarged stipules present at base of pedicels5 4Inflorescence surrounded by bracts, bracts persistent or partially or totally deciduous at or before anthesis7 5Stipules straw-coloured, prominently fringed with cilia, almost obscuring the stemPultenaea densifolia 5Stipules dark brown, glabrous or sparsely hairy, not obscuring stem6 6Leaves lanceolate to elliptic, base rounded or obtuse; flowers in a discrete terminal head-like clusterPultenaea gunnii → 6Leaves linear to obovate, base attenuate or cuneate; flowers in small terminal or subterminal clusters, or solitaryPultenaea microphylla 7Bracts deciduous (slightly enlarged stipules may persist at base of pedicels)8 8Leaf-apex obtuse, emarginate, or acute but not pungent10 9Leaf-blade narrowly elliptic to linear, tapering gradually to a pungent pointPultenaea benthamii 10Flowers at least 7–10 mm long, standard up to 12 mm wide11 11Leaf upper surface scabrous, with tubercle-based hairs, rarely glabrous but not smooth; lower surface with loose, often rusty hairs; margin recurvedPultenaea scabra 11Leaves with both surfaces glabrous; margin fiat, thickened or slightly recurved12 12Most leaves more than 3 times as long as wide and more than 10 mm long; apex very obtuse, usually indented; margin thin; rigidly branched shrub of granite hills of north-eastPultenaea platyphylla 12Most leaves less than 3 times as long as wide (usually c. twice) and less than 10 mm long; apex with short, obliquely recurved mucro; margin thick; slender plant of wet lowlands in southern VictoriaPultenaea stricta 13Lower leaf surface with spreading hairs; calyx tube with dense, spreading hairsPultenaea polifolia 13Lower leaf surface with appressed hairs; calyx with appressed, silky hairs14 14Flowers 5–8 mm long; standard 3–6 mm wide15 14Flowers (9–) 10–12 mm long; standard more than 7 mm wide16 15Flowers 7–8 mm long; standard 5–6 m wide; stipules 1–1.5 mm long, free, or united at base onlyPultenaea linophylla 15Flowers 5–6 mm long; standard 3–4 mm wide; stipules 3–7 mm long, united for most of their lengthPultenaea parrisiae 16Stipules 3–7 mm long, up to one-third as long as leaf17 18Shrubs not mat-forming, loosely procumbent or decumbent; stem hairs spreading to somewhat retrorse in 2 classes c. 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm longPultenaea dargilensis 19Ovary pubescent to the base20 19Ovary glabrous or with hairs only at summit50 20Leaves opposite or in whorls of 321 21Leaves in whorls of 3, glabrous; moist to wet areas of alpine and subalpine areasPultenaea tenella 21Leaves opposite, underside with sparse, pale, appressed hairs22 23Bracteoles variously 3-lobed (outer lobes often obscure)24 24Lateral lobes of bracteoles conspicuous, brown, non-resinous and papery, and as wide or wider than central lobe25 24Lateral lobes of bracteoles usually inconspicuous, pale and not wider than central lobe, or, if wider than central lobe then dark and resinous27 25Stipules pale, united almost to the tips, overlapping and obscuring stem; leaves mucronate, rigid, glabrous except when very young; rare shrub of Little DesertPultenaea penna 25Stipules dark, united only at the base26 26Leaves and stems with spreading hairs; uncommon erect shrub of western forestsPultenaea daltonii 26Leaves and stems glabrous; trailing or weakly erect undershrub, widespread in damp situationsPultenaea dentata 27Leaves glabrous or sparsely hairy only when young, usually less than 8 mm long28 28Stem hairs not appressed, centre lobe of bracteole shorter than calyx (calyx usually glabrous)Pultenaea hispidula 28Stem hairs appressed, silky, centre lobe of bracteole as long or slightly longer than calyxPultenaea laxiflora 29Leaf-apex pungent, aristate or acicular30 29Leaf-apex obtuse or acute but not pungent (a fragile, bristle-like mucro, often deciduous with age, may be present)39 30Underside of leaves with 3–5 prominent longitudinal veins31 30Underside of leaves not obviously veined or with 1 prominent central vein32 31Flowers in terminal head-like clusters of more than 3 flowers, stipules united only at the base, strongly recurved; underside of mature leaves glabrous; restricted to GrampiansPultenaea costata 31Flowers single, or rarely, 2 together terminating short lateral shoots; stipules united for most of their length, not recurved; underside of leaf with silky, appressed hairsPultenaea muelleri 32Bracteoles linear, ovate or lanceolate, usually hairy at least on midrib33 32Bracteoles broadly ovate, resinous and shining, hairs if present restricted to a basal tuft37 33Calyx and young stems and leaves with appressed silvery hairs, mature leaves glabrous; leaves terete; weak trailing subshrub of alpine herbfields and Snow-gum woodlandsPultenaea fasciculata 33Calyx, stems and leaves variously hairy but not as above, if ever with appressed silky hairs then leaves flat; ± erect, woody shrubs34 34Leaves linear-terete or ovate, often cordate, surfaces usually concolorous35 34Leaves elliptic to narrowly obovate, widest above the middle, more or less flat, upper surface green, clearly visible, lower surface reddish-brown and much darker than upper surface36 35Bracteoles much longer than calyx tube, ovate, tapering abruptly into long, slender acute tip; stipules densely fringed with woolly hairsPultenaea acerosa 35Bracteoles usually shorter than calyx tube, lanceolate, tapering into short, acute tips; stipules glabrous to pubescent, but never woollyPultenaea juniperina 36Calyx glabrous or with spreading hairs; leaves flat or concave, apex with distinct pointPultenaea forsythiana 37Flowers on pedicels more than 2 mm long38 38Leaves more or less flat with inrolled margin; bracteoles longer than calyx tube and enveloping it; granite hills in north-eastPultenaea vrolandii 39Leaves wider than long, almost orbicular, flowers in umbel-like clusters on pedicels far exceeding leavesPultenaea patellifolia 39Leaves longer than wide, flowers sessile or on pedicels only slightly exceeding the leaves40 40Flowers terminal, solitary or up to 3 in a tight or loose cluster41 40Flowers axillary or in terminal head-like clusters of more than 3 flowers45 41Flowers in loose terminal clusters of fewer than 4 flowers, sessile, often hidden among subtending leaves; bracteoles lanceolate, densely hairy, usually longer than calyx; rigid, densely hairy coastal shrubsPultenaea canaliculata 41Flowers solitary or 2 together (rarely 3) in a tight terminal cluster, bracteoles not longer than calyx42 42Leaves strongly reflexed, 3 parallel veins obscure, usually visible on underside; dry forests west of Melbourne, uncommonPultenaea reflexifolia 43Calyx-lobes broad, ovate to deltoid, not longer than calyx tube; erect, usually very floriferous shrub of western near-coastal areasPultenaea prolifera 43Calyx-lobes lanceolate or long-acuminate, as long as or longer than calyx tube44 44Bracteoles broadly ovate, more or less enveloping calyx; bracts and bracteoles rounded on back and without prominent midrib; stipules c. 1 mm long, dark brown; chiefly dry inland forestsPultenaea prostrata 44Bracteoles ovate to oblong, not enveloping calyx; stipules 2–3 mm long, light brown; chiefly coastal dunes, also on calcareous soils in the westPultenaea tenuifolia 45Flowers in tight head-like clusters46 46Flowers yellow or orange47 47Leaves linear, ovate, elliptic or narrowly obovate, more than 4 times as long as wide, upper surface hidden or partially visible; widespread very variable shrubPultenaea mollis 47Leaves obovate, usually much less than 4 times as long as wide48 48Leaves more or less conduplicate and recurved, 3–5 (–9) mm long, 1–3 mm wide; rigid divaricate shrub of dry forests, often in auriferous areasPultenaea largiflorens 48Leaves more or less flat, not recurved, 6–8 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide; rare (probably extinct) plant of Victoria Range, GrampiansPultenaea maidenii 49Stipules ovate, boat-shaped, free to the base and standing away from the stem; plant highly aromatic, often with a yellow, waxy exudation particularly on the calyx; uncommon shrub of Western VictoriaPultenaea graveolens 49Stipules lanceolate, united in the lower half, tips slender, recurved; occasionally resinous and/or sweetly scented; widespread very variable shrubPultenaea hispidula 51Bracteoles trifid, divided at or above middle; central lobe narrow, linear, outer lobes broad, brown and conspicuous52 51Bracteoles entire or, if trifid, then divided below middle with central lobe often leaf-like and outer lobes narrow and inconspicuous53 52Leaf-apex with long, weak, recurved point; stipules 4–5 mm long, strongly recurved; lower stems leafless with prominent stipular scars; standard c. 10 mm long and widePultenaea lapidosa 52Leaf-apex blunt; stipules 2–3 mm long, not recurved; lower stems usually leafy; standard c. 10 mm long, 7 mm widePultenaea subspicata 53Leaves tapering to a point, usually pungent, concave or V-shaped in section and recurved from stem, venation usually palmate (apparent on lower surface)Pultenaea procumbens 53Leaves blunt; venation not palmate54 54Leaves 5–15 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, more than twice as long as wide55 55Bracteoles lanceolate or linear, longer than calyx tube56 56Leaves spreading; blade more or less flat with incurved margin; flowers deep orange and brick red; stems and usually whole plant hairy (glabrous plants occur in Rush worth area)Pultenaea humilis 56Leaves more or less erect, terete; flowers pure yellow, stems and usually whole plant glabrous (plants with hairy leaves occur in Kinglake area)Pultenaea weindorferi Modified from: Corrick, M.G. (1996). Pultenaea. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J. (eds), Flora of Victoria. Vol. 3. Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
