Aotus ericoides
(Vent.) G.Don Common AotusVariable shrub to 2 m tall; stems with a close tomentum, hairs often rusty. Leaves opposite, alternate or in irregular whorls of 3 or more, ovate, lanceolate, elliptic or linear, 2–20 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, upper surface tuberculate, glabrous or with a few long hairs, lower surface with scattered long hairs; margins recurved to revolute; petiole 1–2 mm long. Flowers 1–several in upper axils forming a leafy raceme; pedicels to 2 mm long, covered with dense appressed hairs obscuring the surface; bracts c. 2 mm long; calyx c. 3 mm long, villous, teeth acute; petals 5–10 mm long; standard yellow with a central reddish or orange blotch; keel usually yellow. Pod obovoid, 6–7 mm long, turgid, villous; seeds 2, c. 2.5 mm long, black, reticulate. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, OtR, Strz. Also Qld, NSW, Tas. Scattered across southern Victoria east from about Port Campbell with isolated more westerly occurrences at Hawkesdale and in the Grampians. Grows in a wide range of habitats but most commonly in heathlands and open-forests.
This species shows a great deal of variation, particularly in indumentum and leaf size and shape.
Jeanes, J.A. (1996). Fabaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 663–829. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning