Project Description
Pea flowers are a wonderfully diverse group of plants with over 1100 native species, many of which have yellow petals with red markings earning them the tag ‘egg-and-bacon’ pea flowers. Shirley’s presentation will cover how to recognise pea flowers along with tips on how to differentiate the ‘egg-and-bacon’ pea flowers.
Presenter
Shirley McLaran is the leader of the Australian Plant Society’s Pea Flower Study Group. When not out searching for pea flowers, Shirley contributes to the iNaturalist community with observations and identifications.
Why do so many of us look at a flowering shrub and think, “It’s a yellow one”?
In this AABR Walks & Talks presentation, Shirley McLaren shares practical tips to help bush regenerators become more confident identifying Australia’s native pea flowers (Fabaceae: Faboideae).
Rather than relying on flower colour alone, Shirley explains how to recognise important diagnostic features including the standard, wings and keel, bilateral symmetry, calyx, bracteoles, stipules, phyllodes, and flower structure. She also demonstrates how these characters can be used to distinguish commonly encountered genera such as Dillwynia, Pultenaea, Bossiaea, Aotus, Phyllota, Platylobium, Podolobium and Gompholobium.
The presentation also explores the ecological importance of native peas, from nitrogen fixation through symbiosis with rhizobia to their role in soil seed banks, ant-mediated seed dispersal, and post-fire recruitment.
Whether you’re a volunteer, contractor, student or experienced bush regenerator, this session offers practical field skills that will make identifying Australia’s remarkable pea flowers much less daunting.