Daviesia latifolia
Daviesia
Daviesia latifolia, common name Hop Bitter-pea, is part of a large genus of flowering plants in the legume family. They are native to Australia, with a centre of diversity in Western Australia.
The genus is named in honour of Hugh Davies, a Welsh botanist. They have nitrogen-fixing bacteria contained in root nodules like other genera in their family.
Daviesia latifolia grows into an open to woody shrub with a height ranging between 1m to 3m (rarely 5m) and a width between 1m to 1.5m. Daviesia latifolia lacks true leaves, instead they have phyllodes which have a similar function to leaves. The phyllodes are leathery and are 2.5-8cm long and 2-3cm broad. Phyllodes are undulate with pronounced venation.The juvenile phyllodes resemble those of the mature phyllodes which are slightly broader.
Daviesia latifolia flowers during Spring to Summer. The numerous pea type flowers are orange-yellow in colour with a dark brownish red or maroon infusion towards the centre. The flowers are in clusters on axillary spikes. The fruit is a triangular pod, which brown when mature, containing seeds surrounded by aril. The species fruits during November to February. The distinguishing features of D. latifolia from the other Daviesia species are the broad leaves which have the prominent net veins and the triangular pods.
101.00 Location D4 Planted in 2021 in a group of three in the riverside plantings. Latitude; -38.402821000000 Longitude;146.052251000000