Leaves usually alternate but occasionally opposite or in whorls of 3, simple or 1-foliolate, margins entire; stipules scarious, fused for part or most of their length behind the petiole.
Flowers usually orange-yellow with reddish markings, axillary but often crowded in apparently terminal heads; bracteoles attached to the calyx tube or rarely to the pedicel, 1–3-lobed (lateral lobes stipules). Standard equal to or longer than the lower petals. Stamens free. Ovary pubescent to glabrous, sometimes glabrous except for a tuft of hairs near the apex; style filiform; ovules 2.
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves with margins recurved or revolute or if flat then darker on the upper surface. | 2 |
| Leaves with margins incurved or involute or if flat then darker on the lower surface. | 3 |
| 2 | Bracts conspicuously imbricate, surrounding the terminal, dense inflorescences. | 4 |
| Bracts absent or not conspicuously imbricate; inflorescences subterminal to terminal, lax to dense, often leafy.
Back to 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Ovary pubescent to the base. | 26 |
| Ovary glabrous or with hairs only at the apex.
Back to 1 | 40 |
| 4 | Bracts caducous. | 5 |
| Bracts persistent.
Back to 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Leaves with apex lacking an aristate point. | 6 |
| Leaves with apex aristate.
Back to 4 | 7 |
| 6 | Flowers 5–7 mm long; calyx 3–4 mm long, teeth acute; leaf apex usually emarginate. | Pultenaea retusa |
| Flowers 7–10 mm long; calyx 4–5 mm long, teeth acuminate; leaf apex rounded and usually minutely indented.
Back to 5 | Pultenaea platyphylla |
| 7 | Leaves cuneate to obovate, apex rounded, truncate or rarely retuse; bracteoles predominantly pubescent, attached to the upper part of the calyx tube. | Pultenaea daphnoides |
| Leaves narrow-elliptic to linear, apex acute; bracteoles predominantly glabrous, attached near the centre of the calyx tube.
Back to 5 | Pultenaea benthamii |
| 8 | Hairs on the calyx appressed throughout. | 9 |
| Hairs on the calyx, or at least on the upper part of the calyx, spreading.
Back to 4 | 15 |
| 9 | Bracts predominantly glabrous. | 10 |
| Bracts predominantly pubescent.
Back to 8 | 13 |
| 10 | Lateral teeth of the bracts acute to acuminate, sparsely ciliate. | 11 |
| Lateral teeth of the bracts obtuse, the margins densely ciliate.
Back to 9 | Pultenaea myrtoides |
| 11 | Longest leaves 25–40 mm long. | Pultenaea sp. 'robusta' (Anderberg 7048) |
| Longest leaves 12–23 mm long.
Back to 10 | 12 |
| 12 | Flowers 10–12 mm long, sessile; longest leaves to 23 mm; bracteoles 4–6 mm long; small spreading shrub or subshrub. | Pultenaea paleacea |
| Flowers 5–7 mm long, pedicellate; longest leaves to 17 mm; bracteoles 3–3.6 mm long; diminutive procumbent subshrub.
Back to 11 | Pultenaea parrisiae |
| 13 | Leaves mostly >20 mm long; bracteoles aristate. | Pultenaea rosmarinifolia |
| Leaves mostly <15 mm long; bracteoles tending to be 3–5-toothed.
Back to 9 | 14 |
| 14 | Bracteoles 3–5 mm long, narrow-ovate, not keeled, attached to the middle or lower part of the calyx tube. | Pultenaea capitellata |
| Bracteoles 5–7 mm long, obovate, keeled, attached below the base of the calyx tube.
Back to 13 | Pultenaea pycnocephala |
| 15 | Leaves with apex aristate; teeth of the calyx acuminate with fine pungent points. | Pultenaea polifolia |
| Leaves with apex recurved, teeth of the calyx acuminate or acute without pungent points.
Back to 8 | 16 |
| 16 | Leaves elliptic to cuneate, occasionally dilated near the apex; bracteoles linear-ovate to linear-obovate. | Pultenaea linophylla |
| Leaves narrow-elliptic to obovate; bracteoles oblong to ovate.
Back to 15 | Pultenaea sp. 'New England' (Coveny 16631) |
| 17 | Ovary glabrous except at the apex; stipules 5–10 mm long. | Pultenaea stipularis |
| Ovary pubescent to the base; stipules less than 5 mm long.
Back to 2 | 18 |
| 18 | Pedicels >3 mm long. | Pultenaea pedunculata |
| Pedicels <3 mm long.
Back to 17 | 19 |
| 19 | Stems with appressed hairs. | 20 |
| Stems with spreading hairs.
Back to 18 | 22 |
| 20 | Leaves with margins tightly revolute; bracteoles linear, attached at middle of calyx tube. | Pultenaea cinerascens |
| Leaves with margins flat to slightly revolute; bracteoles narrow-triangular, attached at base of calyx tube.
Back to 19 | 21 |
| 21 | Leaves narrow- to linear-obovate, 0.5–2 mm wide, concolorous. | Pultenaea microphylla |
| Leaves narrow-obtriangular to obtriangular, 2–6 mm wide, upper surface darker than lower.
Back to 20 | Pultenaea sp. 'Liverpool Range' (Johnson 963) |
| 22 | Leaves linear. | Pultenaea petiolaris |
| Leaves oblong to obtriangular or elliptic to obovate.
Back to 19 | 23 |
| 23 | Leaves elliptic to obovate. | Pultenaea tarik |
| Leaves oblong to obtriangular.
Back to 22 | 24 |
| 24 | Upper surface of leaves glabrous, smooth. | Pultenaea sp. 'Liverpool Range' (Johnson 963) |
| Upper surface of leaves hairy and/or scabrous.
Back to 23 | 25 |
| 25 | Calyx with sparse spreading hairs; bracteoles 1–2 mm long. | Pultenaea hartmannii |
| Calyx silky-pubescent to densely hirsute; bracteoles 3–5 mm long.
Back to 24 | Pultenaea scabra |
| 26 | Leaves terete with a groove on the upper surface. | 27 |
| Leaves flat, or with incurved to involute margins.
Back to 3 | 31 |
| 27 | Calyx with appressed hairs. | 28 |
| Calyx with spreading or woolly hairs.
Back to 26 | 29 |
| 28 | Calyx silky-pubescent; bracteoles <2.5 mm long, lacking stipules, narrow-ovate. | Pultenaea fasciculata |
| Calyx covered with stiff pale hairs; bracteoles >2.5 mm long, minutely stipulate, linear to linear-obovate.
Back to 27 | Pultenaea laxiflora |
| 29 | Bracteoles 6–7 mm long; calyx with woolly hairs; stipules 5–7 mm long. | Pultenaea baeuerlenii |
| Bracteoles 2–3 mm long; calyx with spreading hairs; stipules 1.5–3 mm long.
Back to 27 | 30 |
| 30 | Leaves 7–15 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm wide, lower surface densely tuberculate; calyx 2–5.5 mm long. | Pultenaea divaricata |
| Leaves 15–35 mm long, 0.8–1.8 mm wide, lower surface smooth; calyx 6–7 mm long.
Back to 29 | Pultenaea rodwayi |
| 31 | Hairs on the calyx spreading or absent; leaves alternate. | 32 |
| Hairs on the calyx silky and appressed; leaves alternate, subopposite or opposite.
Back to 26 | 36 |
| 32 | Leaves with apex with a long or short aristate point. | 33 |
| Leaves with apex leaf lacking an aristate point.
Back to 31 | 35 |
| 33 | Bracteoles almost orbicular, viscid. | Pultenaea vrolandii |
| Bracteoles ovate, not viscid
Back to 32 | 34 |
| 34 | Bracts three lobed, leaves 1.5–2.5 mm wide | Pultenaea juniperina |
| Bracts absent, leaves 2–7 mm wide
Back to 33 | Pultenaea villifera |
| 35 | Leaves 3–6.5 mm long, oblong; stipules and bracteole somewhat viscid. | Pultenaea hispidula |
| Leaves up to 10–20 mm long, narrow-ovate to linear; stipules and bracteole viscid.
Back to 32 | Pultenaea mollis |
| 36 | Bracts absent or inconspicuous. | 37 |
| Bracts imbricate, conspicuous.
Back to 31 | 38 |
| 37 | Leaves mostly opposite, 10–20 mm long; lower surface darker than upper. | Pultenaea blakelyi |
| Leaves alternate, 2–9 mm long, concolorous.
Back to 36 | Pultenaea microphylla |
| 38 | Bracteoles lacking stipules. | Pultenaea largiflorens |
| Bracteoles with stipules.
Back to 36 | 39 |
| 39 | Petioles not decurrent on stem; leaves linear to linear-obovate, terete with a groove on the upper surface; bracteoles 2.8–5 mm long, fused to the stipules at base. | Pultenaea laxiflora |
| Petioles decurrent on stem; leaves elliptic to narrow-obovate, concave; bracteoles c. 2 mm long, fused to stipules to middle.
Back to 38 | Pultenaea dentata |
| 40 | Ovary glabrous. | 41 |
| Ovary with a tuft of hairs at apex.
Back to 3 | 46 |
| 41 | Leaves usually whorled or opposite and decussate; venation of leaves palmate, usually with 3 main veins from base (although sometimes the main lateral veins obscure); base of leaves obtuse to rounded. | Pultenaea spinosa |
| Leaves alternate; venation of leaves with only 1 main vein; base of leaves attenuate to cuneate.
Back to 40 | 42 |
| 42 | Bracteoles circular to broad-ovate. | Pultenaea altissima |
| Bracteoles longer than broad.
Back to 41 | 43 |
| 43 | Leaves involute to generally U-shaped in cross section. | Pultenaea glabra |
| Leaves flat or slightly concave in cross section.
Back to 42 | 44 |
| 44 | Leaves with apex emarginate to round, straight. | Pultenaea euchila |
| Leaves with apex acute to acuminate, straight to recurved
Back to 43 | 45 |
| 45 | Leaves with apex straight and aristate. | Pultenaea flexilis |
| Leaves with apex recurved and not aristate.
Back to 44 | Pultenaea alea |
| 46 | Bracteoles 2- or 3-lobed, beige, with frayed margins, enlarged and deeply concave, almost covering the calyx. | Pultenaea tuberculata |
| Bracteoles 1- or 3-lobed, variously coloured but the lateral lobes (stipules) being reddish brown, with entire margins, not obscuring much of the calyx.
Back to 40 | 47 |
| 47 | Bracteoles 1-lobed (apparently lacking stipules). | 48 |
| Bracteoles 3-lobed (with distinct stipules, although these may be small and largely hidden behind the bracteole).
Back to 46 | 60 |
| 48 | Inflorescences lax, leafy racemes. | 49 |
| Inflorescences dense, head-like.
Back to 47 | 54 |
| 49 | Leaves terete and grooved on upper surface, 0.5–1 mm wide. | Pultenaea sp. 'Olinda' (Coveny 6616) |
| Leaves flat or shallowly concave, 1.5–25 mm wide.
Back to 48 | 50 |
| 50 | Petioles decurrent on stem. | 51 |
| Petioles not decurrent on stem.
Back to 49 | 52 |
| 51 | Leaves with apex acute to acuminate. | Pultenaea flexilis |
| Leaves with apex emarginate to rounded.
Back to 50 | Pultenaea euchila |
| 52 | Leaves with base obtuse to rounded; leaves usually whorled or opposite and decussate. | Pultenaea spinosa |
| Leaves with base attenuate to cuneate; leaves alternate.
Back to 50 | 53 |
| 53 | Branchlets drooping; hairs on leaves stiff, usually erect. | Pultenaea villosa |
| Branchlets ascending to erect; hairs on leaves soft, appressed or ascending.
Back to 52 | Pultenaea humilis |
| 54 | Leaves warty. | 55 |
| Leaves smooth.
Back to 48 | 56 |
| 55 | Leaves with tufts of minute needle-like hairs on the warts, concave with involute margins, 1–2 mm wide; stipules 5–6 mm long. | Pultenaea aristata |
| Leaves without tufts of needle-like hairs on the warts, often with long hairs on the leaf margins, terete and grooved on upper surface, 0.5–1 mm wide; stipules c. 3 mm long.
Back to 54 | Pultenaea echinula |
| 56 | Leaves linear, apex acuminate. | 57 |
| Leaves elliptic to oblong or ovate, apex acute to obtuse or rounded or emarginate.
Back to 54 | 59 |
| 57 | Leaves flat to shallowly concave; stipules 7.5–10 mm long. | Pultenaea stipularis |
| Leaves deeply concave or terete and grooved above; stipules 2–6 mm long.
Back to 56 | 58 |
| 58 | Leaves 10–20 mm long, concave with involute margins when dried. | Pultenaea glabra |
| Leaves 5–10 mm long, terete and grooved above when dried.
Back to 57 | Pultenaea sp. 'Olinda' (Coveny 6616) |
| 59 | Petioles decurrent on stem; stems glabrous. | Pultenaea euchila |
| Petioles not decurrent on stem; stems spreading-pubescent.
Back to 56 | Pultenaea humilis |
| 60 | Apex of leaves long- or short-acuminate to an aristate point. | 61 |
| Apex of leaves acute to rounded but lacking a point.
Back to 47 | 63 |
| 61 | Leaves linear to narrow-obovate to narrow-elliptic, 0.5–1.5 mm wide; leaf venation with only 1 main vein. | Pultenaea setulosa |
| Leaves ovate to rhombic to broad-rhombic, 1–25 mm wide; leaf venation palmate, usually with 3 main veins from base (although sometimes the main lateral veins obscure).
Back to 60 | 62 |
| 62 | Leaves usually whorled or opposite and decussate, usually straight; tip of calyx teeth acute. | Pultenaea spinosa |
| Leaves alternate, recurved; tip of calyx teeth acuminate.
Back to 61 | Pultenaea procumbens |
| 63 | Leaves mostly <3 mm long; leaf base usually obtuse to rounded. | Pultenaea foliolosa |
| Leaves mostly >3 mm long; leaf base attenuate to cuneate.
Back to 60 | 64 |
| 64 | Bracteolar stipules fused to bracteole to half its length. | Pultenaea subspicata |
| Bracteolar stipules free or fused only basally to bracteole.
Back to 63 | 65 |
| 65 | Bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx tube. | 66 |
| Bracteoles inserted on the calyx tube.
Back to 64 | 68 |
| 66 | Stipules 4–6 mm long. | Pultenaea canescens |
| Stipules 1–3 mm long.
Back to 65 | 67 |
| 67 | Prostrate, mat-forming shrubs with ascending branchlets; leaves glabrous or with soft, appressed to ascending hairs. | Pultenaea maritima |
| Erect to spreading shrubs with drooping branchlets; leaves hairy with hairs stiff, usually spreading.
Back to 66 | Pultenaea villosa |
| 68 | Calyx glabrous on the outer surface except for a few hairs on the teeth. | Pultenaea parviflora |
| Calyx moderately hairy on the outer surface.
Back to 65 | 69 |
| 69 | Erect to spreading shrubs with drooping branchlets; leaves with hairs stiff, usually spreading. | Pultenaea villosa |
| Erect to procumbent shrubs with erect to ascending branchlets; leaves with hairs soft, appressed to ascending.
Back to 68 | 70 |
| 70 | Leaves narrow-spathulate to oblanceolate to narrow-elliptic or narrow-oblong. | Pultenaea rostrata |
| Leaves obovate to spathulate.
Back to 69 | Pultenaea ferruginea |
