Common name: Gorse Bitter Pea
Daviesia ulicifolia Andrews APNI* Description: Divaricate shrub to 2 m high; branchlets spinescent, rarely hispid.
Phyllodes subulate, narrow-elliptic or narrow-ovate, rarely ovate, 5–20 mm long, 0.5–6 mm wide, pungent, apex acute or acuminate, base tapered to rounded, convex with midrib prominent on upper surface; venation obscure.
Racemes umbelliform or shortly racemose, 2–7-flowered on a 0.5–2 mm peduncle, or frequently reduced to 1 flower. Calyx 2.4–3.2 mm long including 0.5–0.8 mm receptacle; teeth equal, acute.
Pod 5–8 mm long, 3.5–5 mm wide.
Flowering: May. to January
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, usually in dry sclerophyll forest.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, NWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A. W.A.
Text by M. D. Crisp
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Inflorescence umbellate or shortly racemose. | 2 |
| Inflorescence 1-flowered, sometimes paired flowers in the axils. | 3 |
| 2 | Inflorescence only umbellate with 2–5 flowers; plant not glaucous. Phyllodes lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, 4–20 mm long, 1–3 mm wide. | subsp. ulicifolia |
| Inflorescence either umbellate or racemose with 2–7 flowers; plant glaucous. Phyllodes lanceolate to oblong, 8–17.5 mm long, 1.3–2.5 mm wide.
Back to 1 | subsp. aridicola |
| 3 | Phyllodes narrow-elliptic or lanceolate to linear. | 4 |
| Phyllodes lanceolate to ± ovate, rarely narrower.
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Phyllodes 9–20 mm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, ± linear. | subsp. stenophylla |
| Phyllodes either <9 mm long, or >1 mm wide, narrow-elliptic to lanceolate.
Back to 3 | subsp. ulicifolia |
| 5 | Phyllodes convex above with midrib more prominent above than below; standard petal orange (fading to yellow with age); stems often hispid. Phyllodes 5–12 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide. | subsp. ruscifolia |
| Phyllodes flat to concave above with midrib equal on both surfaces or more prominent below; standard petal yellow; stems always glabrous. Phyllodes 7–20 mm long, 2–5 mm wide.
Back to 3 | subsp. pilligensis |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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