Family | Fabaceae |
Description | The species is very variable in morphology, from wiry scrambling climber to upright and shrubby. The climbing form supplied by Diversity Native Seeds is typical of the climbing forms most common in shrubby habitats such as dry sclerophyll forest and heath. It starts life as a prostrate scrambler sending out stems horizontally until they come into contact with another plant stem, at which point they twine upwards. Old plants form large bushy masses at the top of the supporting tree or shrub. The leaves on this form tend to be longer and narrower than those of the shrubby forms. |
Flowering time | Late winter-early spring |
Distribution & botanical details | click here for overall species information. Forms with this morpholgy are found throughout most of the species range, including both coastal and inland areas. |
Vegetation communities (this form) | Dry sclerophyll forest and heath. |
Soil types | Generally found in low nutrient soils such as sands and shales. |
Values/uses | |
-habitat values | Heavily grazed by macropods when within reach. Small birds commonly use the thick mass of stems provided by mature plants as secure nesting sites. |
-amenity/ornamental values | A very attractive plant in flower. A widely grown and popular species. |
-economic/functional values | Extremely useful for revegetation of eroded sites, quarries and mines with rocky, skeletal substrates. Used widely in roadside revegetation and succeeds on steep road cuttings. Potential value as stock fodder in mixed grazing systems. |
Tolerances | |
-water deficit | high although in its habitat tends to be killed by extreme drought, with new plants germinating after fire or rains |
-compaction | low |
-waterlogging | low |
-shade | average |
-soil salinity | not known |
-salt spray | average |
-pH | 5-7 |
-minimum temperature | -5 degrees |
Seed and germination details | |
-avge no. seeds per gram | 30 |
-viability period | long |
-dormancy | physical- hard seed coat |
-treatment | scarification or boiling water 90 degrees 1 minute |
-days from first to last germination at 25 degrees | 3-20 |
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