Plants of
South Australia
Pultenaea tenuifolia
Fabaceae
Slender Bush-pea,
Narrow-leaf Bush-pea
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
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Oodnadatta
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Wudinna
Keith
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 15

Prior names

Pultenaea tenuifolia var. glabra

Common names

Slender Bush-pea

Narrow-leaf Bush-pea

Etymology

Pultenaea named after Richard Pulteney (1730-1801), an English physician, botanist and biographer of Carl Linnaeus. Tenuifolia from the Latin 'tenuis' meaning slender and 'folium' meaning a leaf; referring to the species having slender leaves.

Distribution and status

Found in the southern part of South Australia, from the Eyre Peninsula to the South-east, growing in dry sclerophyll forest, open woodland, heaths and (damp) mallee, swamps, coastal dunes and cliffs or in swales or sandy blowouts. Also found in Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Western Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect to prostrate spreading shrub to 1.3 m high with soft hairs on branches and leaves. Leaves alternate, to 10.2 mm long and 2 mm with, linear, often obovate, broadly u-shaped, glabrous to densely hairy, apex acute, straight. Inflorescence of 1 or 2 yellow and red flowers at tips of short, lateral branches surrounded by cluster of leaves. Flowering between September and January. Fruits are hairy brown ovoid pod to 5.5 mm. Seed embryo type is bent.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between December and February. Collect maturing pods, those that are brown or turning brown and contain hard seeds inside. Place the pods in a paper bag and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the pods with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Place the pods in a paper bag and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the pods with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.