PEA FLOWERS IN FRED CATERSON RESERVE
by Jennifer Farrer
Walking through Fred Caterson Reserve in late Winter and early Spring one sees a golden understorey of yellow flowers. We have come to know these flowers since our childhood as “Eggs and Bacon”. This is probably because, as well as being yellow, many of these flowers on close inspection have red centres. The flowers are similar to the flowers on pea and bean plants in our vegetable gardens.
These plants all belong to the same botanical family known as the Fabaceae Family. This is the third largest family in the plant kingdom and contains many plants useful to us. Many such as peas, beans, soybeans and lentils are rich in protein and have been cultivated since earliest times. Others such as lucerne and clover are grown to feed livestock. All members of this family have root nodules which can convert nitrogen in the air into nitrogen compounds which fertilise the soil. Because of their ability to fix nitrogen, the pea plants are pioneers. They appear quickly after a fire and in the absence of fire they will disappear from the understorey.
The pea plants in the Sydney bushland have been given different names by botanists based on the shape and colour of their flowers.
PULTENAEA STIPULARIS
Pultenaeas are the most common pea flower in Sydney. They have a flower which looks like a Granny’s bonnet and usually has a trace of red on it.
PULTENAEA SCABRA VAR. BILOBA
Pultenaea scabra var biloba is one of the rare plants growing in the Reserve. It has distinctive bi-lobed leaves and is only found in the bushland between Field No1 and the Castle Hill Cemetery.
GOMPHOLOBIUM MINUS
The Gompholobiums have no red on their flowers at all. Their quite large clear yellow flowers really glow in the bush.
PLATYLOBIUM FORMOSUM
Commonly known as a Flat Pea is a straggly shrub. The flowers have wide large open petals and red markings on the petals and the keel.
PULTENAEA VILLOSA
Pultenaea villosa is easily identified by the fine hairs on the leaves and stems and its graceful drooping branches. There are some lovely plants of this species growing beside the track from Field No 6 to Field No.4
Photo Erica Nash
MIRBELIA RUBIIFOLIA
Not all native peas have yellow flowers. Here is Mirbelia rubiifolia.
HARDENBERGIA VIOLACEA
Another one is the popular creeper, Hardenbergia violacea, which can be found spilling down banks and twining over other plants. This is a good one to grow in the garden as well.
Photo: Erica Nash
BOSSIAEA OBCORDATA
The Bossiaeas all have small leaves and red almost brown centres. This species, Bossiaea obcordata, is named for its heart shaped leaves.