Shaggy peas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shaggy peas |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Podolobium alpestre | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Podolobium R.Br. |
| Species | |
|
See text |
|
Podolobium, often called shaggy peas, is a group of six types of flowering plants. These plants are special because they are found only in eastern Australia. They belong to the Fabaceae family, which is also known as the pea family. A botanist named Robert Brown first officially described this group of plants in 1811.
Contents
What Are Shaggy Peas?
How Shaggy Peas Look
Shaggy peas come in different sizes and shapes. Some grow upright, while others spread out low to the ground. Their stems usually have soft, smooth hairs.
The leaves of these plants can be arranged in a few ways:
- They might be alternate, meaning they grow one after another along the stem.
- They can be opposite, growing in pairs across from each other.
- Sometimes, they grow in a whorl, like a ring around the stem.
The edges of the leaves can be smooth or have lobes (small rounded parts). The top of the leaf often has a network of veins, and sometimes it can feel bumpy. Small leaf-like parts called stipules are found at the base of the leaves.
Their Flowers and Seeds
The flowers of shaggy peas grow in clusters at the end of branches or in groups along the leaf stems. Each flower has small, leaf-like parts called bracts, which usually fall off as the flower gets older.
The green outer part of the flower, called the calyx, has five teeth-like sections. The petals of the flower are shaped like claws. The largest petal, called the standard petal, is at the back of the flower. It's usually rounded and has a small notch at the top.
Inside the flower, the stamens (which produce pollen) are separate. The seed pods are shaped like an oblong or an egg.
Where Shaggy Peas Grow
All types of shaggy peas are found only in Australia. You can find them in the states of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. This means they are endemic to Australia.
Types of Shaggy Peas
The Australian Plant Census recognizes these six types of shaggy peas:
- Podolobium aciculiferum — known as needle shaggy-pea
- Podolobium aestivum
- Podolobium alpestre — known as alpine shaggy-pea
- Podolobium ilicifolium — known as prickly shaggy pea
- Podolobium procumbens — known as trailing shaggy-pea
- Podolobium scandens — known as netted shaggy-pea
