Blue Mountains National Park
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With over 1,100 species, the Pea Flower family is one of the largest in Australia. There are about 1,000 species of Orchids in Australia and as many as 35,000 species worldwide - making it the world's largest flower family. * Most of the Australian species in the Liliaceae Family have recently been reclassified into a dozen or so other botanical families. The Iris family is represented throughout the world by freesias, gladiolis and irises - and in Australia by the Genus Patersonia. |
 Pea flowers have five petals. The standard or banner, two wings, and two petals, usually fused together, referred to as the keel. |
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Other attractions of the Blue Mountains National Park
Although it isn't the highest peak in the Blue Mountains, Mt. Hay (944m) can be seen and easily identified from the Cumberland Plains of Sydney.
The early white settlers called it Round Hill, and in the decades before the Blue Mountains were crossed, I can image they would have gazed at this distant hill and wondered what lay beyond it.
Mt. Hay can be accessed by road from Leura - along Mt. Hay Rd. It is unsealed for most of the way, and is narrow in places and can be very rough.
At the end of the road, there are several walking tracks. One to Mt. Hay, another heading west that provides great views of the Grose Valley.
Caution should be exercised when venturing out to Mt. Hay and especially if going on any walks, as the weather can change quickly, signs are negligible, water is not for drinking and people are scarce.
Select the thumbnail image to see the full image.
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Bossiaea genus |
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 This low sprawling plant has no leaves. Its green keel, and the red at the back of the standard, is a good way to identify it - see large image. Its flat stems are 4-5mm wide; the flowers 10mm across. |
 Flowering in Autumn, this, plus its variable leaves and largish crimson keel identify it. The leaves vary on the plant and may be ovate or thin, and also vary in size |
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Daviesia genus |
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 This common pea flower is characterised by its sharp but flat leaves and sharp branches (spines). It flowers in spring. |
 A stunning display of dark yellow and crimson pea flowers clustered together. |
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Gompholobium genus Golden Glory Peas |
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 Distinguished from its siblings by its sets of three heavily recurved leaves. The flowers are 20mm wide. |
 Its 10mm wide flowers have the most beautiful yellow colour. It is identified by its pinnate leaves and warty stems. Here's another image. |
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Mirbelia genus |
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 The pink pea flowers and heavily "veined" leaves identify this delightful small plant. |
 Historically called Mirbelia grandiflora it also exhibits the heavily veined leaves of its sibling to the immediate left. The flower is 10-12mm wide. Here's another image. |
 The flowers are 10mm long & wide. The plant shown here had upturned wings and was prostrate; its 8-10mm leaves were smooth with a ridge on the top. Here's another image. |
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Pultenaea genus Bush Peas |
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 Identified by its squared-off leaves that have weak mucro, and the tell-tale stipules that characterises the Pultenaea genus. |
 A small scraggy plant whose spring flowers are about 6mm across and have a red keel. Its leaves are 10mm long, have a down-turned tip and are hairy underneath. It is also known as the Small-leaved Bush-pea. |
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 Flowering in late winter, this beautiful pea flower is also known as the Erect Hovea or Blue Bonnet. The latter being a delightful name. |
 Sadly, this beautiful plant has no common name. The flowers are about 13mm wide and the warty leaves 7-8mm long. Here's another image that shows the more usual spreading leaves. |
 Yet another stunning pea-flower. It is separated from its siblings by its yellow mucro (leaf tip). Its elongated standard is 8mm high, and its leaf margins revolute (rolled-back). |
 Differentiated from S. vimineum by its shorter wings that expose its keel, and having only a hint of red on some flowers, and none on most. The flowers are barely 5mm wide and long. |
 Also known as the Duck Orchid due to its bill or tongue like labellum - which is around 30mm in length. The sepals and other petals are small and spike like. |
 Resembling a duck in flight, with its sepals for wings, its labellum as its head and its column for a body. This small orchid's labellum snaps shut against the column trapping the visiting insect and turning it into a pollinator. |
 A small orchid that is 20-30mm across, besides its slight pink colour, Pink Fingers is distinguished from White Fingers by the red stripes on its labellum. |
 A small orchid about 12mm wide. Its petal-like labellum is narrower than the other petals & sepals. |
 Also known as the Piano Orchid, this orchid occurs in all other Australian States except the North Territory. Its long leaf stem can be seen in the background. |
 A small orchid that is 20mm wide. The flower stem is leafless - the leaf leaving the stem near the ground. |
 Also known as the Blue Sun Orchid, it has dark blue dots on its upper three segments. The flower is 25mm wide, but needs a sunny day to open. It is best identified by the finger like papillae as not all Spotted Sun Orchids have spots. |
 On first appearance it looks like a withered orchid - but its light brown flowers and stems are its natural colours. Also known as Cinnamon Bells. |
 Also known as yellow stars, the flower has a 25mm wing-span. |
 The fringe on the petals of this small (20mm) flower is stunning. |
 Flowering in spring. Also known as the Vanilla Lily due to its scent. |
 It can be distinguished by its leaves - which are bluish-green, very narrow (2mm), sometimes twisted and have hairs crisscrossing them. The flowers also seem to be a deeper purple. |
 Its 50mm flowers appear in spring and early summer. It can be identified by the silky hairs on its spathe (bud), wider leaves (5mm) and its flower stems coming from its fan-like base. |
 The Leafy Purple Flag's flowers and leaves are borne on a stem. Like its siblings, its flowers last barely a day. |