Spotted Sun Orchid pa100179 image 102KB
Pea Flowers, Orchids, Lillies & Irises
of the
Blue Mountains National Park
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Pea Flowers, Orchids, Lillies & Irises
Families Fabaceae, Orchidaceae, Liliaceae* & Iridaceae

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 flower botany
Pea flowers have five petals.
The standard or banner, two wings, and two petals, usually fused together, referred to as the keel.

An index to the images included below

Pea Flowers

Clustered Bitter-pea
Common Hovea
Dainty Wedge Pea
Dense Phyllota
Dillwynia brunioides
Gorse Bitter Pea
Halo Bush-pea
Heathy Mirbelia
Large Wedge Pea
Large-flowered Mirbelia
Leafless Globe-pea
Mirbelia baueri
Rough Bush-pea
Sword Bossiaea
Variable Bossiaea
Orchids

Large Duck Orchid
Large Tongue Orchid
Native Potato
Pink Fingers
Slender Sun Orchid
Small Waxlip Orchid
Spotted Sun Orchid
Tall Leek Orchid
Lillies

Common Fringe Lily
Golden Weather-grass
Rush Lily


Irises

Dwarf Purple Flag
Leafy Purple Flag
Silky Purple Flag

Other attractions of the Blue Mountains National Park

Mt Hay image pa100209 121KB

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.


Pea Flowers - family Fabaceae

Select the thumbnail image to see the full image.


Bossiaea genus
Sword Bossiaea image p9190223 111KB
Sword Bossiaea
Bossiaea ensata
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.
Variable Bossiaea image p6050544 64KB
Variable Bossiaea
Bossiaea heterophylla
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

Daviesia genus
Gorse Bitter Pea image p9230088 73KB
Gorse Bitter Pea
Daviesia ulicifolia
This common pea flower is characterised by its sharp but flat leaves and sharp branches (spines). It flowers in spring.
Clustered Bitter-pea image pa100101 83KB
Clustered Bitter-pea
Daviesia corymbosa
A stunning display of dark yellow and crimson pea flowers clustered together.

Gompholobium genus
Golden Glory Peas
Large Wedge Pea image pa100096 105KB
Large Wedge Pea
Gompholobium grandiflorum
Distinguished from its siblings by its sets of three heavily recurved leaves.
The flowers are 20mm wide.
Dainty Wedge Pea image pa100055 55KB
Dainty Wedge Pea
Gompholobium glabratum
Its 10mm wide flowers have the most beautiful yellow colour. It is identified by its pinnate leaves and warty stems.
Here's another image.

Mirbelia genus
Heathy Mirbelia image pb260303 88KB
Heathy Mirbelia
Mirbelia rubiifolia
The pink pea flowers and heavily "veined" leaves identify this delightful small plant.
Large-flowered Mirbelia image p9110305 139KB
Large-flowered Mirbelia
Mirbelia platylobioides
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.
[Note: The name "Large-flowered Mirbelia" is not commonly accepted.]
Mirbelia baueri image pa100009 99KB
Mirbelia baueri

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.

Pultenaea genus
Bush Peas
Rough Bush-pea image pa090094 114KB
Rough Bush-pea
Pultenaea scabra
Identified by its squared-off leaves that have weak mucro, and the tell-tale stipules that characterises the Pultenaea genus.
[Stipules are the small leafy growth at the base of leaves.]
Halo Bush-pea image p9190192 61KB
Halo Bush-pea
Pultenaea linophylla
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.

Common Hovea image p8310336 75KB
Common Hovea
Hovea linearis
Flowering in late winter, this beautiful pea flower is also known as the Erect Hovea or Blue Bonnet. The latter being a delightful name.
Dillwynia brunioides image pa100018 75KB
Dillwynia brunioides

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.
Dense Phyllota image pc280293 75KB
Dense Phyllota
Phyllota squarrosa
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).
Leafless Globe-pea image pb160318 73KB
Leafless Globe-pea
Sphaerolobium minus
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.


Orchids - family Orchidaceae - also see our Orchids web page.

Large Tongue Orchid image pc290375 80KB
Large Tongue Orchid
Cryptostylis subulata
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.
Large Duck Orchid image pb260369 59KB
Large Duck Orchid
Caleana major
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.
Pink Fingers image p9230095 66KB
Pink Fingers
Caladenia carnea
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.
Slender Sun Orchid image pb010613 66KB
Slender Sun Orchid
Thelymitra pauciflora
A small orchid about 12mm wide. Its petal-like labellum is narrower than the other petals & sepals.
Tall Leek Orchid image pa100249 76KB
Tall Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum elatum
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.
Pink Fingers image p9210407 93KB
Small Waxlip Orchid
Glossodia minor
A small orchid that is 20mm wide. The flower stem is leafless - the leaf leaving the stem near the ground.
Slender Sun Orchid image pa100153 61KB
Spotted Sun Orchid
Thelymitra ixioides var. ixioides
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.
Native Potato image pc070004 75KB
Native Potato
Gastrodia sesamoides
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.


Lillies

Golden Weather-grass image pc070103 61KB
Golden Weather-grass
Hypoxis hygrometrica
Also known as yellow stars, the flower has a 25mm wing-span.
Common Fringe Lily image pc210303 93KB
Common Fringe Lily
Thysanotus tuberosus
The fringe on the petals of this small (20mm) flower is stunning.
Rush Lily image pa110003 91KB
Rush Lily
Sowerbaea juncea
Flowering in spring. Also known as the Vanilla Lily due to its scent.


Irises - family Iridaceae - also see our Native Irises web page.

Dwarf Purple Flag image p8310347 58KB
Dwarf Purple Flag
Patersonia longifolia
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.
Silky Purple Flag image pc280239 106KB
Silky Purple Flag
Patersonia sericea
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.
Leafy Purple Flag image p9200290 65KB
Leafy Purple Flag
Patersonia glabrata
The Leafy Purple Flag's flowers and leaves
are borne on a stem.
Like its siblings, its flowers last barely a day.