About Bossiaea eriocarpa Benth.
Bossiaea eriocarpa Benth., also known as common brown pea, is a shrub that typically reaches a height of 0.6 to 1.0 metres (2 ft 0 in – 3 ft 3 in) and usually has densely hairy branches. Its leaves are narrow oblong or linear, measuring 5–25 mm (0.20–0.98 in) long and 1.5–6 mm (0.059–0.236 in) wide, and grow on a petiole 0.8–2 mm (0.031–0.079 in) long, with a stipule 0.6–4 mm (0.024–0.157 in) long at the leaf base. The leaves are glabrous, with a lower surface that is paler than the upper surface. Flowers are arranged singly or in small groups, and each flower sits on a pedicel 3–20 mm (0.12–0.79 in) long with overlapping bracts that grow up to 7.0 mm (0.28 in) long. The sepals are joined at the base to form a tube 1.8–3.6 mm (0.071–0.142 in) long, with lobes 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long, where the upper two lobes are much broader than the lower three. Egg-shaped or elliptic bracteoles up to 11.5 mm (0.45 in) long are present on the pedicel. The standard petal is yellow with a red base and 9.2–14.5 mm (0.36–0.57 in) long; the wings measure 8.8–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) long, and the keel is red or reddish-purple and 8.8–11.0 mm (0.35–0.43 in) long. Flowering occurs from July to November, and the fruit is an oblong pod 12–30 mm (0.47–1.18 in) long. This species grows in a variety of habitats in near-coastal areas, ranging from Zuytdorp Nature Reserve north of Kalbarri to near Albany. It occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions of south-western Western Australia.
