About Pultenaea tenuifolia R.Br.
Pultenaea tenuifolia R.Br. is a spreading, low-lying to prostrate, mat-forming shrub, which typically grows up to 1 metre (3 feet 3 inches) tall. It has hairy branches that can reach up to 1 metre (3 feet 3 inches) in length. Its leaves are narrow lance-shaped, mostly 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and 0.3–0.5 mm (0.012–0.020 in) wide, with 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long stipules at the base. The upper surface of the leaves is channelled, and the leaves are often clustered. The flowers are 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long, sessile, and arranged singly or in pairs at the ends of short side-branches, where they are surrounded by clustered leaves. The sepals are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and joined at the base, with hairy egg-shaped to oblong lobes, and 3 mm (0.12 in) long bracteoles at the base. Petals range in color from yellow to orange and red. The standard petal is 4.5–8 mm (0.18–0.31 in) wide, the wings are oblong to egg-shaped and 4.0–6.7 mm (0.16–0.26 in) long, and the keel is semi-circular and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. Flowering takes place from August to December, and the fruit is a hairy, egg-shaped pod. This species, commonly called slender bush-pea, is distributed across Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. In Western Australia, it grows in near-coastal areas within the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Warren biogeographic regions. In South Australia, it occurs from the Eyre Peninsula to the Victorian border. In Victoria, it grows on coastal sand dunes and in the calcareous soils of the Little and Big Deserts. In north-eastern Tasmania, this species is found growing on granite.
