Chorizema cordatum

Chorizema cordatum, known as the heart-leaf flame pea or Australian flame pea, is a flowering plant of the pea family, endemic to gravelly or loamy soils in eucalyptus forests, in the moist south western parts of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the plant as kaly.[1]

Chorizema cordatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Chorizema
Species:
C. cordatum
Binomial name
Chorizema cordatum

It is a bushy evergreen shrub. The attractive and noticeable flowers appear in late winter or spring in long racemes, starting either at the end of stems or from the leaf axils. Flowers are orange and red, 10 to 12 mm in diameter. The heart shaped (or narrower) leaves are 3 to 5 cm long with somewhat wavy edges.[2]

It can be grown as a garden plant, and does well in other parts of the country, (such as Sydney on the other side of the Australian continent). However, a summer with lower humidity is better suited for this plant. As it does not tolerate freezing, in cooler areas it requires the protection of glass.[3] Propagation from seed is easily achieved, and cuttings strike well.[4]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

References
  1. "Noongar names for plants". kippleonline.net. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. "Chorizema cordatum, Ron Jackson, Australian National Botanic Gardens".
  3. "Chorizema cordatum". RHS. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  4. "Chorizema cordatum, Australian Native Plants Society".


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.