Common Hovea

Images ©:
©Hovea linearis Richard Hartland CC-BY, Hovea linearis Lorraine Oliver, Hovea linearis John Tann CC BY 2.0

Hovea linearis

Ground-hugging straggling subshrub. Simple narrow leaves to 5 cm with margins slightly rolled under, undersurface covered in soft upwards-pointing (antrose) hairs. Small appendages (stipules) at the base of the leaves. Pale bluish-purple pea flowers at the base of the leaves in small clusters of up to three flowers.

Details
Flora Type
Shrubs
Former Scientific Name
Hovea heterophylla
Other Common Names
Blue Bonnet, BirdÕs Eye
Distinctive Features

Woody root with very short erect stems, with numerous slender branches, softly hairy towards the tip. Two leaf forms _ lower leaves oval and becoming fine and linear higher on the branch. Leaves are distinctly arcged on either side of the mid-rib.
Biology

Perennial. Well-drianed soils in dry stony and grassy habitats.
Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Jul-Nov
Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Fabales
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Hyalosperma
Species
demissum

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

The young green pea pods were eaten by Aboriginal people. The pods turn black when ripe and are hard and perhaps not edible at this point.

Interesting Facts
Native Status
Native